The Scarcity Game is a shareware (see below) HyperCard stack that teaches the concept of scarcity through the use of a spreadsheet-like interface.
It requires: HyperCard or HyperCard Player 2.1 or later; System 6.08 or later; and 1500K of free RAM (to run HyperCard). It was made on an original Mac LC running system 7.0.1 and later system 7.5.3.
I strongly suggest you read the instructions because the main game screen seems a little complicated when you first look at it and there are some important things that aren't all that obvious that it documents. If you like the program, you can put it on all the computers in your lab for $40 (see Shareware section). The instructions below are also located within the program.
Instructions:
Situation:
You are stranded on a desert island. There is no one else on that island with you. You must decide how to use your scarce resource of time to build tools, so you can find food and survive.
You start out taking 11 hours per day to find food. The tools you build will bring this number down. You build a tool by clicking on the line of the tool on the top part of the screen (factsheet). Each tool costs a certain amout of hours to build. This number is listed in the third column of the factsheet. To build any tool, you must have more than or the same number of hours saved as the tool takes to build. The number of hours you have saved is listed on line 12 of the bottom half of the screen (worksheet). You start out with 20 hours saved. If you don't want to build anything in a certain period (column of the worksheet), click on the none line of the factsheet. Once you click on a line, the computer will calculate the number of hours that you have saved up for the next period. The object of the game is to get your total hours saved over 400.
Tips:
• When you want to change something you built in a certain period, click on that period and then on the tool that you want to build there. In this way, you can see how each tool you build affects your final score.
• You can fill the remaining periods up with the none tool by holding down the option key and clicking on none. This is a good way to start out the game because it allows you to see if the tool you build affects your total hours saved positively or negatively.
• You can't build farm equipment (plow or animal) until the fifth period.
• Your game is automatically saved. You can resume your saved game by clicking on “Resume Game”. Only two games (Game 1 and Game 2) can saved per copy of this program.
• Clicking on "New Game" erases both Game 1 and Game 2. "End Game" ends only the game you are currently on.
• If you want to change the number of days per cycle you are farming, click on any of the farm tools you have already built. (You are asked how many days per period you want to farm when you first build farm equipment.)
• There are many combinations of tools that, when both built will lower your hour to get one day's food supply. If you have built one of the tools, and not the other, clicking on the combination line will only build the remaining tool.
• If you want to change the name, section, and/or teacher, displayed on the upper left corner of the screen, click on that area of the screen. If your screen is too small to see the name, etc, you can click on "Print Game" and then on, "Change Name...". This will give you the series of dialogs that you get when you click on "New Game" or "End Game".
When you are done with your first game click on “Go to Game 2” to go to the second game and try something different. When you are done with both games, you can print both of them by clicking on “Print Games” on either game.
Known Bugs (Features?):
-When printing, there is no print dialog, and printing is always on best quality.
-The message box can still be displayed, and code executed.
-Both games will be printed even if one or both is empty.
-You can quit with command-q, but you won't get a "Do you really want to quit?" dialog.
Disclaimer:
I'm not responsible for anything bad that happens to your computer(s) as a result of this program.
Version History:
1.0 1/1/96 First Version (limited distribution)
1.0.1 12/4/96 Fixed various bugs and added shareware message.
Upcoming Programs:
(To be released within two months)
-Supply and Demand
-The Farm Game
-The Hobbit Board Game
-RebusMania
-The Science Game
Shareware Notice
This program is shareware: $10 per computer or $40 for an entire computer lab. After you have had it for a 30 days, you are required to pay for it or delete all copies of it; not doing so is a violation of the copyright. Send your payment in a US check or cash to the address at the address below. You can also reach me by email, but I might not be able to respond right away. If you pay for the program now, you get rights to all future versions, even if I raise the price.
If you don't like the program, tell me how I could make it better. I will make a color version if there is enough response to this version. I encourage you to email me with comments, suggestions, questions, etc. at:
