"FiveStones" is a traditional Chinese board game. In the game, two players (black and white) put their own stones in turn on a board with 15x15 or 19x19 lines. Once on the board, the stones can not be moved or overlaid or removed. The winner is the first person who has on the board five or more consecutive stones of his/her kind along lines or diagonally. The rules of this game are very simple, and using this program is pretty straightforward.
FiveStones v2.3 has four playing modes : man vs man, computer play black, computer play white, and computer auto play. The playing mode may be changed anytime during the game. Unlimited undo of moves is also supported.
FiveStones v2.3 can play at different levels. Generally, there are two different ways to set the level : by time limit and by level number. Each way has its own ups and downs. Setting level by time limit is the choice if you expect computer plays each move within a certain time limit. However, the absolute strength of the move computer plays depends on the computer you use. The faster the computer, the better it plays. Alternatively, the playing level may be set by level numbers (1-6) which specifying playing strength independent of the computer used. However, you may have to endure sometimes an annoying long waiting period for a certain moves if you have a slow computer (pre-Quadra) set at a high level number. The thumb of rules is if you have a slow computer set the level by time, otherwise it's your own choice. The playing level can be changed any time during the game.
FiveStones v2.3 always put the first move at the center of the board regardless of the playing mode. Since the black plays first, it holds a certrain edge against the white. So an optional penalty for the black is introduced to offset this black advantage : the black is forbidden to play in the central 5x5 area at the third move. You may turn this option on and off by selecting "Third Ply Restriction" under the "Preference" menu.
All the settings under the "Play", "Level", and "Preference" menus (including playing mode, level, sounds, board color, ...) in the current game can be saved as default by choosing "Save Current As Default" under the "Preference" menu. Next time when you start a new game, it will be automatically set accordingly. Multiple games are supported. Each game can have its own settings. However, if you want to close the current game and start a new game with exactly the same setting of the current one, you should choose the "Repeat" under the "Game" menu. The board size can be changed by click on the very right bottom part of the window (the size box is not drawn for keeping the board intact) and drag as you normally do to change the window size.
This program requires a Macintosh plus or later running system 6.0 or later. It has been tested on a MacIIcx, IIci, and Quadra 800 running system 7.0.1.
FiveStones v2.3 is a shareware. If you like this program, please send US $10.00 to:
Xin Xu
3253 Morrison Ave, Apt. 2
Cincinnati, OH 45220
Please send bug reports and/or suggestions to the same address, or E-mail me at xux@ucunix.san.uc.edu (expire on August 31, 1994).
You may distribute this program freely for non-profit purpose. HOWEVER, YOU MUST HAVE THIS DOCUMENT ATTACHED WITHOUT ANY MODIFICATIONS. DISTRIBUTION OF THIS PROGRAM FOR OTHER PURPOSES (LIKE IN CD-ROM) REQUIRES A WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM THE AUTHOR.
