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-
- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
- * *
- * TAMPER (tm) *
- * *
- * Manual for Version 1.20u *
- * *
- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
-
-
- (c) Copyright 1993 VORCO Technologies
-
- All rights reserved. No portion of this manual may be
- reproduced or transmitted, separate from the program,
- without express written permission from the publisher.
-
- Tamper is a trademark of VORCO Technologies.
- Compression software is LHA (c) Yoshi, 1991.
-
- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-
- VORCO TECHNOLOGIES EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES
- RELATING TO THIS SOFTWARE. THE SOFTWARE AND MANUAL ARE
- DISTRIBUTED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTIES AS TO PERFORMANCE
- OR MERCHANTABILITY. DUE TO THE VARIOUS HARDWARE AND
- SOFTWARE ENVIRONMENTS INTO WHICH THIS SOFTWARE MAY BE
- INSTALLED, NO GUARANTEE OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
- PURPOSE IS MADE. THE USER ASSUMES THE ENTIRE RISK OF
- USING THIS SOFTWARE. IN NO EVENT, REGARDLESS OF THE FORM
- OF CLAIM, SHALL VORCO TECHNOLOGIES' LIABILITY EXCEED THE
- PRICE OF DISK REPLACEMENT OR REGISTRATION FEE.
- This agreement shall be governed by laws of the State
- of Oregon. Any action related to this agreement shall be
- brought only in a STATE or FEDERAL COURT of competent
- jurisdiction located in Lane County, Oregon. The parties
- consent to in personam jurisdiction of said courts.
-
- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-
-
- ---------
- ------|-- | (tm)
- ---| | O |------------------
- | -----|--- | Association of
- | | |-- Shareware
- ---| O | Professionals
- -------| | |---------------------
- --------- MEMBER
-
-
- VORCO TECHNOLOGIES
- P.O. Box 5316
- Eugene, OR 97405
-
- orders: 800-242-4775
- support: 503-485-1127
- fax: 503-485-7424
-
-
-
- * * * * * * SHAREWARE STATEMENT * * * * * *
-
- The Tamper program is distributed as shareware. The
- shareware marketing system allows you to evaluate quality
- software prior to paying the registration fee.
-
- This program is produced by a member of the Associa-
- tion 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 pro-
- vide technical support for the members' products. Please
- write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon,
- MI 49442 or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail
- to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.
-
-
- * * * * * * LICENSE AGREEMENT * * * * * *
-
- The Tamper software program is the exclusive property
- of VORCO TECHNOLOGIES. You are granted a limited license
- to use this software for evaluation purposes. If you wish
- to continue using Tamper after that, you must register.
-
- This license allows you to make copies of this version
- of Tamper for distribution, provided the following condi-
- tions are met: (1) the Tamper files may not be modified
- in any way, (2) The software may not be represented as
- anything other than shareware, (3) No purchase fee
- (other than a fee for disk duplication) may be charged,
- (4) only this unregistered version may be distributed,
- and (5) you must immediately halt distribution if VORCO
- TECHNOLOGIES notifies you to stop.
-
-
- * * * * * * REGISTRATION NOTICE * * * * * *
-
- Any price you paid to obtain this copy of Tamper went
- entirely to the shareware distributor and does not, in
- any way, cover the cost of registering the program. To
- continue using Tamper, you need to register directly with
- VORCO TECHNOLOGIES.
-
- The registration fee is $29.00, plus $4,00 shipping
- and handling. To register, send the registration fee,
- along with your name, address, and disk size, to:
- VORCO TECHNOLOGIES, P.O. Box 5316, Eugene, OR 97405.
-
- For credit card orders only, call 1-800-242-4775.
-
- For more details on registering--and a summary of
- benefits--refer to Appendix D at the end of this manual.
-
-
- CONTENTS
-
-
-
- Description 1
-
- Playing the Game 2
-
- Operating the Program 4
- Overview 4
- The Main Menu 4
- Starting A Game 5
- Conducting Transactions 6
- Tampering 7
- The Finalize Window 8
- Statistics & Express Mode 9
- Previous Games 10
- Generating Reports 11
- Configuration 11
- Managing Histories 12
-
- Game Details 14
- Reading The Game-Board Screen 14
- Company Characteristics 16
- Dividend & Bonus Payments 17
- Company Expansion 19
- Company Mergers 20
- Buying & Selling Stock 21
- The Tamper 23
- The Game Ending 24
- Solitaire 24
- Statistics 25
- Reports 27
-
- Game Strategy 30
-
- Appendix A Packing List 36
- Appendix B System Requirements 37
- Appendix C Installation 38
- Appendix D Registration 39
- Appendix E About Shareware 41
-
- Index 42
-
- page 1
-
- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
- * *
- * DESCRIPTION *
- * *
- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
-
-
-
- Tamper is a game of investment strategy. Any number of
- players from one to four may play. Throughout the game,
- various companies form on the Tamper game board. Players,
- in an effort to accumulate wealth, take turns buying and
- selling stock in these companies. A player who makes wise
- investment decisions, correctly anticipating events of
- the game, will get rich quickly. The first player who
- attains a net worth of $100,000 or more wins the game.
-
-
- page 2
-
- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
- * *
- * PLAYING THE GAME *
- * *
- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
-
-
- Each player begins the game with $5,000 in cash. At
- the start of the game, the game board is empty and no
- companies are active. Throughout the game, new companies
- form and attempt to secure a safe position on the game
- board. In time, certain companies grow and prosper, while
- others struggle and fail. Meanwhile, players buy and sell
- stock in the various companies, attempting to increase
- their net worth as quickly as possible.
- Each round of play consists of the computer (or a
- player) selecting one particular square on the game
- board, followed by each player taking a turn to act. This
- process continues until the game ends.
- The selection of a particular square can be thought of
- as an infusion of money into the game. The money is put
- into the game at the selected location on the game board.
- The selected square is referred to as the "infused"
- square for that round.
- Four distinct possibilities exist regarding the
- infused square: either the square is (1) empty and not
- adjacent to any company, (2) already occupied by a
- company, (3) empty and adjacent to one company, or
- (4) empty and adjacent to more than one company.
- If the infused square is empty and not adjacent to any
- company, a new company forms. The new company is assigned
- a unique set of characteristics and begins its life on
- the game board at the selected location. A maximum of
- seven companies may be active on the board at one time.
- In other words, if seven companies are already active, an
- empty, isolated square may not be infused that round.
- If the infused square is already occupied by an active
- company, the company makes dividend payments to all
- current stockholders. Essentially, the company passes the
- infused money on directly to its investors. The company
- may also award a majority-holder bonus at this time, paid
- to the player holding the most stock in the company.
- If the infused square is empty and lies adjacent to an
- active company, the company expands into the selected
- location. In effect, the company uses the infused capital
- to grow. The company takes over the new location, growing
- one square larger in size, and increasing its stock value
- accordingly.
- Finally, if the infused square is empty and lies adja-
- cent to two or more companies, the companies merge. The
- largest, most powerful company takes over the smaller,
- weaker company(s). Stock from the defunct company(s) is
- converted into stock belonging to the company taking
-
- page 3
-
- over. Players automatically trade in old stock for new
- stock at the ratio of three to one.
- Once a company reaches a specified number of squares
- in size, it becomes secure on the game board. A secure
- company can never be taken over by another larger
- company. Spaces on the board which lie adjacent to two
- secure companies can never be infused.
- After each infusion, players are given the opportunity
- to alter their stock holdings or Tamper with the game
- board. A steady rotation determines the order in which
- players take their turns. Each round, the player acts
- first who is the next player in order, after the player
- who acted first the previous round. The remaining players
- act in turn after that.
- Each player, in his or her turn, is presented with a
- menu of four options: BUY, SELL, TAMPER or PASS.
- A player wanting to purchase stock selects BUY. The
- player may buy any available stock at the full-value
- price, provided he or she has sufficient cash to make the
- purchase. A $95 transaction fee is added to the total
- cost of each purchase. If the player cannot afford the
- purchase, the transaction is not allowed.
- A player selects SELL to sell any stock he or she
- owns. The player will be paid the current buy-back price,
- which is usually less than the full value. A $95
- transaction fee is deducted from the payment received by
- the player selling the stock.
- The third option available to each player is TAMPER.
- A Tamper is the process by which a player selects the
- square that will be infused during the next round of
- play. This option affords each player an opportunity to
- "tamper" with the normal random flow of the game. Through
- use of the Tamper, a player can influence the events set
- to occur. Each player is allowed a total of three Tampers
- per game. A nominal fee is charged for each Tamper used.
- The fourth and final option available to the player is
- PASS. A player selects PASS when he or she has completed
- all desired activity for that round. Play then continues
- to the next player or the next round.
- There are two ways in which a player's worth
- increases: (1) by dividend/bonus payments, which increase
- a player's amount of cash, or (2) by stock appreciations,
- which increase the value of a player's stock holdings
- without adding to his or her immediate cash. Players try
- to adjust their stock holdings so that their investments
- are likely to produce the greatest payback. Players
- making sound investments see their net worth grow.
- When a player reaches $100,000 in net worth, the game
- ends immediately and the player is declared the winner.
- If the game lasts 300 rounds without any player reaching
- $100,000, the game is declared a draw and no player wins.
- As soon as the game ends, no further action on the game
- is permitted.
-
-
- page 4
-
- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
- * *
- * OPERATING THE PROGRAM *
- * *
- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
-
-
- Although Tamper is easy to use, you should familiar-
- ize yourself with a few basic procedures so that the
- mechanics of operating the program do not distract
- you during game play.
-
- OVERVIEW
-
- The game of Tamper may be operated entirely with the
- keyboard, entirely with a mouse, or any combination of
- the two. You can even use the keyboard and mouse at the
- exact same time. When more than one person is playing,
- there are a variety of ways in which to operate the game.
- For example, the keyboard or mouse can be used exclu-
- sively, while players trade control with each turn.
- Alternatively, one person can use the keyboard and
- another use the mouse throughout the game. You can elect
- to have one player operate the entire game, and have
- other players tell him or her what to do during their
- turns. Use whatever method of operation feels best to
- you, and to the players in the game.
- Whenever, during the operation of this program, you
- are faced with a menu selection, you can use either the
- arrow keys or the <Tab> and <Shift-Tab> keys to move the
- highlight. You always press <Enter> or <Space bar> to
- make the selection. When using the mouse, simply click on
- your desired selection to move the highlight and make the
- selection all at once. You can also use shortcut keys on
- the keyboard: simply press the key representing the
- first letter of a selection to immediately move the
- highlight and select that option.
- There are two keys you can press any time during the
- operation of this program. First, <F1> displays the HELP
- window. You are shown a context-sensitive message that
- relates to your present location in the program. From
- this window, you can also view a listing of all keys
- available to be pressed at that moment, and you can
- review this manual on screen. Second, <Alt-S> toggles
- the program's music and sound effects. If sound is on,
- it will stop immediately; if off, it will start.
-
- THE MAIN MENU
-
- The Tamper main menu presents you with five choices:
- NEW GAME, PREVIOUS GAME, REPORT, CONFIGURE, and EXIT.
- The NEW GAME selection allows you to begin a new game
- of Tamper. The game will automatically be saved as play
- progresses.
-
- page 5
-
- The PREVIOUS GAME selection lets you view a game that
- is already in progress or has already been completed.
- Select this option when you want to continue play on a
- game that is not yet over, or you want to view statistics
- on completed games. This option will be unavailable at
- first, until at least one game of Tamper has been
- started.
- The REPORT option allows you to generate reports from
- data across multiple games. You can create reports based
- on data from games in the current history file. These
- reports greatly enhance the experience of playing Tamper.
- The CONFIGURE option lets you configure the Tamper
- program for your particular computer system, as well as
- set certain parameters for operating the program. Config-
- uration settings can be changed any time you want.
- The EXIT option ends the Tamper program and returns
- you to DOS. If you started Tamper from within Microsoft
- Windows (tm) or another operating shell or menuing
- system, you will be returned to that system.
-
- STARTING A GAME
-
- To play a game of Tamper, select NEW GAME from the
- main menu. This selection displays the game-board screen,
- which is where all action takes place.
- First, you must enter the names of all players
- planning to take part in the upcoming game. Any number of
- players, from one to four, may play the game. Enter each
- player's name and press <Enter>. When finished entering
- the names, press <Enter> again while leaving the next
- player's name blank. For example, if two players intend
- to play, enter the first player's name, press <Enter>,
- enter the second player's name, press <Enter>, and then
- press <Enter> again from the space for the third player's
- name. This displays the BEGIN GAME window. (If entering
- four names, you will proceed directly to the BEGIN GAME
- window as soon as you enter the last player's name.)
- Individual name entries can be edited by using the
- <Backspace> key to erase letters. To correct mistakes
- from previously entered names, press <Esc> to back up to
- the proper name entry. You may enter first names, last
- names, or both, provided they fit in the allotted space.
- Entering player names is the only preparation required
- before beginning the game.
- An additional feature of Tamper allows you to limit
- any player to using only the keyboard or mouse during
- his or her turn. This limitation is useful when more than
- one player is in the game and players want to eliminate
- the possibility of interfering with each other's turns.
- For example, when two players are in the game, Player 1
- can be limited to the keyboard and Player 2 to the mouse.
-
- page 6
-
- Throughout the game, each player uses only the device
- assigned. Whenever a player is taking a turn, the other
- player is prevented from accidentally interfering. This
- way, players truly pass control of the program to the
- next player when they pass their turn. This limitation
- will be in effect only during the execution of the
- particular player's turn; both keyboard and mouse are
- enabled all other times.
- To activate this limitation, press <Ctrl-Enter> any
- time during the entry of a player's name. A window will
- be displayed allowing you to designate the limitation.
- (If you do not have a mouse installed and enabled on your
- computer, pressing <Ctrl-Enter> will have no effect and
- you will not see this window.) Once this limitation is
- established for a player, it remains in effect for the
- remainder of the game and cannot be changed. If you do
- not explicitly select this limitation, all players may
- use either the keyboard or mouse at all times during the
- operation of the program.
- When you finish entering player names, the BEGIN GAME
- window is displayed on top of the game board. You are
- given two options: OK and CANCEL. OK begins the game;
- CANCEL returns you to the Tamper main menu. Use CANCEL if
- you wish to change a player's name at this point. Once
- the game begins, the names of players cannot be changed.
- At the start of each round throughout the game, you
- will see the NEXT ROUND window, which is similar to the
- BEGIN GAME window and provides you with the same two
- choices: OK and CANCEL. OK begins the next round and
- CANCEL returns you to the main menu. You never need to
- concern yourself with saving the current game; it is
- always saved automatically throughout the game.
- After the infusion that occurs with every round, you
- are shown at least one message window displayed over the
- game board. These windows show you details on what just
- happened, and present you with a single option: OK. After
- looking at the information, select OK to proceed with the
- game.
-
- CONDUCTING TRANSACTIONS
-
- During every round, each player in the game is
- presented with the player-action menu. This menu contains
- four choices: BUY, SELL, TAMPER and PASS. The player
- currently designated to act--whose turn it is--is
- highlighted in bright green. You cannot change this
- selection; it changes automatically to the next player
- when the current player passes his or her turn.
- Selecting BUY or SELL from this menu moves the active
- highlight to the company-listing column. Here you select
- the company for which you want to buy or sell stock. Move
-
- page 7
-
- the highlight up or down with the arrow keys and press
- <Enter> to select. If using a mouse, simply click on the
- desired company. You will not be permitted to select a
- company: (1) if you are buying and the company has no
- stock available, or (2) if you are selling and you do not
- own stock in that company. To cancel activity at this
- point, press <Esc> or click on any area of the screen
- outside the company-listing column.
- Once you select a company, you are presented with the
- TRANSACTION window, which operates differently than other
- windows in the game. This window still contains the OK
- and CANCEL options and they function as expected, but it
- also contains + and - options. In this window, your task
- is to designate how many shares of stock you want to buy
- or sell. You do so by pressing either the <+> or <-> key
- to increase or decrease the displayed number. You can
- also use the <Up> arrow key or <Down> arrow key for the
- same purpose. (Using the <+> key in the number row does
- not require the shift key; pressing <=> is sufficient.)
- When using a mouse, you simply click on the + or - button
- to increase or decrease the number of shares.
- All relevant data is updated within this window
- whenever the number of shares changes. The figure between
- the plus and minus selectors indicates the currently
- designated number of shares. Directly underneath that,
- "P:" indicates the number of shares the player would have
- and "C:" indicates the number of shares the company would
- have. Remember that "P" stands for Player and "C" stands
- for Company. For example, the figures "P: 10" and "C: 32"
- indicate that if this deal is finalized, the active
- player will then have a total of 10 shares of this
- company's stock and the company itself will have a total
- of 32 shares remaining. Underneath that line is displayed
- the player's cash after the deal is completed. The right
- side of the window shows a breakdown of the proposed
- deal, including the transaction fee. The information in
- this window should be viewed carefully by the active
- player prior to approving the transaction. Keep in mind
- that everything displayed in the transaction window
- represents what would exist after the proposed
- transaction takes place. To cancel a transaction and
- remove this window, you can either select CANCEL or set
- the number of stocks to zero and then select OK.
-
- TAMPERING
-
- When a player selects TAMPER, the TAMPER window is
- displayed over the game board, along with a single
- highlighted square. You may use the arrow keys to move
- the highlighted square around the board. When using the
- mouse, simply click on the square where you wish to move
- the highlight.
-
- page 8
-
- The TAMPER window displays current information about
- the square highlighted. If the square is currently
- unavailable for Tamper, you are so informed. To approve
- the Tamper, select OK. To cancel the Tamper select
- CANCEL. To change the highlight from CANCEL to OK using
- the keyboard, press the <Tab> key. It is always safe to
- use the TAMPER option to browse around the board and see
- what various Tampers are selling for; you can always
- cancel the window with no harm done.
-
- THE FINALIZE WINDOW
-
- The FINALIZE window is intended as a point of confir-
- mation, allowing you to specifically accept or cancel the
- actions of your turn. The FINALIZE window also serves as
- a way to undo the actions of your turn and start over.
- You can configure the Tamper program so that the
- FINALIZE window appears automatically every time a player
- selects PASS from the player-action menu. This is the
- safest configuration, since each player is then forced to
- review his or her actions. Configuring the program with
- the FINALIZE window enabled serves as a safety measure of
- sorts. However, if you do not like having to perform the
- extra confirmation step every time you pass, feel free to
- disable this window. Even with the automatic display of
- this window disabled, you can still access the FINALIZE
- window any time you want by pressing <F> from within the
- player-action menu.
- The FINALIZE window presents you with three choices.
- Selecting OK passes your turn, confirming any actions you
- have already performed. Selecting RESUME allows you to
- continue your turn, without altering any actions already
- in place. This lets you resume activity should you decide
- you are not yet ready to pass.
- Selecting UNDO erases all actions you have already
- executed this turn. Everything is reset to the exact con-
- dition it was when your turn began. This allows you to
- essentially start your turn over, varying your actions
- from what you did previously.
- The UNDO option is particularly useful when you error
- in the process of executing your turn. For example, let's
- say you want to purchase all remaining shares in a parti-
- cular company. To get the money, you must first sell
- several shares of another company's stock. You estimate
- selling 5 shares of American Products stock should
- generate sufficient cash. You sell the 5 shares, but when
- you go to buy the new stock, you find that you did not
- get enough cash. You really should have sold 6 shares.
- Now, you can go back and sell one more share and then
- complete the purchase. However, this approach involves a
- total of two separate sales transactions, and thus two
-
- page 9
-
- transaction fees. A better approach is to access the
- FINALIZE window and select UNDO. You can then sell the
- 6 shares all at once.
- The FINALIZE window allows you execute the actions of
- your turn in the most efficient manner. Remember, even if
- the automatic display of this window is disabled, you can
- still access the FINALIZE window at any time by pressing
- the <F> key from within the player-action menu.
-
- STATISTICS AND EXPRESS MODE
-
- In latter stages of the game, the NEXT ROUND window
- has two additional options available. You will then have
- four options: OK, CANCEL, STATISTICS and EXPRESS. OK and
- CANCEL work as before. STATISTICS allows you to view
- current game statistics. These are the same statistics
- screens displayed through accessing PREVIOUS GAMES from
- the main menu. This STATISTICS option from the NEXT ROUND
- window is a convenient way to view game statistics as the
- game is progressing. Hint: Early in the game, before the
- STATISTICS menu option is presented, you can still view
- the game statistics any time the NEXT ROUND window is
- displayed by simply pressing <F12>, <F10> or <S>. You can
- also view statistics from the player-action menu, in any
- round, by pressing <F12> or <F10>.
- The EXPRESS option allows you to enter Express Mode.
- Express Mode executes game play without any input from
- those playing the game. After each round, play continues
- directly to the next round without the game interacting
- with the players. This mode is sometimes useful when
- players are likely to pass and they do not want to
- manually pass with each round. To halt Express Mode,
- press any key or mouse button at any time. You then see
- a summary window, showing how much money was made by each
- player during Express Mode. After that, you are returned
- to regular game play.
- Sometimes Express Mode is convenient. For example, if
- all players have invested all their cash, they may choose
- to enter Express Mode. They can then watch the game
- evolve, stopping the mode immediately whenever they
- accumulate enough money to invest, a new company is
- formed, or an important merger occurs. Players should
- never feel, however, they need to use Express Mode just
- because the option is available to them. Many players
- never use it.
- When a game ends, one last menu is displayed with two
- choices: STATISTICS and MAIN MENU. STATISTICS lets you
- view the game statistics one final time before leaving
- the game screen. Even though you can view the same infor-
- mation by selecting PREVIOUS GAME from the main menu, you
- may want to check this information upon completion of the
- game. The MAIN MENU selection leaves the game for the
- last time and returns you to the Tamper main menu.
-
- page 10
-
- PREVIOUS GAMES
-
- From the Tamper main menu, the second choice is
- PREVIOUS GAME. Selecting this option immediately displays
- the game board for the most recent game saved. At the
- bottom of the game board, a menu is displayed containing
- six different options: PREVIOUS, NEXT, CONTINUE,
- STATISTICS, DELETE and MAIN MENU.
- By using the PREVIOUS and NEXT options, you can scroll
- through all previous games. Remember that the last game
- is presented first and you then scroll backwards toward
- older games. Keyboard shortcuts are available: <PgUp> and
- <PgDn>, as well as <Up> and <Down>, function the same as
- PREVIOUS and NEXT respectively. <Home> moves you immedi-
- ately to the first game saved, and <End> moves you
- immediately to the last game saved.
- Selecting CONTINUE allows you to resume play on a game
- that is not yet complete. Of course, you cannot continue
- a game that has already ended.
- The STATISTICS option displays statistics for the
- particular game selected. The first screen contains
- information regarding the players. The second screen
- shows data for all companies that have taken part in the
- game. If more companies exist than will fit on this
- screen, a third screen is available to show the remaining
- companies. You can scroll through various games while
- statistics are displayed by using the keys <Up>, <Down>,
- <PgUp>, <PgDn>, <Home> and <End>.
- The menu at the bottom of the statistics screen allows
- you to print a statistics report sheet, display the next
- screen, or return to the game-board display. To generate
- a print-out of game statistics, select REPORT SHEET. The
- report is sent to your installed printer. If you wish
- to change your printer settings, do so by selecting
- CONFIGURE from the Tamper main menu. Selecting GAME
- BOARD returns you to the display of the game board.
- From the game-board display, the DELETE option lets
- you eliminate the selected game from the history file.
- When the number of games becomes large, or you no longer
- care to preserve certain games, you can delete them. This
- option is useful in managing your history file. With many
- database-type programs, deleting a record merely removes
- reference to it but does not actually free space in the
- file. This is not the case with the Tamper program;
- deleting a game actually removes the data and reduces the
- size of the history file. This means you can delete games
- for the purpose of freeing disk space.
- Selecting MAIN MENU returns you to the Tamper main
- menu. Your position in the history file is not preserved;
- the next time you select PREVIOUS GAME you will start
- once again by displaying the most recent game saved.
-
- page 11
-
- GENERATING REPORTS
-
- To generate detailed reports based on all complete
- games, select REPORT from the Tamper main menu. This
- displays a window on screen that allows you to set the
- criteria for each report.
- To change the highlight from one category to another,
- use the <Tab> and <Shft-Tab> keys. To change a setting
- within a category, use the <Up> and <Down> arrow keys.
- Three different types of reports can be created. A
- GAME REPORT shows general data on the nature of games
- played. A PLAYER REPORT generates specific data regarding
- the performance of individual players, with an accounting
- given for every player who has participated in any game.
- A COMPANY REPORT details information about companies.
- You can elect which games to include in a report. The
- setting titled ALL COMPLETE GAMES accesses every complete
- game that has been played. Selecting SINGLE-PLAYER GAMES
- limits a report to data from complete games in which only
- one person played the game. Selecting MULTI-PLAYER GAMES
- excludes all single-player games, and includes only
- complete games in which more than one player competed.
- Keep in mind that all reports, no matter what type,
- generate information only on complete games played. Games
- which have been started but not finished are not used in
- the generation of reports.
- You can choose the Output Destination for your report.
- The MONITOR SCREEN setting displays your report in a
- window on screen. Information slowly scrolls upward
- as the report is displayed. Select PAUSE to stop the
- scrolling at any time, or CANCEL to end the report. When
- paused, select RESUME to continue scrolling the report.
- Once a report has finished displaying on screen, select
- CLEAR to clear the display window. The PRINTER setting
- sends the report to your installed printer. To change any
- settings for your printer, select CONFIGURE from the
- Tamper main menu and reset the printer parameters.
- When you have all options set to your liking, select
- OK to generate the report. Select CANCEL to leave the
- Report feature and return to the Tamper main menu.
-
- CONFIGURATION
-
- To configure the Tamper program for your computer
- system, as well as your personal taste, select CONFIGURE
- from the Tamper main menu. This displays a window on
- screen that allows you to alter various program settings.
- To change the highlight from one category to another,
- use the <Tab> and <Shft-Tab> keys. To change a setting
- within a category, use the <Up> and <Down> arrow keys.
-
- page 12
-
- PRINTER LOCATION refers to the port where your printer
- is connected. For most systems, this is parallel port 1.
- If your system uses a different port, select the proper
- setting. Selecting FILE sends all printer output to the
- file TAMPER.PRN. This file is created when you print. You
- can later view this file or send it to your printer. If
- you print more than once to this file, subsequent
- printings are appending to the file.
- PRINTER TYPE specifies the type of printer you have.
- Select the setting that most accurately represents your
- printer. The STANDARD PRINTER setting is the safest
- setting, designed to function properly with any printer.
- Select GRAPHICS PRINTER if your printer is IBM-compatible
- and can print graphics. Select LASER PRINTER if your
- printer is Hewlett-Packard PCL-compatible. If you are
- uncertain of the best setting for your printer, select
- STANDARD PRINTER and everything will work just fine.
- The MOUSE option allows you to enable or disable your
- pointing device. If you have a mouse, but do not want to
- use it with Tamper, select DISABLE and you will not see
- the mouse arrow on screen. If you do not have a mouse,
- you will, of course, not be able to enable one.
- SOUND refers to music and sound effects. You can also
- toggle this setting at any time by pressing <Alt-S>.
- SCREEN EFFECTS determines whether to execute various
- special effects in going from one screen to another. If
- your computer performs these effects too slowly, or they
- otherwise bother you, you can disable them.
- The FINALIZE WINDOW, when enabled, is displayed after
- each player's turn. When disabled, this window can only
- be accessed by pressing <F> from the player-action menu.
- Once you have all options set to your liking, select
- OK to accept the configuration displayed. Your settings
- will automatically be saved for future sessions too. To
- cancel the displayed settings, select CANCEL. This will
- leave the current operating configuration unchanged.
-
- MANAGING HISTORIES
-
- Unless you play an unusually large number of games,
- you never need to perform any history file management, or
- concern yourself with the information in this section.
- However, should you, for whatever reason, want to manage
- various histories, you are free to do so.
- All games are saved to the file TAMPER.HIS. To archive
- any history, you need to establish a system of copying
- the files to backups. For example, to maintain multiple
- histories, you might choose to save them in files named
- TAMPER1.HIS, TAMPER2.HIS, TAMPER3.HIS, and so forth.
-
- page 13
-
- These various files can correspond to different groups of
- players or whatever. Then when you want to play a game
- within a particular history, use DOS commands to copy the
- proper file to TAMPER.HIS, such as:
-
- COPY TAMPER1.HIS TAMPER.HIS
-
- After you exit the Tamper program, copy the current
- file back to the proper archive, as in:
-
- COPY TAMPER.HIS TAMPER1.HIS
-
- Again, understand that you never need to perform any
- history file management whatsoever; simply let the pro-
- gram save all your games in the default file TAMPER.HIS,
- and then delete games as they get old. However, if you do
- want to maintain various history files, you can.
-
-
- page 14
-
- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
- * *
- * GAME DETAILS *
- * *
- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
-
-
- The game of Tamper follows a specific set of formulas
- which determine the details of game play. Understanding
- these specifics helps you make informed decisions.
- Although the information found in this chapter is not
- necessary to enjoy playing Tamper, or to play well, you
- will find these details informative and useful. Of
- course, a player with a good grasp of game details has a
- significant advantage over a less-knowledgeable player.
-
- READING THE GAME-BOARD SCREEN
-
- First and foremost, a player must know how to
- interpret the information presented on screen during the
- game. The majority of the game-board screen is taken up
- by the game board itself. The board is rectangular in
- shape and ruled into squares. The measurements are 11 by
- 16, for a total of 176 squares. Squares that are blank do
- not belong to an active company. Squares filled with a
- color belong to the company of the same color.
- Below the game board, divided into four sections, is
- space for displaying information on each player in the
- game. Only spaces for which a player exists contain
- information. For example, if two players are playing the
- game, the left two player spaces are ccupied and the
- right two remain unused throughout the game.
- Across the top of each section is the player's name
- as entered prior to the game. Under that, is displayed a
- detailed breakdown of the player's stock holdings. For
- each active company for which the player owns stock, a
- color-coded entry is given. Data is presented in the
- form: "number of shares/value of shares". For example,
- if a player has a blue entry reading "12/3,600" and the
- company assigned the color blue is National Enterprises,
- this indicates the player owns 12 shares of National
- stock worth a total value of $3,600. The figure used to
- calculate this total value is the full purchase price of
- the stock, not the buy-back price. Up to seven stock
- entries can be displayed. Companies for which the player
- owns no stock have no information shown.
- At the bottom of the player space are three important
- figures. The Tampers figure (labeled "Tam's") shows the
- number of Tampers remaining for that player. The Cash
- figure indicates the current amount of cash the player
- has on hand at that moment. The Worth figure represents
- the player's total worth, which will always be the sum of
- all stock holdings plus cash.
-
- page 15
-
- To the right of the game board is the company-listing
- column, a column divided into seven sections, detailing
- information for all active companies currently in play.
- Each company section is color coded. For example, if a
- company is represented on the game board by the color
- red, all its data will be displayed using the color red
- within the space provided.
- Four lines of information are displayed. The top line
- is devoted to the company name. Only the first part of
- the name is given. For example, if the full name of a
- company is National Enterprises, only the word "National"
- will be displayed here.
- The next line contains information regarding the
- company's size and class. The size data is given in the
- form: "current size/secure size". The class is indicated
- by letter. For example, if the second line looks like
- this: "Size: 21/13 - Class: C", then this company is a
- class C company and currently has a size of 21. Note that
- this data also tells you whether a company is already
- secure or not. In the preceding example, the company,
- which occupies 21 squares on the game board, was secure
- when it hit a size of 13 squares. If, however, the size
- given is something like "9/11", then this company is not
- yet secure since the first figure is smaller than the
- second figure. In this example, the company must first
- grow two squares larger to become secure. On the game
- board, secure companies are displayed with a thicker
- white border than companies not yet secure.
- The next line refers to the number of stock shares.
- Information is given in the form: "available shares/total
- shares". For example, a line reading "Stock: 10/39" means
- that the company currently has 10 shares available for
- purchase, and a total of 39 shares active in the game at
- the present time. Notice that this data also indicates
- the number of shares held collectively by all players. In
- this example, 29 shares are currently owned by players.
- The final line of company information relates to
- monetary values, with information presented in the form:
- "value/buy-back price". The first figure is the stock
- value, the current purchase price for one share of
- company stock. The second figure is the current buy-back
- price the company is paying when a player sells stock.
- For example, if the line reads "Value: 1,000/950", the
- company stock is currently valued at $1,000, which is the
- price per share a player must pay to purchase stock.
- Also, the company is paying $950 at this time for each
- share a player sells back to the company.
- Only spaces of the company-listing column for which an
- active company exists contain information. When a company
- closes due to a merger, its information is removed from
- the screen and the space becomes available for a new
- company. For example, if five of the seven spaces contain
-
- page 16
-
- information, you know that five companies are currently
- active on the game board, and that two more may form at
- any time. All player and company data is always current
- and always displayed on screen during game play.
-
- COMPANY CHARACTERISTICS
-
- When the infused square is unoccupied and not adjacent
- to any company, a new company forms. When this happens,
- the computer determines the unique characteristics of the
- company. These characteristics are: color, class,
- security size, total shares of stock, and stock value.
- These characteristics vary from one company to another.
- They are discussed briefly below.
- Each company is represented on screen by a unique
- color. This is the color used to show the company's
- position on the game board as well as to display all
- company information.
- A company may be one of four different classes: A, B,
- C, or D. Class A is the highest class, class D the
- lowest. Although any class of company may form at any
- time, lower class companies tend to form early in the
- game, while higher class companies tend to form later in
- the game. Class determines a number of factors relevant
- to the company, most obvious of which is stock value.
- The security size refers to the number of occupied
- squares required for the company to become secure on the
- game board. Early in the game, the security size for
- companies will vary between 9 and 15 squares. Later in
- the game, the security size of newly-formed companies
- drops significantly.
- The total shares of stock for each new company varies
- greatly. Generally, with more players in the game, more
- stock is available. The following table shows the approx-
- imate range of variance (early in the game) for the total
- stock figure based on the number of players:
-
- Number of Players Total Stock
- 1 21 - 29
- 2 24 - 37
- 3 27 - 45
- 4 30 - 53
-
- Later in the game, the amount of stock for newly-
- formed companies may be considerably less than these
- figures. Also, keep in mind that a company's figure for
- total stock can increase during the game: When a merger
- occurs, if an insufficient number of shares are available
- to meet the requirements for stock trade-in, additional
- shares are created.
- When a new company forms, the value of its stock is
- predetermined. The initial value for a share of stock
-
- page 17
-
- depends on a company's class. The following table shows
- the starting value for a share of stock relative to the
- class of the new company:
-
- Class Initial Stock Value
- A 400
- B 300
- C 200
- D 100
-
- Of course, stock values increase throughout the game
- as a result of various occurrences. The concept of rising
- stock prices is, in fact, an essential element in the
- game of Tamper.
-
- DIVIDEND AND BONUS PAYMENTS
-
- When the infused square falls within the property
- limits of an already-existing company, the company
- immediately makes certain payments to its stockholders.
- The two types of payments made are dividend payments and
- majority-holder bonus payments. Anyone holding stock
- receives some form of dividend payment. The exact amount
- of the payment a player receives varies according to a
- number of factors.
- The company arrives at a per-share payment figure and
- then pays each stockholder according to the number of
- shares he or she owns. For example, if a player owns 4
- shares of stock and the per-share dividend payment is
- $50, he or she receives $200. If another player owns 20
- shares, that player receives $1000.
- The method of computing the per-share payment involves
- several factors. The figure is arrived at by taking into
- account a combination of class, size, number of stock-
- holders, and several other factors. The exact computation
- is a bit complex. Unless you specifically want to know
- the details, feel free to skip the next three paragraphs.
- Roughly, here's how the computation for the per-share
- figure is performed. An intermediate figure is first
- determined based on an analysis of the company's class,
- size and certain unspecified factors. In general, the
- higher the class and larger the size, the larger this
- figure. The formula to calculate the temporary figure is:
-
- figure = (20 for each class level) [e.g. class B = 60]
- + (size x 2)
- + (figure from 40 to 80) [unspecified factors]
-
- This temporary figure is then reduced according to the
- number of stockholders, and whether the game is being
- played solitaire. The final per-share figure is obtained
-
- page 18
-
- by taking a percentage of the temporary figure. The exact
- percentage is determined by the following criteria:
-
- 1 stockholder in a multi-player game: 75%
- 2 stockholders or a single-player game: 50%
- 3 stockholders: 40%
- 4 stockholders: 30%
-
- What this means is, if there is only one stockholder
- in a multi-player game, the per-stock dividend figure is
- 75% of the temporary figure. If there are two stock-
- holders (or the game is being played solitaire) the
- per-stock figure is 50% of the temporary figure. As you
- can see, the per-stock payment drops significantly with
- the more people that own stock in the affected company.
- The amount of stock a player owns is insignificant in the
- calculation of the per-share payment; one share lowers
- the payment for opposing players just as much as does a
- large number of shares.
- To summarize all this, higher-class companies pay
- significantly higher dividend payments than lower-class
- companies; larger companies pay larger dividends than
- smaller companies; and the less people who own stock, the
- greater the dividend payments for those who do. Keep
- these general principals in mind when anticipating
- dividend payments.
- In addition to outright dividend payments, a company
- may also pay a majority-holder bonus at this time. This
- is an additional cash payment to the stockholder who
- currently holds more shares than any other player. In
- case of a tie, no bonus is paid. The amount of the
- majority-holder bonus is determined by the class of
- company:
- Class Majority-Holder Bonus
- A 300
- B 250
- C 200
- D 150
-
- When a game is played solitaire, meaning only one
- player is active in the game, the likelihood of receiving
- the majority-holder bonus depends on the number of shares
- the player owns. When a player owns a large amount of
- stock, he or she may be assured of being paid the bonus.
- When a player owns a small number of shares, payment is
- uncertain. The following formula determines the likeli-
- hood of being paid this bonus in a single-player game:
-
- likelihood = .35 + (shares owned x .05)
-
- Obviously, the more stock a player owns, the more
- likely he or she is to be paid the bonus. When a player
-
- page 19
-
- owns only 1 or 2 shares, the player has a less than even
- chance of receiving the bonus. When a player owns 13 or
- more shares, he or she is certain to receive the bonus.
- When dividend payments are made, a window appears on
- screen detailing the payments to each player. This window
- displays the per-share payment and shows this figure
- multiplied by the number of shares owned to arrive at
- each player's final payment. The majority-holder bonus,
- if paid, is also indicated. All dividend and bonus
- payments are paid immediately in cash.
- One more detail: When an infused square falls within
- the boundaries of an active company, the value of the
- infused company's stock increases by $10 per share. There
- is no variance in this figure; every time a company is
- infused, the value of company stock increases by exactly
- $10. This value increase occurs in addition to any
- dividend or bonus payments the company makes. In other
- words, if you own stock in the infused company, your
- worth will increase more than just the amount of cash
- payment you receive. For example, if you own 10 shares of
- stock, you may receive a dividend payment of $300.
- Additionally, those ten shares increase in value by $10
- each. So, although your cash increases by $300, your net
- worth increases by $400. This stock appreciation is often
- overlooked by players when dividend and bonus payments
- are made.
-
- COMPANY EXPANSION
-
- When an infused square lies adjacent to an active
- company on the game board, the company expands into the
- infused square and increases its size by one square.
- Specific formulas dictate the exact amount of stock
- appreciation for each expansion.
- The following table shows the amount that each share
- of stock appreciates for each expansion, based on the
- class of company:
-
- Class Expansion: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
- A 150 130 110 90 80
- B 120 100 90 80 70
- C 100 90 80 70 60
- D 90 80 70 60 50
-
- The following table illustrates the stock values for
- the first six size levels, assuming no dividend payments
- in the meantime:
-
- Class Size: 1 2 3 4 5 6
- A 400 550 680 790 880 960
- B 300 420 520 610 690 760
- C 200 300 390 470 540 600
- D 100 190 270 340 400 450
-
- page 20
-
- Notice that a class D company adds $90 to the value of
- its stock when increasing its size from one square to
- two. This means that it appreciates at a rate of 90% over
- its original $100. By contrast, a class A company adds
- $150 to the value of its stock, but since each share
- starts at a value of $400, the rate of appreciation is
- only 37.5%.
- What this means is, stock of higher-class companies is
- comparatively more valuable, although lower-class
- companies may show a higher profit ratio for the short
- term. In general, higher-class companies are worth more,
- appreciate to higher values and make more money for their
- stockholders. The down side is that they cost more to
- invest in, and the ratio of return may be somewhat lower
- than it is with lower-class companies. Lower-class
- companies, on the other hand, are less expensive to
- accumulate stock holdings, and show a higher ratio of
- return for investment early on. The down side is that
- they are not as worthwhile for investment in the long
- run. (Don't forget that higher-class companies pay
- significantly higher dividend payments.)
- After several expansions, stock appreciations will
- stabilize somewhat. Stock for class A companies will
- appreciate at a rate of $60 or $70 per expansion; stock
- for class B companies at about $60; stock for class C
- companies at about $50; and stock for class D companies
- will appreciate at a rate of $40 or $50 per expansion.
- The exact amounts may vary somewhat in certain situa-
- tions, but these figures serve as a reliable guide. When
- a company takes over another company, no matter when,
- stock always appreciates at these lower rates for each
- square increase in size.
-
- COMPANY MERGERS
-
- When the infused square lies between two companies,
- bordering on each, a merger takes place. The stronger
- company conducts a takeover of the weaker company.
- The company which prevails during a merger is
- determined by the following factors, in order:
-
- (1) secure company
- if none, then... (2) largest size
- if a tie, then... (3) highest class
- if a tie, then... (4) highest stock value
- if a tie, then... (5) earliest round formed (no tie)
-
- When a takeover occurs, the winning company expands,
- taking over the squares formerly occupied by the defeated
- company. At the same time, the company's stock value
- increases as a result of the company's increase in size.
-
- page 21
-
- A company taken over is removed from the game. It's
- color is eliminated and its space in the company-listing
- column becomes vacant. All stock currently owned by
- players is automatically traded in for stock in the pre-
- vailing company. The ratio of exchange is always 3 to 1.
- That is, three shares of defeated-company stock will
- convert to one share of prevailing-company stock. The
- formula is simple:
-
- prevailing-company shares = defeated-company shares / 3
-
- Any remainder from this division is discarded. For
- example, let's say a player owns 14 shares in American
- Products. American is taken over by National Enterprises.
- The player automatically trades in his or her 14 shares
- of American stock for 4 shares of National stock. The
- extra 2 shares are lost in the conversion.
- If insufficient stock is currently available to meet
- the trade-in obligation, new shares are created. In other
- words, the requirement for a 3 to 1 conversion is always
- met. Let's say, in the preceding example, that prior to
- the takeover, National Enterprises had 35 total shares of
- stock in the game, of which only 2 shares were currently
- available for purchase. After the takeover, the player
- receives 4 new shares of National stock and the shares-
- available figure drops to zero. However, the total-shares
- figure for National now increases to 37 shares. Say
- another merger then occurs in which National takes over
- Consolidated Incorporated, and two players have 21 and 4
- shares respectively of Consolidated stock. One player
- receives 7 shares and the other 1 share of National
- stock. In this case, National's shares-available figure
- remains zero, while its total-shares figure increases to
- 45 shares.
- A merger can occur between more than two companies at
- the same time; a maximum of four different companies can,
- theoretically, merge from the infusion of a singe square.
- When more than two companies merge, all details explained
- in this section apply to all companies. Each defeated
- company is handled individually in the process of
- converting old stock to new.
-
- BUYING AND SELLING STOCK
-
- As soon as a new company forms, stock is immediately
- available for purchase. In the same round that the new
- company forms (the first round of the company's
- existence), stock purchases are limited to a maximum of
- 9 shares per player. In the next round (the second round
- of the company's life), and all rounds thereafter, no
- limit is placed on stock purchases, so that any player
- may purchase as much of the company's stock as he or she
- can afford.
-
- page 22
-
- There is no limit to the value to which a company's
- stock may appreciate. Any class of company may grow large
- enough to have stock valued at several thousand dollars
- per share. The more valuable a company's stock, the more
- cash is involved in dealing with that company. The
- current stock value and buy-back price for each active
- company is displayed at all times during the game.
- The current buy-back price for a company's stock is
- derived from the full-value price. The buy-back price
- varies anywhere from 90% to 100% of the full value. The
- exact figure is determined by the following formula:
-
- buy-back price = value x (1 - ((available / total) x .1))
-
- This formula means that the buy-back price varies as a
- function of the number of shares available. With all of a
- company's stock available, the buy-back price will be 90%
- of the value. As the number of available shares
- decreases, this percentage increases. When no shares
- remain available, the buy-back price is equal to the full
- value. In other words, when a stock is more in demand and
- more difficult to obtain, the company is willing to pay
- a better price to get back some shares.
- Every round throughout the game, each player is given
- the opportunity to buy and/or sell stock. Any number of
- individual transactions is permitted, provided the player
- has sufficient cash. You can always sell stock first to
- increase your available cash, and then buy other stock
- using the cash you have.
- When you elect to buy or sell, and then select the
- company of your choice, you are immediately placed in the
- TRANSACTION window. When buying, increasing the number of
- designated shares increases your shares and decreases the
- company's available shares. When selling, increasing the
- number of designated shares decreases your shares and
- increases the company's available shares.
- You will be prevented from increasing the number of
- shares of stock in the transaction window whenever: (1)
- you are buying and your cash drops too low to purchase
- another share, (2) you are buying and the company runs
- out of stock, (3) you are buying and you attempt to
- purchase more than 9 shares during a company's first
- round of existence, or (4) you are selling and you run
- out of stock. For example, if stock in a company is
- selling for $750 and you currently have $780 cash, you
- will not be permitted to buy even one share. This is
- because you must also pay a $95 transaction fee with
- every purchase, so your cost would be $845 and you do not
- have enough cash on hand. To make this purchase, you must
- first sell other shares of stock or wait until you have
- enough cash at your disposal. You can then return to this
- transaction.
-
- page 23
-
- The process of buying and selling stock allows each
- player to adjust the exact nature of his or her personal
- stock holdings according to how the player envisions the
- game unfolding. Generally, players attempt to own more
- stock in companies they expect to be profitable, and less
- stock in companies they feel show less promise.
-
- THE TAMPER
-
- The action of the game of Tamper takes place on the
- game board. When the computer selects squares, it does so
- at random, with each available square having a chance of
- being selected. If a square can be selected, it is about
- as likely to be selected as any other square. This means
- that larger companies are more likely to be infused or
- expanded than smaller companies. The likelihood varies in
- approximate proportion to their size. For example, a com-
- pany of size 40 is roughly twice as likely to be infused
- as a company of size 20. For nearly all rounds during a
- typical game, the computer selects the infused square.
- The exception to this random selection process is the
- Tamper. Tampering is the process by which a player
- decides which square will be the infused square during
- the next round of play. By using the Tamper, any player
- can influence the direction of the game.
- Each player receives three Tampers at the start of the
- game. When a player has used all three of his or her
- Tampers, the player is not permitted to Tamper again for
- the remainder of the game.
- Of the 176 squares on the game board, not all squares
- are available for a Tamper at all times. If a square can
- be infused, it can be Tampered; if a square cannot be
- infused, it is unavailable for Tamper. There are two
- distinct situations in which a square may not be infused,
- and thus is unavailable for Tamper: (1) when seven active
- companies are currently on the game board, an empty, iso-
- lated square cannot be infused, and (2) when a particular
- square borders two or more secure companies, the square
- cannot be infused. All squares on the board, not meeting
- either of these two conditions, are available for Tamper.
- The cost of a Tamper varies with the square selected.
- The formula for computing the cost is:
-
- cost of Tamper = 100 + (number of affected squares x 50)
-
- Any square that is a part of any company that would be
- affected by the proposed Tamper is considered to be an
- affected square. For example, the cost of Tampering with
- a square that would merge two companies, one of 20
- squares in size and one of 5 squares in size, would cost
- $1,350. That is, 100 + (25 x 50). Tampering with a blank
- square, to create a new company next round, affects no
- squares currently on the board, so the cost is $100.
-
- page 24
-
- Tampers are paid for in cash. If a player does not
- have sufficient cash on hand to cover the cost of the
- proposed Tamper, the player must first sell stock to
- generate enough cash, or wait until he or she does have
- the cash.
-
- THE GAME ENDING
-
- As the game progresses, and players grow in wealth,
- certain trends may become apparent. Particular companies
- succeed at the expense of other companies and grow to a
- position of strength. Certain players may take the lead
- in net worth with strong stock holdings. Events late in
- the game, however, can alter the relative worth of
- players. As unexpected things happen, the lead can change
- and momentum can shift. The late stages of the game can
- be particularly exciting, as players race toward the goal
- of $100,000.
- The first player to reach a net worth of $100,000 wins
- the game immediately and all action stops. In the
- unlikely event that two players assume a worth of
- $100,000 or more on the exact same round, a tie-breaking
- procedure is established. The following listing shows the
- criteria, in order, for determining the winner of the
- game:
- (1) net worth of $100,000 or more
- if a tie, then... (2) largest amount of net worth
- if a tie, then... (3) largest amount of cash
- if a tie, then... (4) player last to act (cannot tie)
-
- If a game lasts 300 rounds without any player reaching
- a level of worth exceeding $100,000, the game halts
- immediately and is declared a draw. In this event, no
- player is considered the winner, not even the player with
- the greatest net worth.
- A game may be stopped and continued as many times as
- you wish during the course of play. Until a game is
- declared over, either by victory or by draw, the game is
- always available for continued action. Once a game has
- ended, however, results are considered final and no
- further action is permitted at any time.
-
- SOLITAIRE
-
- Playing the game of Tamper solitaire, that is with
- only one player active during the game, is an involving
- and addicting experience. If you are playing alone, your
- emphasis is not on trying to defeat other players, but
- rather on trying to show your best performance. In a
- sense, you are competing against yourself and your
- previous performances, trying to best your past efforts.
-
- page 25
-
- The following are a few guidelines for levels of
- relative performance when playing alone. These figures
- are not intended as a guide to performance when playing
- multi-player games, since too many variables are involved
- to make similar assessments.
-
- Number of rounds needed to hit a net worth of $10,000:
-
- Excellent Good Fair Poor
- < 20 20-27 27-35 > 35
-
- Amount of net worth at 100 rounds:
-
- Excellent Good Fair Poor
- > 60 k 45-60 k 30-45 k < 30 k
-
- Number of rounds to win, attain a net worth of
- $100,000:
-
- Excellent Good Fair Poor
- < 120 120-150 150-180 > 180
-
- These figures are derived from thousands of solitaire
- games, and serve as an accurate gauge with which to
- evaluate your overall performance. You may want to keep
- an eye on several other factors as well, such as how many
- rounds to reach $20,000, how much money after 50 rounds,
- how many Tampers, how many bonus payments per dividends,
- and so forth. You will enjoy keeping tract of your own
- personal level of play. And you will find it rewarding to
- watch your improvement over time.
-
- STATISTICS
-
- A set of ongoing statistics is always maintained for
- every game, whether the game is complete or in progress.
- These statistics can be viewed by selecting STATISTICS
- from either the previous-game screen, the NEXT ROUND
- window or the player-action menu.
- The Statistics information is presented on two or more
- separate screens. At the top of each screen is displayed
- a brief synopsis of the game. On the left side of this
- area, you will see the game number and the last round
- played, along with the winner if there is one. On the
- right side are the date and time the game began, and the
- date and time of the last game activity.
- The first screen shows information about players.
- Three sets of data are displayed. The first set contains
- general information about the activity of each player
-
- page 26
-
- during the game. All data (except for Passes) is
- presented in the form: "number/amount", where "number"
- refers to the number of occurrences and "amount" refers
- to the total amount of money involved in all occurrences.
- For example, if the data under the Buys column reads
- "10/11,370", this means the player purchased stock 10
- separate times and spent a total of $11,370 on those ten
- purchases. The following is a brief description of the
- categories presented in this first set of data:
-
- Buys: Stock purchases
- Sells: Sales of stock back to company
- Tampers: Tampers performed
- Passes: Passes without activity (number only)
- Dividends: Dividend payments
- Bonuses: Majority-holder bonuses
- Appreciations: Stock appreciations from all causes
-
- Compilation of this data allows you to see a breakdown
- of how the players earned their money. Careful study of
- this data can reveal strengths and weaknesses of the
- players and their style of play.
- The second set of data indicates the net worth of each
- player over time. The separate columns display what each
- player's net worth was at a particular round. The infor-
- mation is given for rounds 25, 50, 75, 100, 125 and 150.
- The final three columns detail current information. The
- last round of activity, which may be greater than or less
- than 150, is indicated. These last three columns show the
- net worth, cash and stock holdings for each player. The
- data under the stock-holdings column is presented in the
- form: "number/amount", where "number" represents the
- total number of shares held and "amount" represents the
- total monetary value of all shares held.
- The third set of data indicates the rounds when each
- player passed certain milestones in net worth. The
- columns represent net worths of $10,000, $20,000,
- $40,000, $50,000, $60,000, $80,000 and $100,000. Not all
- players will have reached every net worth amount.
- The second screen of statistics shows company
- information. A line is devoted to every company that was
- active in the game, no matter how briefly. Each company's
- information is displayed using the same color that was
- used by the company during the game. The following is a
-
- page 27
-
- brief description of each column of information displayed
- on the company screen:
-
- Open: Round when formed
- Close: Round when closed due to takeover
- (if closed, takeover company is given)
- Secure: Round when company became secure
- Class: Class of company
- Size: Current size and security size
- (if closed, the largest size reached)
- Stock: shares available & total number of shares
- (if closed, the latest figures)
- Value: Current stock value
- (if closed, the value prior to takeover)
- Buys: Number of all players' stock purchases
- Sells: Number of all players' stock sales
- Takes: Number of takeovers
- Dividends: Number/amount of dividend payments
- Majority: Most recent majority stockholder
-
- If a company has been taken over, the round when the
- merger occurred will be given in the Close column,
- followed by the first three letters of the company that
- took over. For example, an entry reading "65:Nat" means
- that in round 65 the company was taken over by the
- company "Nat." If a company was never taken over and is
- still active, the entry in this column will be a dash. If
- a company has not reached secure status, the entry in the
- Secure column will be a dash. It is possible that a
- company has not been taken over and has not become
- secure, in which case both these columns will show a
- dash. Clearly, however, no company can have a number
- displayed in both the Close and Secure columns.
- If more companies have been active in the game than
- fit on one screen, a second screen is presented to
- display the remaining companies. The menu at the bottom
- of all statistics screens allows you to cycle through the
- various screens. You can also print the statistics or
- return to the game-board display.
-
- REPORTS
-
- The Tamper Report feature provides a means of viewing
- information about complete games that have taken place.
- Generating reports allows you to analyze data and examine
- previous games in ways that would otherwise be difficult.
- Every report, regardless of the type, contains two
- sections. The first page (or more if necessary) is
- devoted to a listing of games. Every complete game that
- meets the selection criteria is listed, one game for each
- line. The information presented about each game varies
- according to the type of report being created. The second
-
- page 28
-
- section of every report is the summary. This is where
- data is analyzed. All games listed in the first part of
- the report are used in the compilation of a variety of
- informative figures presented in the summary.
- You can select from three different types of reports.
- A GAME REPORT generates information of a general nature
- about the games that have been played. The game listing
- contains the following columns of information:
-
- Game: Game number referenced within history
- Players: Number of players in the game
- Winner: Winning player, if any
- Rounds: Number of rounds in the game
- New: Number of rounds a new company formed
- Expan: Number of rounds a company expanded
- Divid: Number of rounds a dividend hit occurred
- Merge: Number of rounds a merger occurred
- Last Activity: Date of last game activity
-
- A PLAYER REPORT shows specific information regarding
- the performance of players. The game listing displays the
- following data: (An asterisk (*) in front of a player's
- name indicates the winner for that game.)
-
- Game: Game number referenced within history
- Player 1: First player in the game
- Player 2: Second player in the game, if any
- Player 3: Third player in the game, if any
- Player 4: Fourth player in the game, if any
- Rounds: Number of rounds in the game
- Last Activity: Date of last game activity
-
- A COMPANY REPORT displays detailed information about
- the companies involved in the games. The game listing
- contains the following information:
-
- Game: Game number referenced within history
- Players: Number of players in the game
- Winner: Winning player, if any
- Companies: Number of companies involved in game
- Secure: Number of secure companies in the game
- A: Number of class A companies in the game
- B: Number of class B companies in the game
- C: Number of class C companies in the game
- D: Number of class D companies in the game
- Rounds: Number of rounds in the game
- Last Activity: Date of last game activity
-
- Information presented on the summary pages of every
- report is labeled in a detailed and specific manner. Each
- data figure is clearly identified.
-
- page 29
-
- The summary for Game Reports and Company Reports is
- exactly one page long. The summary for Player Reports is
- one page for each player. In other words, one page of the
- summary is devoted to each player who participated in any
- complete game. If more than one player is included in the
- report, one additional page is devoted to figures for all
- players combined.
- All Tamper reports are based on games in the current
- history file. You can specify the games used to generate
- the report, selecting either ALL COMPLETE GAMES, SINGLE-
- PLAYER GAMES or MULTI-PLAYER GAMES. The latter two
- options limit the games included; the first option does
- not. Keep in mind that all reports, no matter what type,
- compile information only on complete games. Games which
- have been started but not finished are not used in the
- generation of any report.
- The setting you select for OUTPUT DESTINATION has no
- effect on the content of the report. In other words,
- whether you send the report to your monitor screen or to
- your installed printer, the same report is generated.
- Examining information presented in Tamper reports
- leads to a good understanding of the game. Generating
- reports frequently, and saving your reports, will greatly
- increase your enjoyment of Tamper.
-
- page 30
-
- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
- * *
- * GAME STRATEGY *
- * *
- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
-
-
- The game of Tamper requires a measure of aggressive-
- ness combined with a degree of caution, each applied at
- the right time. A player who combines these qualities
- effectively will do well. The following are some general
- guidelines toward a style of play that is effective.
- (Although this chapter is directed mostly at multi-player
- games, you will find this information useful when playing
- alone too.) Feel free to incorporate these suggestions
- into your overall approach to the game.
-
- KEEP YOUR MONEY INVESTED. The money you have in cash
- earns you nothing. Each round, make sure essentially all
- your money is invested, working for you. Let only a
- minimal amount sit in cash.
- The first several rounds of the game are an exception.
- You may want to invest gradually in the early rounds,
- waiting to see how things are evolving on the game board.
- It is often wise to hold off at least until all seven
- companies are formed before depleting your cash. Another
- exception might occur late in the game when a new company
- is ready to form and you have a lot of cash you want to
- invest immediately in the new company. In such a
- situation, you may be smart to sit on the cash for one
- or two rounds, rather than use it to buy stock you will
- need to quickly sell back. As a general rule, however,
- you should usually keep the bulk of your money invested.
-
- DIVERSIFY. Do not keep all your money in one company.
- Even if the company does well, you must diversify your
- holdings at some point or you will not be competitive.
- Avoiding worthwhile companies in order to invest
- heavily in one company is poor strategy. There is always
- a lot of action on the game board and you must not let
- your opponents get too much without you. Get stock in
- every good company now; later may be too expensive. In
- general, if there is a promising company on the board
- that looks like it could go somewhere, make sure you get
- a piece of it right away.
- Diversification can also be viewed as a hedge against
- possible disaster. A broad-based strategy is particularly
- important when the situation looks uncertain. There is a
- measure of security in a owning a variety of decent
- stock. Try to adjust your stock holdings so that you
- stand a fair chance of making some money with each round
- of play. You do not want rounds going by while your worth
- remains stagnant.
-
- page 31
-
-
- CONSOLIDATE YOUR TRANSACTIONS. Those $95 transaction
- fees add up. If you intend to buy 3 shares of stock, and
- can afford only 2 now, you may be wise to wait a round or
- two and then buy all three. The money saved needs to be
- weighed against the likelihood of missing out on a
- company infusion before you make the purchase.
- When selling stock, this guideline is doubly
- important. Suppose you intend to sell 10 shares of stock.
- If you sell 5 now and 5 later, not only do you pay two
- transaction fees, but the buy-back price is less for the
- second 5 than if you had sold all 10 shares at once. Due
- to the changing buy-back price, if you know that a player
- intends to sell a quantity of the same stock you intend
- to sell, try to sell your stock first.
-
- PAY ATTENTION TO THE GAME BOARD. Carefully study all
- company positions on the board. Always pay attention to
- the number of spaces in which events can occur.
- A company that begins in a corner, or along an edge,
- has fewer spaces to expand and less room to grow than a
- company in the center of the board. Companies in a
- crowded area of the board should be viewed cautiously.
- Companies with a lot of free space around them, however,
- may be very attractive.
- If a company is not secure and is threatened by an
- impending takeover, note how many squares will cause the
- merger. If a company is threatened at only one square,
- you might assume the merger may not occur for a while.
- If a company is threatened at three or more squares,
- however, the risk is high and you should consider the
- merger likely to happen soon. Pay attention to how all
- companies interact with each other. Always evaluate the
- situation on the game board with each new round, since
- circumstances can change quickly and unexpectedly.
-
- USE YOUR TAMPERS WISELY. The best policy regarding the
- use of Tampers is to conserve. It is imperative that you
- save some Tampers for late in the game. A player who uses
- all of his or her Tampers early in the game invariably
- regrets it later. There will be occasions to set up
- margin buys or to effect mergers and you will want to
- have the power of a Tamper at your disposal.
- When a threatened merger would be to your advantage,
- do NOT necessarily Tamper to bring it about. Wait; the
- merger may happen anyway--and when it does, you save
- yourself some expense, as well as one Tamper. Generally,
- the only time to Tamper a merger is when there is an
- immediate threat of an alternative outcome if you do not.
- This may be the case if a different merger is likely to
- occur unless you Tamper your merger first. Always ask
- yourself before Tampering if you could possibly wait. If
- you can, do.
-
- page 32
-
- Although there are times when you may want to use a
- Tamper for the purpose of frustrating an opponent, you
- are better to make combative Tampering an exception
- rather than the rule. Some players devote great energy
- trying to use their Tampers only to mess up an opponent.
- Such a strategy, if carried to extremes, is not effec-
- tive. In general, use your Tampers to improve your own
- situation, not to hassle other players. The best policy
- is often to play your best game, make your best moves,
- grow in wealth and let your opponents try to catch you.
- When playing solitaire, you generally want to end up
- with fewer large companies as opposed to more small com-
- panies. You may need to use a Tamper to influence the
- game in this direction. Be alert to such opportunities.
-
- IF YOU SEE NOTHING TO DO, PASS. Don't be afraid to
- pass. Players who conduct too much activity during a game
- do very poorly. Players who pass a high percentage of
- their turns are far more effective. If you are uncertain
- what to do, or when to do it, the best policy is often to
- wait. Every action you take, in order to be worthwhile,
- needs to pay for itself and turn a profit. You want every
- action to be not merely an acceptable thing to do, but a
- great thing to do.
-
- CONSIDER DIVIDEND PAYMENTS. Remember that the per-
- share dividend payment is significantly higher when only
- one player owns stock in a particular company. Assure
- that an opponent does not have the only shares owned for
- a good company, particularly if the company is likely to
- pay dividends and/or the player has a lot of shares. For
- example, if an opponent owns twenty shares in a company
- and nobody else has any, the dividend payments will be
- much higher for this player than if someone else owns
- even one share. Try to dilute an opponent's payments.
- Keep in mind that, since squares are picked by the
- computer at random, the relative likelihoods of companies
- being infused is roughly the same as their relative
- sizes. A larger company is more likely to pay dividends
- than a smaller company. You should expect the law of
- averages to bear out; make your decisions accordingly.
- Remember that dividend payments are an essential source
- of cash and, over the course of a game, can add up to a
- large and vital sum. The timing of dividend payments is
- also critical. Dividend payments play a huge role in
- determining the eventual outcome of the game.
-
- LOOK FOR 3 TO 1 RATIOS. When a merger occurs, stock of
- the defeated company is converted into stock of the
- prevailing company at the ratio of 3 to 1. This ratio is
- fundamental to your analysis of the game situation.
-
- page 33
-
- This concept translates into two basic concerns when
- owning stock in a company threatened by takeover: (1) if
- you choose to continue owning stock, own a number of
- shares divisible by 3, and (2) if the ratio of stock
- value between the two companies is more than 3 to 1,
- consider owning more stock; if the ratio is less than 3
- to 1, consider owning less stock.
- The reason to own shares in multiples of 3 is because,
- if a takeover occurs, any extra shares are lost in the
- conversion. For example, if you own 23 shares and the
- company is taken over, you receive 7 shares of new stock,
- and the 2 shares over 21 are lost. You would have been
- wise to convert the those 2 shares into cash prior to the
- merger. If a company is not currently threatened--but not
- secure, either--this multiple-of-three policy is still
- advisable, since, should the company become threatened,
- you will not need to then quickly sell a share or two.
- Once a company becomes secure, however, the guideline
- of owning stock in multiples of three no longer applies.
- You should view all company interactions with the 3 to
- 1 ratio in mind. For example, let's say you own stock in
- National Enterprises and stock is valued at $550. Nearby
- on the board is American Products with stock valued at
- $2070. In this case, National may be a good buy. Should
- it ever merge with American, you will convert stock at a
- favorable ratio and make a good return on your invest-
- ment. Let's say, instead, that nearby on the board is
- Consolidated Incorporated with a stock value of $620.
- Now, as far as this particular interaction is concerned,
- National is a questionable buy. If National should merge
- with Consolidated, you take a beating on your investment.
- If National becomes seriously threatened by Consolidated,
- you might consider selling some stock. Sometimes a
- company will be threatened by both a good merger and a
- bad merger at the same time. In that event, you need to
- look at the relative likelihoods of the two outcomes and
- evaluate the situation accordingly.
- One minor detail is worth noting here. The true ratio
- at which a stock borders on favorable or unfavorable is,
- in actual practice, somewhat lower than 3 to 1. This is
- because, should a merger occur, the stock value of the
- prevailing company will increase due to the merger
- itself. For example, if you own stock valued at $300, and
- are taken over by a company with stock valued at $790,
- you might make out okay. After the merger, the prevailing
- company's stock could then be worth over $900, so you
- are, in fact, being paid at a favorable ratio.
- Understand that, while you are smart to view all game
- activity with the 3 to 1 ratio in mind, your overall
- strategy is never as simple as buying high-ratio stock
- and selling low-ratio stock. There are many times when
- owning low-ratio stock is wise. Risking a loss is often
-
- page 34
-
- worth the gamble when considering the advantages of
- maintaining the investment. Realize, also, that it is
- not unusual for a company to last a long time, and even
- prosper, after it has become threatened. Always try to
- analyze all possible eventualities and consider the
- situation from the standpoint of various likelihoods.
-
- TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MARGIN BUYS. The concept of a margin
- buy stems directly from an understanding of the 3 to 1
- ratio. A margin buy is any stock purchase conducted in
- order to eventually own stock in another, more valuable
- company. For example, if a tiny company with stock worth
- $410 is threatened by a large company with stock worth
- $3150, buying all remaining shares in the small company
- is a margin buy. You want the companies to merge. You
- then, in effect, receive valuable stock by paying a very
- low price. Such extreme margin buys late in the game can
- be worth many thousands of dollars. It is usually worth-
- while to sell whatever stock necessary in order to make a
- good margin buy, purchasing as many shares as possible.
- After the merger, you can always sell back some of the
- newly-acquired stock and put the money back where it was.
- Late in the game, one specific move worth considering
- is to Tamper a blank space near a huge company. Be sure
- to execute this Tamper in a round when you will be the
- first player to act two rounds hence. The reason for this
- timing is because, in the next round, players will be
- limited in their purchase to a maximum of 9 shares each
- in the new company. (All players, yourself included, will
- likely purchase their 9 shares.) Two rounds later, the
- limit will be lifted. If you are first to act, you can
- then buy all remaining shares. Of course, to execute this
- move, you must have a Tamper available late in the game.
- When considering margin buys, a wise player looks
- ahead as many rounds as possible. You should analyze the
- game board at all times, and pick the best moment to make
- strategic moves.
-
- DON'T REST ON A LEAD. Make no mistake about it, things
- can and do change quickly in the game of Tamper. While
- there is some logic to playing a bit more conservatively
- when you have a large lead, you should never feel
- overconfident. Although a player trailing in net worth
- needs to take more risks than a player in the lead, the
- lead player should at least keep a close eye on
- developments. If a good move exists on the board, take
- it. If you don't, your opponents will. If you are way
- ahead and obviously only a few rounds remain in the game,
- then you can cruise to victory. But during the middle
- stages of the game, you should not feel comfortable with
- a modest lead.
-
- page 35
-
- ANTICIPATE YOUR OPPONENTS. Be always conscious of the
- order in which players act: who acts first and who acts
- last. Keep the player order in mind during every round of
- the game. In particular, pay close attention to who is
- last to act in the current round. Are you vulnerable
- anywhere? Could they execute a Tamper that would hurt
- you? Are they likely to? Anticipating what your opponents
- might do, and taking appropriate action before they do
- it, goes a long way toward playing a competitive game.
-
- PLAN AHEAD. Tamper is similar to real-life investment
- situations, in that the player who is able to effectively
- see what lies ahead, to wisely anticipate various
- outcomes, will dominate the game. An effective player
- makes moves based on foresight and instinct, with a close
- eye on what other players are doing. Planning ahead is
- always good policy.
- In Tamper, players are forever bumping heads with
- their opponents, scrambling for a larger share of
- available wealth. In Tamper, players interact closely
- with each other at all times. Tamper, when played
- earnestly, is truly a game of "high-impact business."
- ...a game for shrewd investors.
-
-
- page 36
-
- APPENDIX A * * * * * * * * * * * PACKING LIST
-
- The following is a list of all files included on one
- complete set of Tamper distribution disks. Files may be
- contained on either one or two disks.
-
- README.1ST -- Introductory file
- README.BAT -- Batch file to display README.1ST
- GETSTART.DOC -- Getting Started documentation
- REGISTER.DOC -- Registration documentation
- VENDOR.DOC -- Vendor documentation
- CONTEST.DOC -- Current contest information
- TAMPER.DOC -- The full Tamper manual
- PACKING.LST -- Listing of all Tamper files
- VIEW.COM -- Program to view .DOC files
- INSTALL.EXE -- Tamper installation program
- TAMPER.001 -- Compressed distribution file #1
- TAMPER.002 -- Compressed distribution file #2
-
- During installation, the following files are placed in
- your Tamper directory:
-
- GETSTART.DOC -- Getting Started documentation
- REGISTER.DOC -- Registration documentation
- CONTEST.DOC -- Current contest information
- TAMPER.DOC -- The full Tamper manual
- PACKING.LST -- Listing of all Tamper files
- VIEW.COM -- Program to view .DOC files
- TAMPER.EXE -- The Tamper program
- TAMPER.CFG -- Tamper configuration file
- TAMPER.FIL -- Tamper graphics/sound support file
- TAMPER.HLP -- Tamper help file
- TAMPER.RSC -- Tamper registration support file
- TAMPER.PIF -- Microsoft Windows information file
-
- After you have played Tamper, your Tamper directory
- will contain one additional file: TAMPER.HIS. This is the
- history file where data for all previous games is stored.
-
-
- page 37
-
- APPENDIX B * * * * * * * * SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
-
-
- The game of Tamper is intended for IBM-compatible
- computers running MS-DOS. To run Tamper, your computer
- system must meet the following requirements:
-
- IBM AT, PS/2 or 100% compatible computer system.
- You should have no less than an 80286 processor
- running at 12 mhz. A 386 or 486 is recommended.
- MS-DOS 3.0 or higher.
- Tamper is also fully compatible with Microsoft
- Windows (tm) version 3.1 and higher.
- 1 megabyte of memory.
- Tamper requires 640 kb of standard memory,
- along with a minimum of 384 kb configured as
- either expanded (EMS) or extended (XMS) memory.
- (Expanded memory yields better performance.)
- If necessary, consult your memory manager docu-
- mentation to configure your system.
- VGA color monitor.
- Your monitor should display actual color.
- Although the Tamper program will function on a
- Black & White or LCD display, discerning colors
- is a critical aspect of game play.
- A Hard Disk.
- One megabyte of free disk space is needed to
- install Tamper. An additional one megabyte is
- sufficient to save hundreds of games.
- A Mouse.
- Although not required, many people prefer to
- use a pointing device instead of the keyboard.
- Tamper supports any Microsoft-compatible mouse
- or pointing device.
-
- If you encounter any problems using Tamper, you should
- first check to be certain your computer system meets the
- minimum requirements necessary to run the program.
-
-
- page 38
-
- APPENDIX C * * * * * * * * * * * INSTALLATION
-
-
- To install Tamper, insert distribution disk 1 into a
- floppy disk drive. From any DOS prompt, type:
-
- A:INSTALL and then press <Enter>.
-
- If you are using drive B instead of A, type B:INSTALL
- and press <Enter>. Follow the instructions on screen.
- You will need to decide in what directory you want to
- install Tamper. The default choice is C:\TAMPER. When
- presented with this choice, either change the directory
- or simply press <Enter> to accept this directory. If the
- directory does not already exist it will be created.
- During installation, you are also given the option to
- print the full Tamper manual on your printer. If you do
- not wish to do so at this time, that's okay; you can
- always print it later from within the Tamper program.
- This procedure installs Tamper onto your hard disk.
- All necessary files are placed in the directory that you
- specify. If you already own a previous version of Tamper,
- installing this new version does not overwrite your data;
- your configuration and previous games are preserved. Your
- CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files are not modified.
-
- To run the Tamper program, first change to the direc-
- tory where the files are installed. This may mean typing
- the DOS commands:
-
- C: and then press <Enter>
- CD \TAMPER and then press <Enter>
-
- Consult your DOS manual if you need assistance
- changing to the TAMPER directory. Once you are in the
- Tamper directory, run the program by typing:
-
- TAMPER and then press <Enter>.
-
- To run Tamper from within Microsoft Windows (tm), con-
- figure the command line with the directory containing the
- Tamper files, such as:
-
- C:\TAMPER\TAMPER
-
- Once the Tamper program starts, you can access on-line
- help at any time by simply pressing the <F1> key. You can
- also access the Tamper manual this way. Feel free to use
- the Tamper help feature as often as you want.
- NOTICE: On some systems, when using Microsoft Windows,
- Tamper's sound and music may not function properly. If
- you notice this, or any other problem when using Windows,
- you will need to run Tamper directly from DOS.
-
-
- page 39
-
- APPENDIX D * * * * * * * * * * * REGISTRATION
-
-
- When you become a registered user of Tamper, you
- receive several benefits. The first thing that happens is
- that VORCO TECHNOLOGIES sends you the latest version of
- the Tamper program. This version will include some or all
- of the following enhancements:
-
- - The option to play the computer as an opponent.
- - A custom pop-up calculator, usable during play.
- - An adjustable timer option, to limit turns.
- - Full Sound Blaster(tm) and Adlib(tm) support.
- - A "what-if" feature, to look-ahead when Tampering.
- - History file management, to move individual games.
- - Capability to play an opponent via modem or cable.
- - and lots more!
-
- The more time that has elapsed since the date of this
- program version, the more likely it is that many of these
- enhancements have already been implemented. It is entire-
- ly possible that, as you read this, a program version
- with all the above features, and more, has already been
- released. And of course, the registered version of the
- program you receive contains none of the annoying message
- screens reminding you to register.
- In addition to the latest program version, other
- benefits you receive by registering include:
-
- - A high quality, professionally-printed manual.
- - Free lifetime telephone technical support.
- - Free upgrades as they become available.
- - Eligibility to compete in all contests.
- - Future newsletters and announcements.
- - Lifetime, no-questions-asked, money-back guarantee.
- - The good feeling that comes with being honest.
- - Our enduring respect and good will forever.
-
- To become a registered user of Tamper, do one of the
- following:
-
- Call 1-800-242-4775. Have your credit card handy and
- tell the representative your authorization code. The
- cost is $29.00, plus $4.00 for shipping and handling.
-
- or Send $29.00, plus $4.00 S/H, in check or money order
- to VORCO TECHNOLOGIES. Include your name and address,
- as well as your preferred diskette size. Also include
- your authorization code.
-
- You can obtain your authorization code by running the
- Tamper program and pressing <A> while at the main menu.
-
-
- page 40
-
- Registration will license one copy of the Tamper
- program for use on any one computer at any one time.
- Additional computers and locations must be registered
- separately by obtaining a site license. Discount rates
- are available to individuals or companies registering for
- a site license. Contact VORCO TECHNOLOGIES for details
- and a rate schedule.
-
- Address all registrations and/or inquiries to:
-
- VORCO TECHNOLOGIES
- P.O. Box 5316
- Eugene, OR 97405
-
- orders: 800-242-4775
- support: 503-485-1127
- fax: 503-485-7424
-
-
- page 41
-
- APPENDIX E * * * * * * * * * * ABOUT SHAREWARE
-
-
- The shareware distribution method allows you to try
- software before buying it. If you try a program and want
- to continue using it, you are expected to register.
- Copyright laws apply to both shareware and commercial
- software, and the copyright holder retains all rights
- (with a few specific exceptions as stated below). Share-
- ware authors are accomplished programmers, just like com-
- mercial authors, and shareware programs are generally of
- excellent quality. The only difference between shareware
- and commercial software is the method of distribution.
- With shareware, the author specifically grants the
- right to copy and distribute the software. Shareware is a
- distribution method, not a type of software. You can find
- software that suits your needs and pocketbook, whether it
- is commercial or shareware. The shareware system makes
- your search easier, however, because you can "try before
- you buy." And since the overhead is low, prices are low
- too. Shareware has the ultimate money-back guarantee: if
- you don't use the product, you don't pay for it.
- Shareware works to everyone's benefit. For you, the
- advantages are obvious. Not only can you try the software
- before registering, the cost of registration is typically
- far less than the cost of purchasing commercial software.
- This is made possible because the developer saves the
- costs of advertising and retail distribution, and passes
- the savings on to you. On top of that, shareware authors
- are generally more accessible and responsive than retail
- software sources, so that your questions are dealt with
- more quickly and effectively.
- This version of Tamper is distributed as shareware. It
- is provided at no charge to the user for evaluation. Feel
- free to share it with your friends. And you are free to
- use it for the purpose of evaluating it. If, however, you
- like it and want continue using it, you must become a
- registered user to do so.
- The essence of shareware is to provide honest computer
- users with quality software without high prices, while,
- at the same time, maintaining incentive for programmers
- to continue developing new products. By becoming a regis-
- tered user of a shareware program, you allow the system
- to work for everyone.
- If you find Tamper useful and discover you are still
- using the program after a reasonable trial period, please
- register. You'll feel great when you do. Guaranteed!
- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
- Software developers and distributors who are members
- of The Association of Shareware Professionals adhere to
- strict guidelines for their programs and documentation.
- Software from these sources must conform to certain high-
- quality standards. VORCO TECHNOLOGIES is proud to be a
- member in good standing of ASP.
-
-
- page 42
-
- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
- * *
- * INDEX *
- * *
- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
-
-
- C cash, 2,3,7,14,19,22,30
- company
- class, 15-17,18-20,27,28
- color, 14-16,21,26
- expansion, 2,19-20,28
- merger, 2,20-21,28,31-34
- security size, 3,15,16,27
- takeover, see merger
- size, 15,17,19-20,23,27
- company-listing column, 6-7,15-16,21
- configure, 4-5,8,10,11-12,37
- continue game, 5,10,24
-
- D delete game, 10,13
- dividend payments, 2-3,17-20,26-28,32
- draw, 3,24
-
- E exit, 4-5,13
- express mode, 9
-
- F files 12-13,36,38
- finalize window, 8-9,12
-
- G game
- ending, 3,9,24
- starting, 2,5-6,23
- game board, 2,14,16,23,31
-
- H history file, 12-13,29,36
-
- I infused square, 2-3,16-20,23
- installation, 38
-
- K keyboard, 4,5-6,10
-
- L limitation window, 5-6
-
- M main menu, 4-5,9,10
- majority-holder bonus, 2,17-19,26
- margin buys, 34
- mouse, 4,5-6,7,12,37
-
- N new company, 2,16,21,23,28
- new game, 4-5
- next round window, 6,9
-
-
- page 43
-
- O order of turns, 3,6
-
- P pass, 3,8,26,32
- player-action menu, 6,8,9
- player names, 5-6,14
- previous game, 4-5,9,10
- printer, 10,11-12,29,38
-
- R registration, 39
- report
- Tamper, 4,5,11,27-29
- statistics, 10
-
- S screen effects, 12
- security, 3,15,16,23,27,28
- shareware, 41
- solitaire, 17,18,24-25
- sound, 4,12,37
- statistics, 5,9,10,25-27
- stock
- appreciation, 3,19-20,26
- available shares, 7,15,16,21-22
- buy-back price, 3,15,22
- buying, 3,6-7,21-23,31
- selling, 3,6-7,21-23,31
- total shares, 15,16,21,22,26,27
- value, 3,14-15,16-20,22,27,32,33
- system requirements, 37
-
- T Tampering, 3,7-8,23-24,26
- Tamers remaining, 14,23
- three to one ratio, 3,21,32-34
- transaction window, 7,22
- transaction fee, 3,7,22
-
- U undo, 8-9
-
- W winner, 3,24,25,28
- worth, 3,14,19,24,25
-
-
- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- END OF TAMPER MANUAL -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-