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Text File | 1983-09-28 | 10KB | 333 lines

About MineSweeper 2.4 --------------------- This version of MineSweeper was written in Modula2 by myself, John Matthews, to be as close as possible to the version that comes with Microsoft Windows 3.1 (tm), without being based at all on either the source or object code of that version. This version of MineSweeper, is public domain. Feel free to give it away, or upload it to your favourite FTP site or BBS, but please don't modify it. If you want the source, let me know. This program looks best on WB2.0 or higher, on a deinterlaced, or dblscan workbench, but should work on earlier, lower resolution displays also. Lower resolutions will limit the size of the custom option however. MineSweeper is one of those games which are simple in concept, while surprisingly absorbing and addictive to play. Minesweeper is a challenging game of strategy and luck. Here follow some instructions on how to play. Copyright --------- This version of MineSweeper is copyright 1992-1993 John Matthews, and is totally freeware. Distribute it as you like but leave the documentation intact, and don't modify the program itself. And please do not sell it for profit, or as part of another product. History ------- Version 2.0 - June 1992 (I think). First Release Version 2.1 - April 6 1993. Bug Fix : Enforcer hits at startup, font colour. Version 2.2 - September 10 1993. Bug Fixes : Window refreshing after obscure, while high score window up. Handles right mouse button better now - now works with popup menu programs, like Magic Menu (© Martin Korndörfer) Modified operation a little (if you can't figure out how to use it, you won't be any good at the game :-) ) Added Custom mode. Version 2.3 - September 22 1993 Bug Fix : hashing of display during right mouse button moves on non interlaced displays. Enhancements : optimised search routines into assembly language for greater speed flashes display at end of game changed "Shrink Window" to "Pause", doesn't reset game. added keyboard equivalents changed from stack search to queue search (ripple out after uncovering instead of diagonal paths :-) ) Version 2.4 - September 28 1993 I was in town on Thursday, uploading the new version, and I read my mail. So here are the improvements that were requested. 1. Sun-Glasses on successful game 2. Different methods for Game-Over test - All the mines found - All the spaces not containing mines uncovered - Both of the above 3. Colour coding of numbers. This feature is only available under Version 39 or greater of the OS (Kickstart 3) 4. Previously, the upper left square never contained a mine. Now, whatever square you first uncover will have no mine in it. Bugs ---- None that I know of. ;-) Author ------ John Matthews tribble@gphs.vuw.ac.nz Contents for Minesweeper Instructions I.____Introduction: What Is Minesweeper? II.____How to ... Keep Score III.____How to ... Mark a Square IV.____How to ... Play the Game V.____How to ... Understand the Rules of the Game VI.____Use Strategies and Hints Part I ------ >> Introduction : What Is Minesweeper? ----------------------------------- When playing Minesweeper you are presented with a mine field, and your objective is to locate all the mines as quickly as possible. To locate the mines, you uncover the squares on the game board that do not contain mines, and you mark the squares that do contain mines. The trick is determining which squares are which. If you uncover all the squares without mines, and mark all those with, you win; if you uncover a mine instead of marking it, you lose the game. The faster you play, the lower your score. You can use the counters at the top of the window to keep track of your progress. The counter in the upper-right corner of the window is a timer, which displays your playing time in seconds. The timer does not begin counting until you select a square. The counter in the upper-left corner of the window initially indicates the number of mines hidden in the mine field. Every time you mark a square as a mine, this number decreases by one, even if you incorrectly mark a square. Part II ------- >> Keeping Score ------------- Minesweeper scoring is simple. The counter in the upper-right corner of the playing area indicates your playing time. The faster you find all the mines, the better your score. To see a list of your fastest playing times From the Game menu, choose Best Times. Part III -------- >> Marking a Square ---------------- Knowing when to mark a square as a mine is the key to winning the game. To uncover a square ... Point to the square, and click the left mouse button. To mark a square as a mine ... Point to the square, and click the right mouse button once. To mark a square as a question mark ... Point to the square, and click the right mouse button twice. To change a square marked as a mine into a question mark ... Point to the square, and click the right mouse button once. To clear a square marked as a mine ... Point to the square, and click the right mouse button twice. Once you have marked at least one square as a mine, you may be able to safely uncover more squares by "clearing around" them. To uncover all the squares around an uncovered square ... Click the right mouse button over that square. Instead of just clicking on a square, you can click-drag across the board until you reach your desired square and then release. In the case of the right mouse button, the effect of drag clicking depends on the square you clicked on, not the one you released over. For instance, clicking the right mouse button down over a covered square and (before releasing the button) moving the mouse will result in attempting to mark the square you release over as a mine. Clicking the right mouse button down over an uncovered square and dragging will result in attempting to uncover all the squares around the square. In each of these two cases, releasing over a square of the opposite type (covered/uncovered) will have no effect. Part IV ------- >> Playing the Game The object of Minesweeper is to correctly mark all mines as quickly as possible without uncovering one. The following section explains how to play the game. To choose a skill level From the Game menu, choose Beginner, Intermediate, or Expert. The higher the skill level, the larger the mine field. To start a new game From the Game menu, choose New, or use Right-Amiga-N. Or you can click the yellow "happy face" at the top of the game board. To locate the mines 1. To uncover a square, select it using the left mouse button. If the square is a mine, you lose. 2. If the square isn't a mine, a number may appear. This number represents the number of mines in the surrounding eight squares. If there are no mines around the square, it will show blank, and all the squares around it will automatically be uncovered. This process is recursive, and can result in large areas of the board being uncovered. 3. To mark a square as a mine, select it with the right mouse button. To mark a square you are uncertain about, point to it and click twice with the right mouse button. This marks the square with a question mark (?). Later, you can either mark the square as a mine, or uncover it. Part V ------ >> Understanding the Rules of the Game ----------------------------------- Follow these rules when playing Minesweeper The playing area is a mine field, simulated by a grid of squares. Initially, all the squares are covered. To uncover a square, point to it and click the left mouse button. You continue to uncover squares until only the squares containing mines are covered. If you uncover a square that does not contain a mine, it either contains a number or is blank. If the square contains a number, N, then there are N mines in the surrounding eight squares. If the square is blank, there are no mines in the surrounding eight squares. If you uncover a blank square, the surrounding eight squares are uncovered automatically because there cannot be any mines under them. If you know that a square is a mine, you can mark the square. If you uncover a square that contains a mine, the game is over and all the mines are displayed. You can also "clear around" an uncovered number square whose mine has already been marked. For example, two squares labeled 1 may both be touching a marked square. If you clear around the uncovered squares, you may uncover additional squares that do not contain mines. If you clear around a square whose mine is already marked, the surrounding numbered squares are uncovered. To clear around a square ... Point to the numbered square, and then click the right mouse button. You are not allowed to clear around a square if you have not marked enough mines, or have marked to many mines, in the surrounding eight squares, or if the square is covered. For example, if you try to clear around a square labeled 3, and you have marked only two squares with mines, nothing will happen. Or, if you try to clear around an uncovered square, nothing will happen. If you clear around a square, and there is an unmarked mine in the surrounding eight squares, it is uncovered and the game is over. If you clear around a square whose mines are incorrectly marked and a mine is uncovered, the game is over. Part VI. -------- >> Using Strategies and Hints -------------------------- Helpful hints for playing Minesweeper If an uncovered square is labeled 1, and there is only one covered square touching it, that covered square must be a mine. If an uncovered square already has the correct number of adjacent mines marked, clear around it. Don't guess unless you have to. If you can't figure out how to move, try approaching the area from a different direction or marking squares with question marks. Guessing may occasionally finish the game more quickly by opening out the board, but it defeats the purpose of skill.