Cream of the Crop 11/Cream of the Crop 11-1.iso/games/tomtoyxi.zip/SCHAF.DOC

Text File | 1995-06-18 | 8KB | 180 lines

TOMMY'S SCHAFKOPF (C) COPYRIGHT 1995 BY TOMMY'S TOYS
P. O. BOX 11261, DENVER, CO 80211 USA.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
CATALOG #TM-153-1A

INSTRUCTIONS:

SCHAFKOPF (SHEEP'S HEAD) IS A WENDISH CARD GAME THAT IS AT LEAST 200 YEARS OLD.
IT IS THE ANCESTOR OF THE POPULAR GERMANIC CARD GAME SKAT (PRONOUNCED "SKART")
BUT NOT AS COMPLEX.  (WEND IS AN OLD SLAVIC ENCLAVE SOUTH OF BERLIN IN EAST
GERMANY, A.K.A. SORB AS IN SERB.  THE NAME SCHAFKOPF COMES FROM THE PRACTICE
OF SCORING BY DRAWING A SHEEP'S HEAD STROKE BY STROKE).

THE SKAT IS THE WIDOW, THE WORD BEING BORROWED FROM THE ITALIAN GAME OF TAROK.
IN ITALIAN, SCARTARE MEANS TO DISCARD, AND A SCATOLA IS A SAFEKEEPING PLACE.

PLAYERS:
3 PLAYERS.  YOU PLAY NORTH AND THE COMPUTER PLAYS THE OTHER HANDS.  (THIS IS
ALSO CALLED THE DREIWENDSCH VARIATION OF SCHAFKOPF; THERE ARE 4-HANDED
VARIATIONS TOO).

THE DECK:
THE STANDARD 52-CARD (FRENCH) DECK IS USED, WITH DEUCES THROUGH SIXES REMOVED,
LEAVING 32 CARDS.

ALL DIAMONDS ARE PERMANENT TRUMPS, AS ARE ALL QUEENS AND JACKS OF ANY SUIT.
THE TRUMP RANKING IS AS FOLLOWS:

  Q CLUBS (HIGH), Q SPADES, Q HEARTS, Q DIAMONDS, JACK C-S-H-D,
  ACE DIAMONDS, TEN DIAMONDS, KING DIAMONDS, 9 DIAMONDS, 8 DIAMONDS, 7 DIAMONDS.

IN EACH NON-TRUMP SUIT THE CARDS RANK ACE (HIGH), 10, K, 9, 8, 7 (LOW).

THERE ARE THUS A TOTAL OF 14 TRUMP AND 18 NON-TRUMP CARDS IN THE DECK.

(THE 2 BLACK QUEENS ARE THE TOP TRUMPS, AND ARE KNOWN AS DIE ALTEN, THE
OLD WOMEN).

PIP VALUES:
WHEN CAPTURED IN TRICKS, CERTAIN CARDS HAVE PIP VALUES, AS FOLLOWS.  THE TOTAL
PIP VALUE OF A DEAL IS ALWAYS 120, THAT IS, 30 POINTS PER SUIT:

      A    T    K    Q    J
     11   10    4    3    2

NOTE THAT PIP CARDS (7-9) NEVER HAVE PIP VALUES (HA HA).  WELL, ALMOST NEVER,
DON'T FORGET THE TEN!

TO MAKE THE CONTRACT, THE SOLOIST HAS TO WIN MORE THAN HALF (61 OR MORE) OF THE
PIPS IN TRICKS.

DEALER:
THE FIRST DEALER IS CHOSEN RANDOMLY BY THE COMPUTER.  AFTER THAT, DEAL ALWAYS
PASSES TO THE LEFT (CLOCKWISE).  THE PLAYERS, IN ORDER, ARE CALLED VORHAND
(FOREHAND OR ELDER), MITTELHAND (MIDDLEHAND), AND HINTERHAND (REARHAND OR
DEALER).

DEALING:
DEALER DEALS 10 CARDS TO EACH PLAYER, IN BATCHES OF 3, 4, 3.  IMMEDIATELY
BEFORE DEALING THE BATCH OF 4, DEALER DEALS 2 CARDS FACE DOWN TO THE TABLE IN
A PILE TO FORM THE SKAT OR WIDOW.  THIS ACCOUNTS FOR ALL 32 CARDS IN THE DECK.

BIDDING:
VORHAND HAS FIRST RIGHT TO PICK UP THE SKAT AND BECOME THE "PLAYER" (SOLOIST),
UNDERTAKING TO WIN AT LEAST 61 POINTS BY CARDS TAKEN IN TRICKS IN COMPETITION
WITH THE OTHER TWO.  IF VORHAND PASSES, THEN MITTELHAND AND HINTERHAND IN TURN
HAVE THE RIGHT TO PICK IT UP; IF ALL THREE PASS, THE DEAL IS PLAYED "AT LEAST"
(SEE BELOW).

DISCARD:
IF/WHEN THE SKAT HAS BEEN PICKED UP, SOLOIST DISCARDS 2 CARDS FACE DOWN.

NOTE: TO DISCARD USING THE KEYBOARD, JUST HIT THE NUMBERS OF THE CARDS YOU
WANT TO DISCARD, 1-9, A-C.  TO USE THE MOUSE, JUST CLICK THE CARDS YOU WANT
TO DISCARD.

PLAY:
VORHAND (FIRST PLAYER TO DEALER'S LEFT, I.E. ELDEST HAND) LEADS TO THE FIRST
TRICK.  EACH PLAYER IN TURN MUST FOLLOW SUIT IF ABLE; IN THIS PLAY, ALL TRUMPS
ARE CONSIDERED TO BE A SUIT OF THEIR OWN, SO THAT IF A TRUMP CARD IS LED EACH
PLAYER MUST FOLLOW WITH A TRUMP IF HE HAS ONE, ELSE PLAY A PLAIN SUIT.

EACH TRICK IS WON BY THE HIGHEST TRUMP IF ANY, ELSE BY THE HIGHEST CARD OF THE
SUIT LED.

THE WINNER OF EACH TRICK LEADS TO THE NEXT.

NOTE: TO ENTER YOUR CARD, USE THE ARROW KEYS ON THE NUMERIC KEY PAD TO POINT
TO IT, THEN HIT THE <ENTER> KEY.  ALTERNATIVELY, JUST HIT THE CARD NUMBER,
1-9 OR A; OR HIT THE "." KEY TO LET THE COMPUTER PICK A CARD FOR YOU.  OR,
POINT TO THE CARD WITH YOUR MOUSE AND CLICK.

SCORING:
THE POINTS IN THE SOLOIST'S DISCARD ARE COUNTED FOR HIM AT THE END OF PLAY.
IF SOLOIST WINS 61-90 POINTS IN TRICKS, HE SCORES 2 GAME POINTS; IF HE WINS
91 OR MORE, HE SCORES 4 (MAKING "SCHNEIDER"); IF HE WINS ALL THE TRICKS HE
SCORES 6 ("SCHWARZ").

IF PLAYER ONLY TAKES 31-60 POINTS, HE LOSES 2 GAMES POINTS; IF HE TAKES LESS
THAN 31, HE LOSES 4 (SCHNEIDER); AND IF HE LOSES EVERY TRICK, HE LOSES 6
(SCHWARZ).  THUS, A PLAYER'S GAME SCORE CAN GO NEGATIVE.

GAME:
FIRST PLAYER TO REACH 10 POINTS WINS THE GAME.
AS MEL BROOKS SAYS, MAY THE SCHWARZ BE WITH YOU (HAD TO SAY THAT - HA HA).

RAMSCH:
ALSO CALLED 'AT LEAST', EACH PLAYER PLAYS FOR HIMSELF, THE OBJECT BEING TO WIN
AS FEW TRICKS AS POSSIBLE.  THE PLAYER WHO WINS THE LAST TRICK WINS THE SKAT.
IF EVERY PLAYER WINS AT LEAST 1 TRICK, THE ONE WITH THE LEAST POINTS SCORES
2 GAME POINTS; IF TWO TIE FOR LEAST, THE ONE WHO DIDN'T WIN THE LAST TRICK
AS BETWEEN THEM ALONE WINS THE 2 GAME POINTS; IF EACH PLAYER TAKES 40 POINTS,
DEALER WINS THE 2 GAME POINTS.  IF ONE PLAYER TAKES NO TRICKS, HE SCORES 4
GAME POINTS, THE OTHERS SCORING NOTHING; IF ONE PLAYER TAKES ALL THE TRICKS,
HE LOSES 4 GAME POINTS, THE OTHERS SCORING NOTHING.

OPEN HANDS OPTION:
FOR DEMONSTRATION AND LEARNING PURPOSES, ALL HANDS CAN BE PLAYED FACE UP.

REPLAY HAND OPTION:
AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH HAND, YOU HAVE THE OPTION OF REPLAYING THE LAST HAND.
OF COURSE YOU CAN USE THIS TO GAIN AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE ON THE COMPUTER, BUT
THIS IS A TOY AFTER ALL, AND YOU ARE BOSS.

FUNCTION KEYS: THESE ARE HOT KEYS, MEANING THEY CAN BE PRESSED AT ANY TIME.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    F1   *   SOUND EFFECTS TOGGLE
    F2   *   DEMO MODE TOGGLE.  IN DEMO MODE THE COMPUTER PLAYS BOTH HANDS
             WHILE YOU WATCH.
    F3       POP-UP THE OPTIONS MENU
    F5       DISPLAY THESE INSTRUCTIONS
    F7       QUIT THE PROGRAM
    F9       (COLOR MONITORS ONLY) CHANGE THE SCREEN BACKGROUND COLOR
    F10      (COLOR MONITORS ONLY) CHANGE THE SCREEN BORDER COLOR

*NOTE: THE LEGEND FOR A TOGGLE SWITCH INDICATES THE MODE THAT WILL BE ENTERED
BY PRESSING THE KEY, WHICH IS THE OPPOSITE OF THE MODE IN EFFECT AT THE TIME.

COMMAND LINE PARAMETERS:
   S    START UP WITH SOUND OFF
   M    FORCE MONO DISPLAY MODE
   C    FORCE COLOR DISPLAY MODE
   D    DISABLE MOUSE CHECK
   *    SKIP STARTUP SHOW

EXAMPLE: >SCHAF MS

TERMS TO KNOW:
-------------
VOID SUIT: A SUIT IN WHICH ONE HAS NO CARDS.
SINGLETON: A SUIT IN WHICH ONE HAS ONLY 1 CARD.
DOUBLETON: A SUIT IN WHICH ONE HAS ONLY 2 CARDS.
RUFFING: PLAYING A TRUMP TO A NON-TRUMP TRICK (PLAYER MUST BE VOID IN TRICK
 SUIT).
RENOUNCING: PLAYING A NON-TRUMP INSTEAD OF RUFFING TO A TRICK.
FINESSE: WINNING A TRICK WITH A CARD THAT IS NOT HIGHEST IN-HAND IN THAT
SUIT, SAVING THE HIGHER CARD(S) FOR WINNING YET MORE.

NOTES ON STRATEGY:
THERE ARE 14 TRUMPS AND 18 NON-TRUMP CARDS IN PLAY.  TO PICK UP THE SKAT YOU
NEED A LONG STRONG TRUMP SUIT, SEVEN OR MORE INCLUDING 4 OF THE 8 TOP TRUMPS.
WITH FEWER TRUMPS OR LESS TOP STRENGTH YOU SHOULD HOLD 1-2 SIDE ACES.

THE ODDS OF PICKING UP A TRUMP IN THE SKAT ARE ROUGHLY 2-TO-1 AGAINST.

SINCE THERE ARE ONLY 6 CARDS IN EACH PLAIN SUIT, THE A-10 CAN'T BE COUNTED
ON TO WIN 2 TRICKS UNLESS THE HAND IS STRONG ENOUGH TO TAKE OUT THE ADVERSE
TRUMPS FIRST.  WHEN TRUMPS ARE LONG AND STRONG ENOUGH TO BID, TENS ARE
BETTER OUT OF THE HAND THAN IN.

----------------------
DID YOU LIKE THIS TOY?
DON'T FORGET TO TRY OUR GOBS OF OTHER NEAT LOW-PRICED GAMES AND TOYS FOR THE
IBM PC AND COMPATIBLES.  WE ARE WAITING TO SEND YOU OUR 5.25 INCH (360KB) OR
3.5 INCH (720KB) DEMO DISK, CONTAINING AN ELECTRONIC CATALOG PLUS OTHER
GOODIES, FOR ONLY $2 SHIPPING/HANDLING TO ANY U.S. ADDRESS, $3 OUTSIDE U.S.
(U.S. DOLLARS ONLY).

HAVE FUN!
TOMMY'S TOYS, P.O. BOX 11261, DENVER, CO 80211 USA.