Introduction to Otello 1.0
 Introduction to Otello 2.0

This is a simple game based on a square 8x8 game field where two players play with white and black draughtsman.

Task per each player is to eat as many opposite player draughtsmans as possible.

The game ends as soon as the field is completely full or only one player draughtsmans are left on field.

The winner is the player who has more draughtsmans at the end of the match.

Basics of Otello game

Features of Otello 2.0

The commands of Otello 2.0


 Basics of Otello game

Here you can get a very short summary of basic Otello rules. This does not want to and cannot be an exhaustive training documentation for rules and strategy of Otello game but just a brief introduction to let anyone start playing in a few minutes.

HBTeam hopes you will anjoy the game.

The field

The Draughtsman

Where to Move

How to eat draughtsman


Field
 The field

The field is a 8x8 squares (green and black) area.

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 Draughtsman

You can decide to play with white [image] or black [image] draughtsman; the white move first at game start.

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Move
 Where to move

You can place your draughtsman within each square that fulfill the following rules:

It is adiacent to at least another enemy draughtsman.

It allows you to eat at least one enemy draughtman.

In all other cases you are obliged to leave your turn. Even if you try an unligal move, the program will prompt you about your mistake and will cancel the move.

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eat
 How to eat

You can eat your enemy draughtsman placing some of them in betwen two draughtsmans of yours; all vertical, horizontal and diagonal directions are allowed.

Following picture shows where a white draughtsman could be placed to eat black ones

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 Features of Otello 2.0

The main window

The log window

The Log file

Save the Game

Load a previous game


 Main window of Otello 2.0

 Here you get a picture of the Otello 2.0 main window.

The main window include main game commads and indicators:

New game
Leave turn
Pause (Resume)
Log view
Difficulty level setting
White player settings
Black player settings
Score indicators


New Game
 New game command button

 The yellow frame highlight the pad including tha main command buttons.

Clicking on the New game button the program will automatically restart a new game with the current settings.

Back to Main Window page.


Leave Turn
 Leave turn command button

 The yellow frame highlight the pad including tha main command buttons.

Clicking on the Leave button the program will pass the turn to the other player; program will not allow the player to leave if a feaseable move is available.

Back to Main Window page.


Pause/Resume Game
 New game command button

 The yellow frame highlight the pad including tha main command buttons.

Clicking on the Pause button the program will automatically suspend the game and will show a message that the game has been stopped by the user. The button will then turn to Resume function.

The user can restart the match clicking on the Resume button.

During pause main game settings cannot be changed while load and Save function are available.

Back to Main Window page.


Log View
 The log view

 The yellow frame highlight the logview the user can use to check previous moves.
Everytime a new game is started the logview is cleaned. In case the player starts from a loaded game the logview will be cleaned as well but a message will be prompt to the player.

Back to Main Window page.


Difficulty level
 Difficulty level control

 The yellow frame highlight the control to set the difficulty level. Difficulty level can be changed every time the player needs. Of course it does not have any effect in player vs player games.

Moving from level 1 (easiest) to level 5 response time can change sharply.

Back to Main Window page.


 White player settings

 The yellow frame highlight the control to define which player will rule white draughtsman moves. If you select Otello then the game will take care to move for whites, otherwise, if you choose Player it will wait for your move on white turns.

Selecting Otello on both (white and black) Otello 2.0 will start playing on his own.

Back to Main Window page.


 Black player settings

 The yellow frame highlight the control to define which player will rule black draughtsman moves. If you select Otello then the game will take care to move for blacks, otherwise, if you choose Player it will wait for your move on black turns.

Selecting Otello on both (white and black) Otello 2.0 will start playing on his own.

Back to Main Window page.


 Score indicators

 The yellow frame highlight the control that shows the current score for white and black player.

Back to Main Window page.


 Commands of Otello 2.0

New game

Leave turn

Pause(Resume)

Difficulty level

White Player

Black Player

Info Button

Exit


 New game command

Clicking on this button you can restore the game field and start a new game.


Leave turn
 Leave turn command

Clicking on this button you leave the shift to the other player because, wherever you place your draughtsman, you cannot eat any of your enemy draughtsmans.

In case you do not have any draughtsman on the field the game will be over and the other player will be the winner.


Pause
 Pause command

Clicking on this button you can hold the game to evaluate the situation. This option is usefull when Otello is playing by itself. All saving and loading capabilities are still available.

When Game is paused an icon appears over the game field.

Game can be resumed clicking on the Resume button that now has taken place over the Pause one.


 Difficulty level

Clicking on this listbox you can select the difficulty level you want to challenge; thius option is available only when PC is playing against human or itself.

Five levels are available from "Level 1" (the easiest) up to "Level 5" (the most difficult).

Difficulty level can be set whenever required, also during a match. Response time of PC can be higher increasing level and playing with CPU's lower than Pentium II.


White Player
 White player setting

White draughtsman move first at beginning of the game. By the use of the shown listboxes the player can decide to make the human or the PC play with the white or not.

Click here to jump to black player


White Player
 Black player setting

At beginnin of the match black draughtsman wait for white move. By the use of the shown listboxes the player can decide to make the human or the PC play with the black or not.

Click here to jump to white player


White Player
 About help

Selecting this option you can get informations about this game and its creators. A link to HB Team site is provided within About Dialog Box.


 Exit command

Clicking on this button you quit the game.


Log View
 The Logview window

The window shown on right reports move by move the game progress so that player can review the previous steps.

Moves are reportet with the following sintax: Player [color]:    [column, row]

Each time the match restarts the window is cleaned; if a game is started from a previously saved match e message will appear on the first row to remind it to the player.

The content of the window can be saved to an external logfile for later printing.


Log File
 Saving to an external file

Otello 2.0 can save the match progress (shown within the Logview window during the match) to en external file.

This file will be saved as a text file (default extension is TXT) so that it will be possible to read it with a standard text editor for editing and/or printing.

This function is available from the File Menu.


Save Game to File
 Saving the current game

Otello 2.0 can save the match to a file for later use. To save the game open the menu File and select Save Field as option.

This file will be saved as an Otello file (default extension is OTF) so that it will be possible to reload it later to complete the match.

This function is available from the File Menu.


Save Game to File
 Saving the current game

Otello 2.0 can load a previous match from a file. To Load the game open the menu File and select Load Field option.

This function is available from the File Menu.