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1989-12-31
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WORTHY OPPONENT (TM)
Operating Instructions
Worthy Opponent is a registered trademark
of Future Ideas Today, Inc.
WORTHY OPPONENT
Table of Contents
Subject Page
UPGRADE NOTICES ........................ 3
INTRODUCTION
Quick Start Guide ...................... 6
Diskette Backup ........................ 8
Floppy Disk Installation ............... 8
Hard Disk Installation ................. 8
KEYBOARD CONTROL
Function-Keys (F-Keys) ................. 10
Other Keys ............................. 11
Number Pad Keys ........................ 12
The HELP F-Key .....................(F1) 13
The STATUS F-Key ...................(F2) 14
The CALL F-Key .....................(F3) 15
The ANSWER F-Key ...................(F4) 17
The HANGUP F-Key ...................(F5) 18
The TALK F-Key .....................(F6) 18
The CLOCK F-Key ....................(F7) 19
PLAYING THE GAMES
The GAMES F-Key ....................(F8) 20
Army Ants .............................. 21
Backgammon ............................. 22
Cannonball Express ..................... 24
Cave-In ................................ 25
Checkers ............................... 26
Cornerstone ............................ 27
Lazer-Maze ............................. 28
Mini-Golf .............................. 29
Missile-Strike ......................... 30
Quinte ................................. 31
Snake-Pit .............................. 32
Treasure Quest ......................... 33
The REGISTRATION F-Key .............(F9) 34
The EXIT F-Key ....................(F10) 34
UPGRADE NOTICES
ANNOUNCING VERSION 2.00
Following are some of the important improvements have that been made since
Versions 1.4 and 1.9. We hope you will appreciate these efforts to make Worthy
Opponent an enjoyable, easy-to-use, high-quality product.
NEW GAMES
A total of 12 games are provided in this one program. Three new ones --
CaveIn, TreasureQuest, and MiniatureGolf are in addition to the nine games
from Version 1.9.
NO COPY PROTECTION OR SERIAL NUMBER CHECKING
Version 1.9 would not play against a copy of itself over the phone lines,
because it would check its serial number against the copy. Version 2.0
contains all the games, and is not disabled in any way.
ADDED CONVENIENCE FOR HARD DISK USERS
The program uses a file called WORTHY.CFG to store configuration information,
like your "phone book" of opponents. Previously, this file was always read
from or written to the "current" directory. Now there is a way to make the
program always look in a particular directory for WORTHY.CFG.
If you want to keep WORTHY.EXE and WORTHY.CFG in a directory called, for
example, "GAMES", then add the following lines to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file:
PATH=\GAMES
SET WPATH=\GAMES
Then you will be able to execute WORTHY from any other directory you happen to
be in.
SCREEN SNOW ELIMINATED
Previous versions exhibited screen interference, or snow, when run on certain
CGA video adapters. This problem has been eliminated with Version 2.0.
3
NO CODED TOURNAMENT NUMBERS
Previous versions were designed to use special codes in order to enforce
honesty during tournaments. It is desireable to keep Worthy Opponent simple
and easy to use, so the extra steps and code numbers have been eliminated.
NO INTRODUCTORY SHAREWARE SCREEN
Unlike Version 1.4, there is no longer an irritating screen that pops up asking
you for money every time you run the program. The F9 key is now used to
display instructions for registration.
EASIER SOUND CONTROL
Previous versions required users to enable or disable sound from within a
"sound menu" within the main help menu. Version 2.0 has "sound hot-keys",
which are control-s and control-q, that will enable or disable sound at just
about any time.
NO MORE OVERLAY FILES
Previous versions split the program into three files, with extensions ".COM",
".000", and ".001", and these files had to be in the current directory for the
program to run.
The entire program is now in a single ".EXE" file, which is easier to keep
track of. Also, there is no longer any inconvenient delay accessing overlay
files each time a new game is selected.
POSSIBLE INTERFERENCE WITH COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAMS REDUCED
Although never reported, previous versions of Worthy Opponent may have caused
problems with other communications programs or memory-resident phone dialers.
Worthy Opponent temporarily replaces the interrupt vector for COM1: or COM2:.
Just in case, Version 2.0 now restores the previous interrupt vector before
returning to DOS.
ALTERNATE F-KEYS
In case you have redefined F1 through F10 for some special purpose, Worthy
Opponent also now responds to Alt-F1 through Alt-F10 in exactly the same way.
4
NO MORE AUTOMATIC DISCONNECT
Previous versions automatically disconnected the modem on start up and exit of
the program. This no longer occurs automatically (but you are still reminded
if the modems are connected). This allows flexibility for people who wish to
make the phone connection using special phone services, or to use the phone
connection for other communications programs before and after playing Worthy
Opponent games.
MODEM COMMANDS NOW POSSIBLE
For experienced modem users, the phone book menu now allows you to directly
enter modem "AT" commands. Simply start any phone number entry with "AT" and
the program will not prefix any characters. (Without "AT", the program will
prefix "ATX1DP" or "ATX1DT" to turn your phone number into an "AT" command).
This allows you to change, for example, the pause time for commas in your
phone numbers, or to execute special dialing that requires switching from
pulse to tone, etc.
IMPROVED RANDOM NUMBER GENERATION
The new random number generator will insure better randomness in mazes and
dice rolls.
5
QUICK START GUIDE
Many people would rather play with their new software than read this manual, so
here are the minimum steps to get started. If you have any trouble, all of
these steps are described in more detail later in the manual.
SETTING UP
1. Make a backup of your Worthy Opponent disk or install Worthy Opponent on
your hard disk.
2. Start the game by entering WORTHY.
3. Press F1 to open the main help window.
4. Move the highlight bar to Modem and press enter. Make sure the values
are all correct.
5. Press Esc and move highlight bar to Name. Press enter and type in chosen
WORTHY OPPONENT name.
6. Press F3 and the Phone Book will appear on the screen. Enter the name and
phone number of an opponent you want to call.
You are now ready for game competition!
TO PLAY WITH TWO COMPUTERS CONNECTED BY MODEM
First agree with your opponent on when to connect. Also, decide who will call
and who will answer.
IMPORTANT
Any time your computers are connected, Worthy Opponent will try to keep you
informed of whatever is going on by flashing certain lines on the FKey menu.
>> IF A LINE ON THE F-KEY MENU IS FLASHING, YOU SHOULD PRESS THAT F-KEY! <<
The FKeys work any time, even during a game. By responding to flashing FKeys,
you will always keep up on when your opponent is in or out of a game, and
whether there is a new message they have typed into the Talk Window, for
example.
IF YOU ARE CALLING
Use F3 to pop up your "phone book". Follow the instructions on screen to enter
your opponent's phone number, and dial it.
Messages will pop up telling you when the modem is dialing, when the other
computer has answered, and when the connection is complete and when you are
ready to select games or use the talk window.
6
Use F8 to select from the games menu. A message will pop up while waiting for
your opponent to enter the game.
Once in the game, use F1 for game instructions.
IF YOU ARE ANSWERING
Answer your opponent's call by using F4. You can use it ahead of time, and
Worthy Opponent will simply wait for the call, or you can wait for the modem
to ring (the F4 line on your screen will blink).
Messages will pop up telling you when the computers are connected and you are
ready to play games or use the talk window.
Your opponent will be selecting the games. When a game is selected, the F8
line on your FKey menu will flash. Press F8 to enter the game.
Once in the game, use F1 to get game instructions.
WHEN YOU ARE DONE
Simply press F5 to hangup, or else F10 enough times to exit the program. You
will be asked if you are sure you want to hang up.
7
DISKETTE BACKUP
1. Have a blank formatted disk ready.
2. Place your Worthy Opponent disk in drive A:.
3. If your computer has two floppy drives, then place your blank disk in
drive B:. If you have only one floppy drive, then wait for drive B:
messages when you do step 4:
4. Type in
copy A:*.* B:
and the files will be copied onto your blank disk.
5. Place your original Worthy Opponent disk in a safe place and always use
your backup.
FLOPPY DISK INSTALLATION
After backing up the original disk, the backup copy is ready for use. No
further installation is necessary when using a floppy drive machine. To start
WORTHY OPPONENT put the backup copy in the default drive, type WORTHY and
press <enter>.
HARD DISK INSTALLATION
Hard disk installation consists of copying the WORTHY OPPONENT files into a
directory. For experienced DOS users, there is an optional setup which allows
WORTHY OPPONENT to be run easily from any directory.
TO MAKE A DIRECTORY FOR WORTHY OPPONENT
1. Place the backup Worthy Opponent disk in drive A:.
2. Type in these commands at the C:> prompt:
CD\ <-- This sets DOS to the "root" directory.
MKDIR WORTHY <-- This creates a new directory called "WORTHY".
COPY A:*.* WORTHY <-- This copies the files from floppy into the
new directory.
3. Remove your Worthy Opponent floppy disk and put it in a safe place.
4. Any time you want to run WORTHY OPPONENT, type these two commands:
CD\WORTHY <-- This sets DOS to your new "WORTHY" directory.
WORTHY <-- This executes the program.
8
FOR MORE CONVENIENCE (BUT EXPERIENCED DOS USERS ONLY)
WORTHY OPPONENT creates and uses a file called WORTHY.CFG, which contains
information like your "phone book" and modem settings. The program always uses
the "current" directory to find or create this file. This tends to ruin things
for people who would like to set a "path" to the WORTHY program.
But now you can keep the WORTHY.CFG file where you want it, and still use a
path setting. Just add the following lines to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file:
PATH=\WORTHY
SET WPATH=\WORTHY
The program will use the variable "WPATH" to find or create the WORTHY.CFG
file. In this example, the directory "\WORTHY" will be used. Now you will be
able to run the program from within any directory, just by typing
WORTHY
When you first run your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, it is possible to get an error
message from DOS, something like:
OUT OF ENVIRONMENT SPACE
This means that DOS has run out of space (usually 128 bytes) to store
environment variables, things like your "path" and any variables you have
declared with a "set" command. You can try to fix this by shortening your
directory names or removing some of your paths or set commands.
9
FUNCTION KEYS
Most of WORTHY OPPONENT is run by the F1 thru F10 keys on your keyboard. You
can use them at any time. If it is ever inappropriate to use one of these
keys, a message will pop up to tell you why.
F1 - Help ....... Initial setup and help at any time.
F2 - Status ..... Displays communication status.
F3 - Call ....... Displays your Phone Book and instructions for dialing.
F4 - Answer ..... Await/answer an incoming call.
F5 - Hang-up .... Disconnect modem from phone line.
F6 - Talk ....... For exchanging typed messages to your opponent.
F7 - Clock ...... Set amount of time per turn for both players.
F8 - Games ...... Select the competitive event to be played.
F9 - Register ... How to register your copy of WORTHY OPPONENT.
F10 - Exit ....... End or exit menus, games, or the program.
Alt-F1 through Alt-F10 will work also, in case you have redefined F1 through
F10 for some special purpose.
IMPORTANT
Any time your computers are connected, Worthy Opponent will try to keep you
informed of whatever is going on by flashing certain lines on the FKey menu.
>> IF A LINE ON THE F-KEY MENU IS FLASHING, YOU SHOULD PRESS THAT F-KEY! <<
The FKeys work any time, even during a game. By responding to flashing FKeys,
you will always keep up on when your opponent is in or out of a game, and
whether there is a new message they have typed into the Talk Window, for
example.
10
OTHER KEYS
Some menus or window messages will refer to certain keys, often with their
name in brackets, like <esc> for example.
<enter> refers to the "Enter" or "Return" key on your keyboard. This key
may be marked like "<──┘" on some keyboards.
<esc> refers to the "Escape" key on your keyboard. This key can always
be used to exit any menu, process, or game you may have entered
by mistake.
<backspace> refers to the backspace key. This key may be marked like "<──"
on some keyboards. This key can be used when editing parts of
your "phone book", for example. In some games, <backspace> will
undo your moves so you can start your turn over from scratch.
<space> refers to the spacebar. In some games, <space> is used to pick
up or set down a playing piece, or to fire a weapon.
Also, there are two keys used to control sound. They are:
<control-s> to enable sound.
<control-q> to disable sound, for quiet play.
"Control" characters are typed like "capital" letters, only hold down the
"control" key instead of the "shift" key. (You have to press the "s" or "q"
while the "control" key is still being held down).
11
NUMBER PAD KEYS
Ignore the numbers on the number pad keys (on the right end of the keyboard).
The games take advantage of the arrangement of these keys so that it is easy
to select the direction of movement or firing, which is often diagonal as well
as vertical or horizontal. Menus and games will often refer to the arrow keys
as "<arrows>", or with little characters that look like arrows.
For moving or
For diagonal firing straight up For diagonal moves
moves or \ | / or firing
firing \ | /
\ | /
┌────────┬─────────┬────────┐
│ │ /|\ │ │
│ Home │ | │ PgUp │
│ │ │ │
├────────┼─────────┼────────┤
│ │ │ │
For moving or---- │ <-- │ │ --> │ ----For moving or firing
firing left │ │ │ │ straight right
├────────┼─────────┼────────┤
│ │ │ │
│ End │ | │ PgDn │
│ │ \|/ │ │
├────────┴─────────┼────────┘
/│ │\ \
/ │ Ins │ \ \
/ │ │ \ \
/ └──────────────────┘ \ For diagonal moves or firing
/ \ \
/ \ \
/ \ For moving or firing straight down
For diagonal moves \
or firing Often used to select
a new playing piece
Once you have entered a game, use F1 to get a description of key usage for
that particular game.
12
THE HELP F-KEY(F1)
MAIN HELP / GAME HELP
Use F1 whenever you need help. The "main" help menu is shown if you are not in
a game. If you are in a game, then F1 will display help specific to that game,
such as which keys are used to move players, etc.
THE MODEM MENU
If you don't know much about your modem, don't worry. In most cases, the
program will run fine if you don't change anything.
-> The Port Setting
This can be set to COM1: or COM2:. If WORTHY OPPONENT seems never to dial or
answer calls, it could be that this setting is incorrect. It is usually
harmless to attempt the other setting.
-> Tone or Pulse Dialing
If your phone service will work with tone dialing, then you should change this
setting to Tone. That way, you won't have to wait for all the "click, click,
click's" that are required when pulse dialing.
For you experienced modem users, this menu determines whether Worthy Opponent
will prefix "ATX1DP" or "ATX1DT" to your phone number to make it a modem
command. If you require special special dialing sequences mixing tone and
pulse, then you can make Worthy Opponent send your own "AT" commands. See the
F3 Call menu chapter.
-> Bit Rate
At the time WORTHY OPPONENT was written, 1200 bits per second (bps) was the
most popular modem speed around. If you have a faster modem, WORTHY OPPONENT
may be able to support it. If you experience difficulty with faster speeds, or
if your opponent is using a different speed modem, you and your opponent may
wish to keep both of your speed settings at 1200bps.
THE NAME MENU
Your "Player Name" adds to the fun of playing WORTHY OPPONENT. The player
names are used within the games to identify whose turn it is and what the
scores are. It is often fun to use something besides your real name, such as a
nickname.
13
THE STATUS F-KEY (F2)
The status of the game or communications can be reviewed at any time by
pressing the F2 Status key. The F2 line of the FKey Menu lights whenever
there is a change in status. This will not disturb the game, even if it is
your turn.
>> YOU SHOULD PRESS F2 WHENEVER YOU SEE THE F2 LINE FLASH ON THE MENU <<
A message window will pop up, telling you what happened and what to do. For
example, some of the more commonly seen messages are:
Your opponent is waiting for you to
select a game (use the Games FKey).
Your opponent is selecting a game. The F8 line
will highlight when the game is selected. You
may then accept by using the F8 Games key.
Your opponent has quit this game. Please exit
(use F10 key) and wait for your opponent to
select the next game.
14
THE CALL F-KEY (F3)
USING THE PHONE BOOK
Use F3 to bring up your "phone book". You can move the selecting bar up, down,
and left and right by pressing the arrow keys (on the keyboard's number pad).
There are three columns: the Dial column, Name column, and Number column.
ADDING AN OPPONENT NAME
Move the selecting bar to the Name column and press <enter>. A window with
instructions will pop up. Type in your opponent's name. This is for your
personal use only - the program does not use this name for anything, it just
stores it for you.
ADDING A PHONE NUMBER
Move the selecting bar to the Number column, and press <enter>. A window with
instructions will pop up. Type in your opponent's phone number. Include "1"
and area code for long distance.
Certain special characters besides the 0-9 digits are allowed. For example,
parntheses and dashes are ignored, so you can enter:
1(303)555-1111
which is easier to read than "13035551111". Also, commas can be used to cause
delays in dialing, such as when using a long distance calling service. Such
services often require you to first dial several digits, then wait for a tone,
then you dial the rest of the number. Just enter commas wherever you normally
have to wait (one comma normally delays by two seconds). For example:
555-2222,,,0(303)555-7777,,,(619)444-6666
For you experienced modem users, Worthy Opponent turns this entry into a
modem "AT" command by simply prefixing "ATX1DP" or "ATX1DT". If this does not
suit your needs, you can make Worthy Opponent send your own "AT" commands. See
the "AT" commands section below.
DELETING A NAME AND NUMBER
Move the selecting bar to the Dial column (which has the "->" symbol) and
press the <del> key (near bottom right on your number pad keys).
DIALING AN OPPONENT
Move the phone book selecting bar to the Dial column (which has the "->"
symbol) and press <enter>. A message pops up:
Dialing... Please wait for connection, or else
disconnect the modem using the Hangup FKey.
15
When your opponent's computer has answered, a window will pop up and display:
Successful CONNECT... please wait a moment
while the computers exchange information....
After a few moments another window will display:
Your opponent is waiting for you to
select a game (use the Games FKey).
Then you can use the Games FKey (F8) to pick a game, or use the talk window
(F6) to type messages to your opponent.
MODEM "AT" COMMANDS (FOR EXPERIENCED MODEM USERS)
Normally Worthy Opponent prefixes "ATX1DP" or "ATX1DT" to your phone number
entry to dial the number. However, if you put "AT" as the first two letters in
a phone number entry, Worthy Opponent will simply send it as is. If your
command contains a "D" or and "A" anywhere, the program will follow up with
the normal information exchange sequence when the connection is accomplished.
This allows you to change things like the pause time for commas, and to dial
special sequences that mix tone and pulse, etc.
AN ALTERNATE WAY TO DIAL
If your phone and modem are both connected to the same phone line, then you
can first call your opponent by phone and talk to them. Then, before hanging
up your phone receiver, ask WORTHY OPPONENT to "direct connect" the modems,
after which you can both hang up your phone receivers.
"Direct connect" is accomplished using "ATX1D" and "ATX1A" as phone numbers.
(There should be examples in your phone book - if not, just enter these "AT"
commands in place of phone numbers). One of you "originates" using the "ATX1D"
and the other "answers" using the "ATX1A".
Wait for the SUCCESSFUL CONNECT message and hang up your phone receivers. You
are now ready to use F8 to play games or F6 to use the talk window.
IF THE MODEMS ARE ALREADY CONNECTED
If you have your own way to get the modems connected (or if you have just been
using some other communication program for something else) then you can use
the two entries at the bottom of the phone book to get Worthy Opponent
started. Using this option simply skips the dialing and answering steps and
begins the information exchange between the computers.
16
THE ANSWER F-KEY (F4)
If you do not wish to try connecting from a voice call, (see previous
chapter) Worthy Opponent will automate evrything for you. When your opponent
is about to call you, the F4 key can be used to answer the incoming call. You
can use the F4 key before or after the modem rings.
If you press F4 before your opponent calls, a message window will appear,
saying:
Waiting for your opponent to call...
When your opponent finally calls, the modem will ring once or twice, and the
program will make the connection for you.
If you wait for the ring, the F4 line on the F-Key menu will flash, indicating
that you should now press the F4 key to answer.
When WORTHY OPPONENT answers, you will see the message:
Successful CONNECT... please wait a moment
while the computers exchange information....
After a few moments another window will display:
Your opponent is selecting a game. The F8 line
will highlight when the game is selected. You
may then accept by using the F8 Games key.
You may also see the F6 line flash, which indicates your opponent wishes to
use the talk window. If you see any line on the F-Key menu flashing or
highlighted, you should use the corresponding F-Key.
You will find that only the caller gets to select games or make changes to the
game clocks. This is to prevent any confusion between the computers. Use the
talk window to discuss which game to play next, etc.
AN ALTERNATE WAY TO ANSWER
See the ALTERNATE WAY TO DIAL discussion in the previous section about the
CALL F-KEY (F3).
17
THE HANGUP F-KEY (F5)
Anytime you want to break the phone connection, just use the F5 key. You may
have to use this when you have dialed and there is no answer or a busy signal,
for example, or when you exit the program.
Unlike previous versions of Worthy Opponent, you are NOT forced to break the
modem connection when you exit the program, but you are asked if you want to.
THE TALK F-KEY (F6)
You can type messages to and from your opponent with the Talk feature, and you
can do so at any time. This is especially fun to do during a game. It is safe
to enter talk even during your turn.
The F6 Talk line will be highlighted if your opponent is using the Talk
window. The messages are buffered, so you do not have to respond right away if
you are busy winning a game. You can both enter Talk simultaneously and type
messages to each other also.
Much of the fun of WORTHY OPPONENT is from using this "Talk" feature. Half
the fun of winning is telling your opponent just how good your are! Bluff,
intimidate and otherwise try and confuse your opponent just as you always
would.
18
THE CLOCK F-KEY (F7)
This feature is used to change the default time allowed for each player's
turn. While you are in the game, the Clock window in the lower left of the
screen display the remaining time left for your move.
In most of the games, the turn simply switches to the other player when the
time runs out. But in some games, such as Checkers, not moving could be an
advantage in some situations, so allowing your time to expire will forfeit the
game to your opponent. This is true in Checkers, Backgammon, and Cornerstone.
Too good for your WORTHY OPPONENT and want to give them a chance? How
considerate. You can handicap anyone by decreasing or increasing an
opponent's time, giving the superior player less time to make a move. This way
players of all skill levels can still compete.
TO CHANGE THE CLOCK SETTINGS, YOU MUST FIRST GET INTO THE GAMES MENU (F8).
Move the selecting bar to the game you wish to change. Then press F7 to get
the clock menu for that game.
Once in the Clock Menu, move the selecting bar with the <left arrow> and <right
arrow> keys (on the number pad of your keyboard). Then use the <up arrow> and
<down arrow> keys to increase or decrease the move times.
WHEN CONNECTED, THE GAME CLOCKS CAN ONLY BE CHANGED BY THE PLAYER WHO DIALED.
This prevents any confusion between the two computers.
19
THE GAMES F-KEY (F8)
This key presents you with a menu of WORTHY OPPONENT games. You can use the
arrow keys (on the keyboard number pad area) to move the selecting bar around,
and you also type the first letter of the game, such as "b" for Backgammon.
Then you press the <enter> key to start the game.
WHEN CONNECTED, THE GAME MENU IS AVAILABLE ONLY TO THE PLAYER WHO DIALED.
When playing while connected with modems, the following message will appear
when you select a game:
Please wait for opponent to enter the game...
When your opponent enters the game (by pressing F8), then you will see this
message:
New game starting... please wait a moment
while the computers exchange information....
After a few moments, the game screen will be presented.
If you are the player who answered the call, then you have to wait for your
opponent to select a game. When they have done so, the F8 line on your F-Key
menu will flash.
IF YOU SEE THE F8 LINE OF THE F-KEY MENU FLASH, YOU SHOULD PRESS THE F8 KEY.
All games can be also be played by two players using the same machine. The
program pauses between turns so the keyboard can be handed over from one
player to the other.
20
ARMY ANTS
IMPROVEMENTS IN VERSION 2.0: Worker ants now dig automatically, and movement
of soldiers is now simple. Sudden, frantic races and skirmishes occur when the
tunnels from the two colonies connect. Ants are initially placed using an
improved random number generator.
OBJECTIVE: Use your soldier ants to sting your opponent's ants, and win by
stinging the queen.
DESCRIPTION: Each play starts with a colony of ants consisting of several
worker ants, soldier ants, and one Queen ant. Worker ants move and dig tunnels
automatically. You can move your soldiers and queen, but they cannot dig and
so must use the tunnels dug by the workers.
KEYS: The arrow keys on your keyboard's number pad are used to move ants. If
you wish to move a different ant, use the PgUp or PgDn keys (at the corner of
the number pad). PgUp will search upward and left for ant selection within
your colony. PgDn searches down and to the right. To quickly select your
Queen Ant use the Home Key, which is also located on the keyboard number pad.
STRATEGIES: At first there are probably no connecting tunnels between
colonies - but this will not last long. You should use this early time for
positioning your soldiers for easy defense and rapid response. You will find
there are ways to position your soldiers where they are safe (but not for
long). When tunnels start connecting, it is easy not to notice a new way for
your opponent to slip in and get your queen.
21
BACKGAMMON
IMPROVEMENTS SINCE VERSION 2.0: The dice rolls are made with an improved
random number generator.
OBJECTIVE: The game is played on a board consisting of 24 points divided into 4
groups of 6. The division between the left and right side of the board is
called the BAR. Each player has 15 counters (called stones) placed on 5
separate points around the board. When a player has 2 or more stones on a
single point, the point is blocked and the opponent can not land there. At
the game start 10 points are blocked, 5 of yours and 5 of your opponents. The
two stones on the left side of the board (commonly called runners) are 18
points away from the first of your 6 "home" points.
The object is to move all of your stones around board the same direction the
runners would have to go to get to the home area 18 points away. Landing on a
square where your opponent has only one stone results in that stone (called a
blot) being removed from the board and put on the bar (the bar in the center
of the board). A stone on the bar must re-enter the game in the area farthest
from its home area, and travel across the whole board to the home area. Once
all 15 stones are in your home area they are removed from the board (called
bearing off). The first player to bear off all their stones is the winner.
DESCRIPTION: FIRST ROLL - On the first roll, each player presses the <enter>
key to roll one die. The highest number cast gets the value on both dice for
the first turn. If the first roll comes out as doubles, the players roll
again to determine who is first. Once the first roll is complete, it proceeds
like any other regular turn.
REGULAR TURNS - A regular turn begins with a roll of the dice (by pressing the
<enter> key at the beginning of a turn). The values rolled are then used to
move one or two stones the number of points shown on the dice. If the roll is
the same on both dice (doubles), the player can move 4 times the value shown
on one die (making it possible to move up to four stones). It is important to
note a roll of 5 and 2 must be taken as a 5 and a 2, and not a 7. Each die
must be taken separately.
Moving a stone consists of moving the little pointer arrow to the point where
the stone to be moved resides. (The little pointer arrow is moved using the
arrow keys on the number keypad.) After the pointer arrow is at the right
point, pick up the stone by pressing the space bar, move it to the new point
using the cursor control keys, and drop it by pressing the space bar again.
If an opponent blot is on the chosen point, the blot will go to the bar. When
the value of one of the dice is used, the die will change colors.
If a point is blocked by two or more of your opponents stones, you can not
stop there. If blocked points make it impossible to move the value on one or
more of the dice, the unmovable value of the dice is forfeited. When both
values are used, you will be prompted to press enter to commit to the move, or
press backspace to cancel the turn and start over, but watch the clock because
running out of time results in loss of game.
22
GETTING ON THE BAR - When a stone is alone on a point (a blot) and your
opponent lands on the same point, the blot goes to the bar (Worthy Opponent
does this for you automatically). Both players can have stones on the bar at
the same time, and there is no limit to the number of stones which can reside
at the bar at one time.
COMING OFF THE BAR - A player can not move any stones while having one or more
stones on the bar. After rolling the dice at the beginning of the turn, one
of the stones from the bar will be automatically picked up if it is possible
to come in. The stone must be placed on one of the points in the opponents
home area which is not blocked and coincides with the value of one of the dice
(point 1 being farthest from the bar, point 6 being next to the bar). The
newly entering stone must proceed all the way around the board to its home
area after entering.
DOUBLING - Backgammon is often played with the opponents agreeing on a wager.
During the game, either player can offer to double the wager before rolling
the dice to begin a turn. The opponent must accept the offer to double or
forfeit the game. When a player accepts a double, the doubling die (which
appears at the bottom left of the screen) will display the factor the original
bet is to be multiplied by. The player who last accepted a double is the only
player which can offer a double. In this fashion the doubling die, and right
to offer a double is passed back and forth.
BEARING OFF - When all of your stones are in your home area, you can begin
bearing off. After rolling the dice, the player selects a stone by moving the
little pointer arrow to the point and pressing the space bar. Stones can be
removed from points with the value of the dice rolled (point 1 being farthest
from the bar, point 6 being closest to the bar). If there are no stones to be
removed on the point which equals a die, and no stones on a larger value point
which can be moved, the lesser value stones can be taken off with bigger
numbers. For example:
Points 1,2,3 and 4 have stones on them
The dice roll is a 3 and a 6
A stone can be removed from point 3 (using the 3 roll) and point 4 (using the
6 roll because there are no stones on points 5 or 6).
The number of stones left are displayed on the left and right side of the
board. The colors match the stone color. Bearing off continues until one
player has no more stones and wins the game.
When offering a double, the game clock is reset after the double is accepted.
If the double is rejected, the opponent offering the double will be declared
the winner.
23
CANNONBALL EXPRESS
IMPROVEMENTS IN VERSION 2.0: You can now fire diagonally as well, so there is
almost always something to shoot at. Also, the wall between trains is not as
thick, so the game starts out more quickly.
OBJECTIVE: Defeat your opponent by eliminating all of the cannon-cars on their
train.
DESCRIPTION: Player trains (with cannon-cars) travel in a circular pattern on
their tracks opposite each other. Each player has 30 cannon-cars on their
train which are capable of shooting an unlimited number of cannonballs.
Cannonballs are fired to the opposing player's train. Just like real
cannonballs, sometimes they bounce off their target.
Between the player's trains are barriers which are removed by being hit with
cannonballs. Initially, trains are able to fire one cannon. However, between
the opponent train tracks are two Target trains which have 5 target-cars. The
player who is able to eliminate the last target-car during their turn gets a
bonus of being able to fire an additional cannon at the opponent. (If all
available cannon-cars are already able to fire, an additional cannon-car is
added).
The only limit to the number of cannons able to fire is the number of cannon-
cars you have available. Target-cars automatically repair damaged target-cars
as they cycle.
KEYS: Cannon(s) are fired using the number pad keys. Use the keys on the upper
row (Home, UpArrow, PgUp) to shoot upward, or the bottom row (End, DownArrow,
or PgDn) to shoot downward. To select the appropriate cannon-car(s) to fire,
use the Ins and Del keys on the number keypad on your keyboard. Pressing Ins
moves the firing cannon(s) toward the front of the train, Del moves toward the
end of the train.
Cannon-cars which have been damaged by your opponent are unable to fire.
STRATEGIES : Move the firing cannon(s) into the appropriate position to get the
best shot. Choose to eliminate your opponent's cannon-cars, thus reducing
their fire power, or try to obtain more firing cannons or cannon-cars by
hitting the last Target-car, thus obtaining additional fire power. Game
advantages can quickly turn around as players obtain more firing cannon-cars.
24
CAVE-IN
OBJECTIVE: Shoot at stalactites to make them fall onto your opponent's
spelunking team before they get you.
DESCRIPTION: Each player gets a team of spelunkers. They are in a cave with
stalagmites to climb over and stalactites ready to fall. Spelunkers knock
stalactites loose by firing diagonally at the ceiling. Stalactites break
loose and fall, burying opponent spelunkers. They can travel across the cave,
climbing over stalagmites as they go.
KEYS: The number pad keys are used. Spelunkers can fire diagonally upward
using the Home or PgUp keys. The arrow keys can be used to move back and forth
across the cave, or up and down stalagmites. The Ins key can be used to select
a different spelunker from your team.
STRATEGIES: You sometimes have to shoot in a pattern to get at a particular
stalactite and make it fall on an enemy. Practice will teach you where the
"weak spots" of the stalactites are and how to get them. Keep close watch on
your time, so that you don't leave one of your team too close to the enemy
when it becomes their turn.
25
CHECKERS
OBJECTIVE: Force your opponent into not having any legal moves which is
usually accomplished by jumping all of their checkers.
DESCRIPTION: Each player has 12 checkers. Players alternate turns by moving
one of their checkers one square diagonally, or jumping the opponents checker.
A player can jump over an opponents checker diagonally if it has an empty
space on the other side. When taking a turn, if a jump is possible it must be
taken. (WORTHY OPPONENT will remind you when a jump is possible).
When a checker reaches the end of the board going forward it becomes a king
(signified by a dot on either side of the checker) capable of moving both
forward and backwards.
To move a checker, first point to the checker to be moved by using the cursor
control keys to select the desired checker. Press the space bar to "pick the
checker up". Use the Home, PgUp, End, or PgDn keys to move to the new board
position (multiple jumps are possible). Press the space bar again to put the
checker down.
If you change your mind and want to start your move over, press the backspace
key, but remember that letting the game clock run out results in a forfeit!
KEYS: The Cursor arrow keys, Home, PgUp, End, and PgDn keys move the pointer.
The space bar picks the checker up and puts it down.
26
CORNERSTONE
OBJECTIVE: Turn over your opponents stones by outflanking them (putting one of
your stones on each end of a row). The player with the most stones when no
more stones can be legally added wins.
DESCRIPTION: The game is played on an eight by eight grid. One player has red
stones, the other white. Players take turns placing stones on the grid in such
a way as to outflank one or more opponent's stones (have a player's stone on
each end of a row of opponent stones). All stones which are outflanked are
overturned (ie if the outflanked stones were white, they become red.) For a
player to take a turn, a move which will turn over at least one opponents
stone must be made.
Turns alternate until all possible stones have been placed on the board. The
player with the most stones after the last stone is placed is the winner. If
a player fails to take a turn in the alloted time, the game is forfeited.
KEYS: All the number key pad keys (Home, Up, PgUp, Left, Right, End, Down,
PgDn) are used to move the pointer. Space bar is used to place the stones.
Strategy: Stones placed on the boards outer edges are difficult to flip. The
most important stones to have are the cornerstones as they can never be turned
over. Don't worry about what color most of the stones are in the beginning
game, concentrate on getting the cornerstones.
27
LAZER-MAZE
IMPROVEMENTS IN VERSION 2.0: The maze explorers now move automatically, while
you simply send them in a new direction when you wish. There are no longer any
shields to blast through. Offense now pays off more than defense. The maze is
made with an improved random number generator.
OBJECTIVE: "Zap" all of your WORTHY OPPONENT's maze explorers before they "Zap"
you !!
DESCRIPTION: Each player begins with five maze explorers at opposite corners of
the maze. Each explorer can move within the maze and fire a laser in diagonal
directions only. Explorers have an infinite number of lazer shots.
The walls of the maze are reflective so laser shots ricochet around until they
come back to the explorer or fizzle in a corner of the maze. The maze walls
dissolve after a few shots so the explorer can blast a path through to get to
an opponent's explorer.
KEYS: The arrow keys on your keyboard's number pad are used to change the
direction of the currently selected (blinking) explorer. The Home, PgUp, End,
PgDn keys are the keys to fire lazer shots diagonally in the respective
direction. You may select a different explorer by using the Ins key which is
also located on the number pad.
STRATEGIES: In the early game, most of your opponent's explorers are close
together in a corner of the maze. Just one explorer can eliminate many
opponents when they are close together like this. Also, you cannot hurt
yourself by zapping, and you might get an opponent with a lucky ricochet, so
blast away!
28
MINI-GOLF
OBJECTIVE: Hit your golf ball into all the holes of the course using fewer
strokes than your opponent.
DESCRIPTION: Each game selects one of several 9-hole miniature golf courses at
random. Each player takes turns hitting the ball, trying to get it to bounce
into the holes.
KEYS: To "hit" the ball, the player first selects how hard to hit the ball by
pressing the spacebar one to ten times (there is still a small random element
in how far the ball will travel when released). Then pressing any arrow or
diagonal key on the number pad releases the ball in that direction.
Startegies: The player in the lead always goes first when starting at a new
hole. This gives the other player the opportunity to learn from the mistakes
the first player makes on a new hole. So when behind, pay close attention to
how the other player makes their attempt.
29
MISSILE STRIKE
OBJECTIVE: Eliminate your opponent's City before they destroy your city.
DESCRIPTION: Each player has a city to protect with one mobile anti-ballistic
missile launcher. Additionally each player has one orbiting satellite
offensive missile launcher. Play consists of dropping missiles on your
opponents cites and intercepting your opponents inbound missiles.
KEYS: The number pad is used for all game play.
DROPPING MISSILES - The bottom row of keys on the keypad drop missiles.
o The <End> key drops missiles down and left.
o The <down arrow> key drops missiles straight down.
o The <PgDn> key drops missiles down and right.
INTERCEPTING INCOMING MISSILES - The top row of keys fires at incoming
missiles, the middle row of keys moves the Mobile Anti-ballistic Missile
Launcher (MAML)
o The <Home> key fires up and left.
o The <Up arrow> key fires straight up.
o The <PgUp> key fires up and right.
o The <Left arrow> key moves the MAML left.
o The <Right arrow> key moves the MAML right.
STRATEGIES: Get your opponent on the defensive by launching lots of missiles.
Sometimes it is worth losing some of your city to position your satellite and
drop lots of bombs on your opponent, but when you get down to your last
building or two, be sure and protect them real well!
30
QUINTE
OBJECTIVE: Place 'stones' on a the game grid and get five in row (any
direction) before your WORTHY OPPONENT can do the same. The game is exactly
like tic-tac-toe except you must get 5 in a row instead of 3.
DESCRIPTION: The game board is a 19 by 19 square grid. Players move the cursor
to a desired position on the grid and place a stone in that location by
pressing the space bar. Each player has a different stone marker (X or O).
KEYS: The arrow keys on the keyboard's number pad are used to move the
blinking cursor up and down and sideways on the game grid. Also, the keys on
the diagonal of the number pad (the PgUp, PgDn, Home, and End keys) can be
used to move in the corresponding direction.
STRATEGIES: There are a few rules of thumb for succeeding. First, if you have 3
unblocked stones and can make it 4 unblocked stones, do so, as you are assured
a victory in the next move. If you can't make it an unblocked 4 but your
opponent can, then block your opponent. If you don't have to block the
unblocked 4, then try to make two simultaneous unblocked 3's. If you can't do
that, but your opponent can make two unblocked 3's, then block one.
31
SNAKE PIT
OBJECTIVE: Trap and consume your opponent's snake with your own snake or with
the aid of an unfriendly snake.
DESCRIPTION: Within the Snake Pit are the two opponents' snakes and several
other wandering UNFRIENDLY snakes. To make your own snake grow longer, you
must "squirm" around and consume another snake's tail.
When a wandering snake is trapped (causing it to change color) or totally
consumed, another new wandering snake will appear somewhere else (often times
right on your own snake's tail!). Your snake may consume the remains of a
wandering snake that has previously died.
If your snake gets trapped and is unable to move, your turn continues but your
snake is unable to do any movement. Your opponent's snake is able to play
until such time as you are freed again. If both snakes get trapped, the
wandering snakes will decide which of the snakes dies or lives.
KEYS: The arrow keys on your keyboard's number pad moves your snake in the
desired direction.
STRATEGIES: The wandering snakes are very aggressive beasts and they will often
attack your snake when it is not your turn. Thus, you cannot defend yourself
while your opponent takes their turn. The best defense is to be aggressive
with your snake and have your snake become long enough so that you cannot get
completely consumed in a single turn. Also, if you can wrap your snake's tail
around the opponent snake's head (trap it), then you will be able to move
without your opponent being able to move during the turn.
32
TREASURE QUEST
OBJECTIVE: Bring treasures back to your trophy case from a maze filled with
roving monsters.
DESCRIPTION: Each game begins with a randomly generated maze. The maze is
filled with treasures (green symbols) and monsters (moving red symbols). Each
player has an adventurer and a trophy case. Send your adventurer through the
maze to pick up treasures and bring them back to your home base.
If you get hit by a monster, even when it not your turn, your adventurer is
bumped all the way back to your trophy case. Be the first to get five
treasures and you win!
KEYS: The arrow keys on the number pad are used to change the direction that
your adventurer moves.
STRATEGIES: The monsters get more aggressive to the player who is ahead, so if
you are behind, you might get away with riskier moves. Also, try to be far
from any monsters when you run out of time. You might also try moving around
such that a treasure piece is between you and an agressive monster. Stealing
from your opponent is allowed, as long as the treasure is not already in their
trophy case.
33
THE REGISTRATION F-KEY (F9)
Using the F9 key will present you with the registration menu. This is instead
of having an obnoxious "shareware screen" at the beginning of the program
constantly asking you for money.
WORTHY OPPONENT is not intended to be free software, but we feel that it
should cost you nothing to try it. If you DO like the program, and use it at
all, please support the significant work and expense it took to make WORTHY
OPPONENT a reality.
Version 2.0 was released in January, 1990, and perhaps there are even more
advanced versions available now. If you register, you are assured of getting
the most advanced version available, with automatic free upgrades to any major
version released within one year of registration. All you have to do is send
$15 (Colorado residents add 6% sales tax) in an envelope to
Future Ideas Today, Inc.
PO Box 150651
Lakewood, CO 80215
Worthy Opponent is a copyrighted program, but Future Ideas Today, Inc. grants
any person or institution the permission to make and distribute copies of the
program or manual, provided that you do not modify the program or manual in
any way.
THE EXIT F-KEY (F10)
The F10 and <Esc> keys have the same function and are used to exit a window,
game, menu, or leave the WORTHY OPPONENT program. Their function is much like
backing up one screen or window. When using the keys to leave a game, you will
be asked if you are sure you want to leave.
34
HANDY HINTS
Communication Info
If you have difficulty establishing a connection, check the following:
1. Modem parameters improperly set. Review your Modem Owners Guide and the
Help section of this manual. Once you have checked these items, turn your
modem off and then back on. In the F1 Help Menu is a Modem Menu. Use
this menu to be sure that the communication port number, bit rate and
pulse/tone dialing are all be correctly set.
2. The telephone Number must be correct. Be sure you have entered the
correct number (including 1 and area-code for long distance) of your
opponent.
3. Answer mode must be active for the person being called. The Answer key F4
must be pressed (it will highlight) to await the incoming call.
Other problems
1. If you have difficulty viewing highlighted items, check the contrast and
brightness controls on your monitor. Adjust as necessary.
2. To avoid unnecessary delays at the start of each game, the player who has
the first turn must press <Enter> to begin.
3. REGISTER. Being registered with Future Ideas Today enititles you to
support. If you are not registered, we will still help you get started.
Just write to
Future Ideas Today, Inc.
PO Box 150651
Lakewood, CO 80215
35
