Chip 2003 November/Chip_2003-11_cd1.bin/oddech/magic/MReversi.exe/{app}/DATA/Readme.txt

Text File | 2002-03-04 | 14KB | 287 lines

Logic game - "Magic Reversi"
Copyright ⌐ 2000-2002 Friendly Digital Co.
All rights reserved.

CONTENTS

1. Introduction
2. System requirements
3. Notices on software and hardware
4. The Rules of the game
5. Game modes
6. LAN and Internet playing
7. The Network game using ICQ
8. Support

1. Introduction

   Logic  games...  This games first appeared many centuries ago. This
type  of  programs  stays  popular  nowadays because such games do not
require much computer resources, simple in use and as a matter of fact
-  the  rules  of  such  games  are  well  known to everybody from the
childhood.
   The  examples  are  chess, checkers, dots and so on. We suggest you
one  of  this  games  - "Magic Reversi", which was created taking into
account  all  the modern requirements to such games. You can ask "What
do you mean by the modern requirements?"
   And the answer is:

- Exciting 32-bit animation graphics.
- Each detail and frame of the animation were perfectly made by hands.
- The possibility to choose the most convenient condition of the game.
- The possibility to play with remote player using I-net or local net.
- The possibility to save game, get advise during the game and so on.

2. System requirements

   Minimal system requirements:

- Processor Intel Pentium 150 MHz
- 32 Mb of RAM
- Display resolution 800x600 with 256 colors (8 bits per pixel)
- Operating system - Windows 98

   If you want really enjoy our game we recommend you:

- Processor Intel Pentium 200 MHz or better
- 64 Mb of RAM or more
- Display resolution 1024x768 (16 bits per pixel or more)
- Operating system Windows 98 SE, Windows Me, Windows2000, Windows XP
- 100% DirectSound Compatible Sound Card
- Mouse
- Internet or/and Intranet (LAN) connection

3. Notices on software and hardware

- We don't officially support Windows95 (including OSR2) and Windows
NT 4 operating systems, so use this game at you own risk in that
operating systems.

- At now, you need DirectX5.x or new version for this game. Program
uses DirectSound components from it. (Windows 98 (SE, Me), Windows
2000 and Windows XP always have it installed)

- We didn't test this product on processors differed from Intel, AMD
and VIA C3.

4. The Rules of the game

   The  rules  of  the game are so simple that won't require any extra
strength  when memorizing them. But this doesn't make the game boring;
on  the  contrary,  Reversi  is one of the most captivating and at the
same time, simplest game.
   The  goal  of  the  game  - to gain leadership over the opponent by
transforming his figures into yours. Below are described the terms and
concepts relating to the game.
   Move - placement of your figure on the empty space on the desk that
way  so  you would transform one or more figures of your opponent into
yours.
   Pass  -  the  condition  of the game when one of the players cannot
make  a move because of lack of available spaces on the game field. At
the occurrence of Pass the turn goes to the opponent.
   Transformation  -  capture  of  opponent's figures and transforming
them into your figures. This happens when as a result of the move, one
or  more  opponent's  figures  are  placed  between two figures of the
player   whose  move  it  was.  Without  transformation  the  move  is
impossible to make.
   Mutual Pass - inability to make move for both players.
   End  of  the  game  -  the  condition  of the game when the move is
impossible for both sides. This happens either at lack of empty spaces
or at mutual pass.
   At  the  beginning  of  the  game  on  the  game field are placed 4
figures,  two for each player. The figures are places crisscross. Then
the  players  move  one  after  another until the end of the game. The
winner is the player that has more figures on the game field.

5. Game modes

   "Magic  Reversi" gives you wide variety of game modes. You can play
with another person on your machine or by LAN, certainly you can fight
with computer.
   Single  game.  It's a competition between two players. You can play
with  another  player  or  with the computer. At the second choice the
program  will  be  playing  against  you as you would are playing with
another  player,  and you are able to choose the intelligence level of
your opponent. Beginning with "baby" and ending with "Merlin".
   At  the  start of the program the new game starts automatically. On
the  game  field  are  placed  figures  in  the  form  of  the square.
Crisscross  are  placed  your  figures and your opponents. To make the
move  left-click  the  mouse on the square where you want to move your
figure.  Of  course  the  move  is  possible  only if it would lead to
transformation  (see  above).  Each  time you pass the cursor over the
square where the move is possible the cursor will look like a pointing
hand. At that time you will hear sound accompaniment. You can move the
cursor  also  with  the  keyboard  by using arrows, and to make a move
press  either  "Space  Bar"  or "Enter". Instantly after your move the
program will start to think over the answering move. The time spend on
thinking  will  depend  on  situation  on  the field, the level of the
opponent  and  the speed of your computer. Of course this is only fair
when  you  play  with the computer! If your opponent is another player
like you are then the speed of decision-making depends only on him...
   The game allows the change of the main settings. In the menu of the
game  choose  "Game". "Settings" allow you to change the main settings
in  the  game.  This  means  that  you  can  choose your opponent, the
difficulty  level  if  your  opponent is the computer, the size of the
game field and color of your figures. Also you can turn on and off the
sound  effect,  animation of the figures. If it is necessary, possible
install  an  option  of  taking  away  a  window  of program under its
minimization  in  systray. Another interesting option - the appearance
of   the  figures.  This  includes  "Flame",  "Classical",  "Ancient",
"Phials"  and  "Santa  Claus".  Later more types can appears that will
make  the appearance of the game more interesting. The control key for
settings - F4.
   Option "Hint" allow you to receive the hint about the best possible
move for the moment. Very helpful if you are a novice. The control key
- "F3".
   Option "New" starts new game. The control key - "F2".
   To  call  the rules of the game and it's description in option menu
"Info" choose "Help" or press "F1".
   Net  game.  The  last version of the game allows you to play across
the   local  area  network  (LAN)  or  Internet.  This  is  also  very
interesting  type  of competition in sharpness of the mind and logical
thinking.  And  the  fact  that  you can't see your opponent adds more
spice to the game.
   Option  menu  "Call" allows to call opponent, choosing settings for
net game beforehand (color of the figures and size of the game field).
Option  "Allow  call"  "Alt+L" allows another player to call you for a
match. While calling "F5", the opponent gets an invitation to the game
where  he  can  look  over  the rules to the game and either accept or
decline  the  challenge.  If  he  won't  answer  during 30 seconds the
challenge  will  automatically  be  declined and the message about the
decline  will be send to the challenger. If you don't want to continue
the  game  use  option  "Disconnect"  "F6" and you can leave the game,
while  your  opponent  will  be informed about it. If you want to tell
something  to your opponent, like teases him or congratulate his smart
move  you  can use option "Message" "F7". As a result you will see the
message  window,  when  you  can send new message or look over the old
ones. For more info about Net game see next topic.

6. LAN and Internet playing

   If  you  want  to  play  "Magic  Reversi"  by  i-net  you  need the
following:

- Additional communication program (ICQ for example).
- Both players should have this game.

   If you want to challenge somebody:

- Arrange about beginning of the game.
- If you are mutually agree to play then find out IP-address of your
opponent from himself or from your communication program.
- Both run "Magic Reversi".
- Call your opponent by entering his IP in the Call opponent dialog.
- If the connection was terminated or you receive error-messages then
restart the game and repeat all the actions described above.

   Possible mistakes during connection:

- IP address of your opponent was entered incorrectly. (Attention! IP
address may be dynamic, so we recommend you to check it before each
connection)
- Your opponent did not run "Magic Reversi".
- Internet mistakes. (Abnormal I-net connection)

   Footnotes.  We  currently  do not provide special game server which
could  handle all the actions described above. To find out your own IP
address run program winipcfg.exe:

- Click Start button.
- Click Run menu item.
- Type winipcfg.exe and press Enter.

   In  Windows2000  you  mast  use  ipconfig.exe  (run  it from MS-DOS
console).

7. The Network game using ICQ

   Now  we  simplify  the  process  of  connection using ICQ. Below we
widely  describe how to tune the ICQ 2000b for "Magic Reversi". So now
you can play with any person in your contact list. For that you should
only perform two conditions: first you and your opponent ought to have
the  game  "Magic  Reversi"  version 1.0 or later (version of the game
notes  during  the  installation in the first greeting dialog, also we
recommend  you  to  have  similar  versions),  second  to have similar
settings  of  the  "Games"  component  of  ICQ  in  this  case  "Magic
Reversi".
   To config ICQ 2000b execute following steps:

- Enter the main menu (ICQ).
- Switch ICQ to "Advanced mode".
- Enter the main menu again.
- Choose item "Preferences".
- In the opened window, at the left side, choose item
"Telephony/Data/Games".
- On the page opened from the right side you'll see list of
applications and groups.
- Press button "New External", will be opened dialog "Define New
External Application".
- Choose group "Externals Group" from the list required group -
"Games".
- Input the "External Application Name", be careful, both sides should
have the same name, ex. "Magic Reversi".
- In "External Application Executable" field is necessary to enter
application filename with the full path. You can use Browse button to
easy this operation. If you have installed game in the default
location then your path is "C:\Program Files\MRevEngCD" or the same.
- If you performed the previous item correctly then in the right upper
corner you will see flammable green star, if not - check previous
steps.
- Now press "Client-Server Application" button, the dialog window will
be wider.

- In appeared "External Application Server Executable" field, enter
the same path and the name of the application as in the item "External
Application Name". (You can copy it from here)
- In the "Command Line", input command: -connect %i
- In the Server Command Line, input command: -listen
- Press the Ok button

   If  you  performed  everything then you can challenge each other to
play "Magic Reversi".
   Of  course you'll ask me a question What would happened if I'll run
the game? Now we'll describe to you some simple things.
   First: ICQ - What is it? ICQ - it is I-net client, by another words
it  is  application  running  at your PC and making requests to home's
server  (www.icq.com).  Types  of  queries  can  be  differed. Such as
connection  with  ICQ  server,  getting  your  contact  list,  sending
messages, files and it's receiving. But the most important is - during
the  connection  the  ICQ server sends your IP-address (4 digits). You
need IP-address to make the game by ICQ.
   Second.  The  game.  For  example you and your opponent have "Magic
Reversi " and want to play game against each other. You click mouse on
your  opponent  in  the contact list. Choose item "Games" and click on
"Magic  Reversi". Then choose your status: server (I Am The Server) or
client  (I Am The Client). Remember, if you are under the proxy server
or  under  the  Firewall  (usually  it's  computers in the corporative
networks),  will  be  better  to  be  Client, because of access to the
server  can be denied from your opponent. Besides this, the Client has
the  right  to  choose  game  settings.  Attention:  non You, non Your
Opponent  would  run "Magic Reversi" because after sending the request
and answer from another side the game run automatically.
   Third. ICQ error. We (the development group) found out the next ICQ
error  (this  error  exists  in  ICQ  Version  2000b Beta v.4.60 Build
#3278):
   If  you  send  the  request to your opponent while your opponent in
offline,  ICQ  have  to send request and then, when both of you are in
Online  activate the request. But it doesn't occurs. Moreover you meet
such  problem:  when  your  opponent  is in Online mode and see you in
contact-list  (of  course  you in Online), You immediately change your
mode  to  Offline.  So you can't use ICQ while your Opponent in Online
mode.  The  only  way  to  correct this problem to reenter Application
settings  of  your ICQ and to remove Reversi out of the list. Until we
don't  know  how to decide this problem. That's why in this version of
"Magic  Reversi"  we removed all automatically settings of the game in
ICQ->Games.
   If  you've met the same problem and know how to overcome it tell us
please.
   Knowing  this error, be careful and call each other only if you are
in Online mode.

8. Support

   If   you   have  questions  or  suggestions  on  mutual  profitable
cooperation  do  not  hesitate to contact us. We would also be glad to
know  your  opinion about the game with any suggestions. Thank you for
your interest.