PC Media 7/PC MEDIA CD07.iso/share/os2/mjs_11/mahjongg.hlp

OS/2 Help File | 1992-09-01 | 55.9 KB | 297 lines

ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1. Game Menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 Use this menu bar item to select game playing options:

 New       Game
           Starts a new game.

            Restart
           Restarts the current game.

            Undo
           Replaces tile pairs.

            Status
           Displays the number of open pairs.

            Exit
           Ends the session.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1.1. New Game ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 Select New Game to re-shuffle all 144 tiles, and build a new dragon.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1.2. Restart ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 Select Restart to rebuild the current dragon with all 144 tiles without
re-shuffling the tiles.  This will allow you to try an alternate strategy, or
to give a friend a chance to compete with the same layout.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1.3. Undo ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 Select Undo to restore the last tile pair matched to their original positions
in the dragon.  You may undo as many plays as you like. Restored tiles may then
be paired with alternate eligable tiles, or replayed with their original mates.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1.4. Status ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 Select Status to display a message box indicating the total count of tiles
remaining and the number of pairs currently eligible for play. (This message
box may also be displayed by clicking mouse button 2 while the pointer is
anywhere on the background of the main window.)

 Note that three open tiles of a given type would count as three possible
plays, since the first could be matched with either the second or third, and so
on.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1.5. Exit ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 Select Exit to end the current Mah Jongg session.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2. Options Menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select the Options pull-down menu to set your preferences for the following:

            Sound
           Toggles sound effects on or off.

 Background Color
           Changes the color of the game board.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1. Sound ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select Sound to toggle the sound effects and warning beeps on or off.  If
checked, sound is enabled.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.2. Background Color ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select Background Color to activate the Colors Dialog Box. Use this dialog box
to set the background color of the game board.  The color you select will be
used until you change it again. When you end the current Mah Jongg session,
your color choice will be saved in an initialization file, and automatically
restored the next time you start the game.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3. Help Menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use the Help pull-down menu to access online help for playing Mah Jongg.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.1. Help for Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select Help for Help from the Help pull-down for information on how to use the
Help Facility.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2. Extended Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 Select Extended Help from the Help pull-down to access in-depth information on
how to play Mah Jongg.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.3. Help Index ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 Select Help Index from the Help pull-down to access the Help System Index.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.4. Help for About ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select About from the Help pull-down to display a dialog box containing Mah
Jongg copyright and version information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4. Mah Jongg ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Mah Jongg is a solitaire game played with a standard set of Mah Jongg tiles.
There are 144 tiles in all, stacked in a "dragon".  The object of the game is
to remove all of the tiles from the game board by selecting matching pairs from
the dragon.

See also:

      Tile Set.

      Game Board.

      Playing the Game.

      Strategy Tips.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1. Tile Set ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Mah Jongg tile set consists of 144 tiles these groups:

Suits

There are three suits in the Mah Jong set.  Each set consists of tiles numbered
1 through 9, and there are four of each, totaling 108.  The suits are:

     Bamboos called Bams.

     Circles called Dots.

     Characters called Craks.

Tiles in the suits must be of the same suit and number to be matched.

Honors

     Winds  There are four tiles for each of the four directions of the winds:
North, East, South, and West, sixteen tiles in all.  Winds must be matched by
direction.

     Dragons  Dragons are divided into three colors: red, green, and blue.  There
are four of each for a total of twelve.  Dragons must be matched by color.

Flowers

     Flowers  There are but four flower tiles.  Although each of them is a
different color, each may be matched with any other.

     Seasons  There are four season tiles depicting a tree in Spring, Summer,
Autumn, and Winter, respectively.  Any season may be paired with any other.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.1. Bamboo Suit ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Bamoo Suit of Tiles


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.2. Circle Suit ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Circle Suit of Tiles


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.3. Character Suit ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Character Suit of Tiles


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.4. Winds ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Winds Tiles


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.5. Dragons ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Dragon Tiles


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.6. Flowers ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Flower Tiles


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.7. Seasons ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Seasons Tiles


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.2. Game Board ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Tiles on the Mah Jongg game board are arranged in a dragon of eight horizontal
rows, and stacked to various heights from 1 to 5 tiles high.

Notice that the uppermost tile in the very center of the dragon is at a height
of five, and that it blocks removal of the four tiles immediatly beneath it,
even though it doesn't completely cover them.

Likewise, the single tile on the far left and the two tiles on the far right
block access to both the fourth and fifth rows.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3. Playing the Game ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select a tile by moving the mouse pointer to the desired tile and clicking the
number 1 mouse button once.  (A tile may be selected only if there are no tiles
on top of it, and if it is not blocked on either the right or the left with
tiles stacked to the same height.)  The selected tile will change color. If you
wish to choose a different tile instead, simply click on the same tile again.
It will be deselected and will change back to its original color.

Once you have selected a tile, choose another which is both available and
matches the first.  The two tiles must be identical, with the following two
exceptions:

  1. Seasons may be matched with any other season.
  2. Flowers may be matched with each other regardless of color.

 Continue selecting and removing pairs of tiles until there are no more
 possible matches (sorry, you loose), or until there are no remaining tiles, in
 which case YOU WIN !

 References:

 Tile Set.

 Game Board.

 Strategy Tips.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.4. Strategy Tips ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Although not all dragons can be conquered, there are a few basic strategies
that can help.

The tile in the very center, and the three tiles at the far left and right of
the middle of the board should be removed as soon as possible because they
block access to the largest number of tiles.

Try to work down from the highest tile and in from the longest rows.

If all four tiles of a given type are free, remove them immediatly.

If only three of four are free, delay selecting a pair from them as long as
possible.  The fourth may turn up in the process of removing other tiles, or
you may simply find which two would be of greatest value to remove according to
which other tiles they are blocking.

After selecting many pairs, it is often difficult to remember how many of a
given tile type remain.  You can display this information by moving the mouse
pointer to the tile and clicking the number 2 button.  The resulting dialog box
will indicate the total number of tiles of that type remaining, whether they
are currently free or not.  (Note that there is no comparable menu command for
this function.)

Try changing the background color of the game board.  This may reduce eye
strain, as well as make certain tile colors stand out better for easier
matching.

Of course, as a last resort, you may back up, or, undo as many previous plays
as you wish, or restart that game from the beginning.

See also:

 Undo.

 Restart.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5. Colors Dialog Box ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use this dialog box to modify the background color of the Mah Jongg game board.
You may change colors as often as you like, even in the middle of game, without
disrupting play in any way.

The dialog box presents three scroll bars labeled Red, Green, and Blue,
respectively.  The current color value of each is displayed above the scroll
bar. To change the color, manipulate the scroll bar(s) with the mouse.  The
large square will change to represent the current color mix indicated by the
scroll bars.

When you have adjusted the color to your liking, simply click the 'OK' button.
The dialog box will be discarded and the game board repainted with the new
color.

Or, if you prefer, select 'Cancel' from the dialog box to abandon changes.