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Pyramid version 1.1 Copyright 1992 by Eduardo Martins _______ ____|__ | (r) --| | |------------------- | ____|__ | Association of | | |_| Shareware |__| o | Professionals -----| | |--------------------- |___|___| MEMBER Pyramid User's Manual 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ INTRODUCTION ============ Pyramid 1.1 is the latest addition to the EM Software line of shareware games. Like its predecessors, it features high-resolution EGA graphics, full mouse support, and a sleek, easy to use interface. Pyramid goes one step further by including a Tournament mode in which you can play against a friend, or try your luck against the computer. While there are other implementations of Pyramid solitaire available, I have tried to make this one the finest, and think that its crisp, colorful graphics, cheerful sounds, and polished user interface have no match. Users of our previous programs generally regard them as the best in their class; I hope you'll find the same holds true for Pyramid 1.1. It took me a lot of time and effort to develop it; please encourage the development of other high-quality shareware programs by sending the enclosed registration form and the registration fee. A little plug: if you enjoy solitaire games, chances are you will like my other games, Klondike (current version as of March 1992 is 3.1), and Poker Solitaire (current version is 2.1). They can be found on CompuServe (IBMNEW Library 8, as KLDK31.EXE and PSOL21.EXE), GEnie (IBMPC RoundTable Library 7, as KLONDK31.EXE and PKRSOL21.EXE), and on major Bulletin Board Systems all over the country. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS =================== Pyramid 1.1 runs on an IBM-PC or compatible running under MS-DOS 2.0 or greater, with an EGA/VGA monitor and display adapter and 384 Kbytes of available memory. A Microsoft-compatible mouse is strongly recommended, but the game can be played from the keyboard. If you want to use the mouse, the mouse driver (usually called MOUSE.SYS or MOUSE.COM) must be installed before you load Pyramid; please refer to your mouse documentation for instructions. Make sure that the files PYRAMID.EXE, PYRAMID.GX, and PYRAMID.HLP are all on the current directory. If you are running Pyramid from a floppy disk, make sure that the disk is not write-protected, since the program writes configuration information to disk. Pyramid User's Manual 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ PYRAMID RULES ============= Deal twenty-eight cards in the form of a pyramid. The first row has one card, the second two cards, and so on. The last row has seven cards, and each row overlaps the previous one, so that each card (except in the seventh row) is partly covered by two cards of the next row. At the beginning of play, the seven cards of the last row are available. The removal of any two adjacent cards uncovers one card in the row above. Each card wholly uncovered becomes available. From the available cards, discard pairs of cards that total thirteen (aces are worth one, jacks eleven, queens twelve, and kings thirteen). Discard kings singly. Turn cards from the Pack one at a time, putting unplayable cards in a Waste Pile. The top card of the Waste Pile is always available, and may be paired with the next card turned up from the Pack or with any released card in the pyramid. The game is won if you remove all cards from the pyramid, Pack, and Waste Pile. Par Pyramid ----------- Par Pyramid is a method of scoring that establishes degrees of victory. Two redeals are allowed. If you win the game in one deal, score 50 points. If you clear away the pyramid on the first deal, use the redeals to deplete the Pack, if possible, and score 50 less the number of cards left in the Waste Pile. Similarly, if you clear away the pyramid on the second or third deal, score 35 or 20 respectively, less the number in the Waste Pile. If you do not clear away the pyramid, subtract from your score the total number of cards left undiscarded. Par is a net score of zero in six games, and any net plus may be considered a win. Par Pyramid may be played competitively by two or more, each playing six games with his own deck. The best final score wins. This implementation of Pyramid can be played in two ways. On the first, 'Standard Play', a single game is played, with two redeals allowed. On the second, 'Tournament Play', a series of six games, with two redeals, is played either by a single player, by two competing players, or by a player competing against the computer. Pyramid User's Manual 3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ GAME PLAY - MOUSE ================= To select a card, place the mouse cursor over it and press the left mouse button. The selected card will be highlighted. Notice that when the cursor is over a card that can be selected it will change from an arrow shape to a pointing hand. If you select a card by mistake, place the mouse cursor over it and press the left button again to deselect it. After you select the first card, select the second one. If the two selected cards total thirteen, they will be removed from the board, otherwise a beep will sound and an error message will be displayed. To move a card from the Pack to the Waste Pile, press the right mouse button. The mouse cursor does NOT need to be over the top card of the Pack. Standard Play ------------- The following commands are available during play, and can be issued by placing the mouse cursor over the corresponding 'command button' (on the lower right hand corner of the screen) and pressing the left mouse button: HINT: highlights two cards that total thirteen and that can be removed from the board. The cursor changes to an Hourglass and the cards remain highlighted until you press a mouse button. The highlights will then disappear and normal play resumes. If no cards can be removed, a beep and a message will tell you so. NEW: interrupts the current game and starts a new one. You are asked to confirm by selecting either 'Yes' or 'No' from a dialog box. Use the left mouse button to enter your selection. TOUR: switch to Tournament Play. Select 'None' for no opponent, 'Human' to play against another player, or 'Computer' to play against the computer. You can also select 'Restore' to resume a previously saved game. CONFIG: brings up the Configuration menu. This allows you to customize your copy of Pyramid. The first option, Mouse, can be set to 'Yes' (always use the mouse; this option is ignored if a mouse driver is not found when you start Pyramid), 'No' (always use the keyboard, even if a mouse driver is present), or 'Ask' (if a mouse driver is found, asks at the beginning of each game whether or not you want to use the mouse). The second option, Sound, can be set to 'Full' (songs and beeps are enabled), 'Partial' (songs disabled, but error beeps enabled), or 'Off' (both songs and beeps disabled). The third option, Speed, controls the speed of the computer controlled player, and can be set to 'Slow', 'Medium', or 'Fast'. The fourth option, Error Messages, can be set to 'Yes' (displays a Pyramid User's Manual 4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ context-sensitive error message each time an error occurs), or 'No' (does not display the error messages, errors are indicated by beeps if Sound is either Full or Partial). Finally, the fifth option, Use Same Deck, can be set to 'Yes' (the same deal is used for both players during each game of a Tournament), or 'No' (the deck is redealt for each player). To select an option, place the mouse cursor over it and press the left mouse button. Currently selected options are highlighted. Press the right mouse button when done. If you are playing from a floppy-disk, do NOT write-protect the disk, otherwise Config will not be able to write the configuration information. AUTO: the computer finishes the current game for you. INFO: displays Copyright and Version information, and your registration number if you have a registered copy. Press any mouse button to return to the game after you are done viewing the information. ? HELP: displays a help file. Use the cursor keys (Up Arrow, Down Arrow, PgUp, PgDn, Home, and End) to move around the file, and press [Esc] when you are done viewing it. QUIT: quits Pyramid. You are asked to confirm by selecting either 'Yes' or 'No' from a dialog box. Use the left mouse button to enter your selection. Tournament Play --------------- Once you start Tournament play, you stay in Tournament mode until you select EXIT to get back to standard play. NEW will start a new Tournament match, using the same settings (number of players, human or computer opponent, and player names) of the current match. All other commands work as described above, except for HINT, TOUR, AUTO and QUIT. These three commands are not available during Tournament Play, and are replaced by the following commands: TOP 10: displays the Top 10 scores. A list of the ten best Tournament scores (that is, the net score of a series of six games) is maintained. The score must be greater than zero to enter the Top 10 list. SAVE: saves the current game to the file PYRAMID.SAV. The game can be resumed later by selecting RESTORE from the TOUR menu. SCORE: displays the current score. EXIT: exits Tournament mode, getting you back to Standard mode. Pyramid User's Manual 5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ GAME PLAY - KEYBOARD ==================== To select a card, press the number corresponding to the ROW of the card you want to select (1 to 7), and then the number corresponding to the COLUMN of the card (again, 1 to 7). Note that the top card of the Pyramid is 1,1; the left- most card at the bottom is 7,1; and the rightmost card at the bottom is 7,7. Row numbers are displayed in light green to the left of the Pyramid; and column numbers are displayed in yellow at the top of the cards. The selected card will be highlighted. After you select the first card, select the second one. If the two selected cards total thirteen, they will be removed from the board, otherwise a beep will sound and an error message will be displayed. To select the top card of the Pack, press [P]. To select the top card of the Waste Pile, press [W]. To move a card from the Pack to the Waste Pile, press [D] (for Discard). Note that you can use the numeric keypad to play; use 1-7 for row and column numbers, 8 for Pack, 9 for Waste, and 0 for Discard. Note that the NumLock option is automatically turned on when you play using the keyboard. You can then use the numeric keypad to play. The keypad keys work as indicated below: +------+ +------+ +------+ +------+ +------+ +------+ +------+ +------+ |7 | |8 | |9 | | | |7 | |8 | |9 | |+ | |# 7 | |Pack | |Waste | | | |# 7 | |Pack | |Waste | | | +------+ +------+ +------+ +------+ +------+ +------+ +------+ | | +------+ +------+ +------+ +------+ +------+ +------+ +------+ | | |4 | |5 | |6 | |- | |4 | |5 | |6 | | | |# 4 | |# 5 | |# 6 | |Quit | |# 4 | |# 5 | |# 6 | |New | +------+ +------+ +------+ +------+ +------+ +------+ +------+ +------+ +------+ +------+ +------+ +------+ +------+ +------+ +------+ +------+ |1 | |2 | |3 | |+ | |1 | |2 | |3 | |Enter | |# 1 | |# 2 | |# 3 | | | |# 1 | |# 2 | |# 3 | | | +------+ +------+ +------+ | | +------+ +------+ +------+ | | +---------------+ +------+ | | +---------------+ +------+ | | |0 | | | | | |0 | | | | | |Discard | | | |New | |Discard | | | |Quit | +---------------+ +------+ +------+ +---------------+ +------+ +------+ Standard AT keyboard Enhanced keyboard Pyramid User's Manual 6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Standard Play ------------- The following commands are available during play, and can be issued by typing the highlighted letter from the corresponding 'command button' (on the lower right hand corner of the screen): HINT: highlights two cards that total thirteen and that can be removed from the board. Press any key to remove the highlights and go back to normal play mode. If no cards can be removed, a beep and a message will tell you so. NEW: interrupts the current game and starts a new one. You are asked to confirm by selecting either 'Yes' or 'No' from a dialog box. Press either [Y] or [N] to enter your selection. TOUR: switch to Tournament Play. Select 'None' for no opponent, 'Human' to play against another player, or 'Computer' to play against the computer. You can also select 'Restore' to resume a previously saved game. CONFIG: brings up the Configuration menu. This allows you to customize your copy of Pyramid. The first option, Mouse, can be set to 'Yes' (always use the mouse; this option is ignored if a mouse driver is not found when you start Pyramid), 'No' (always use the keyboard, even if a mouse driver is present), or 'Ask' (if a mouse driver is found, asks at the beginning of each game whether or not you want to use the mouse). The second option, Sound, can be set to 'Full' (songs and beeps are enabled), 'Partial' (songs disabled, but error beeps enabled), or 'Off' (both songs and beeps disabled). The third option, Speed, controls the speed of the computer controlled player, and can be set to 'Slow', 'Medium', or 'Fast'. The fourth option, Error Messages, can be set to 'Yes' (displays a context-sensitive error message each time an error occurs), or 'No' (does not display the error messages, errors are indicated by beeps if Sound is either Full or Partial). Finally, the fifth option, Use Same Deck, can be set to 'Yes' (the same deal is used for both players during each game of a Tournament), or 'No' (the deck is redealt for each player). You will be prompted to enter the desired option for Mouse, Sound, Speed, Error Messages, and Use Same Deck, in that order. Press either [Y], [N] or [A] for Mouse; [F], [P] or [O] for Sound; [S], [M] or [F] for Speed; [Y] or [N] for Error Messages, and [Y] or [N] for Use Same Deck. Press [Enter] after selecting each one. Currently selected options are highlighted. If you are playing from a floppy-disk, do NOT write-protect the disk, otherwise Config will not be able to write the configuration information. AUTO: the computer finishes the current game for you. Pyramid User's Manual 7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ INFO: displays Copyright and Version information, and your registration number if you have a registered copy. Press any key to return to the game after you are done viewing the information. ? HELP: displays a help file. Use the cursor keys (Up Arrow, Down Arrow, PgUp, PgDn, Home, and End) to move around the file, and press [Esc] when you are done viewing it. QUIT: quits Pyramid. You are asked to confirm by selecting either 'Yes' or 'No' from a dialog box. Press either [Y] or [N] to enter your selection. Tournament Play --------------- Once you start Tournament play, you stay in Tournament mode until you select EXIT to get back to standard play. NEW will start a new Tournament match, using the same settings (number of players, human or computer opponent, and player names) of the current match. All other commands work as described above, except for HINT, TOUR, AUTO, and QUIT. These three commands are not available during Tournament Play, and are replaced by the following commands: TOP 10: displays the Top 10 scores. A list of the ten best Tournament scores (that is, the net score of a series of six games) is maintained. The score must be greater than zero to enter the Top 10 list. SAVE: saves the current game to the file PYRAMID.SAV. The game can be resumed later by selecting RESTORE from the TOUR menu. SCORE: displays the current score. EXIT: exits Tournament mode, getting you back to Standard mode. NOTES ===== * Pyramid will not finish a game if any valid moves can be made using the available cards. If you have gone through the three passes and the game seems to be 'locked up', check the Pyramid carefully for possible moves. If in Standard mode, you can use the HINT command. Once all valid moves are made, the game will finish and the score will be displayed. * If you do not make any moves during a pass, Pyramid will assume you have reached a standstill and will cut the game short, not allowing you other pass(es). Pyramid User's Manual 8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ * At the beginning of each tournament, and each time you clear the Pyramid, you'll hear a song (if you have Full Sound turned on). You do not have to wait for the song to finish; the song will play in the background as you make your moves. * When you start a Tournament, you are prompted for the players' names. The last names used in the current session are suggested as default; if you want to use the same names, simply press [Enter]. If you want to use new names, you don't have to erase the previous ones; simply start typing the new name and the old one will be overwritten. COMMAND-LINE OPTIONS ==================== The following options can be specified when you load Pyramid: -mouse selects the mouse as the input device. This option is ignored if a mouse driver is not found. -nomouse selects the keyboard as the input device. -ask asks whether or not you want to use the mouse. This option is ignored if a mouse driver is not found. [Default] -fullsound turns full sound (songs and error beeps) on. [Default] -partsound turns partial sound (error beeps, but no songs) on. -nosound turns both songs and error beeps off. -slow selects slow Auto play speed. -medium selects medium Auto play speed. [Default] -fast selects fast Auto play speed. -errormsgon turns error messages on. [Default] -errormsgoff turns error messages off. Note that the command-line switches have precedence over the settings selected through the Config command. So, if you have Pyramid currently configured to use the mouse and the slow Auto play speed, but you load it as pyramid -nomouse -fast the keyboard and the fast Auto play speed will be used. Pyramid User's Manual 9 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ REGISTRATION ============ You are granted a license to try this program for a period of 21 days. If you continue to use it after the trial period is over, you must register by sending the registration form and $15 + $5 (shipping and handling) to: EM Software Station A, P.O. Box 2052 Champaign, IL 61825-2052 When you register Pyramid, you receive a diskette with the latest version, a printed manual, and a registration number and instructions on how to store it into your copy. This number will then be displayed instead of the 'Unregistered Evaluation Copy' message on the info window, and the Shareware screen that is displayed after you quit the game will be suppressed. Note that, except for the differences listed above, the evaluation and the registered copies are identical. The evaluation copy is fully functional. TECHNICAL SUPPORT ================= If you have any questions or comments about Pyramid, please write to EM Software Station A, P.O. Box 2052 Champaign, IL 61825-2052 or leave electronic mail to 73300,267 on CompuServe or E.MARTINS on GEnie. The fastest way to reach me is through CompuServe - I log on about twice a day, opposed to about once a week on GEnie. Don't hesitate to write, I belive in supporting my users, and would like to hear from you! While I have made every effort to ensure that this software works properly, I know better than to claim that you will never experience problems while using it. If you believe you have found a bug, please report it in as much detail as possible, including a reproducible sequence of events that leads to the problem, a complete description of your hardware (including mouse manufacturer and mouse driver version number), DOS version used, amount of free memory reported by CHKDSK, and a copy of your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files. Pyramid User's Manual 10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ================ Pyramid was written using Borland's Turbo Pascal 5.5, Turbo Power Software's Object Professional 1.0, and Genus Microprogramming's PCX Programmer's Toolkit and GX Graphics . I wish to thank everybody at CompuServe's Borland (BPROGA) Forum. Their help and support has been invaluable. I also wish to thank the following individuals: * Neil Rubenking, author of PianoMan, used to add the songs; * Scott Bussinger, author of the BackPlay unit, used to play the PianoMan tunes in the background; * Tim Godfrey, author of the GrafText unit, used for the extremely fast graphics-mode screen writes; * and, last but not least, the best beta-test team in the world: Mael Martins, Joan Friedman, Howard Silverman, Angel Cruz, Tom Canaday, Diane Clayton, Fred Hill, Martin Schiff, Neil Rubenking, Don Gloistein, and David L. Blair. Special thanks to Howard Benner and the whole TAPCIS crew. Pyramid User's Manual 11 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ABOUT SHAREWARE =============== (Definition supplied by the Association of Shareware Professionals) Shareware distribution gives users a chance to try software before buying it. If you try a Shareware program and continue using it, you are expected to register. Individual programs differ on details -- some request registration while others require it, some specify a maximum trial period. With registration, you get anything from the simple right to continue using the software to an updated program with a printed manual. Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial software, and the copyright holder retains all rights, with a few specific exceptions as stated below. Shareware authors are accomplished programmers, just like commercial authors, and the programs are of comparable quality. (In both cases, there are good programs and bad ones!) The main difference is in the method of distribution. The author specifically grants the right to copy and distribute the software, either to all and sundry or to a specific group. For example, some authors require written permission before a commercial disk vendor may copy their Shareware. So, Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software. You should find software that suits your needs and pocketbook, whether it's commercial or Shareware. The Shareware system makes fitting your needs easier, because you can try before you buy. And because the overhead is low, prices are low also. Shareware has the ultimate money-back guarantee -- if you don't use the product, you don't pay for it. * * * * * * * This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442-9427, or send a Compuserve message via CMAIL to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.