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           CHINESE CHECKERS vers0.55b (FREEWARE) FOR OS/2 WARP

               Copyright (C) by Miltiadis Mitrakas 1996

                  email:  mmitraka@cs.strath.ac.uk

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THE AUTHOR:
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  Miltiadis Mitrakas

  4th year Student [Computer Science at Strathclyde university in Glasgow]

  email: mmitraka@cs.strath.ac.uk
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CHANGES:
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  Bigger (about 100KB), Faster (+2 Km/h), Cheaper (free), Better (????)

  No choice for 5 players any more, it is against the rules. 

  Major changes to the interface. Now you can choose various colors by just

clicking on the "Color>>" button. Also two boards are now available, the new one

and a simpler one (like the old but enhanced with direction lines).

 The setup dialog can automatically save the settings if the "Save" checkbox

is checked.

 No custom sound yet, sorry...

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HINTS:
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  If you are not good at this game (like me) avoid playing the CPU Player 

at the top of the screen. In general the diagonal players seem weaker.

 Of course the best way to play this game is against a human player.

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THE RULES:
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  CC2 (Chinese Checkers for OS/2) is an OS/2 implementation of a traditional 

Chinese game for two to six players.

  
  Each player has ten pegs of one color at one starting point of the star.

The object of the game is to occupy the star point directly opposite. The first

player to accomplish this is a winner. Of course if in the same round more than

one players reach the end point all of them are winners.
  

  Each player moves in turn, (in this implementation clockwise). A move consists

of placing a peg into one of the adjacent holes or jumping over any other one peg

into a hole beyond. The direction of the move has to be one of the following: 

left/right, forward left/right, backward left/right in respect with players 

position on the board. Only one move is made at a time, except when jumping. Then

the player can make any number of jumps in any direction as long as all the moves

are consist of jumps. A player can jump their own or their opponents pegs.

No pegs are removed from the board during play.

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THE INTERFACE:
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  When the program starts you can see two windows. The first is the game window

and the second is the "Game Setup" window.  

  Using the "Game Setup" window you can choose the number of players you want in 

the game (two to six players). By clicking the dragons you can toggle between 

computer player and human player. The only restriction is that at least one of 

the players should be human. You can also choose the arrangement of the players

(according to the rules of the game of course).

  Four buttons also are visible in this window, one for "quit" (close the 

application), another equally useful the "play" button. By choosing the "play"

button you are 'transferred' to the actual game. The "demo" button will give 

a set of demostration games. Finally the "setup" button will let you choose

the speed of the animation and the sound. The sound can be turned off, use

system sounds or custom. The last (custom) is not implemented yet, sorry...

  Having started a game there are two windows that you should know about. The left

window is the "Info" window where you can see the number of the current round and

the color of the player who is suppose to play. There is also a "stop" button which

stops the game and returns to the "Game Setup" window.

  The most interesting window is the right one, the "Board" window. When it is your

turn to play you see a hand pointer. You choose a ball (of your own color of course)

by clicking the left mouse button on it.  Clicking the left mouse button on the holes 

(according to the rules you've read, did you?) you describe your move path. When you 

have finished you click the right mouse button on the last hole of your move path and

the computer takes care of the hard work moving the ball around. You can unselect the 

ball and the path by just clicking the left mouse button on the selected ball.

  Finally if any player(s) win the "Congratulation" window opens to congratulate the

winner(s).
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THE PROGRAM:
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  CC2 is a 32Bit, multithreaded Presentation Manager program. 
  
  Requirements: any machine capable of running OS/2 WARP with 256 colors.

  The code is full of assertions and if anything goes wrong it exits and hopefully
  
  the source of the error will be in the "CC2.LOG" file. This file is always 
  
  created at the start of the program and if everything is OK at the end of the

  program will contain the following lines:


        Log File Name: CC2.LOG

        - The End -

  This does not mean that the program is 100% OK. Please read the following for 

  more information...


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!  THIS IS A FREEWARE PROGRAM AND AS SUCH YOU ARE PERMITTED TO DISTRIBUTE IT   !
!  WITHOUT CHARGE PROVIDED THAT ALL FILES ARE DISTRIBUTED TOGETHER, AND DUE    ! 
!  COPYRIGHT IS OBSERVED. THIS PROGRAM IS PROVIDED AS IS WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY, ! 
!  EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR ! 
!  PURPOSE.                                                                    !
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




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HISTORY:
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  Still in the making:

_First beta CC20033B.

_Second beta CC20044B.

_This is the third beta CC20055B.
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KNOWN BUGS:
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  I found some and killed them. Now it is your turn, if you find any bug I would 

be very pleased to hear from you as soon as possible. I would appreciate it if you 

send me email with the following information: machine specs and video drivers, a 

small description of the problem and please do not forget the "cc2.log" file (this

file is generated every time you run the program).
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THANKS TO:
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  _Chinese people for creating such an interesting game.

  _IBM for creating such a great operating system.

  _Ching Han Chin (testing).

  _Dimitris Charitos (more testing).

  _Brian Hall (much more testing)

  _Kevin MacGregor (color sensitive)

  _You for suggestions and comments you will provide in the future.

 



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  Fill free to contact me for any comments (good/bad) about the program.

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