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1990-05-10
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Mah Jongg
-V-G-A-
Version 2.2
June, 1990
Program and Documentation
Copyright 1988 - 1990 Ron Balewski
Mah Jongg -V-G-A- is a User-Supported (Shareware) prooduct. It is
freely available through User's Groups, Bulletin Boards, etc. You have
the opportunity to try the game and see if it suits your needs. If you
find that you enjoy and use this game, please send the requested
contribution of $15.00 to:
Ron Balewski
412 E. Ridge St.
Nanticoke, PA 18634-2915
User-supported shareware can exist only as long as you, the users, will
support it!
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
-------------------
FORWARD: A Message to v1.1 users ....... 3
WHAT IS MAH JONG -V-G-A- ............... 4
HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS .................. 4
THE GAME OF MAH JONGG .................. 5
The Tiles ......................... 5
The Suits ......................... 5
The Game Board .................... 5
Playing Mah Jongg ................. 6
Strategy .......................... 6
PLAYING MAH JONGG -V-G-A- .............. 7
The Basics ........................ 7
The Added Features ................ 8
Special ...................... 8
Messages ..................... 8
Restore ...................... 8
Quit ......................... 8
New Game ..................... 8
Save ......................... 9
What's Left .................. 9
Back-up ...................... 9
Help ......................... 9
Turning Off the Menu .........11
The Special Sub-Menu ............. 12
Background .................. 12
Info... ..................... 12
DOS Shell ................... 12
Sound ....................... 13
Timer ....................... 13
Keyboard Commands ................ 13
Load Tile Set ............... 13
Box Cursor Toggle ........... 13
Hall of Fame ................ 14
Book-Marks .................. 14
Command Line Options ............. 14
IN CASE OF DIFFICULTY ................. 15
TECHNICAL SUPPORT ..................... 15
WHAT'S NEXT ........................... 16
SHARWEWARE ............................ 17
DISCLAIMER ............................ 17
PERMISSION TO COPY .................... 17
Appendix A: The Files ................ 18
Special thanks to Warren Storosko for his valuable assistance with
this project. Many of Mah Jongg -V-G-A-'s special features are a
direct result of his helpful suggestions.
Thanks, also, Rick & Jami Chism for "beta testing" MJVGA.
- Page 2 -
FORWARD
A message to current users
With this release, I've deleted the NEW.V20 and NEW.V21 files.
There is a new NEW.V22 file, though, which outlines what's been added to
this release. If you're using MJVGA21, you'll just have to read this
file. If you're using something earlier, you should at least browse
through this entire manual.
I'd once again like to thank those who have registered the various
versions of MJVGA (this is the fourth release already!). Your constant
support and encouragement is what keeps me working on MJVGA.
I'd now like your opinion on something. Many shareware authors
offer for sale to their users a laser-printed, bound version of their
manual. Since most future updates to MJVGA will be simply to make
what's there a bit better (there probably aren't many new features to
add), this may be a good time for me to introduce such a book. I'd sell
it only to registered users for whatever printing, binding, and shiping
charges would be. The master would be done on a laser or ink-jet
printer at 300 DPI, then high-quality copies would be made for
distribution. I'd probably have it bound with one of those plastic
binders resembling a spiral-bound notebook. The cover would be whatever
price would allow -- hopefully at least clear plastic with a nice cover
page beneath it.
Before I go through this much trouble, though, I'd like to know if
anyone would want one. I'd also like your opinions on the printing &
binding method, book size (standard 8.5 x 11 or something different),
and how much you'd be willing to pay for it. If it'd cost more than
most people would pay, it'd be a wasted effort. Likewise, if you're
willing to pay a few dollars more, I may be able to put together
something a bit nicer.
Some other thoughts -- How about personalizing it? Or including a
message to someone & a bound-in floppy disk holder so you can give a
personalized registered version of Mah Jongg -V-G-A-to someone as a
present? All thoughts and ideas are welcome!
- Page 3 -
WHAT IS MAH JONG -V-G-A-?
Mah Jongg -V-G-A- is a high-tech simulation of the ancient Chinese
game of Mah Jongg. Some historians date Mah Jongg back to the time of
Confucius -- over 25 centuries ago!
It's believed that sailors and fishermen played Mah Jongg as a
diversion from the monotony of their long voyages. The game was
originally played with cards, but eventually bone and bamboo tiles were
substituted since these were less likely to be blown off the deck.
Mah Jongg -V-G-A- recreates the beauty and addictive pleasure of
Mah Jongg, but uses modern data processing techniques and
high-resolution graphics instead of bamboo tiles.
In an attempt to make this game as elegant and as enjoyable as
possible, the author has used some of the most advanced features of
today's state-of-the-art MS-DOS computers. Not all PC computers are
able to run Mah Jongg -V-G-A-. But if yours can, prepare yourself for
the meeting of the past and future!!!
WHAT DO I NEED?
Mah Jongg -V-G-A- will run on properly-equipped PC's and
compatibles with 512k of memory. It should run with less, but I don't
know the exact lower limit.
A VGA graphics card and a Logitech-compatible mouse are also
required. Certain convenience features require a three-button mouse.
However, the game can be played with a Microsoft-compatible two-button
mouse.
I also recommend a secondary monochrome monitor. Mah Jongg -V-G-A-
will use both the VGA and the monochrome monitors simultaneously to
display the game board and statistics. While you don't NEED the
monochrome display, I find it to be a useful part of the game.
A fast processor isn't really necessary. While a fast machine and
a fast graphics card will speed up tile removal somewhat, the game plays
just fine on a standard turbo XT.
- Page 4 -
THE GAME OF MAH JONGG
---------------------
THE TILES
There are 42 different tiles used in Mah Jongg as follows: 27 Suit
tiles (nine tiles in each of three suits), 3 Dragons, 4 Winds, 4
Seasons, and 4 Flowers.
THE SUITS
The Suit Of Dots - This suit goes back to the original sailor's
version of Mah Jongg. The dots probably represent money.
The Suit Of Bam - Bam stands for Bamboo. Because bamboo was used
to make deadly spears, this suit is thought to represent power or
victory.
The Suit Of Crak - These are also called Characters or Actors.
Crak may represent actual people or may simply be characters from the
Chinese alphabet.
The Dragons - In the Ancient Mah Jongg, each suit was associated
with a Dragon as follows:
White dragons - Suit Of Dots
Red Dragons - Suit Of Bam
Green Dragons - Suit Of Crak
This association has no direct bearing on the current play of the game.
The Winds - These tiles simply represent the four directions of the
winds -- North, South, East, and West.
The Flowers - The four flowers - Orchid, Plum, Mum, and Bamboo -
were introduced by a medieval princess to add beauty and romance to the
game.
The Seasons - This is another direct representation -- this time of
the seasons - Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. It is thought that
the seasons were added to Mah Jongg by river gamblers.
THE GAME BOARD
Each game board consists of 144 tiles made up of four of each type
of tile EXCEPT for the Seasons and Flowers of which there is one each.
The tiles are laid out in a formation called a Dragon. The position of
each tile in the dragon is completely random, making each dragon unique.
Some are more formidable than others. Some are actually impossible to
defeat. But all are challenging and exciting.
- Page 5 -
The tiles are placed in stacks ranging in height from one tile at
the edge to five tiles at the center. The easiest way to understand the
dragon is to see one. Run Mah Jongg -V-G-A-. The dragon you'll see
will be a far better explanation than I can give.
PLAYING MAH JONGG
The object of Mah Jongg is simple -- remove all of the tiles by
matching pairs. But there IS a catch. Only tiles which are "free" can
be removed.
A tile is considered "free" if there's nothing on top of it and if
it can slide out to the left OR right. If tiles on both sides are
stacked to the same height the tile is not "free" to be removed.
Two tiles MUST be free and MUST be an exact match (exceptions
later) before they can be removed from the dragon. Removal of
mismatched tiles and removal of un-free tiles is not allowed.
The exception: Since there is one each of the Seasons and the
Flowers, these tiles cannot be matched identically. So any flower can
match with any other flower. Likewise, any season can match with any
other season.
STRATEGY:
During my countless hours of testing Mah Jongg -V-G-A-, I've found
a few pieces of strategy that seem to help:
--> Concentrate on removing the four tiles which are blocking the most
moves - the top tile, the single tile on the left, and the two tiles on
the right.
--> Look for quadruples. If all four of a given tile are free, remove
them all immediately. This will get them out of the way and won't cause
problems later.
--> Keep an eye out for doubles (two tiles free) of tiles with only two
left (the monochrome screen helps here). These should also be removed
immediately.
--> Before removing two tiles of four remaining, be sure that no OBVIOUS
harm (trapped tiles) will occur.
--> Always check for triples. If you've found a pair with four
remaining, see if any more are free. Then, take the two which will free
up the most tiles.
- Page 6 -
PLAYING MAH JONGG -V-G-A- 2.2
-----------------------------
THE BASICS
To start Mah Jongg -V-G-A-, just place the game disk into a drive,
log onto that drive, and type MJVGA22 at the DOS prompt. After some
disk activity, the opening screen will come up. A short time later, the
title screen will fade and the dragon will be drawn.
If you have a monochrome monitor connected to your computer, you
should be sure that it's turned on. From here on, I'll assume that
you're looking at both monitors. If you only have a VGA monitor, just
ignore all references to the Monochrome.
Tiles are removed by first selecting one, then selecting its mate.
To select a tile, just point to it with the mouse and press the left
mouse button. The tile will change color (and its listing on the
monochrome will be highlighted) to show that it has been selected. You
don't have to double-click to remove the tiles. When two tiles have
been selected, they will (after validation) be removed.
To de-select a tile, just click on it again. The tile and its
listing will return to normal.
If you click on a tile which is not free, a 'Tile Not Free"
meessage will appear on the left side of the screen after which the
offending tile will automatically be de-selected. Likewise, if you
select two tiles wcich don't match, you'll see a "Tiles don't match"
message after which both tiles will be de-selected.
The counter at the top-left of the VGA screen (and on the right
side of the monochrome screen) will show how many tiles remain in the
dragon.
This is all you really need to know to play the game. But, there
are some other features which make the play a lot more enjoyable. The
menu of features can be found in the upper right section of the VGA
display. I'll explain each of these features individually in a moment.
But, to activate any one of them, just point to the desired feature with
the mouse and click the left button.
- Page 7 -
THE ADDED FEATURES
For convenience, I'll describe the features as they appear in the
menu from top to bottom, starting with Special.
SPECIAL
=======
Selecting SPECIAL will open up a smaller sub-menu on the left
side of the VGA screen. You shouldn't need these features too
often, but they're nice to have just in case. I'll describe
each of these special features in detail later on.
MESSAGES ARE ON / OFF
=====================
This option controls whether or not the "Tile not free" and
Tiles do not match" messages are printed. The messages are
initially on. They can be toggled on / off by clicking on the
box. When the messages are turned off, un-free tile selections
are ignored and mis-matched selections are simply reset.
Experienced players may prefer to turn off the messages to keep
mis-clicks from slowing up the game with messages.
RESTORE
=======
Restore will load a game previously saved to disk. A window
will open and you'll be asked to type a file name. If you hit
this button accidentally, just cancel the restore by pressing
Return without typing a file name.
QUIT
====
Selecting Quit will clear both monitors and return you to the
DOS prompt.
NEW GAME
========
Clicking on New Game will start a new game of Mah Jongg. The
VGA screen will clear and the title screen will appear while the
computer shuffles the tiles. Then, the title screen will fade
and a new dragon will be drawn.
The New Game option can also be used to start the current game
from the very beginning without having to use the BACK-UP
command repeatedly. To re-start the current game, just hold
down the right mouse button while clicking on the New Game
button.
- Page 8 -
SAVE
====
The Save command is Restore's partner. You can save a current
game to disk for later completion by clicking here. You'll be
asked for a file name for the game. If you decide not to save
the game, just press Return without typing anything. Either
way, you'll be returned to the current game.
WHAT'S LEFT
===========
To see exactly what tiles are left in the dragon, just click
here! The dragon will be replaced by a graphic depiction of
exactly how many of which tiles are left. Very useful for
determining tricky moves! To return to the game board, just
click the RIGHT mouse button.
To quickly find out how many of one type of tile are left, just
high-light the desied tile before selecting What's Left. A
message will appear on the left side of the screen telling
exactly how many of the selected tile are left. Note that if
you select a Season or Flower, the total number of Seasons /
Flowers will be shown.
Of course, monochrome users will seldom have to use this
feature. All of this information (and much more) is constantly
displayed on the monochrome monitor.
BACK-UP
=======
Each time you click on Back-up, your last move will be taken
back. Note that the tile(s) which are being returned to the
board will be momentarily highlighted on the monochrome screen.
This feature helps you to quickly return to "wherever I removed
those such-and-such tiles." You can back-up all the way to the
beginning of the game, if you like.
HELP
====
Help is really it's own little sub-function. When you click on
help, the machine will pause for a moment (it's looking for
moves) and will then do one of two things. If no moves are
left, you'll see a "No moves left" message on the left side of
the screen. You're now free to start a new game or back-up to
try to correct errors in this one (I often do this).
- Page 9 -
If one or more moves is left, the message will tell you how
many. The tiles for the first move will be highlighted on both
monitors. Then, a small control panel with five buttons will
appear on the left section of the VGA screen. To leave Help,
click on Exit. To see the next move, just click on "Next".
Click on "Previous" to display the previous move. When you've
decided which move you'd like to take, you can execute it by
first stepping to it with the Next / Previous buttons and then
clicking on "Do It!" The help menu will disappear and your
selected move will be executed.
You can also "X-ray" the board to find which stacks a given type
of tile is in regardless of whether or not it's buried. To
start an X-ray, click on "X-ray" in the help menu. A tile will
be shown in the upper left section of the screen. Use the
previous / next buttons to step to the tile that you want to
find. Then, click on SHOOT to turn on the X-ray machine.
All stacks will grow dark and begin to flicker except for the
stacks containing the chosen tile. They will be highlighted.
You'll also notice an irritating high-pitched sound coming from
the PC's built-in X-ray machine. It's sometimes difficult to
interpret this X-ray, depending on the tile set.
Heavily-painted tiles are impervious to X-rays and can give
false readings. But, the readings are usually quite helpful.
And with practice, you'll get better at reading the X-ray.
After all, your family physician went to school for countless
years to learn to read them! One last thing -- the X-ray will
tell you which stack a tile is in, but NOT how deeply it;s
buried! If it's on top, you'll see it. But if it's buried,
you'll just have to dig!
To turn off the X-ray machine, just click any mouse button. You
can then select another tile with the previous / next buttons or
return the game by clicking on Exit.
If you high-light a tile before clicking on Help, you'll be
shown only moves which use the selected tile value. For
example: If you select the One of Dots and then click on Help,
all One of Dots moves will be shown. If no moves are possible
using the selected tile, you will be so informed.
The help system is automatically exited when you select Do It!
to keep you from playing the entire game from within the Help
menu. After all, we've got to give the Dragon a fighting
chance!!
Some people have told me that they like to play MJVGA on their
own without help, but would like a quick way to find out if
there are any moves left. You can do precisely that by holding
down the right mouse button while you click on help. All you'll
see is a message on the left side of the screen which tells you
how many moves (if any) are left. The message will disappear
after three seconds. You'll be on your own to find the moves!
- Page 10 -
ATTENTION THREE-BUTTON MOUSE USERS:
This feature is for you! When you're in the HELP sub-function,
you can step through the moves by using the center and right
mouse buttons. Pressing the center button is just like clicking
on PREVIOUS. The right button is a short-cut for clicking on
NEXT. You can select EXIT by pressing the center & right
buttons at the same time. (These Previous / Next / Exit mouse
button shortcuts will also work from within the X-ray menu.)
There is no short-cut for Do It or Shoot! That'd make the HELP
function too convenient!
There is also a short-cut to entering the Help menu available to
you. Just click the center button! If you click the center
button while holding down the right, you'll be put into the
abbreviated help mode described above.
TURNING OFF THE MENU
====================
The entire features menu can be removed from the gameboard by
clicking on the upper "MAH JONGG -V-G-A-" title. When the menu
is removed, all menu operations are disabled except for "HELP",
which can still be accessed via the center mouse button. To
return the menu and restore its operations, just click in the
title area again.
What's the reason for this feature? None, except for aesthetics.
Someone suggested that the board might look nicer if the menu
could be removed. I tried it and found out that he was right.
The board looks MUCH nicer when you don't have to stare at that
ugly menu!
- Page 11 -
THE SPECIAL SUB-MENU
I'll now describe the functions available in the SPECIAL sub-menu
in the order of their appearance:
BACKGND
=======
This feature will let you TEMPORARILY change the background
color of the board. When you select BACKGrouND, another small
window will open. You'll see three bar-graphs labeled Red,
Blue, and Green. You can raise or lower the content of any
color by clicking on its UP or DOWN button. The color will
increase or derease one "notch" for each click. Holding down
the center button while clicking will increase or decrease the
color value by 10 "notches" with each click. When you've got
the color set to what you want, just click the right mouse
button to return to the game.
Note that this color change is temporary. When you quit the
game, the color will be lost. The next time you run MJVGA, the
default color will be used. If you wish to change the
background color permanently, you must use The Draftsman.
INFO...
=======
Selecting INFO... simply displays the game title, a copyright
notice, a shareware notice, and the author's name & address.
This isn't necessary, but it's nice to have just in case the
program gets separated from its .DOC file. To return to the
game, click the RIGHT mouse button.
DOS SHELL
=========
This feature will let you drop to DOS without losing your
current game (and without having to save it). I added this
feature because I always seem to get important business phone
calls requiring access to a file on my PC during a game of Mah
Jongg!
To return to the game, just type EXIT at the DOS prompt.
NOTE: As with any shell-to-DOS, you MUST NOT run any TSR-type
programs from within this shell! Doing so could crash the
system!! If you choose to run a TSR from here, don't say I
didn't warn you!!!
- Page 12 -
SOUND
=====
This button simply toggles the sound on and off. With the sound
turned off, you won't hear all the various beeps, clicks,
buzzes, and bloops.
TIMER
=====
The Timer button toggles the timer display off and on. The
timer will continue to keep time, even if the display is turned
off.
Selecting any item on the Special sub-menu will automatically close
the sub-menu. If you'd like to exit the sub-menu without making a
selection, just press the right mouse button.
KEYBOARD COMMANDS
There are several features which are accessable only by pressing a
key on the keyboard. The menus were getting just too darn crowded, so
the new features seem to be "overflowing" onto the keyboard!
LOAD TILE SET
=============
You can load in an alternate tile set at any time by tapping the
"L" key. A list of available tile sets will be shown. To
select a set, use the mouse to move the highlight bar to the
desired set, then click the left mouse button.
The tile sets which you choose from must be located in the MJVGA
subdirectory. There is also a 24-set limit with this version.
You can choose from only the first 24 tile set files that MJVGA
finds. I hope to have this limitation removed in a future
version -- I was just too lazy to re-program it for this
release.
CURSOR BOX TOGGLE
=================
MJVGA supports an alternate "box" cursor in addition to the
standard mouse pointer. When the box cursor is turned on, a
thin box will be drawn around a tile when it's being "pointed
to" by the mouse cursor. Some people seem to like this feature,
while others don't. It does make tile selection a bit more
accurate, but can be quite distracting. If you like the box,
use it -- if not, don't. It can be turned on & off by tapping
the "B" key. Note that when the box cursor is active, the mouse
arrow will NOT disappear -- they'll both be visible.
- Page 13 -
HALL OF FAME
============
MJVGA maintains a "Hall of Fame" for winners. Whenever you win
a game, if your time is one of the top ten, you'll be asked to
enter your name into the hallof fame. The hall of fame honor
roll can be called up at any time by pressing the "H" key.
Click any mouse button to return to the game.
The "Hall of Fame" file can also be edited with the included
editing utility. For details, please see the utilities manual.
BOOK-MARKS
==========
MJVGA will store up to five "book-marks" which will allow you to
easily back up to a given point in the game. To save a position
in one of the book-marks, just type <SHIFT-1> thru <SHIFT-5> for
book-marks 1 thru 5. To back up to a bookmark, just type it''s
number. MJVGA will then back up move-by-move (just as if you
repeatedly clicked on back-up) until it gets to the marked spot.
Please note that these book-marks are NOT currently saved with
the game when you select SAVE GAME.
DOS SHELL
=========
You can now easily get to the DOS shell by hitting <CTRL> - D at
any time. Someone suggested adding a "boss key" feature, and I
decided that getting you to an innocent-looking DOS prompt
quickly would probably be enough to save your job. So, here it
is! As with the menu-selected DOS shell, you just type EXIT to
return to the game.
COMMAND LINE OPTIONS
Mah Jongg -V-G-A- v2.2 will accept five different command line
options -- S, T, M, F, and D. The purpose of each is as follows:
B - Begin the game with the "box cursor" turned on
S - Begin the game with sound off
T - Begin the game with the timer display off
M - Begin the game with messages off
D - Enables the dual-monitor feature. MJVGA21 will NOT use a
secondary monochrome monitor unless ordered to via the D
parameter. Earlier releases used a second monitor by default.
However, that caused compatibility problems on some systems
without monochrome cards.
- Page 14 -
F - Read PAL.CFG and all .ICN files from another disk or
subdirectory. Some examples:
f=a: <== This reads all files from drive A:
f=E:\MJVGA\TILES2\ <== Reads tiles from E:\mjvga\tiles2
Note that all subdirectory references MUST be terminated with a
backslash (as above).
Any of these options (except for re-enabling the monochrome
monitor) can be changed once the game is started. These options simply
control the position of these switches when the game starts. They let
you set up the game to your liking without having to click on buttons
once the game starts.
The parameters must be single letters (except for the F parameter)
separated by a space. They can be entered in any order.
IN CASE OF DIFFICULTY
So far, I've come across only one problem that you may encounter.
The main symptom is the lack of a mouse pointer, although you will be
able to highlight tiles with the left button.
The problem is caused by an out-of-date mouse driver. MJVGA uses
the 640x480 VGA graphics mode, and mouse drivers which were written
before VGA became a standard simply don't know how to deal with the
high-resolution graphics screen.
I've heard about this problem with the Kraft Micro-Mouse, the Mouse
Systems mouse, and the Logitech mouse.
The solution is to simply get a newer mouse driver from the
manufacturer of your mouse. I know for a fact that Logitech (which is
what I use) and Mouse Systems have updated drivers available which will
correct this problem.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
If you have any problem with MJVGA, please let me know. I'll be
glad to do what I can to help you get it running. Of course, I can't
guarantee that MJVGA will run on all systems! No software company can
do that! But so far, I haven't heard of any major compatibility
problems (except for the out-of-date mouse driver problem addressed
above). So, chances are it'll run OK on your PC.
- Page 15 -
My only request is that you enclose a SASE if you would like a
reply. My policy has been (and always will be) that I will NOT reply
to letters from non-registered users unless they include a SASE. I
really don't think it's fair to expect registered users to (literally)
pay the expenses of technical support for non-registered users.
However, I will definitely reply as long as you cover the costs by
sending a SASE.
BULLETIN BOARD
Jami, the Sys-Op from The Party Line BBS which has been serving as
my techincal support board, has moved to Texas. So, there is no longer
a MJVGA support board. I haven't yet decided whether I should put up
my own BBS or just do without a tech support board.
Jami will have a BBS operating in Texas, and I plan to send her all
MJVGA updates and tilesets. So, you should still be able to get the
latest version there. For her Texas BBS number, please look for a file
called BBS.NUM on one of the disks. I don't have it yet, so can't
include it in this document.
WHAT'S NEXT
I'm still looking for more tile sets. My offer to send a disk full
of tile sets (when available) to anyone who contributes an original set
to the collection is still valid. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten
enough sets to fill a disk yet! So, keep drawing!
I really don't know what new features (if any) will be added to
MJVGA from here. It does just about everything I can think of. If you
have any suggestions, send them in -- I need them!
I'm also looking for a new project. If you know of any games
similar to Mah Jongg or Solitaire that need to be computerized, please
let me know.
- Page 16 -
SHAREWARE
Please remember that this game is NOT public domain. It is
shareware! If you play and enjoy this game regularly, you are urged to
send the registration fee of $15.00 (or any amount that you see fit).
Remember, shareware will only be around as long as YOU support the
concept!
When registering, please include the version and serial number from
the copy of MJVGA that you have. All registered users will receive the
next update free-of-charge. However, if I don't know what you've got, I
may send you a duplicate copy!
Whether or not you choose to register, I'd like to hear your
comments and suggestions on Mah Jongg -V-G-A-. If you'd like a reply,
please include a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
All comments and contributions can be sent to:
Ron Balewski
412 E. Ridge St.
Nanticoke, PA 18634-2915
DISCLAIMER
In no event shall the Author be liable to you for any damages,
including any lost profits, lost savings, or other incidental or
consequential damages arising out of the use of or inability to use this
program, even if the Author has been advised of the possibility of such
damages, or for any claim by any other party.
PERMISSION TO COPY
Individuals, clubs, and other organizations are granted permission
by the author to freely copy and distribute this program and
documentation as long as:
1: There is no charge for the software or documentation. However, you
may charge a service fee for disk duplication and distribution, as long
as such fee is not more than $5.00.
2. Club members are informed of the user-supported (shareware) concept
and are encouraged to support it with their donations.
3. The program or its documentation are not modified in any way.
4. All files are distributed together on the same diskette (if
possible). No file may be deleted.
- Page 17 -
Appendix A
The .TIL and .TIS files
If you'd like to give some newly-created tile to a friend, you've got
to know which file to give him! That's the purpose of this Appendix!
The .TIL files are related to the images as follows:
V00.TIL == Bamboo 1
thru thru
V08.TIL == Bamboo 9
V09.TIL == Dots 1
thru thru
V17.TIL == Dots 9
V18.TIL == Crak 1
thru thru
V26.TIL == Crak 9
V27.TIL == North
V28.TIL == East
V29.TIL == South
V30.TIL == West
V31.TIL == Dragon C
V32.TIL == Dragon P
V33.TIL == Dragon F
V34.TIL == Spring
V35.TIL == Summer
V36.TIL == Autumn
V37.TIL == Winter
V38.TIL == Orchid
V39.TIL == Plum
V40.TIL == Mum
V41.TIL == Bamboo
V42.TIL == Reserved -- Internal use
V43.TIL == Reserved -- Internal use
PAL.CFG == Color configuration file (changeable with The Paint
Shop section of The Draftsman)
If you customize a complete set of tiles and save them to a separate
diskette, BE SURE to include an EXACT COPY of V42.ICN and V43,ICN.
Without these files on the same disk & subdirectory as PAL.CFG and the
other .ICN files, MJVGA will refuse to load!!! Also note that these
files are not (at present) user-changeable!!!
The .TIS (tileset) file is new to MJVGA21 and later. It consists of all
the above tiles saved as one large file. A collection of .TIL files can
be assembled into one .TIS file with the PAKTIL utility. The UPPAKTIL
utility will do the opposite -- break a .TIS file apart into 44 .TIL
files and one PAL.CFG file.
Note that The Draftsman REQUIRES .TIL and PAL.CFG files to operate. It
WILL NOT work on a .TIS file. Before using The Draftsman, you MUST use
UNPAKTIL to disassemble the thile set that you want to change.
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