CD-ROM Windows Selection/Windows Selection 1.iso/Games/Strategy/Green Thumb Cards/README.TXT

Text File | 1997-03-11 | 12.0 KB | 258 lines

=================================================================
Green Thumb Cards, Version 1.1 Shareware
Copyright 1996 Playful Minds
================================================================

Thanks for downloading Green Thumb Cards!  We hope you'll enjoy
playing it as much as we enjoyed creating it!  This is a
Shareware version of Green Thumb Cards (GTC) that allows you to
play fifteen hands before expiring.  If you'd like to continue
playing GTC after the game has expired, you may order a Registration
key at 1-800-207-7603.  You can also order a version on 3.5" disks or
CD-ROM.  Complete ordering information is available in the online
Help by pressing [F1] while GTC is running.

Once you register, you will be able to continue play your friends in
Green Thumb Cards using the Internet.  Up to four people can play a
game simultaneously, and while you're playing you may communicate
irc-style with the other players.

=================================================================
Contacting Playful Minds
=================================================================

To Order call:  800-207-7603

Tech Support:   209-383-9003
                [e-mail]

World Wide Web: www.playfulminds.com

Snail Mail:     Playful Minds
                PO Box 3972
                Merced, CA  95344

For the latest information and updates for Green Thumb Cards, be
sure to visit our website!

=================================================================
Version 1.1 Notes
=================================================================

There are two known sporadic problems:

1:  Sometimes the 16-bit version won't install from diskette.
Copy both disks to a temporary directory on your hard drive and
install from there.  If you have purchased a CD, this is not a
problem.

2: Sometimes on 256 color machines, the palette becomes out of sync
due to the fact that Green Thumb has to share a small palette with
other programs.  To avoid this, close all other applications and rerun
GTC. This problem does not occur on machines that are running in a
screen mode that supports more than 256 colors.

=================================================================
Entering your Registration Key:
=================================================================

Once you obtain a Registration key, you can use it to Register
your copy of Green Thumb Cards.  Each time you run the
Unregistered version of GTC you are prompted with a dialog box
asking you for registration information.  You must enter your
name and key exactly as received from Playful Minds.  The key is
Case Sensitive, so make sure you type it exactly, or you will not be
able to enter the game.  Once you have entered the key, this dialog
will no longer appear and you can play as many games as you'd like and
take advantage of Internet play, allowing you to challenge your
friends over the Internet!

=================================================================
How to Play:
=================================================================

For more detailed information, please see the included Help file,
which can be accessed any time within the game by pressing [F1]!

OBJECT:  Your object in Green Thumb Cards is to grow more plant
sets than your computerized neighbors.  Sets vary in size from
two to four with the larger sets having a higher point value.
Play consists of neighbors taking clock-wise turns drawing and
playing cards.  Each garden has a signpost that displays the
player's name and score.  The game ends when all of the cards
have been played.

The gardener with the most points at the end of the game wins!

START:  Click on the Deal button to begin a new game.  You, like
all the neighbors, will be dealt a five card hand.

DRAW:  Before you can play a card, you must draw your hand up to
six cards.  Click on the deck in the upper right-hand corner or
grab a plant out of the Wilds in the brick area.  Note that often
there are no plants in the Wilds, so you will have to draw from the
deck.  Near the end of the game, if there are no cards remaining in
the deck and no cards in the WILDS, all neighbors stop drawing and
just play from their hand.  A neighbor can only draw and play one card
per turn unless he has a SPECIAL card which allows him to draw and
play two additional cards.

PLAY:  You must now play a card, a PLANT, ATTACK, SPECIAL,
ENVIRONMENT, or BUG EATER.  Just click on the card you want to
play.  DISASTERS are played automatically for you.  DEFENSE cards are
played when another neighbor is attacking you on his turn. You must
discard a DEFENSE if you have no other moves available. To do this,
simply click on the DEFENSE card and it will be removed from your
hand, ending your turn.

DISASTER:  Disasters cause an unprotected neighbor or all
unprotected neighbors to lose one or two randomly chosen plants
to the WILDS.  Plants in the wilds can be redrawn next turn if
they are not taken by another neighbor.  The DISASTER card is
played immediately by the computer and is automatically thrown in the
trash after it does its damage.

PLANT:  Grab a PLANT card with the mouse.  Then plant it in your
garden by dropping it with a click in your garden area.  Your
garden contains a signpost with your name on it.  You can
with the mouse.  If you complete a set of plants they are no
longer subject to attack.  If you hold your mouse over each
plant, a little box will pop up to tell you how many plants are
in a set for that particular flower and what their point value
is.  Sets of two are worth one point; sets of three are worth two
points; and sets of four are worth three points.  Your total score is
shown on your sign post.

A special plant is the Bug Eater, which also provides a defense
against bugs.

ATTACK:  If a neighbor has a plant that you want or need, click
on a red attack card in your hand and drag it on top of the plant you
wish to attack.  If the neighbor doesn't have a defense, you will be
able to transfer that plant to your garden.  Note some Environment
cards as well as the Bug Eater will protect a neighbor's garden from
certain types of attacks.  Hold your mouse over the Environment or Bug
Eater to see what it defends against.

DEFENSE:  You may only play a DEFENSE card when a neighbor is
attacking you or when you have nothing else to play and must
discard.  Grab the DEFENSE card and move it on top of the
attacking creature.  The computer won't let you attack with
DEFENSE cards that won't work.  If you don't want to defend, just
click anywhere on the screen to let the attack be successful. When you
hold your mouse over the DEFENSE card, you will see a list of the
types of attacks which it defends against.  If the DEFENSE card does
not list the type of attack, it may not be used as a defense.

SPECIAL:   To play a special, simply click on the card.  SPECIAL
cards allow you to draw and play twice more before ending your
turn.

ENVIRONMENT:   Play this card into your garden just as you would
a PLANT by clicking on and dragging it.   This card remains in
the garden for the remainder of the game and protects the entire
garden against certain ATTACK and DISASTER cards.

BUG EATER:  Play this card into your garden just as you would a
PLANT or ENVIRONMENT by clicking on and dragging it.  The card
acts as a PLANT card as it is part of a set of two and it may be
attacked by non-insect ATTACK cards.  When a neighbor has both
cards, the BUG EATER like other plant sets may no longer be
attacked.  Even when a neighbor has just one BUG EATER in his
garden, the BUG EATER protects that neighbor's entire garden from all
insect ATTACK cards.

VICTORY:  Once all the cards have been played,  the neighbor with the
most points wins.  Sets of two are worth one point, sets of three are
worth two points, and sets of four are worth three points.

=================================================================
Internet Play
=================================================================

To setup a multi-player game via the Internet, each person who
wishes to play needs to have access to the Internet through an
Internet Service Provider.  To setup a Green Thumb Cards network game,
one player must setup his or her machine as a Server to which the
other players connect.

Dealer Setup
------------

To begin, log on to the Internet, run GTC, and let your friends
know that you are going to be the dealer.  From the main screen
click on the deal button, then click on the <<Advanced>> button.
Toggle the network buttons for each Internet opponent you have.
Then press the <<Start Server>> button to make your computer
ready to receive the Internet connections.  GTC will
automatically start once all the other players have logged on.

In order for other players to connect to your machine, they will
need to know your IP Address (four numbers separated by periods). You
can get your IP address by clicking on the <<Get IP Address>> button
at the bottom of the Advanced Deal window.  When you click on this
button (and you are online), your IP Address will be displayed at the
bottom of the window.  The <<Get IP Address>> button will then
disappear, and your IP address will be visible at the bottom of this
window until you shut down Green Thumb Cards.  Once you have your IP
Address, you will need to distribute it to the people you wish to play
with.  You can do this via email, IRC (Internet Relay Chat), or by
calling them on the phone.

It is important to remember that your IP address may be
dynamically assigned to you by your Internet Service Provider
each time you login.  This means that your address may be
different every time you connect, so please keep this in mind if
you are playing GTC as a Dealer as you must provide your friends
with this address for them to connect to your computer.

At times your Internet Provider may not allow you to be the GTC
server.  Change roles and have your friend be the server if he or she
does not get through after a few tries.  (Don't forget to start the
server BEFORE they try to connect.)

The easiest way to communicate your IP address is to cut and
paste it into an e-mail or an IRC.

Player Setup
------------

To begin, log on to the Internet, run GTC, and get the dealer's
IP address.  Usually players will get this number via e-mail or
IRC (Internet Relay Chat).  If the dealer does not know his IP
address see Dealer Setup to find out where it is displayed in
GTC. Click on <<Connect to Server>>, then enter the dealer's
address.  If the dealer has a permanent address, you will
probably want to save the address for easy access by clicking on
the <<Add>> button after you've typed it in.  Once the dealer's
address is entered, click on connect and wait for the game to
begin.  The game will not start until all players have connected
to the dealer's machine, so it may take a few seconds before you
receive a response.

Chat Window
-----------

While you are playing a game of Green Thumb Cards with your
friends, you will often wish to communicate with them.  You can
do this by opening the Chat Window, which allows you to send
messages to everyone else playing the game (computer players
excepted, of course).  To bring up the Chat Window, you can click on
one of the player's signposts (not your own!), or just start typing.

When you do this, a window will appear with a box at the bottom
that allows you to type text.  When you press [enter] your text
will be transmitted to the other players, prefixed with your name so
everyone knows who sent the message.  Once you open the window you may
leave it open for the duration of the game, although when running in
640x480 you may find that it gets in the way!  At higher resolutions,
though, you have enough screen real-estate where this isn't a problem.

The Chat Window can be resized by dragging the lower-right corner of
the window with the mouse.  You can close the Chat Window by clicking
on the close button in the upper right hand corner of the window.
Playful Minds
www.playfulminds.com
PO Box 3972
Merced, CA 95344
tel & fax [phone]