BLACK BOX 1.2
		 	   	
                 Copyright (c) 1993 Michael Haugrud               

Black Box 1.2 is a DOS adaptation of the game by Parker Brothers.

System requirements: EGA or VGA monitor, mouse, 512K RAM, and at
least one of the following: extended memory, expanded memory, or
a hard disk.

The black box is a square matrix, 8 by 8. The computer will hide a
number of balls in this matrix. Your assignment, should you choose
to accept it, is to find the locations of these hidden balls. This
is done by shooting rays into the black box from its sides.

These rays will give you clues about the hidden locations. A ray can
either be a hit (it stays inside the box), a reflection (it comes out
of the box at the same place it entered), or a detour (it leaves the
box from some other location).

Locate the hidden balls with as few rays as possible to achieve the
lowest (best) score. Hits and reflections each cost 1 point. Detours
cost 2 points each. Each incorrectly placed ball costs 5 points. 
	
To play Black Box 1.2, type "blackbox" <ENTER> at the command prompt.
The black box and menu area will be drawn on the screen. Use the left
mouse button to make any selections. By default, 4 balls will be
hidden. This can be changed by clicking on "Difficulty". The colors
used can also be customized by clicking on "Colors". When ready to
play, click on "Play".

Click on one of the squares surrounding the matrix of rings to shoot
a ray from that point. The results of the shot will be displayed: a
hit with an "H", a reflection with an "R", or a detour with symbols.
Continue to shoot rays into the black box until you can identify a
ball's location. Then mark that spot. This is done by clicking on the
desired ring. In the same way, locations can be unmarked. When you
have marked the positions of all the hidden balls, click on "Check".
The program will compare your solution with the actual pattern and
notify you of any discrepancies.

Here are some examples to help you better understand how the
placement of balls affect rays:
		  
                       LEGEND
	o              ball
	.              empty location in box
	H              hit
        R              reflection
	A, B, C, D, E  entry and exit points for detours
	-, |           ray paths

HIT EXAMPLES
Rays sent from any of the points marked 'H' are hits.  

  H   
  | . . . . . . . 
  | . . . . . . . 
H o - - - - - - - H
  | . . . . . . . 
  | . . . . . . . 
  | . . . . . . . 
  | . . . . . . .  
  | . . . . . . .  
  H    
		  

DETOUR EXAMPLES
A ray shot from 'A' will be deflected by the ball and leave the box
at the other location marked 'A'. Similarly, rays shot from the other
letters will be detoured to their matching letter. ('E' is a miss and
passes straight through the box.)

  D   A      
  | . | . . . . . 
D - . | - - - - - A
  . o . . . . . . 
C . . . . . . . . B
  . . . . . . . . 
  . . . . . . . . 
E - - - - - - - - E 
  . . . . . . . .  
  C   B   


REFLECTION EXAMPLES
A ray shot from either 'R1' or 'R2' encounters the 2 balls. Both of
these balls would like to cause the ray to detour. By doing so,
they cause the ray to reverse direction and leave the box from their
entry point. A ray shot from either 'R3' or 'R4' is a different case.
A ray cannot travel past the ball so it is forced to remain at its
starting point.

		       		  R1
  . . . . . . | .
  . . . . . . | . 
  . . . . . . | . 
  . . . . . . | . 
  . . . . . . | . R3
  . . . . . o . o 
  . . . . . . | . R4 
  . . . . . . | .  
		       		  R2


FURTHER HIT AND REFLECTION EXAMPLES

		       		  R H
H . . . . . . . o H
H - - - - - - - o H
H . . . . . . . o H
  . . . . . . . . R
  . . . . . . . .
  . . . . . . . .
  . . . . . . . .
  . . . . . . . .

MULTIPLE DETOURS
The results of encountering several balls can be misleading.

		A    
  . . | . . . . .
  . . | . . o . . 
  . . | _ _ . - - B
  . o . . | . | . 
  . . _ _ | . - - B
  . . | . . o . . 
  . . | . . . . .  
  . . | . . . . .  
		A    


  . . . . . . . .
  . . . . . . . . 
  . . . o . . . . 
  . . . . ------- R
  . . . . | . . . 
  . . . . | . . . 
  . . . o . o . .  
  . . . . . . . .  
		  

  . . . . . . . .
  . . . . . . . . 
  . . . o . . . . 
  . . . . ------- H
  . . . . | . . . 
  . . . . | --- o 
  . . . o . . . .  
  . . . . . . . .  
		  
Black Box 1.2 was developed using Borland C 3.1 and TEGL Windows
Toolkit 3.0.

The author makes no warranty about the fitness of Black Box 1.2 for
any purpose, nor does he guarantee that it will not crash your system.
Nevertheless, every attempt has been made to insure that Black Box 1.2
is a robust, user-friendly game.

Anyone with a copy of Black Box 1.2 is encouraged to distribute it to
others for their evaluation, provided that 1) no price is charged,
other than nominal distribution or media charges, and 2) the software
is not modified in any way.

If you find that Black Box 1.2 is a worthy addition to your game
collection, please send $5.00 to:
	Michael Haugrud
	2542 26th Ave S
	Fargo, ND 58103
	USA

(Internet address: haugrud@plains.nodak.edu)

Thank you for your support!