E-Mail Games, v3.1

Help and Information

Overview

How To Play E-Mail Games

How To Play:

3D Tic Tac Toe

Four in a Row

Mid-Switch

"Series"

Update History

Technical support

Registration

Upgrade Policy

Distribution


Overview

Hansen Software introduces a new way to play games.  Moves are transmitted between two players by the cutting and pasting of ordinary E-mail text to the Windows clipboard.  Program includes three games: 3D Tic Tac Toe, Four in a Row ("Connect Four" (TM)), and Mid-Switch ("Othello" (TM)).

Hansen Software

155 E. "C" St., Suite "D"

Upland, CA  91786

74721.3027@Compuserve.com

http://members.aol.com/HansenSW2

Copyright © 1997 - present, Hansen Software

  All rights reserved

Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP)


How to play 3D Tic Tac Toe

3D Tic Tac Toe is identical to ordinary "2D" Tic Tac Toe, except that there are four grids, each 4x4, all stacked on top of each other, like this:

"Wins" are then achieved not only horizontally, vertically, and diagonally (in one plane), but also in three different ways through the third dimension:  Straight up and down, diagonally side to side, and (as seen in the picture) diagonally corner to corner.

In E-mail Games, the boards are laid out flat across the screen, so the user has to imagine the boards being stacked in 3D.  It doesn't matter which (end) board is the top one, as long as they're in sequence.


How to play E-Mail Games

Playing is much easier than describing it, so once you've played a round, it will seem simple and obvious.

This is basically how it works:

1)  Two players decide which game they'll play, and who will start.  A new game is started, with each player making the appropriate choices in the "New Game" form.

2)  The starting player takes his turn (by clicking on the board), "Commits" it (3D Tic Tac Toe and Mid-Switch only - - no need to commit in Four in a Row), then sends his move to the Windows clipboard.

3)  He then pastes it into an E-mail to the other player, and sends it.

4)  The other player then receives the E-mail, copies the E-Mail Games text to his Windows clipboard, then plays it by pressing the E-Mail Games "Play move from clipboard" button.  He then "commits" it (3DTTT & Mid-Switch only), and that completes the move.

5)  The second player then makes his move, and sends it back to the first player.

6)  This continues back and forth until the end of the game.

7)  More than one game may be played at the same time, using the "Series" function.


Technical support

At just $5.00 per copy, technical support must be limited solely to the fixing of "bugs" (if any are found.  E-Mail Games has undergone extensive testing prior to the release of this version).  If any are found, then they will be fixed promptly, then made available through the following sources:

Hansen Software E-Mail Games Web site:  http://members.aol.com/HansenSW2

By mail (add $3.50 for S&H).

A variety of on-line services (America On-Line, Compuserve, Exec-PC, ZD-Net,...) will probably also carry it,  but it's impossible to predict the future availability through these sources.  When searching on-line services, use keyword "HSEMG", or filename "HSEMG*.*".

Hansen Software

155 E. "C" St., Suite "D"

Upland, CA  91786

74721.3027@Compuserve.com

http://members.aol.com/HansenSW2


Registration

Prior to registration (during the "trial" period), generic player names are used in place of actual names, and the "About" box is automatically displayed during startup.

To register E-mail Games, fill out the registration form, printout the form, then mail it along with a check for $5.00 (U.S.) to Hansen Software.  Within two weeks (probably sooner) you will receive the password by mail, and thanks for helping to make the production of this software possible.

Discount:  Register more than one copy of E-mail Games, and deduct 10% from the total order.  Use a separate printout for each registration, and include all in the same envelope.

International orders:  Add $1.50 per copy for S&H, and expect a longer delivery time.


Distribution

Hansen Software's E-Mail Games may be distributed freely (in its unregistered form, of course).  Distributing password information is a violation of U.S. copyright law and international treaties, not to mention being unethical and damaging the future of shareware.

When distributing, please use an original Hansen Software .ZIP file.  The latest version(s) may be downloaded from the Hansen Software E-Mail Games Web site:  "http://members.aol.com/HansenSW2."

Contents of  "HSEMG31.ZIP":

HSEMG31.EXE

HSEMG31.HLP

THREED.VBX

CMDIALOG.VBX

COMMDLG.DLL

README.WRI

FILE_ID.DIZ

VENDINFO.DIZ

While "VBRUN300.DLL" is also necessary to use this software, it is not included in the .ZIP file in order to reduce the size of the "package" (and therefore the on-line time necessary to download it).  VBRUN300.DLL is commonly used by many programs today, so it should permanently reside in your Windows "System" directory if it doesn't already.  It is available through virtually all on-line services.

"Wing Dings" font is also necessary (it provides the shape of the playing pieces), and is included automatically with Windows 3.1 and Windows `95.  If you find it missing, then try reloading it from your original Windows disks or CD-ROM.

Professional shareware vendors may distribute Hansen Software's E-mail Games without requesting permission (in its unregistered form, of course), although notification will be appreciated.  Do not modify the original Hansen Software .ZIP file.  Screen shots and .DOZ files are available from the Hansen Software Web site.


The Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP)

The ASP is an association of shareware authors, publishers, and distributors.   The following statement is provided to you, the purchaser, by the ASP:

"Hansen Software is a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP).  ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you.  If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help.  The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products.  Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI  49442-9427 USA, FAX 616-788-2765 or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536."

(Internet address 70007.3536@Compuserve.com)

http://www.asp-shareware.org


Upgrade Policy

As new versions are released, upgrades are free, as long as the sale price of your currently registered version is equal to the sale price of the version being upgraded to.  Merely download the new version, then enter the same registration information and password (password is "keyed" to the registration information, so be sure to enter it exactly as it shows on your original registration form).

If the price of the new version is higher, then the upgrade price is merely the price difference between the two versions.  To upgrade, printout the registration form of the newer version with your current registration information entered, write "upgrade" on the page, then mail it along with payment to Hansen Software.  Within 10 days (max.), you will receive the new password by E-mail (or USPS mail, in the absence of an E-mail address).

If you'd like a diskette mailed with the latest version on it, then add $3.50 for S&H ($5.00 outside the U.S.).


"Series"

"Series" is this program's method of allowing the user to play more than one game at a time (5, to be exact).  If the user plays only one game at a time, then this feature is not used.


Update History

V1.1

Released 2/22/97

The first public release of E-Mail Games.  It included only 3D Tic Tac Toe.

V1.2

Released 3/1/97

1)  Fixed a problem related to the pasting of the Home Player's last move, after the Home player had won the game.

2)  Rewrites some sections of this Help file.

3)  Adds the "VENDINFO.DIZ" file, for automated handling by shareware vendors.

V1.3

Released 3/3/97

Fixed a problem when opening the Help file using "F1".

V2.0

(Beta test version)

Released 3-5-97

1)  Added "Four in a Row".

2)  Many refinements and enhancements to the program and Help file.

V3.0

(Beta test version)

Released 4-17-97 (limited distribution to beta testers).

1)  Adds "Mid-Switch" ("Othello").

2)  Makes many major changes to the design and layout.

3)  Allows five games to be played at the same time, instead of three.

V3.1

Released 4-28-97 (first public release of V3.x).

1)  Minor modifications to documentation.

2)  Addition of the distribution files VENDINFO.DIZ, FILE_ID.DIZ, and VENDINFO.DOZ.

3)  Addition of README.WRI.


How to play Four in a Row

Two players take turns playing "pieces".   To take a turn,  one of the seven buttons at the top of the board is pressed, which causes a playing piece to "drop" down the column it's above.  It falls until it reaches the bottom, or else lands on top of a piece previously dropped in.  The goal of the game is to get four (or more) of your pieces in a row, either vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.

Here is a "win" diagonally:


How to play Mid-Switch

This game has probably been around for 100s of years (no one knows for sure).  In the last 100 years or so, it's gone by the names "Annexation", "Reversi", and most popularly, "Othello".  There have been some rumors that it originated from an old Chinese game called "Fan Mian", but that's disputed.  Some minor modifications have been made to adapt it to E-Mail Games, but rules are the same.

The game starts with two of each player's pieces being played in the middle of the board (E-Mail Games plays these automatically when a new game is started).  The two players then take turns placing one piece on the board.  In order to play a piece, it must "outflank" one or more of your opponent's pieces.  By "outflanking", it's meant that the piece you play must be next to one of your opponent's pieces, and, one of your other pieces must be on the opposite side of your opponent's piece(s).  There cannot be any empty spaces between your two pieces (they must be filled with your opponent's pieces).  Here's an example of two red pieces being "outflanked" by two blue pieces:

Then, the red pieces are switched to blue:

... and thus the name "Mid-Switch" - - the pieces in the "middle" are "switched":

A few more rules:

*  If a player is incapable of playing a piece, then that player forfeits his turn (E-mail Games calculates this automatically, then notifies the players that the turn was forfeited).

*  If both players are incapable of playing a piece, then that marks the end of the game.  The winner is the one who has the most pieces on the board.

*  The "Mid-Switches" committed in each turn are not limited to a single row.  Switches are made in any and all directions which meet the criteria for a valid Mid-Switch.  In the illustration below, the placement of the piece in the upper right-hand corner results in three different rows being switched.

And that's it.  The rules are pretty simple, but the strategies can get very sophisticated.  There are international competitions going on to this day, and a world champion is marked each year.