Tactorus User Manual (v4.1.3)

User Manual
Revision 4.1.3
The evaluation version 4.1.1 does not support the saving, opening, exporting or importing of games.

(Buy at Palm.com, PalmGear.com or Handango.com)
Table of Content:

Changes Relative to Tactorus 3.7.1, 3.5.X, 3.1, 2.X and 1.0
Tactorus Rules
New game
Saving a Tactorus game
Renaming a saved Tactorus game
Opening a saved Tactorus game
Deleting a saved Tactorus game
Customizing a Tactorus game
Export a Tactorus game
Import a Tactorus game
Export scheduled Tactorus moves
Import scheduled Tactorus moves
The Main Tactorus Screen
Glossary
Frequently Asked Questions
Change Requests
Trouble Shooting Tips
License Terms and Conditions
LIMITED WARRANTY

Palm OS and HotSync are registered trademarks of Palm, Inc. Palm, is a trademark of Palm, Inc.

User Manual for the Tactorus Application version 4.1.3.

Copyright © 2002, Thomas Gamet.
All rights reserved.

Last update:
June 15, 2002.

Contact Information: tactorus@cfl.rr.com

Best viewed in 1024 by 768 pixels.

Tactorus Rules

Tactorus version 3.1 and up supports three alterations to the basic rules. Any one or more of these alterations may be made to the basic rules. All of these alterations are also briefly explained under Help->Rules of the Tactorus Application.

The Tactorus game pieces and the Tactorus board with all rules alterations combined are depicted below:
Tactorus Pieces

Tactorus is played on a 10 by 10 square grid herein referred to as the Tactorus board.
Every Tactorus game piece may be moved one or two squares up, down, left, right or diagonally.
Unless altered, every Tactorus game piece may be scheduled to move in the current round.
Unless altered, every Tactorus game piece may be scheduled to move to any square not occupied in the current round by one of your own game pices and not already scheduled to be occupied in the next round by one of your game pieces.

The three rules alterations supported are:

Chain moves: Each player may schedule moves into next round squares so long as those squares are not already scheduled to be occupied in the next round. With this alteration, three or more Tactorus game pieces may be scheduled to move in a line. When this rules alteration is enabled a chain-like graphic will be depicted below the Tactorus board.
Supply Lines: Each players' home row acts as Supply Lines. Each player starts with 10 available moves per round and can have that number diminished by two moves per Supply Line square occupied by an opposing Tactorus game piece during the current round. Each player is guaranteed a minimum of one move per round (i.e. occupying more than five opposing Supply Lines does not in and of itself help your side). Your home row is marked with an extra heavy line. When this rules alteration is enabled the home row is depicted as dashed squares.
High Ground: The center 16 squares serve as High Ground. Each player starts with 10 available moves per round and receives one bonus move per occupied High Ground square during the current round. When this rules alteration is enabled the center 16 squares are marked with an additional inner boarder of dots.
Chain moves may be combined with both High Ground and/or Supply Lines.
Supply Lines and High Ground may be combined resulting in a potential of 1 to 26 moves during a round (26 if you control all 16 High Ground squares and have no Supply Lines occupied).
If you have fewer pieces than theoretical moves, the number of moves that may be made is limited to the number of Tactorus game pieces at your disposal.

After both Tactorus players have scheduled their moves a Movement Check screen will be displayed. Upon tapping the "OK" button of the Movement Check screen Tactorus will apply both players moves using a two stage process captured by the following rules. The two stages consist of a capture stage followed by an elimination stage.

During the capture stage the following rules apply:

Like pieces are mutually removed.
Infantry removes all others.
Cavalry removes artillery only.
Artillery removes none.
The flags remove cavalry and artillery.

During the elimination stage a copy of each game piece is placed on the main board provided that the game piece being copied from the alternate board does not match one of the following two conditions:

It may not be infantry adjacent to opposing cavalry or artillery, and
It may not be infantry or cavalry adjacent to opposing artillery.

In either event, any game piece listed as such is not copied to the main board and will not be part of the next Tactorus game round. No piece is removed from the alternate board until all pieces are copied to the main board. These rules result in a predictable outcome regardless of the order of the Tactorus game piece moves. In other words, the order in which Tactorus game piece moves are scheduled will not change the outcome. All Tactorus game pieces are effectively moved in parallel.

The goal of a Tactorus game is to capture the opposing flag. Only infantry can capture the opposing flag. Even though infantry is the weakest Tactorus game piece it is critical to the final victory and must therefor be protected.

A Tactorus game is declared a tie game if:

Both flags are captured in the same round,
Both sides have lost all infantry pieces,
Both sides have an equal amount of infantry on round 50, or
One flag captures the other flag.

© 2002 Thomas Gamet	New game The Tactorus "New" game screen is depicted on the left. Each Tactorus player may include or exclude either of their two flanks. The flanks consist of one artillery piece, two cavalry pieces and three infantry pieces. By default, both players will be given both flanks in addition to the center Tactorus game pieces. Use the removal of flanks to even out the odds when players of differing experience levels are playing against one another. You may also create customized Tactorus games and use the "Game->Save As..." and "Game->Open..." options from the menu to replay then over and over again. Tapping "OK" on the depicted "New" game screen will result in a Tactorus game where both players have both flanks, the computer plays for player two and the rules alteration for chain moves is included. Hint: Once a new game has started, and before the first move is made, you may customize the Tactorus game and save it for reuse. The saved Tactorus game will also record if player 2 is being played by a human on the same Handheld, via an external mechanism (e.g. e-mail) or by the Tactorus Application. Notice: The Tactorus Application may only be told to play for player 2 from the Tactorus "New" game screen. Notice: The Tactorus Application will only play for player 2. Notice: The rules may only be altered from the Tactorus "New" game screen. Notice: Any Tactorus game may be exported to a Memo Pad memo, but only a game created for play via e-mail will allow the export of the movement data.
© 2002 Thomas Gamet	Saving a Tactorus game The Tactorus "Save As" screen is depicted on the left. You may save up to one hundred Tactorus games via selecting "Game->Save As..." from the menu. Each saved Tactorus game may be given a name of up to eight letters/characters in length. The saved Tactorus games are displayed in a table showing their names on the left and the number of rounds played up to the point at which it was saved on the right. If the current Tactorus game has been previously saved, then its last saved name will be displayed. If the current Tactorus game has not been previously saved, then the name will show as "noname". You may change "noname" to a name of your choosing by tapping on the name field, located to the right of the "Name:" label, and editing it. To save the current Tactorus game over an a previously saved Tactorus game: 1. Select a previously saved Tactorus game. 2. Tap on the "OK" button. To save the current Tactorus game without over-writing a previously saved Tactorus game: 1. Click on the name field to the right of the label "Name:" and edit the name to your liking. 2. Tap on the "OK" button. Notice: Saving the same game twice without first selecting the previously saved game will result in two copies of that Tactorus game being saved. Hint: Once a Tactorus game has been saved you can save additional rounds for that game by just selecting "Game->Save As..." from the menu and tapping on the "OK" button. Previously saved Tactorus games will not be over-written unless first selected. Notice: Selecting a saved Tactorus game to over-write will result in that saved game's name being displayed in the editable name field to the right of the "Name:" label. That name may not be altered from the "Save As" screen. Attempting to rename a currently saved Tactorus game from this screen will result in that saved Tactorus game being deselected for an over-write.
© 2002 Thomas Gamet	Renaming a saved Tactorus game The Tactorus "Rename" screen depicted on the left assumes that "OK" was selected on the previous Tactorus "Save" screen. To rename a previously saved Tactorus game: 1. Enter a new name of up to eight letters/characters in the text field to the right of the "Name:" label (see the bottom half of the screen). 2. Select the previously saved Tactorus game. 3. Tap on either the "Apply" or "OK" button. Caution: A change that has been applied with the "Apply" button cannot be canceled. Hint: The name field holding the new name of the "Rename" screen does not change with selection changes in the saved Tactorus games. Consequently, once you have entered a new name you may apply it to as many saved Tactorus games as you wish. Notice: The list of saved Tactorus games only supports selecting one saved Tactorus game at a time.
© 2002 Thomas Gamet	Opening a saved Tactorus game The Tactorus "Open" screen is depicted on the left. To replace the current Tactorus game simply: 1. Select a saved Tactorus game. 2. Tap on the "OK" button. Caution: If you wish to resume the current Tactorus game at a later time, then tap the "Cancel" button and save it first.
© 2002 Thomas Gamet	Deleting a saved Tactorus game The Tactorus "Delete" screen is depicted on the left. To delete a saved Tactorus game: 1. Select a saved Tactorus game. 2. Tap on either the "Apply" or "OK" button. Caution: A change that has been applied with the "Apply" button cannot be canceled. Caution: If you have used the "Apply" button to delete all the saved Tactorus games intended for deletion then use the "Cancel" button to return to the main Tactorus screen. There is no way to undo an accidental deletion of a saved Tactorus game. Notice: The list of saved Tactorus games only supports selecting one saved Tactorus game at a time.
© 2002 Thomas Gamet	Customizing a Tactorus game The Tactorus "Customize" screen is depicted on the left. If you exit this screen with the "OK" button all moves made by either Tactorus game player will be cleared, Tactorus player 1 will get to enter/re-enter his/her moves, and the customized game board will be set as the current Tactorus game. If you exit with the "Cancel" button, the changes made (if any) will be dropped and the Tactorus game resumed where you left off. You may drag and drop the pieces from the left hand bar to the right hand Tactorus board. To remove a piece from the Tactorus board drag and drop the empty square on the left hand bar to the target square on the right hand Tactorus board. To emulate the movement of a Tactorus piece drag the empty square to the current location, then drag a Tactorus game piece to the new location. There will be no elimination stage computed until after the first set of moves have been entered and the "Next" button pressed, hence, anything goes during customization except changes to the Tactorus game piece flags.

Exporting a Tactorus game:

Tactorus supports the exporting of games to Memo Pad memos. To use this feature first "open" the desired Tactorus game and then select "Game->Export..." from the menu. You may change the name of the game within the bounds of the eight character limit imposed on Tactorus game names. Tapping on the "OK" button will result in the creation of a new Memo Pad memo. Tapping on the "Cancel" button will result in no new Memo Pad memo being created. In either event, you will be returned to the main Tactorus game screen.

Caution: Spaces and tab characters will result in the use of dash (-) characters in the name of a Tactorus game name as applied to a Memo Pad memo.

Notice: Tactorus contains no code that can delete or modify a Memo Pad memo. Use Memo Pad to delete, change, beam, HotSync®, move or categorize a Tactorus generated Memo Pad memo.

Notice: Tactorus game containing Memo Pad memos must begin with the line saying "++Tactorus" and should thereafter be exactly as generated for export.

Hint: Never schedule moves before exporting a game for play via e-mail or other electronic means. Tactorus games may be exchanged, but since they are not encrypted your opponent may peek at your moves through the Movement Check screen.

Hint: A game created for play "Via E-mail" supports the exporting of just the movement data in a format that may be exchanged with reasonable assurance that your opponent will not take a sneak peek at your moves before you receive his/her moves.

Importing a Tactorus game:

Tactorus supports the importing of games from Memo Pad memos. To use this feature first ensure your current Tactorus game is saved then select "Game->Import..." from the menu. Tactorus will then search all of the Memo Pad memos and list all of those that begin with ++Tactorus along with a valid name and round number. Selecting one of these Memo Pad memos followed by tapping on the "OK" button will result in the replacement of current Tactorus game with the game previously written into the Memo Pad memo. Tapping on the "Cancel" button will result in no change to the current Tactorus game. In either event, you will be returned to the main Tactorus game screen.

Notice: Tactorus contains no code that can delete or modify a Memo Pad memo.

Hint: Always be sure to save the current Tactorus game before importing a Tactorus game from a Memo Pad memo. The current Tactorus game will be replaced by the imported Tactorus game.

Hint: A game created for play "Via E-mail" will automatically import as the opposite player relative to the player setting when the game was exported.

Exporting scheduled Tactorus moves:

Tactorus supports the exporting of scheduled movies for all games created as player two "Via E-mail". The movement data is exported into a Memo Pad memo for exchange via HotSync® and subsequent electronic exchange (e.g. e-mail, bulletin boards, etc,). To use this feature schedule your moves and then select "Moves->Export..." from the menu. You may change the name it is saved under, but to be polite you should probably reach agreement with your opponent before changing the name. Tapping on the "OK" button will save the movement data to a new Memo Pad memo. Tapping on the "Cancel" button will result in no new Memo Pad memo being created. In either event, you will be returned to the main Tactorus screen.

Caution: Spaces and tab characters will result in the use of dash (-) characters in the name of a Tactorus game name as applied to a Memo Pad memo.

Notice: Tactorus contains no code that can delete or modify a Memo Pad memo. Use Memo Pad to delete, change, beam, HotSync®, move or categorize a Tactorus generated Memo Pad memo.

Notice: Tactorus movement containing Memo Pad memos must begin with the line saying "++TacMoves" and should thereafter be exactly as generated for export with the exception of the keys (they should be removed and sent separately after receiving your opponent's moves).

Notice: Tactorus movement containing Memo Pad memos are written out for all moves possible (maximum 99 in Tactorus). Even if you only move one piece, or none at all, it will export the entire range of 99 moves. This is done to prevent your opponent from seeing how many pieces you moved and thereby better judging your likely course of action. (A future version of Tactorus will likely bound the output to just the maximum number of moves the user might have entered in the current round).

Notice: The keys are generated via a random number generator that is seeded with data taken from your Tactorus database and the current Tactorus moves that you have scheduled. The key generator produces three 15 bit numbers that produce a combined key length of 45 bits. My best guess is that if someone reverse engineers the code and builds a key cracker it will take them about 2 days to break a key on a Pentium 4 at 1.7GHz. The 45 bit symmetric encryption is designed to discourage cheating, but not necessarily to prevent it via strong means (a 45 bit key is considered "weak" in the field of cryptography).

Hint: Be sure to remove the keys to prevent your opponent from looking at your moves before receiving his/her moves. Once each of you has received the keyless movement data, you may exchange keys, add the keys to your respective Memo Pad memos and import the opposing movement data. You are now ready to tap on the "Next" button and proceed to the next round.

Hint: You can fully reconstruct a Tactorus game with the initial board and all movement data as saved in Memo Pad memos.

Hint: Once you have exported and sent your moves be sure to save that Tactorus game so that it is easily continued. It is easier to open a Tactorus game than to reconstruct one from Memo Pad memos.

Hint: Remove just the three keys, not the keyword "Keys:" from the Memo Pad memo. This will make it easier for your opponent to add the keys back in later.

Hint: You may also change the keys to some random triple of numbers in the range of 0 to 32767. This however is not as effective as just removing the keys from the "Keys:" line. Your opponent will still need the correct keys before being able to proceed to the next round.

Importing scheduled Tactorus moves:

Tactorus supports the importing of moves from Memo Pad memos. To use this feature first ensure your current Tactorus game is the one you wish to import moves into and then select "Moves->Import..." from the menu. Tactorus will then search all of the Memo Pad memos and list all of those that begin with ++TacMoves along with a valid name, round number and player number. Selecting one of these Memo Pad memos followed by tapping on the "OK" button will result in the replacement of current Tactorus scheduled moves for the player selected with the moves previously written into the Memo Pad memo. Tapping on the "Cancel" button will result in no change to the current Tactorus game. In either event, you will be returned to the main Tactorus game screen.

Notice: Tactorus contains no code that can delete or modify a Memo Pad memo.

Notice: Tactorus will attempt to validate that the movement data is unaltered from the original. This validation occurs after tapping on the "OK" button and should only be performed after receiving the keys and copying them into the Memo Pad memo.

Notice: Tactorus will also check to make sure that every scheduled move starts at a valid square (i.e. that your opponent has a game piece at the start of every scheduled move). It is possible to accidentally or intentionally load moves into the wrong game. Such an error is considered to be an operator error, not an application error.

Notice: For the sake of naming flexibility the Tactorus Application does not validate the name of a movement Memo Pad memo against the name of the Tactorus game it is being loaded into.

Hint: You can import your own moves, your opponent's moves, or the moves of two others that are playing a game of Tactorus through a commonly accessible media (e.g. a bulletin board).

Hint: After your opponent's moves have been imported tap on the "Next" button to continue on to the next round.

Caution: All lines in a Tactorus saved Memo Pad memo are position sensitive. In other words, swapping the lines for "Keys:" and "Name:" will result in a warning message and in the omission of the Memo Pad memo from the list of importable memos.

The Main Tactorus Screen:

The two main buttons:

Next:  Tap this button after you have entered all movement 
instructions for your part of the current round.  Please see the 
narrative walkthrough of one round for an example of its use.

Done:  Exit the Tactorus Application and ensure play resumes 
as it was left.

The level of play:

Level:  This control is only available when playing against the 
Tactorus Application.  Tap on the level number to receive a list
of five levels form which to choose.  The higher the number the
more difficult the game against the Tactorus Application will be.

Exiting with a Graffiti action:

Exiting with a Graffiti action means exiting via switching 
to anther application, or by going to the application launcher.  
Such a shutdown will be executed as if the user selected the 
following buttons in order based upon their availability:  
Cancel, OK, Back and Done.

If the last game was about to end and was exited on the 
"Movement Check" screen via a Graffiti action, then 
Tactorus will display the "Game Over" screen the next 
time it is launched.

The elevent to thirteen menu items:

Game->New...:  Setup a new game with a simple set of configuration 
options.

Game->Open...:  Open a previously saved Tactorus game 
such that it becomes the current Tactorus game.

Game->Save As...:  Save the current Tactorus game.

Game->Rename...:  Rename one or more previously saved Tactorus 
games.

Game->Delete...:  Delete one or more previously saved Tactorus games.

Game->Import...:  Import a Tactorus game previously exported to a
Memo Pad memo thereby making it the current Tactorus game.

Game->Export...:  Export the current Tactorus game to a Memo Pad memo.

Game->Options...:  Change the rules and mode of play.  Also, users 
with a Handheld that supports 8 bit color (256 or more colors) may 
select one of several color themes from the Color Theme screen as 
accessed from the Game Options screen.

Board->Rotate:  Rotate the Tactorus board by 180 degrees.

Board->Customize...:  Add and remove pieces from the current 
Tactorus board.

Moves->Import...:  Import your opponent's moves from a Memo Pad memo
into the current Tactorus game.  This menu item is only available
when playing "Via E-mail".

Moves->Export...:  Export your moves in the current Tactorus game
to a Memo Pad memo for use by your opponent. This menu item is only
available when playing "Via E-mail".

Help->Rules...:  Abbreviated Tactorus game rules.

Help->About...:  Displays an about screen with copyright notice.

Glossary:

Customize, v: The act of modifying the Tactorus game to any state desired except for any changes directly involving either Tactorus game piece flags.

Rotate, v: The act of rotating the Tactorus board by 180 degrees thus giving the other Tactorus player's perspective.

Delete, v (aka delete game): To delete a previously saved Tactorus game.

Open, v (aka open game): To open a previously saved Tactorus game such that it becomes the current Tactorus game. Save first with "Game->Save As..." if you wish to be able to return to the current Tactorus game later.

Rename, v (aka rename game): To rename a previously saved Tactorus game.

Round, n: A round consists of two players' turns to schedule their respective moves and then have the board updated for the start of the next round.

Save As, v (aka save game): To save the current Tactorus game for later restoration with the open option. The current Tactorus game may be saved as a new name or in place of a previously saved Tactorus game.

Tactorus, n (aka Tactorus game): A probabilistic strategy game played on a ten by ten square grid created by Thomas Gamet further defined by the rules contained in the Tactorus User Manual and the Tactorus Application program.

Tactorus Application, n: A computer program that plays the game of Tactorus by the rules defined within this Tactorus User Manual.

Tactorus board, n (aka the board): A ten by ten square grid on which Tactorus game pieces are placed for the purpose of playing the game of Tactorus.

Tactorus game, n (aka a game): The layout of all Tactorus game pieces on a ten by ten square grid with the added information of whether player 2 is controlled by another human or the Tactorus Application at a given level of play, the number of rounds played and the information about which player is currently scheduling moves in addition to the currently scheduled moves.

Tactorus game piece, n (aka game piece): One of the four game pieces, a flag, artillery, cavalry and infantry piece, used in the game of Tactorus.

Tactorus player, n (aka player): A human or the Tactorus Application controlling one side of the Tactorus game pieces.

Turn, n: Half of a round during which one or the other player schedules moves.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How does the Tactorus Application select its moves?

Level 1 is equivalent to the movement generator and board evaluation function of Tactorus 1.0. The enemy flag is considered an "attractor" to which all pieces try and move except if "pulled" away by the presence of opposing pieces within a three square radius. A touch of randomness is added so that the Tactorus Application will play different, but otherwise equal, moves on replay via opening previously saved Tactorus games.

Level 2 is like level 1 with the exception that it randomly picks to favor either one square or two square movement.

Level 3 computes both strategies available to level 2 and then makes a probabilistic comparison between those two strategies in order to pick the better one.

Level 4 computes all level 3 strategies with the enemy flag as an "attractor" and a central square as an "attractor". A probabilistic comparison is made among the four examined strategies with one being picked as the Tactorus Application's moves.

Level 5 works largely like level 4 with two alterations. First, it uses three central "attractors". A probabilistic comparison is made among the eight examined strategies with one being picked as the Tactorus Application's moves.

Where can I find out more about Tactorus?

For the time being there is no official resource available.

You may wish to query news groups where a special interest in board games exists.

What changes are being considered for the Tactorus Application?

Changes beyond Tactorus version 4.1.X's features remain dependent on feedback from a small, but hopefully growing, registered user community. A show of support from those that have downloaded and are enjoying the game of Tactorus is appreciated. The best way to show support is to buy your copy of the Tactorus Application at either www.handango.com, www.palm.com or www.palmgear.com. The easiest way to find it is to search for Tactorus.

What versions of Tactorus exist?

The introductory version 1.0 exists as of July 21-22, 2001.

The evaluation version 1.0 and 1.0.1 are equivalent with the exception that Handango has been added to the registration information screen of the evaluation version 1.0.1.

An enhanced version 2.1 exists as of November 16, 2001. The build date for Tactorus version 2.1 is November 11, 2001. This version includes a standardized Palm™ user interface and five levels of difficult when playing against the Tactorus Application. This version of the Tactorus Application also moves the minimum Palm OS® version requirement to Palm OS® 2.0.

A bug fix version 2.3 exists as of December 11, 2001. The build date for Tactorus version 2.3 is December 9, 2001. This version fixes several known bugs and includes Palm Inc. branding compliance changes to the documentation.

An enhanced version 3.1 went into beta testing on February 24, 2002.

The last evaluation version upgrade of Tactorus is version 3.3.1 and has been released on May 18, 2002.

Two releases for registered users have been produced. These are versions 3.5.1 and 3.7.1 with support for colored game pieces appearing in version 3.7.1.

Tactorus verion 4.1.1 modifies the incentive to buy a registered copy while offering the full and time unlimited gaming experience via disabling the ability to save, open, export or import games in the evaluation version.

Tactorus version 4.1.3 is the latest version of Tactorus and features all capabilities and bug fixes for Tactorus. Tactorus version 4.1.3 must be bought and as a result of buying it you will be registered for future upgrades.

Did the Tactorus version 1.0, 2.1, 2.3, 3.1, 3.5.1 or 3.7.1 registered users have to pay to get an upgrade?

No. I intend to provide Tactorus Application upgrades as they are made publicly available to all registered users for at least one year from the date of their registration.

The warranty states that there are no guarantees. However, I do intend to be as reasonable as feasible about providing registered users with Tactorus Application upgrades when they become publicly available.

Over time the registered user community will get close to its upper limit in size and it will become necessary to ask that serious users renew their registration to receive further publicly available upgrades.

Is it possible to defeat levels 3, 4 and 5?

Yes, though the higher the level the less frequent a victory will be. Here are some hints.

Draw the computer to you.

Use retreat to reorganize your side.

Move infantry and cavalry in blocks (especially infantry - but guard the flanks).

Try to keep an l-shape with artillery when facing off with cavalry and infantry (two squares in one direction and one square in the other direction - it's the safest bet).

Try to keep an l-shape with cavalry when facing off with infantry (two squares in one direction and one square in the other direction - it's the safest bet).

The computer tends to move either most pieces by two squares or one square.

Good luck.

Change Requests:

Change requests may be submitted by any user of the Tactorus Application. Registered user comments and enhancement suggestions will be given preference. When submitting a change request for the Tactorus Application, please be certain to identify the version of the Tactorus Application that you are using. Registered users that wish to be beta testers are welcome to send a request to receive beta versions. Beta versions will usually be made available about one month prior to target release dates of major releases. Future updates of the registered version will be announced on the distributor's web page for the Tactorus Application.

Trouble Shooting Tips:

Problems with the Palm OS® Emulator

The Palm OS® Emulator is a tool for developers and is thus not considered to be an intended runtime environment for the Tactorus Application.

The Palm OS® Emulator 3.1 is used to check Tactorus for hardware other than the Palm™ IIIxe running Palm OS® 3.5 and Palm™ m100 running Palm OS® 3.5.1.

When reporting a Tactorus Application bug involving the Palm OS® Emulator, please be sure to include the full ROM file name used and the emulator's version.

Fatal Alert Message

The Tactorus Application has been tested on a Palm™ IIIxe, Palm™ m130 and Palm™ m100 under the Palm OS® 3.5, 4.1 and 3.5.1 respectively. Please be sure to report your hardware, model number and Palm OS® version when reporting a bug against the Tactorus Application.

Funds for maintaining the Tactorus Application (e.g. buying additional hardware and supporting software) are limited and thus I may not be able to take action short of registration raised money funding the financial needs of the Tactorus Application.

Please try the Tactorus Application evaluation version on your hardware and Palm OS® version before buying it. Being a registered user is not an entitlement to any bug fixes or problem resolutions. However, being a registered user does contribute to the development environment and thus improves the prospect that bug reports will be acted upon.

Changes Relative to Tactorus 3.7.1, 3.5.X, 3.1, 2.X and 1.0

This section highlights the key changes you will see when comparing Tactorus version 1.0, 2.1, 2.3, 3.1, 3.3, 3.5.X, 3.7.1, 4.1.1 to Tactorus version 4.1.3 (the nine publicly available versions of the Tactorus Application). For those of you familiar with Tactorus version 3.7.1 this may be enough information to ensure a smooth transition. Of course, you are certainly welcome to check out the rest of the documentation.

Tactorus 4.1.3 is the latest registered version of Tactorus.

This version features all the capabilities of version 4.1.1.
This version adds the ability to save, open, export and import games.

Tactorus 4.1.1 is an evaluation version of Tactorus.

The ability to save, open, export and import games has been disabled in the Tactorus version 4.1.1 evaluation release.
The ability to play Tactorus will not time out.
Color support is available in this release.
The computer move selection has been re-architected to provide a fair and noticably better gaming experience.
The computer will consider using retreat when computing its moves.
The computer is less likely to throw away pieces when facing blocks of your pieces.
The computer will consider reoganizing its pieces in a defensive move.
The computer's most likely move has been made harder to predict.

Tactorus 3.7.1 is was only made available to registered users.

Users with 8 bit (256 or more color) support may now select one of 6 different color themes for the game pieces. Color support is available on the Game Options screen found by accessing Game->Options from the menu.
The computer generated moves have been slightly improved. The game remains a fair game where the computer's generated moves are chosen without looking at the human entered moves.

Tactorus 3.5.X adds one feature to Tactorus 3.3.

The user may change the rules and mode of play (against the computer, against a human or via e-mail) during the middle of a Tactorus game (see Game->Options...)

Tactorus 3.3 adds the following changes to Tactorus 3.1.

Tactorus 3.5 ships as a single PRC file and is thus easier to install and consumes a little less space.
The computer no longer cheats at any level of play.
Bug fix: Before, fatal error could occur when selecting OK in the game or movement import when no memo was selected to import; now, a dialog is displayed asking the user to select a memo to import.

Tactorus 3.1 added the following feature set to Tactorus 2.3.

The rules of Tactorus may now be altered to include more friendly moves. This feature is known as Chain Moves and works by allowing moves to be scheduled into squares occupied by your own game pieces in the current round, provided that those game pieces are already scheduled to move out of the way in the next round. If you schedule one of your own game pieces to move into a square occupied by one of your own game pieces, you may not retract that other game pieces move until you have first retracted the move of your other game piece (i.e. the one that will be occupying the contended square).
The rules of Tactorus may be altered by the introduction of Supply Lines. When Supply Lines are used each player starts with 10 moves and will lose two moves per home row square occupied by the opposing player in the current round. A minimum of one move is guaranteed to each player regardless of the number of home row squares occupied by the opposing player.
The rules of Tactorus may be altered by the introduction of High Ground. When High Ground is used each player starts with 10 moves and is rewarded with one extra move per center 16 square occupied during the current round. When combined with Supply Lines the range of possible allowed moves per round is from 1 to 26.
Chain Moves, Supply Lines and High Ground may be combined in any combination during on the New Game screen. The rules may only be set from the New Game screen.
All Tactorus games may be exported to Memo Pad memos. Memo Pad memos have the advantage of built-in HotSync® and Beaming support.
Tactorus games may be imported from Memo Pad memos to which they were previously saved.
Tactorus supports a New Game option to generate a new game intended for play via e-mail, bulletin boards, instant messaging, etc,. When told that a game will be played via e-mail Tactorus will offer a Moves menu through which secure movement data may be exchanged. The mechanism also works via the importing and exporting of Memo Pad memos.
A Tactorus game designated as "Via E-mail" (from the New Game screen) supports the generation of encrypted movement data using a 45 bit symmetric key. The idea is that both players export their moves with "Moves->Export" and send them without the keys in the Memo Pad memo. Once each player receives his/her opponents moves (hence a commitment to the next round), he/she sends the keys. The keys consists of three numbers in the range of 0 to 32767. With the keys added to the memos on both sides the movement Memo Pad memos may be imported (via Moves->Import) and Next may be selected to proceed to the next Tactorus round.
A Tactorus game played "Via E-mail" may be reconstructed by third parties via the importing of both players moves and the use of the Next button. Users are highly encouraged to save Tactorus games played "Via E-mail" to the Tactorus database, but in a pinch it is good to know that they can be reconstructed from the Memo Pad memos.
When a Tactorus game, designated as played "Via E-mail", is exported it will automatically import as the opposing player. If you wish to initiate a Tactorus game, but with you as player two, then export your game, import that exported game, and then re-export that game. This will leave you playing player two and your opponent, importing your second export, playing player one.
Tactorus now computes a check-sum on all Tactorus saved games and on exported Memo Pad memo content. This is a mechanism for detecting an abnormal change to the game or movement data which if allowed into the Tactorus Application could cause it to malfunction. This was added after discovering that one Tactorus user's report of abnormal behavior was caused by her Handheld being in close proximity to a turned on cell phone (side by side in her purse - once the two devices were separated by a respectable 20 inches all problems with her Handheld vanished).

Tactorus 2.3 is a bug fix release of Tactorus 2.1. Please see the Change Request section for information on bugs found and fixed by Tactorus 2.3.

Tactorus 2.1 added the following feature set to Tactorus 1.0.

As a result of adding tables, and the use of scrollbars, the minimum Palm OS® requirement become Palm OS® 2.0 with the release of Tactorus 2.1. There were no registered users prior to November 16, 2001 using the Palm OS® 1.0.

The Tactorus Application offers five levels of play when playing against it rather than another human. Level 1 equates to the original Tactorus version 1.0 level of play. Please see the FAQ and Narrative for more details.
You may now save up to 100 Tactorus games.
Saved Tactorus games may be deleted thus releasing memory for use by other applications.
The Tactorus Application user interface has been rewritten to take better advantage of the Palm OS® built in user interface code. As a result, the look and feel of menus, buttons and checkboxes now complies with the Palm OS® standard.
The series of buttons formerly on the main Tactorus screen has been replaced by a standard menu bar on the main Tactorus screen. The menu bar's menus are: Game, Board and Help. The Game menu offers New, Open, Save As, Rename and Delete options. The Board menu offers Rotate and Customize options. The Help menu offers the Rules and About information.
You may key-in moves by entering the square from and to numbers using Graffiti on the main Tactorus screen. The squares are numbered 00 through 99 starting from the upper left corner and proceeding to the lower right corner one row at a time. Observing the movement data, under the "Move:" label, while drag-n-dropping a few moves may help to further clarify how the squares are numbered.
The "Send" button has been replaced by the "Next" button. They are the same button, only the label on the button has changed. The reason for this change is that it is believed that the word "next" better captures what this button does.
The word "turn" has been replaced by the word "round". In general, players take turns in a round of play. Hence, it is believed that the word "round" better captures the intended use of that word.
The word "round" was used to separate the computer's two stages required to apply the moves of both players in a "round" (the capture stage and the elimination stage). The word "stage" is now being used.
The "Flip" button has been replaced by the menu option "Board->Rotate".
The words "load" and "save" were previously used to indicate that a Tactorus game was to be loaded or saved for later use. Those words have been replaced by the words "open" and "save as" respectively. It is believed that those words better capture the function they are intended to convey and are more widely used in industry for the function they are intended to convey.