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Contents for Chain Reaction Help

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Introduction

What is Chain Reaction?

Please read the...

Disclaimer

Copyright Notice

How to...

Start a New Game

Resize the Board

Play the Game

Understand the Rules of the Game

Use Strategies and Hints

Contact the Author


What is Chain Reaction?

Chain Reaction is a two player game played on a variably sized board made up of boxes.  This is shown on the left hand side of the main window.  The right hand side of the main window is used for scoring purposes.

The objective of Chain Reaction is to eliminate your opponents balls.

The only way to eliminate your opponents balls is to steal them, by exploding one of your own boxes into one of your opponents boxes.  You cannot directly eliminate your opponents balls.

See The Rules of the Game for more detail.


Starting a New Game

To Start a New Game

•	From the File menu, choose New Game.


Resizing the Board

To Resize the Board

1.	From the File menu, choose Resize Board.

2.	Enter the number of boxes across the board that you would like.

3.	Enter the number of boxes down the board that you would like.

4.	Press Enter or click on Ok.

Note that a new game will be started each time you resize the board, even if the board size hasn't changed.

•	The default board is 8 boxes across by 8 boxes down.

•	The minimum board size is 3 boxes across by 3 boxes down.

•	The maximum board size is 12 boxes across by 12 boxes down.


Playing the Game

To Play the Game

The object of Chain Reaction is to eliminate all of your opponents balls from the board.

•	To place a ball in a box, click on the box with the left mouse button.  A ball will be added to the box.

•	If the box contains one or more of your opponents balls, the game will beep, and a ball will not be added.

•	To eliminate your opponents balls, you must explode your own boxes into his boxes until he has no balls left.

See The Rules of The Game for more detail.


Rules of the Game

The Rules of Chain Reaction

•	The playing area is a rectangular board made up of boxes.

•	During their turn, each player gets to place a single ball in one of these boxes.

•	A player can only place a ball in a box that is empty, or already contains one or more of their balls.

•	Each box can only contain a certain number of balls, determined by the box's location on the board:

Corner boxes are full with only 1 ball;

Side boxes are full with 2 balls;  and

Middle boxes are full with 3 balls.

•	If a ball is placed in a box that is full, that box explodes, placing a ball in each adjacent box.

•	If one of these adjacent boxes is full, it also explodes, possibly causing a chain reaction of explosions.

•	If one of these adjacent boxes contains balls that are your opponents, they immediately become yours.

This last rule is the most important.  It allows you to capture balls that were previously your opponents, and thus win the game.


Strategies and Hints

There are very few general strategies for winning Chain Reaction, although the following may be of limited use:

•	Try to keep a ball in at least one corner, as they require less effort to explode.

•	If you can see a full box of yours beside a full box of your opponent's, explode it as soon as possible.

•	Almost but not quite wiping out your opponent is a bad sign - chances are they will make a spectacular comeback in their next turn.


Contacting the Author

If you have any bug reports, spelling mistakes, or suggestions, or if, for some masochistic reason you want the spaghetti source code for Chain Reaction, please contact me.

The easiest way is through the internet at:

pmonks@socs.uts.edu.au

My snail mail address is:

Peter Monks

3/106 Mount St.

Coogee

NSW  2034

Australia

The internet address will be valid up until the end of November 1995, and my physical address will be valid up until the end of December 1995, when I finish Uni.  From January 1996 I'll probably be contactable on one of the park benches in Hyde Park.


Disclaimer

The chances of someone suing the bejesus out of me for something that this game does is probably rather small, but I suppose I'd rather be safe than sorry!

Here goes:

ALL CARE HAS BEEN TAKEN IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PROGRAM AND THE ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION.  NO RESPONSIBILITY WILL BE TAKEN, HOWEVER, FOR ANYTHING THAT THE AFOREMENTIONED PROGRAM OR DOCUMENTATION DOES TO YOU OR YOUR COMPUTER.

Still, if somehow this game reduces your computer to a little pile of burnt silicon and plastic, I sure would like to hear about it (so the same thing doesn't happen to me!!!!).

Please also read the Copyright Notice.


Copyright

This game is freeware - you are free to use, copy, sell, or eat it provided the package is kept together and provided you have read the Disclaimer.  The package must contain both the program (CHAIN.EXE) and this help file (CHAIN.HLP).

You do NOT have to pay any money for it, although a postcard would be nice!

See Contacting the Author for my address.