MathPak
Introduction

3Snakes is a hybrid of a card game and a board game.

File Name

3Snakes ver 1.00r2 Mar 16, 1997

Author

3Snakes was written by Alexander Smoljanovic at Calex Software

You may direct questions, comments or requests to Alex Smoljanovic via E-Mail: smoljanovic@coolsite.net

Welcome  I hope you enjoy 3Snakes

Help is available for the following topics.

Game Play	Options

Keys	Music


Game Play

Description

During Manual mode, each player must select a card from the deck and then discard the unwanted card.  During Auto play, the computer automatically plays the hand for player 2.  The object of the game is to move the playing piece on the snakes board from 1 to 49.  Each player must collect a set of three cards identical in value to move the playing piece equal to the value of the cards in the set.

Example:

Collecting 3 sevens moves the play piece 7 steps.

The deck contains 48 cards.  Cards range in value from 2 to 9 in six different suits.  The various suits are Condos, Leaves, Conifers, Dreynors, Borigons and Stars

Cards are sequentially drawn from the deck and dealt until a set is made.  Cards are reshuffled at the end of the deck if a set is not completed.  All cards are reshuffled and redealt after every time a player or the computer completes a set of 3 cards.  Deadlocks are not possible as there will always be at least 4 free cards in each suit.  Overshooting the number of steps with a card value greater than the steps required moves the playing piece backwards during the play that caused the overshoot.  The computer player is programmed to select cards that will not cause an overshoot.

If the last step during a move is the base of a ladder, the playing piece is moved to the top of the ladder.  If the last step during a move falls on the tail of an asp, the playing piece is moved to the bottom of the asp.  The direction of the snakes are reversed as the playing pieces merely slide and are not actually eaten by the asps.


Options

Description

The Options menu allows you to change the way the game plays and looks.  You may select Auto Mode or Manual Mode.  Manual Mode allows you to play against another person or imaginary player.  Auto Mode tests your skill and luck against routines built into the 3Snakes program.  You may change the color of the panels or the color of the text.  3 different wallpapers may be selected in the options menu.  The game comments may be turned on or off.  You have the option to play background Music during play.  You may enable or disable a built-in Screen Saver, turn it on, or set it to automatically start between 1 and 90 minutes.

All options are automatically saved.


Music

Description

Selecting Music opens up a midi player, or focuses on the player if already open.  The player allows you to select any midi files that are available on your PC.The background music is automatically looped.  Clicking the pause button temporarily stops play.  Clicking the stop button stops play and kills the midi player.  The player is minimized once play begins.


Keys

Description

Cards may be selected by pressing the appropriate number keys on the numeric keypad or the appropriate arrow keys as shown in the diagram.  The keys for player 2 are available only in Manual mode during player 2's turn.