The Arsenal Files 3

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Text File | 1994-01-23 | 19KB | 473 lines

╒════════════════════════════════════════╕ │ BLACKJACK │ ╘══╤══════════════════════════════════╤══╛ │ │ │ │ │ Dean Software │ │ 4914 78th Avenue │ │ Hyattsville, MD 20784 │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ (301) 577-1902 Voice │ │ │ │ │ ╘══════════════════════════════════╛ INTRODUCTION Copyright 1994 by Dean Software. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication or program may be reproduced, photocopied or transmitted; nor may it be leased, translated, disassembled, decompiled, altered, or modified in any manner except as provided by the license below. Any violation of these terms by the user constitutes immediate termination of the license as provided below. BLACKJACK is a copyrighted program and is protected under the United States Copyright Law and various International Treaty provisions. It is offered "as is" for personal use, testing, and evaluation. We make no claim as to the program's suitability for any specific purpose and shall not be held responsible for any consequential damages that may possibly occur through the use or misuse of the program. Your first use of BLACKJACK constitutes your agreement to the following provisions: Shareware License: A limited license at no charge is granted to all to use, test and duplicate in its entirety the copy of BLACKJACK you received for no more than 30 calendar days. Thereafter, if you did not license BLACKJACK directly from us, you must either pay the license fee to continue to use BLACKJACK or immediately cease all use of BLACKJACK. You will be in violation of this limited license agreement if you use this version of BLACKJACK for more than 30 days without paying the license fee. By your reading of this license and/or use of the software, you agree to adhere to the terms set forth herein. If you disagree with the terms set forth herein, you must immediately cease all use of this software and you must immediately destroy all copies of this software and documentation currently in your possession. License: Upon payment of the registration fee, we will grant a non-exclusive license to use BLACKJACK by one person regardless of whether the license is owned by the person or by a business (the "licensee"). Licensed copies of BLACKJACK may be kept only on computers actually used by the licensee. Disclaimer of Warranties. We make no claims as to the suitability of BLACKJACK for any specific use. We disclaim any and all warranties, express or implied, oral or written, including any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Limitation of Liability. In no event shall we be liable for any damages whatsoever arising out of the use of BLACKJACK, including, and without limitation, any direct, incidental or consequential damages. [ 02 ] The user is granted a license to distribute the program as he/she received it to anyone he/she sees fit to do so provided the original files are complete and unaltered in any way. BLACKJACK may not be "resold" by Shareware distributors for a cost exceeding $5.00. The Shareware distributor should have a notice prominently displayed in their advertisement stating that the programs they distribute are copyrighted by others and by paying the Shareware distributor a fee to purchase the disk does not constitute the registration of the program. Section 1. GENERAL 1.1 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS. BLACKJACK will run on almost any minimal system configuration, although an EGA or VGA display is necessary. 1.2 BASIC HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE RECOMMENDATIONS As noted earlier, the program has been operated on several systems with varying degrees of performance. Although designed for optimum performance on today's newer systems, the program will nonetheless function on older machines. 1.2.1 The minimum hardware configuration is as follows: o - 256K random access memory (RAM) o - Sufficient hard disk space o - One 360K double-sided, double-density or 1.2 megabyte high-density 5.25" disk drive or One 720K double-sided, double-density or 1.44 megabyte high-density 3.5" disk drive o - Color (EGA or VGA; preferably, VGA) display 1.2.2 The minimum operating system is: MicroSoft Disk Operating System (MS-DOS) 3.30 or higher. Section 2: GETTING STARTED 2.1 SYSTEM BASICS. Simply follow the onscreen prompts when playing BLACKJACK. See Section 1 for system requirements. BLACKJACK is a simple, text-oriented game and demands little system overhead. [ 03 ] 2.2 PROGRAM INSTALLATION. Installation is as simple as copying all files from the distribution diskette(s) to your hard drive, (in the sub- directory of your choice), and unzipping all files. Any .ZIP files MUST be unzipped with PKUNZIP, Version 2.04g or higher. (In some cases you may receive a self-extracting file with an .EXE extension instead of a .ZIP file. If so, simply copy this file to your hard drive sub-directory of choice and extract the files by typing the file name. You may delete the original file from the sub-directory once the files have been extracted. Be careful not to destroy the original self- extracting file, wherever it may be located.) When completed, you will have the following files in your selected sub-directory: BLACK100.COM <-- The main executable BLACK100.DOC <-- This file ORDER.DOC <-- Order form for Registered versions Once all files have been unzipped or extracted, simply type BLACK100 to begin the program. You may print either of the .DOC files to the printer (LPT1) by using the DOS command below at the DOS prompt: TYPE BLACK100.DOC > PRN or TYPE ORDER.DOC > PRN Both .DOC files are standard ASCII text files and may also be browsed or printed with any text editor or any word processor which is capable of handling text files. 2.3 THE GAME PARAMETERS SCREEN This screen allows you to set the parameters used during game play. There are three parameters you may set as follows: PLAYER NAME - Enter your name. If you simply hit the ENTER key at this point, the game will automatically refer to you as "PLAYER" during play. BANKROLL AMOUNT - Amount of money, in dollars, that you want yourself and the Dealer to begin with. If you hit ENTER at this point, the game will automatically default to $500. PAUSE INTERVAL ADJUSTMENT - Use this option to adjust the pause interval (in seconds) used during message displays. This can be useful for slowing down the messages on faster systems. Entering a 1 gives the shortest pauses, 9 gives the longest. We suggest you start with 3 (the default) until you are familiar with playing this game. [ 04 ] 2.4 KEYS TO KNOW Simple, single keystroke commands are used to play BLACKJACK. There are three menus used during play; the SETUP menu, HAND 1 menu and HAND 2 menu. Prompts for valid keystrokes are given within the communications box at the bottom of the screen for each menu (messages from the game to you are also given in the communications box, so watch carefully as you play). The letter highlighted in each menu line is the key used for that function. Here is a list of valid keystrokes and functions: X - (not shown on any menu) - "Boss" key. This is a "hot" key that is available at all times. If you hit "X" at any time, a "Boss" screen is presented; that is a screen that looks like an ordinary DOS prompt. Strike any other key to restore the game and resume from that point. SETUP Menu: B - Make or change your bet. You must make an initial bet the first time the SETUP menu is presented at the beginning of the game. (See ENTER key below) N - New deal - Dealer will shuffle the deck - you may request this at any time before starting a new hand. ENTER - hitting the ENTER key tells the game to begin play for the next hand. If a bet has already been made, it accepts the previous bet for the coming hand (this greatly speeds up play). Be sure to change your bet or ask for a new deal before hitting ENTER if you wish to do so. If you are on the first hand and no previous bet has been made, you will be prompted to do so at this point. Q - Quit - terminates the game. You will exit to DOS. HAND 1 Menu: H - Hit. Tells the Dealer to give you one more card. ENTER - hitting the ENTER key tells the game you wish to play the cards you now have (this is also known as a "stand" or "standing"). The game progresses either to your next hand or to the Dealer's play of his hand. D - Double. If the total of your first two cards is 10 or 11, you may double. If you double, you may only draw one more card and it doubles your bet. Since the probability of drawing a face card or a ten is quite good, this is often a good play if given the opportunity. S - Split. If your first two cards are a pair, you may split them into two hands. Your same bet is then applied to the second hand (effectively doubling your bet) and another card is dealt into each hand. The two hands are then played independently. You may only split once in a given hand. [ 05 ] HAND 2 Menu: H - Hit. Same as Hand 1 Menu above. ENTER. Same as Hand 1 Menu above. D - Double. Same as Hand 1 Menu above. (Note: The SPLIT option is not available for Hand 2.) 2.5 RULES OF THE GAME BLACKJACK is based on the traditional card game of Black Jack and is extremely easy to play. Please remember there are many variations to this game and we have tried to faithfully incorporate some of the more common options into this software. The object of the game is to get as close to 21 points each hand without going over. If you are dealt an ace and a face card or ten as your first two cards, that is 21 points and is called a "black jack" - hence the name of the game. If one player has a black jack and the other does not, the player with the black jack automatically wins the hand (and double the bet). If neither player has a black jack, the player plays his hand(s) first, trying to get as close to 21 points without going over. The dealer also tries to get as close to 21 points without going over. Tie hands are called a "push" - neither player wins and no money is exchanged. The cards are valued as follows: Aces - may count as either one point or eleven points, whichever produces the best score within a given hand. They are usually only valued as one point unless you happen to be holding multiple aces within a given hand. Point values of multiple aces within a given hand may be freely mixed. The game will automatically total each hand for optimum point value (count). Tens and Face Cards - count as 10 points. Cards 2 - 9 - count as face value. Each player begins with a prescribed amount of money, the game defaults to $500. You may bet as little or as much as you like, as long as you have enough money to place the bet. When you or the Dealer is out of money, the game is over. After you have placed your bet, the game deals each player two cards. The Dealer's first card is dealt face down and his displayed count only reflects the up card. [ 06 ] (Please note that anytime the count of a player's hand reaches 21 OR he has five cards totalling 21 or less, the game automatically "stands" for you to eliminate the frustration of "hitting" a good hand. Again, be sure you carefully watch the communications box at the bottom of the screen for messages so you know what the game is doing. If the game is playing too fast, make the PAUSE INTERVAL longer (use a higher number) in the parameter screen when you start the game (See Section 2.3). The PAUSE INTERVAL defaults to 3 if you don't enter a value - we suggest you at least start with this number until you are familiar with the game.) The player begins on the Hand 1 menu. If you have been dealt a "black jack", the game automatically stands for you and you win double your bet. If you have not been dealt a black jack, check the point total (count, displayed in white to the right of your cards) of the hand. If the count is 10 or 11, you may DOUBLE if you wish (this means you will be dealt only one more card which doubles your bet for that hand). If you are holding a pair, you may SPLIT and play two hands against the Dealer's one hand. If you cannot DOUBLE or SPLIT (or you choose not to) you must decide based on the total points in your hand (count) whether to draw additional cards or "stand" on the cards you have. Use the HIT option if you wish to draw more cards. Remember, if you go over 21 points you lose (bust) and the hand is over. When you have drawn as many cards as you wish, hit the ENTER key to stand. If you have SPLIT your first hand, follow the screen instructions and repeat the process for Hand 2. The game will automatically "stand" (or terminate play for a particular hand) under the following circumstances: - Your count becomes equal to 21 points (game stands for you). - Your count exceeds 21 points (bust, hand is over). - Your hand contains 5 cards and your count is less than or equal to 21 points (game stands for you). You automatically WIN the hand and double your bet under the following circumstances: - You are dealt a black jack on your first two cards. Unless the Dealer also has a black jack, you win the hand and it is over - the Dealer draws no cards. - Your hand contains 5 cards and your count is less than or equal to 21 points. [ 07 ] Likewise, you automatically LOSE the hand and double your bet under the following circumstances: - The Dealer is dealt a black jack on his first two cards and you are not dealt a black jack on your first two cards (if you are both dealt a black jack, it is a push). - The Dealer has five cards totalling less than or equal to 21 points (no matter what your actual count is). 2.6 SCORING Remember that the Dealer (or "House") never really bets; he merely collects or pays off money based on the Player's bet(s) and who wins or loses individual hands. Also, remember that all ties are a push (nobody wins or loses). After all hands have been played, the PAYOFF screen is displayed. This recaps the activity for that hand. Message(s) are displayed showing which hands won, lost or pushed. The display for the Dealer's hand shows the cumulative win or loss amount for both of the Player's hands. Money amounts at the bottom of the screen reflect Player's and Dealer's current balances AFTER all bets have been paid for the hand just played. 2.7 REPORTING ERRORS OR DISCREPANCIES Every effort has been made to ensure that the product you receive is free from errors or bugs. Should you have a problem that is related to the program, please contact us at the address below. To improve the playability of our products, we gladly accept any suggestions or ideas for improvements to the program. You may contact us at: Dean Software 4914 78th Avenue Hyattsville, MD 20784 (301) 577-1902 Voice 3.0 TRADEMARK ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS PKUNZIP is a registered trademark of PKWARE, Inc. MS-DOS is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Other products and marks mentioned in this documentation are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. This documentation is copyrighted (C) 1994 by Dean Software - all rights are reserved. [ 08 ]