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<TITLE>Four wins manual</TITLE>
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<h1> Four wins</h1>
</B> </FONT><P> </P>
<B> How do you play "four wins" ? </B>
<P>
Four wins is a game for two player.
Each player is represented by a colour (yellow and red).
The goal of the game is to get four connected pieces of your
colour into a row, column or any diagonal.
This is done by placing one of your pieces into any of the
seven columns.
A piece will begin to fill a column from the bottom, i.e. it
will fall down until it reaches the ground level or another stone.
After a move is done it is the turn of the other player. This is
repeated until the game is over, i.e. one of the players has
four pieces in a row, column or diagonal or no more moves are possbile
because the board is filled.
</P>
<p> <p>
<B> The board </B>
<P>The board is separated into three regions.</P>
<UL>
<LI>The game board:<BR>
It is constructed out of 7x6 fields which will be filled from bottom
to top. The fields are marked in the colour of the player who made the
current move.<BR>
On top of each column a coloured arrow shows were the last piece had been
put.
<br>
</LI>
<LI>The status display:<BR>
The status display shows which player colour starts and which colour is
played by whom (player,computer,remote connection). It further shows the
level of the computer opponent, the number of moves done as well as the
computer calculated chance of winning. This chance is calculated only if
the computer opponent makes a move. A positive number means that the player
has an advantage, a negative number means that the computer thinks
he is better.
<br>
</LI>
<LI>The table display:<BR>
Here the number of won, lost and drawn games is noted for both player.
Also the number of aborted games (Brk) and the sum of games is shown.
<br>
</LI>
</UL>
<p> <p>
<B> The File menu</B>
<P>
<UL>
<LI>New game<BR>
Start a new game. <br>
</LI>
<LI>End Game<BR>
Immediately end a game. This will raise the break counter in the statistics
by one.<br>
</LI>
<LI>Statistics<BR>
Show the all time statistic of all games. This will be saved,
but can be cleared in this menu as well.<br>
</LI>
<LI>Send remote message...:<BR>
Opens a dialog window which lets you send a message to a remote player.
<br>
</LI>
<LI>Hint<BR>
The computer will calculate the best possible move and mark it with a small
circle on the board.
How good the move is depends on the level of the computer.<br>
</LI>
<LI>Exit<BR>
Exit the program and save all statistical data
<br>
</LI>
</UL>
<p> <p>
<B>The Edit menu</b>
<P>
<UL>
<LI>Undo move<BR>
Undo the last move. If the previous player is played by the computer
two moves are taken back so that it is the player's turn again.<br>
</LI>
<LI>Redo move<BR>
Replay a move which had been undone.
<br>
</LI>
</UL>
<p> <p>
<B>The View menu</b>
<P>
<UL>
<LI>Show statusbar<BR>
Displays the status bar
<br>
</LI>
</UL>
<p> <p>
<B> The Options menu </b>
<p>
<UL>
<LI>Startcolour<BR>
Determines which colour has the first move.<br>
</LI>
<LI>Yellow played by<BR>
Choose here who shall play for the yellow side. This can either be
the local player, the computer or a remote player. Connecting to
a remote host will pop up a conenction dialog which is explained
later.<br>
During game only the player who is not moving can be changed.
<br>
</LI>
<LI>Red played by<BR>
This is analogous to the yellow side. It is possible that there are
two local players just as the computer can take both local players.
Only one remote player is possible though. If the client does
not choose one remote player they will be asked as soon as a connection
is built. It <b>does not matter</b> what colour the remote side
chooses. If both remote parties choose to play the same colour the
computer will handle this and transform the other players colour
appropriately!
<br>
</LI>
<LI>Level<BR>
The level determines who well the computr plays. A higher level makes
the computer play better but think longer. For levels larger than 5 or 6
you need a fast computer!
<br>
</LI>
<LI>Change Names<BR>
Change the names of the two players. The names will be saved and reloaded
in the next game!
<br>
</LI>
<LI>Network server<BR>
If this menu item is selected your computer tries to behave as
game network server. This is of course only of any importance if
you are doing a network game.
Only the computer acting as server will be able to start a new game
or transfer a started game to the client's side.
<br>
If both computers want to be server or none of them it is randomly
selected.
<br>
</LI>
</UL>
<p> <p>
<B> The Help menu </B>
<P>This menu displays the help text as well as information
about the program and the operation system.</P>
<p> <p>
<B> Remote connections </B>
<P>
It is possible to play the game over a network connection
with another computer. To do so both player on both computers
have to select one colour played by a human player and the
other by the remote player. Who chooses which colour does not
matter. It even does not matter if both choose to play the same
colour as this will transparentely be interchanged by the game.
<p>
One of the computers will act as game server. Only this one can
start a nbew network game. Also all its game data will be transfered
to the client computer. This includes games already in play - this
means a remote player can join a game already begun. Who will be
server can be selected by the <i>network server</i> menu item in
the options menu. If both choose to be server or client the game
randomly selects one.
<p>
When a network connection is build you are ask to enter a remote
host and a port. The port can usually just been left untouched. But
if you now what you do replace it by another number, which has to
be the same in both player games of course. The hostname should be
the name of the remote host to which you are connecting. Only one
of the two players has to supply a hostname, the other one need not
to, but can.
<p>
<P>
<p>
<hr>
<B>Author: </B>
<P>© 1995-2000 Martin Heni (martin@heni-online.de)</P>
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