The Arcade Companion 1/The Arcade Companion 1.iso/mahjong/mahjongg.doc

Text File | 1988-12-26 | 21KB | 469 lines

    ┌────────┐                    MAH JONGG                     ┌────────┐
    │   ├┤ 3 │         Release 3.0,  December 26, 1988          │ 0  0 8 │
    │   ├┤   │                                                  │ 0  0   │
    │ ├┤  ├┤ │                  Nels Anderson                   │ 0  0   │
    │ ├┤  ├┤ │                 92 Bishop Drive                  │ 0  0   │
    └────────┘              Framingham, MA  01701               └────────┘



MAH JONGG is an ancient Chinese game whose origins are supposed to date back
some 3000 years.  This version has similarities to solitaire played with cards
and also with dominoes since it is played with tiles.  When I first discovered
the game my initial impression was that the game would quickly become dull but
having played it for a while and having given it to friends we've all found
that it is quite addictive despite its apparent simplicity.

This program is designed for a PCompatible that can run in EGA graphics mode.
If you're still running an older video card I'm afraid the game won't work.
(Apparently many people do not understand the differences between EGA, CGA,
VGA, MDA, etc.;  basically, if you get a screen full of flashing letters
when you try to run MAH JONGG you don't have EGA and the game will not work
on your system.)  When I originally wrote MAH JONGG I had never seen a game
that used the full EGA capabilities (640x350, 16 colors) and I thought it
would be nice if there was one.

This version also supports Hercules graphics mode.  Since it's monochrome
it's not nearly as pretty as EGA but the resolution is similar so it's not
bad.  If you wish to run Hercules, you *must* specify this on the command,
i.e., the command line must be:

                             mahjongg -h

otherwise the game will try to run in EGA.  I hadn't planned on doing any
versions other than EGA, but Hercules turned out to be so easy I figured,
why not?  I don't have versions for other video adapters and I don't have
any plans for them since I don't consider any of the lower resolutions
adequate.

Since I do not program games for a living but still put quite a bit of effort
into MAH JONGG I am releasing the program as Shareware.  If you enjoy the
game, as I think you will, a $10 donation to reward my efforts would be
appreciated.  Please let me know what version you have and I'd also be
interested in knowing where you got it from.  Make sure you put your name
and address on your letter.  Or, use the instant registration form in the
file "orderfrm.txt".  Just copy the file to your printer.  If you don't
understand the term "Shareware" please read the file sharewre.txt.

If you have any suggestions or discover any problems with the program you
can reach me via the )(evious BBS system (300 baud, 8N1) at 508-875-3618
or 617-449-7322.  Use the command FDBACK to reach me or send email to
"THE FENIX".

If you're connected to one of the minicomputer nets (InterNet, uucp...)
you can try reaching me at one of these addresses:

                ima!primerd!en-m32.prime.com!nja
                uunet!en-m32.prime.com!nja
                csnet-relay!en-m32.prime.com!nja
                [e-mail]
                [e-mail]

Of course you can also write me at the address at the beginning of this
file.  If you're not a registered used don't expect an answer unless you
include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

Most of the instructions you'll need for playing the game are built into
it; just type H when prompted at the title screen.  Or you can read the
instructions below.  There is quite a bit of strategy involved if you are
to do well but I'll leave the strategies up to you to discover.  Besides,
I'm no expert in playing the game either.


*****************************************************************************
*                             PLAYING THE GAME                              *
*****************************************************************************


OBJECT:

   The object of the game is to remove as many of the tiles from the
   playing board as possible within the rules of the game.  Tiles are
   always removed in pairs and can only be removed from the left or
   the right edges. Any tile that is not on a left or right edge is
   considered blocked and cannot be removed. Note though that the tiles
   are arranged in 5 levels and each level has a left and right edge so
   there are many more unblocked tiles than it would first appear. Note
   that the tile on the top of the pile blocks all four tiles below it,
   and tiles on row 5 block both rows 4 and 6.

SUITS OF TILES:

   There are many different suits of tiles and the suit of a tile
   determines the rule used for determining matching pairs that can be
   removed together.

MATCHING RULES:

   Most of the tile suits require an exact match. This means that you must
   match a tile to another that is exactly the same. For example a Bamboo 1
   matches another Bamboo 1 but does not match a Bamboo 3 or a Dot 1. The
   other matching rule allows any tile in the same suit to match any other
   tile in that suit. Thus, any of the four seasons (SUM, AUT, WIN, SPR)
   match each other and any of the four flowers (MUM, PLUM, BAM, ORC) match
   each other.

NUMBER OF TILES:

   There is only one each of SUM, AUT, WIN, SPR, MUM, PLUM, BAM, and ORC.
   There are four of each of the other tiles for a total of 144 tiles on
   the board. A counter keeps track of how many tiles are left in play.
   If you want to see what tiles you have removed so far, hit F2 (though
   some might consider this cheating!).

BOARD LAYOUT:

   If you're using a mouse to play you don't need to worry about the
   board coordinates; you just point and click.  The game commands are
   also there as "keys" that can be clicked on.  If you don't have a
   mouse, read on...

   The game board is a grid marked by letters and numbers. You select
   tiles by entering a letter for the column and a number for the row.
   Order doesn't matter, entering A5 is the same as 5A. The single tile
   on the topmost level is H5.

   The numbering of the rows is a bit confusing. Row 5 only exists at the
   very top level and at the extreme left and right edges. Rows 4 and 6 are
   actually adjacent to each other.

   If after you've selected your first tile you change your mind, just
   hit 'Enter' instead of your second tile selection. After you've
   selected both tiles you are asked to confirm your selection with a
   Y or N before the tiles are removed.

COMMANDS:

   There are commands you can enter in addition to just selecting tile
   coordinates. You can quit the game at any time by entering Q. You can
   get help by entering H when asked for the tile selection. If you ask
   for help when selecting the 1st tile it will first tell you whether
   there are any valid moves and then you may choose to see any or all of
   them by hitting Y or N when asked. If you ask for help when selecting
   the 2nd tile it will show you any available matches for the first tile
   selected. You can save your game by entering S and restore an old game
   by entering R. You can start a new game by entering N or play the same
   board again by entering A.

   Hitting F1 will display a summary of commands and other game information.
   Hitting F2 will show the tiles you've removed so far.
   Hitting F3 goes to the set up screen.
   Hitting F4 will undo your last move.
   Hitting F6 will undo your last undo (i.e., it will remove the tiles again)
   Hitting F5 shows you your playing statistics

   If you have a mouse, just slide the cursor over the command you want
   and click. Hitting the right mouse button is a short-cut way of asking
   for help.

   In summary, the commands are:

                  Q:  Quit       N:  New game (new board)
                  H:  Help       A:  Again (replay same board)
                  S:  Save       R:  Restore
                  F1: Comm