 Pairs v1.5 (PC version)
=========================
November 1996


Table of contents
1. Shareware
2. Aim of the game
3. Parameters
4. System requirements
5. Picture2Blocks tool
6. MergeHighscores tool
7. Bugs/Problems
8. History
9. Other projects


 My address:
	Tobias Lenz
	Geitnerweg 21K
	D 12209 Berlin
	(Germany)

	e-mail: lenzmi@zedat.fu-berlin.de

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1. Shareware

Pairs is shareware. This means everybody is allowed to copy Pairs but it is
strictly forbidden to manipulate one of the files or to remove a file from
the package. You are allowed to include your highscore file.

If you want to play Pairs without the shareware limitations, you will have
to register. To do so print the file reg_card.txt, complete the entrys and
post it to the address given above. (Do not forget the shareware fee:
20,- DM or $15.00 us dollar + $2.00 (or 2,-DM) if you cannot recieve Pairs
via email.) 

You use Pairs on your own risk!


If you want to include Pairs shareware in a package (e.g. a Shareware CD)
you MUST contact me first.

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2. Rules

The idea is easy:
 1. You have to find a pair of blocks.
 2. Try (in your mind) to draw a line with 90 degree angles from one
    block to the other.
 3. If this line has zero, one or two angles, both blocks will disappear.

If there is no block left, you completed the level and a new one is
created. To have a real challenge the available time is reduced by 5
seconds every time you have completed a level.
You start with 280 seconds in novice mode and 200 seconds as pro.

The "connection line" needs more time for a longer distance, so find the
nearest pairs.
One (only one!) mouse click is saved while connecting two blocks.

The program detects illegal moves itself and does not accept them.
With the left mouse button you select a block and with the right one
you can deselect it. Use <Esc> to return to the main menu or press <p>
to pause the game.

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3. Parameters

Usage: Pairs [-pro] [-480] [blocks]

-pro  to start Pairs in pro mode (200 seconds)
-480  to force Pairs to run in 640x480 (if you have problems with 640x400)
blocks  to load the specified block set (name without path and suffix)

Examples:
Pairs -pro  (runs Pairs in pro mode with default block set)
Pairs -PrO FOnt  (pro mode + BLOCKS\FONT.PBS as block set)
Pairs -480  (640x480 screen)
Pairs COAL -PRO  (pro mode + BLOCKS\COAL.PBS as block set)

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4. System requirements

Required: 486DX, 4MB RAM, 3.5" 1.44MB floppy, VESA-SVGA gfx board / monitor

Recommended: pentium(tm), 8MB RAM, harddisk, VESA2.0 gfx board, SVGA monitor

Pairs needs DOS4GW.EXE to run (version 1.97 included).

If you do not have a VESA compliant gfx board or VESA1.2 only, you will
be able to use UniVBE ((C) by SciTech Software).

If you have a slow processor it is recommended to start Pairs from "plain"
DOS.

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5. Picture2Blocks tool

Usage: Pic2Blk <picture file name> <block set file name>

Example: 
cd c:\Pairs
Pic2Blk a:\my_pic.pcx MyOwnBlk  (generates BLOCKS\MYOWNBLK.PBS)


picture file name: The name of a picture file in PCX, BMP or PIX format.
  Remember that the width of the picture must be 640 pixels and it must
  have 256 colors (only the first 128 are used for the block set).
  The picture should contain 24 different blocks with a size of 32*32
  ordered in this way:
 (top left corner)
  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
 21 22 23 24

block set file name: The name of the block set file Pic2Blk shall create
  without a path or the suffix ".PBS". Pic2Blk will search for a directory
  called "BLOCKS" in the current directory.


Feel free to spread your created block sets. If you email them to me, they
will become installed on the DN homepage.

Block sets generated on Amiga and PC are compatible.

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6. MergeHighscores

Usage: Merge_Hs <score file name1> <score file name2> <new score file name>

Example: Merge_Hs a:\my.hsc b:\friends.hsc c:\Pairs\pairs.hsc


score file name 1 and 2: The names of existing highscore files (default is
  "PAIRS.HSC").

new score file name: The name of the new highscore file MergeHighscores shall
  create. To use this new merged highscore table, you have to copy it to your
  Pairs directory an rename it to "PAIRS.HSC".


If MergeHighscores detects similar entrys in both highscores, it uses this
entry only one time. Merging a highscore to itselfs will create a copy of
the highscore.

MergeHighscores is usefull for groups of Pairs players. Everybody is playing
on his/her computer with an own highscore file. After a period of time there
is only one name left in the highscore and it is no longer a challenge.
So, copy your highscore file to disk, visit your friends and merge all the
highscores together using MergeHighscores and copy it back to your Pairs
directory.

Amiga and PC highscore files are compatible to each other.

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7. Bugs

Bugs? Where are they? Hit them, bash them, kick them!!!
How do you mean "in my program"? - Oh, that kind of bugs! If you really
should find a bug in Pairs, feel free to send me a report about what happend
under which circumstances.

If you email your problem report to me, you will get an anwser within two
weeks and maybe a corrected version of Pairs (who knows).

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8. History

v1.0  (May 1996) - v1.31 (July 1996)
  * Amiga releases

v1.4 (November 1996):
  * First public release on PC (compatible highscores/block sets)

v1.5 (November 1996):
  * New (better) main menu design
  * Block set preview in menu
  * Shareware delay shorter


For the future: ...

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9. Projects

If you like this game and if you believe in my programming skills, you
can download all my Amiga games from Aminet or on the DIGITAL Nightmares
homepage http://www.Informatik.Uni-Oldenburg.de/~miha (PC/Atari/Amiga).
The Amiga version of Pairs is also available on the DN homepage (needs
Multiscan, DblPAL or DblNTSC screen mode).
You can also find the newest Pairs block sets on the DN homepage.


Other Amiga games are (all AGA only):
 AmiCross (game/think) - a logic puzzle game (german)
 BOOM (game/2play) - BomberMan/DynaBlaster clone


You are a graphic artist? You want to create graphics for games? You have
some free time?
If you can answer this three questions with a loud "YES", then it is time
for you to contact me (email prefered). Send some samples of your work in
IFF, GIF, JPEG (high quality), PCX or BMP format.
