Lucas's Puzzle

  General Instructions

  Procedures

Using a Mouse

Using the Keyboard

Making it Talk

  Commands

Game Menu

  ...And Now a Word From Our Lawyer

  Shareware Pitch

  Other Stuff We Offer


General Instructions

This puzzle was invented in the late nineteenth century by Edouard Lucas, a French mathematician.

The object is very simple.  You are given a pattern, two sets of colored markers, with an empty space in the middle.  You have to reverse the pattern.

Just to keep it interesting, there are a few rules on how you can go about this.  The markers can only be moved in one direction, red markers toward the right, and blue marker toward the left.  Second, a marker can only be moved to the empty space by either sliding it over to the adjacent square, or by jumping over one other marker.


Using A Mouse

  To move a piece, just click on it's box.  The mouse cursor will be a cross-hair over those piece which can be legally moved.


Using The Keyboard

When the game starts, the arrow cursor is placed on the center (empty) square. Using the left and right arrows will position the cursor over any of the squares.

On those which can be legally moved, the cursor will appear as a cross-hair.  Press Enter to move the piece.

Alternately, you can use the digit keys. Each piece is numbered.  Press the appropriate key to move a piece.


Making "Lucas" Talk

"Lucas's Puzzle" has sound effects which can optionally accompany the play of the game.  And unlike, its last incarnation, its not limited to just the internal speaker and a few obscure sound boards, but any Windows compatible sound device.

To use this feature, you must have a sound device capable of playing a WAV file attached and configured.

You can also disable the feature entirely by choosing the "No Sound" option.

The Catalog

The sounds heard are:

Moving a Blue Peg 	a "Bleep"

Moving a Red  Peg 	a different "Bleep"

Winning 	a "Zip"

Losing  	a "Splat"

Making a Wrong Move 	a "Whoops"

See Also:

And Now a (Computer Digitized) Word From Our Lawyer


Game Menu

New

Starts a new game.

The Markers are returned to their original positions.

Exit

Abandons current game, and ends program.

Show Win

Choosing this option will cause the game board to quickly play through a game to a win, proving to all of you that it really can be done.  The display is a bit slower (and more visible) with a sound option on.

Sound

Enables or disables the sound effects.

About

Pointless Drivel and Bad Artwork by Yours Truly. Plus a surprise.

See Also:

Making it Talk


And Now a Word From Our Lawyer
And Now, A Word From Our Lawyer

Mr. Lucas lived in a simpler time, apparently before the Patented Intellectual Property Wars.  In other words, as far as I can tell, this game belongs to all of us.  Nevertheless, this Program is Copyright © 1990-1995 by  James M. Curran.

This program was inspired by a BASIC version written by William L. Colsher, and published in Kilobaud Magazine, in November 1979.  The programs themselves aren't remotely similar.

The digitized sounds were taken from presumably Public Domain Macintosh sound files.


And Now a (Computer Digitized) Word From Our Lawyer
And Now, A (Computer Digitized) Word From Our Lawyer

I really would have liked to punched this program up with a lot a different sound clips from my collection.

Such as having the scared recruit from "Aliens" saying "Game Over, Man"  when one loses.

Or perhaps, Michelle Pfeiffer saying "What's Your Problem?" (from "Into the Night"), if one made too many errors.

Or even, Bogey's "Beautiful Friendship" speech from "Casablanca" for those who win.

But, unfortunately, all those movies are copyrighted, making all those sound also copyrighted, (I think....)

If anyone has any ideas about what can be legally used where, please send them in.


Shareware Pitch
ShareWare

Yeah, Here's the pitch.  Sending me a $5.00 (or more or less) will get you :

a) a warm feeling inside.

b) my undying gratitude.

c) a very good chance of getting a free copy of

   the next version of this I write (if I remember),

   or possibly a copy of the next WinApp I write.

James M. Curran

18 John St, Suite 2B

Bloomfield, NJ 07003-5149 	CompuServe [72261,655]

(You have about a 300% better chance of getting a timely response if you  contact me through CompuServe than through the USMail)

 Rumor has it, a postcard or an Compuserve Mail alone will get you two of the above.


Other Stuff We Offer
Other Fine Selections From Our Catalog.

MisterMind -  A logic puzzle similar to the board game MasterMind (Try to guess a pattern of colors,  with the computer giving clues).

Galloping Horse - A continuously galloping horse in a small  window.  Perfect for amusing background desktop feature.

Yin-Yang - A drawing of a Yin-Yang / floppy disk symbol with a koan with "The Zen of Programming" by Geoffrey James.

Audible Typewriter - Typewriter produces realistic keyclicks whenever a key a pressed in any other Windows program.  Requires a sound card.

ICONDLL - A DOS Mode program to combine a collection of .ICO files onto a single (non-compressed) file.  Allow you to scan through many icons by just clicking on the View Next... button.  Also saves space over separate files.  "As seen in PC Magazine" !