MeggieSoft Games for 1998 (32-bit) - README.TXT =============================================== This file contains the following sections: Introduction System Requirements Installation De-Installation Registration Distribution Frequently Asked Questions Introduction ------------ MeggieSoft Games distributes three two-handed card games for the Microsoft Windows operating systems. The games are available in both 16-bit (for Windows 3.x and Windows 95) and 32-bit (for Windows 95 and Windows NT) versions. Rummy 500 was our first offering, released in August 1994. We released our second product, Gin Rummy, in February 1995. Our third game is Pinochle which was released in July 1996. In each game, you play against the computer, which can be set to one of six different skill levels. At Champion and Master levels, the computer is harder to beat and provides a very challenging game. All games share the same MeggieSoft Games user interface which provides very rich customization features, including sound effects, music, and speech synthesized output. System Requirements ------------------- 32-bit versions require Windows 95 or Windows NT and a mouse. IMPORTANT NOTE: Many shareware distributed versions do not include the required Visual Basic runtime files in order to minimize download overhead for the many users who already have these files installed on their systems. If you are missing these files, the games will not run. You may obtain an installation set of the runtime files from the MeggieSoft Games website at http://members.aol.com/meggiesoft and at many other internet shareware sites. An Intel 386 class system with 4 megabytes of RAM is considered to be the minimum configuration, although a 486 class system with 8 megabytes of RAM will provide more fluid action. Installation ------------ Installation is achieved by running the setup.exe program. 32-bit versions may be both installed and de-installed (see below) via the "Add/Remove Programs" capability of Windows 95. Each installation will add an "add/remove programs" entry to the registry. If you do not deinstall (see later) older updates before installing a new update f the SAME files these will accumulate. However, no harm will result if you allow multiple installations to accumulate. (For the technically aware, all files are installed as "Shared" to permit multiple installations and deinstallations of the SAME files to occur correctly without "overwrite" warnings or unintended removal.) To use the sound effects and Speak-To-Me capability, you must either have a sound card installed in your system, or have the speak.exe driver installed to use your system's regular speaker. Speak.exe is a freely distributed product from Microsoft, and is available on most online services and bulletin board systems. MeggieSoft Games distributes a few simple sound files; others may be obtained from libraries on most online services and bulletin board systems. To enable sound effects, you must check "Enable" from the "Sounds Effects" option under the "Edit Preferences" menu option. Midi music files are not distributed for copyright reasons. You may acquire these from regular online sources. You will probably have canyon.mid in your Windows directory (under the "media" subfolder for Windows 95) since this is distributed with Windows by Microsoft. If this is the case, the games will automatically find it and select it as the default. Note that, in rare instances, some systems may be unable to handle midi music and other sounds at the same time. De-installation --------------- To de-install 32-bit versions, use the remove option of the Add/Remove programs facility of the control panel. Then delete the MegiSoft folder (which should then contain only the residual scoreboard files). When installing updates, you should deinstall any older updates of the SAME module or program before installing a new update. Otherwise these will accumulate in the add/remove programs list. However, no harm will result if you allow multiple installations to accumulate. Be careful not to deinstall more files than you are reinstalling. For example, if you have installed a complete installation from registered diskettes, or from an online or shareware source, do not deinstall this to perform an update of a single game downloaded from the MeggieSoft Games website - otherwise the files from the original installation which are not being updated will be removed from your system. (For the technically aware, all files are installed as "Shared" to permit multiple installations and deinstallations of the SAME files to occur correctly without "overwrite" warnings or unintended removal.) Registration ------------ You may evaluate shareware programs from MeggieSoft Games for a period of 30 days after which you must register or remove from your system. To not comply with this condition is a violation of United States and international copyright law. Ensure you have reviewed and agree with the terms stated in the LICENSE.TXT file. To register, please use the printable order form under the "Help" menu. The cost of registration for each game is $15. If you require the latest versions on diskette, the fee is $20 to register one game, $30 for two games, and $45 for all three games. If you are unable to print the order form, please copy the information from the on-screen order form onto a sheet of paper and make sure that you: 1. Specify which game you are registering 2. Add 5% sales tax to the registration fee if you are a Massachusetts resident 3. Enclose a check drawn on a U.S. bank, or an international money order, for the correct amount, in U.S. funds, payable to Carol Bufton We return checks made out incorrectly, or drawn on a non-U.S. bank. You will receive your registration code by mail. The registration code is encoded from your name, so be sure to provide your name exactly as you wish to be registered. Please allow 28 days for your registration to arrive, although every effort will be made to mail your registration within 5 days. Your registration may also be valid for future versions as they become available. Because we cannot track which versions are currently available at what locations, it is possible that a game will have been updated since your evaluation copy unless you downloaded a recent version. Details of latest versions may be found at the MeggieSoft Games worldwide web site at http://members.aol.com/meggiesoft. If your system is configured for internet access and you have a web browser installed you may access the site from the "Help" menu. Distribution ------------ You may distribute MeggieSoft Games products to others provided that you derive no revenue other than that associated with the act of distribution, provided you make it clear that the products are shareware, and provided that you distribute all distributed files intact and unaltered. The following files comprise the MeggieSoft Games 32-bit products (and supporting, distributable, Microsoft Visual Basic system files), together with their default installation locations: [System] VB40032.DLL -> C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM ven2232.olb -> C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM olepro32.dll -> C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM msvcrt20.dll -> C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM msvcrt40.dll -> C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM ctl3d32.dll -> C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM winmm.dll -> C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM WSPLIB32.DLL -> C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM [MeggieSoft Support Files] ReadMe32.TXT -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT License.TXT -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT Africa.WMF -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\CardBack Buttrfly.WMF -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\CardBack Daisies.WMF -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\CardBack Pencils.WMF -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\CardBack Rose.WMF -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\CardBack Watrfall.WMF -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\CardBack Megan.WMF -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\CardBack GENERAL.WSD -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\Speech USENM11A.WSF -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\Speech GrnCloth.WMF -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\Effects RedCloth.WMF -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\Effects BluCloth.WMF -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\Effects Mahogany.WMF -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\Effects Pine.WMF -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\Effects Oak.WMF -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\Effects Granite.WMF -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\Effects Water.WMF -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\Effects Small.WMF -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\Cards Regular.WMF -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\Cards Large.WMF -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\Cards XLarge.WMF -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\Cards Shuffle.WAV -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\Sounds Card.WAV -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\Sounds Knock.WAV -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\Sounds mgenter.WAV -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\Sounds mgexit.WAV -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\Sounds mgwnrnd.WAV -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\Sounds mglsrnd.WAV -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\Sounds mgwngame.WAV -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\Sounds mglsgame.WAV -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT\Sounds [Optionally, if distributing Rummy 500] Rummy532.EXE -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT Rummy500.HLP -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT Read500.TXT -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT [Optionally, if distributing Gin Rummy] GinRum32.EXE -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT GinRummy.HLP -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT ReadGin.TXT -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT [Optionally, if distributing Pinochle] Pinoch32.EXE -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT Pinochle.HLP -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT ReadPin.TXT -> C:\Program Files\MEGISOFT Commercial distributors are expected to check the MeggieSoft Games web site periodically in order to ensure that the latest versions are being distributed. Frequently Asked Questions -------------------------- Q. In what programming language are the MeggieSoft Games written? A. Microsoft Visual Basic 4. See the "For The Technically Curious" section of the help files for more information. Q. Where did the name "MeggieSoft Games" come from? A. From a pet Border Collie named Megan. The program icons are derived from a photograph of Megan Q. What happens if the game causes system messages, "bombs out", or freezes? A. These problems are almost always to do with the way your system memory is configured or managed. The MeggieSoft Games are quite intensive in their use of system resources and run on 99% of customers' systems with no problems. However, sometimes such problems are reported, and all we can do is offer the advice noted here. Q. Why do I get white rectangles displayed where the cards should be (and other strange behavior)? A. Very occasionally we receive reports of this problem, which is a result of your graphics configuration not being able to load and/or display the card images. If your graphics card is manifesting such problems, try setting the number of colors it displays to 256, or even 16. Alas, there is little we can do about this situation without severely comprising display speed, since this is predicated upon holding relatively large card image maps in memory. However, you might find that an updated driver is available for your graphics card if you contact your system manufacturer. Q. Why do I get "subscript out of bounds" error messages and/or see erratic behavior? A. The MeggieSoft Games are designed to respond to single mouse-clicks, not double-clicks. In earlier versions it was possible to "trip up" the processing of actions if the program reacted to the second click before it had finished processing the first click. In current versions the games attempt to trap and ignore extra clicks when they are busy. Q. I have my graphics display set to "Large Fonts". Why are some of the fonts displayed smaller? A. Many graphics drivers (particularly for Windows 95) alter the Twips parameter of the display in order to display everything larger - not just the fonts. The MeggieSoft Games compensate for this by shrinking some of the font sizes on those windows which display card images, particularly the main playing window. While this makes everything fit, the result is not as attractive as when "Small Fonts" is the enabled graphics display mode. Q. How do I permanently change the preference settings? A. Check the "Save Preferences" box at the bottom of the Preferences frame to make changes permanent. Q. Do the games cheat by peeking at the player's cards? A. No! However, at the higher skill levels, the games will remember everything that you have done, and will also make probability estimates of which unseen cards might be in your hand versus the stock. Q. Why didn't you respond to the suggestions for enhancement I made? A. Our first priority is to provide quality games at the lowest possible price and this prevents us from entering into much personal correspondence. Most suggestions are incorporated into the next version of the game(s). This is our way of responding positively to your suggestions. Q. Why don't you accept credit cards or online registrations through CompuServe, for example? A. Again, our first priority is to provide a quality game at the lowest possible price and thus we keep our overheads to a minimum. With respect to online registration, our customers obtain our games from a wide variety of sources and it would be impractical for us to offer different registration means for each source. Q. I am a shareware distributor. How do I obtain permision to distribute your products to my customers? A. As noted earlier in this file, permission is automatically granted subject to the conditions stated. Q. I am a software developer. Are you able to share any of the program code? A. No. All program code is proprietary to MeggieSoft Games, except for the third-party components which are described in the help files (in the section called "For The Technically Curious"). © MeggieSoft Games 1994-1998. All Rights Reserved.