Copyright: Copyright


Help contents
Contents

Introduction

Configuring

Rules

Starting a game


Introduction

What is Scout's Game

Requirements

Distribution and terms


Configuring

Registering as ICQ external application

Options dialog


Rules

Goal

Starting a round

Playing a round

Two strategies

Score


Starting a game

General

New game dialog

Starting a single player game

Starting a multi player game as server

Starting a multi player game as client

Starting a game using ICQ


What is Scout's Game

Scout's game is an easy to learn card game which can be played against the computer or against 2-4 players all over the world! It's simplicity makes the game very addictive. So be warned!

The game has little similarities to the game "Domino". Every player gets 13 cards which you have to lose as fast as you can or have to keep as much as possible. See also the rules.

Not like Rikken on the Rockx (see http://www.dse.nl/~ramon/rikken) Scout's game can be played against the computer as well. This way you can improve your skills by yourself before measuring them with other players on the Internet.

The game is developed for 32-bit Microsoft Windows platforms. If you have configured everything right, it can be played on:

♦	MS Windows 95

♦	MS Windows NT 3.51


Requirements

♦	a mouse

♦	Windows 95 or Windows NT

♦	Winsock support
Winsock is a network programming interface for Microsoft Windows which is based on the "socket" paradigm popularized in the Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) from the University of California at Berkeley. Programs like Trumpet Winsock or Tropic TCP/IP support this interface. When you are able to work with for example Netscape, then Scout's game should also work on your system.
Scout's game does not support the use of firewalls!


Distribution and terms

Scout's game 1.02 beta is freeware. This means that Scout's game 1.02 beta might be distributed without any commercial purposes. Distribution is only allowed in it's original state. This means that the following files have to be present and unmodified:

SCOUTSGAME.EXE	Scout's game itself
SCOUTSGAME.HLP	Help file Scout's game
READ.ME	Latest notes
BWCC.DLL	Used by SCOUTSGAME.EXE
PLAYERS.TXT	Default player list
EOG.WAV	Sound file
BACK.WAV	Sound file
The program as well as the manual are copyrighted by the developers. For questions about the distribution or other things concerning Scout's game, contact us by:

Snailmail: RockxWare Heike 5 5641 LE  Eindhoven The Netherlands	Internet: rockxwre@dse.nl
The latest version of Scout's Game can be downloaded from:

http://www.dse.nl/rockxware/scout

The use of Scout's game is on your own risk. This means that the developers of Scout's game are not responsible for any damage caused by Scout's game.


Registering as ICQ external application

When Scout's Game detects that ICQ is used it wants to register itself in the external application list of ICQ. This way it is very easy to play with other ICQ users. The following message will pop up:

ICQ user username found. Add Scout's Game to the ICQ external application list of this user?

If you answer this question with "yes", Scout's Game can be played with ICQ. If you answer this question with "no" then you have to configure ICQ manually, which is rather complex.


Options dialog

A few things can be configured with the 'Options dialog'. The dialog is split up in three tab sheets:

1.	Game
This sheet offers you the possibility to modify the amount of rounds which have to be played before going back in points (see the rules). Also you can create your own player list. The names of this list will be used for the names of the computer opponents.

2.	Sound
Two sounds can be filled in (.WAV files) on this sheet. The "Go back" sound will be played as soon as the first "go back" round starts. The "End of game" sound will be played when the games has ended.

3.	Graphics
Because Scout's Game can be played on a 486 or higher, it is desirable to adjust the animation speed of the cards to your machine. This can be done with the Animation speed controls. Also it is possible to personalize the back of the cards. The back and foreground color can be adjusted as well.


Goal

The goal of the game is to be the first person whose score will be equal or lower than zero points. This means that you have to try to keep your score as low as possible.


Starting a round

One of the four players has to announce a suit every round. The first round this will be the person who opened the game. This is the person who set up his/her game as server or in case of a single player game you will be the person who will open the first round. Every next round will be opened by the next player (clockwise).
After the suit has been announced the next player will have to open the game with this suit.  Except for the Ace or the King all cards of the requested suit might be played.


Playing a round

After the first card is played other cards can be played. A card can be played:

•	when it connects to another card which is already played. For example: The first card that is played is 5♥. In this case 4♥ or 6♥ might be played. The following order of cards should be used:
Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K.

•	when it connects to the opening card. For example: the game is opened with 9♠. In this case 9♣, 9♦ and 9♥ might be played.

It is not allowed to keep cards which can be played. The computer will wait till you play such cards. If you have no cards that connects to any other card you will have to pass.


Two strategies

In first, all players will have to achieve a score as low as possible. This is done by having as less as possible cards left at the end of each round. The value of the cards which are left will be added to the score of each player.
After a determined amount of rounds (see the main menu: game - options) the value of the cards which are left will be subtracted of the score of each player. In this case you should have as much as possible cards left after each round. This way many points will be subtracted from your score.


Score

Your score is determined by the cards you still have after each round. The value of these cards will be added or subtracted from your score. The following values are used by Scout's game:

Card	Points
Ace	18
2	2
3	3
4	4
5	5
6	6
7	7
8	8
9	9
10	10
Jack	11
Queen	12
King	13


General

Since Scout's Game can be played as a single player and multi player game, there are three manual ways to start a game. Also there is a possibility to start Scout's Game using ICQ (see http://www.icq.com).


New game dialog

New game dialog

This dialog is used for starting a game manually. Every element of the dialog is described below:

Hostname
This is the name (if not available, the IP number). If you make your version available as server, this name is also the address that other players should enter as host in the  Connect to host field.

Your name
The name filled in this input box will represent you during the game. All the other players will see this name.

Play as
Choose in this box the type of game you want to play (single user, multi as server or multi as client).

Connect to host (client mode only)
Enter the IP number or hostname of the server in this box. The IP number or hostname can be saved or deleted with + and - button.

Connect to ICQ user (client mode only)
Is only activated if you use ICQ 98 or higher. Select the ICQ user you want to play with in this box. The IP number of this user will be filled in automatically in the Connect to host field.

Port
Many different applications are developed for the Internet. Each application uses its own port number. Scout's Game uses 4556 as default port number. There is a possibility that other applications use this port as well. If so, choose an other port number. This port number must be the same for the server and the client(s).


Starting a single player game

If you want to play against computer players only, do the following:

1.	Activate the "New game" dialog box (by pressing [F2] or by selecting New game from the Game menu).

2.	Fill in your name if it ain't filled in yet.

3.	Select the radio button Single player.

4.	Click the OK button.


Starting a multi player game as server

Before a multi player game can be played, one of the players has to set up his/her game as a server. This is done by doing the following:

1.	Activate the "New game" dialog box (by pressing [F2] or by selecting New game from the Game menu).

2.	Fill in your name if it ain't filled in yet.

3.	Select the radio button Multi player server.

4.	Click the OK button.

Now the server is ready for connections. The other players are now allowed to connect as clients. The person who has opened the game in server mode is authorized to begin the game before 4 players have connected. In that case the other players will be "computer players". This can be done by pressing [F5]  when waiting for other players to connect.


Starting a multi player game as client

When one of the players has set up his/her version as server the other players have to make a connection to this server. This is done by doing the following:

1.	Activate the "New game" dialog box (by pressing [F2] or by selecting New game from the Game menu).

2.	Fill in your name if it ain't filled in yet.

3.	Select the radio button Multi player client.

4.	Fill in the hostname of the server in the "Connect to host" box.
Note: This can be easily done when you are using ICQ (version 98 or higher). In this case select from the "Connect to ICQ user" the person who has set up his/her version of Scout's Game as server. This player must be online in ICQ. Otherwise you are not able to select the player.

5.	Click the OK button.

Now Scout's Game will try to make a connection to the server. When Scout's Game succeeds connecting the server the name of the other player(s) will appear. As soon as all players have connected or the server party decides to start the game anyway the play cards will appear on screen.


Starting a game using ICQ

When ICQ is installed and you have decided to register Scout's Game in the external application list of ICQ you will be able to play Scout's Game with other ICQ users by using ICQ. ICQ can be downloaded from http://www.icq.com.

It is very easy to find your fellow players on the Internet with ICQ. Therefor you should configure ICQ correctly (this can be done automatically). Of course the other players should be using ICQ as well.

A multi player Scout's Game can be set up by ICQ as follows:

1.	Be sure you are online.

2.	Activate the ICQ main window.

3.	Click with the mouse on the name of the person you want to play with.

4.	Click in the popup menu on the Voice/Video/Games item.

5.	Click on Scout's Game.

6.	Fill in the dialog box the necessary data.

7.	Click on the Send button.

8.	ICQ will request the user for a game of Rikken on the Rockx now.

If you want to play with more than one other player you can request more players this way.