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Contents

      New modem features

          Description

      The Programs

          Cubix- Squared

          Cubix- The Wall

          Cubix- Tetrix

      The Games

          Nubix Rules

          Twobix Rules

          Cubix Rules

          Tetrix Special

     Chains

       Traps

         Blocks

          Register Info

        New Cubix games

Rules and game designs (c) of Scandere Software

                                                 PO Box 1329

                                                 Dennisport, MA  USA 01639

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Description

True 3 dimensional strategy games you play inside and around cubes. Multiple games for 1 or two players. Build 3D chains, set traps, build blocks to thwart your opponent. Easy to learn yet challenging to play. Play against anyone anywhere in the world without needing a network over the IRC, CB simulator, or chat features of online services, any which way you can connect with someone via text or phone. 3D window design as well.

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Nubix Rules

   Nubix is the easiest of the 3 games to play. You simply take turns making lines by clicking on 2 connected option buttons (circles). The object with this game is to complete a square by filling in the fourth line which will complete the square. Once you fill in a square you get another turn. By not giving your opponent easy wins (by not filling in the 3rd line of the squares), this leads to 3D chains of wins at the end of the game. The only way to prevent sudden shifts at the end of the game is by building blocks which keeps the chain size down.  If you fill in a single square you get 1000 points. If you get a 'Double Score', that is completing 2 squares with a single line, you get 4000 points. A Triple is worth 7000 and a Quadruple (unusual to get in normal play) is worth 10,000 points.

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Twobix Rules

   Twobix is by far the most strategic of the games. Like Nubix, the object is to complete the formation of a square by adding the fourth line. However EACH of the four lines must be all your own color! The free turn when scoring has been taken away because with this game, as soon as anyone gets into the lead it becomes too easy to keep the other person from scoring. Without the free turn, you always have a choice of going after making your own squares or keeping the other person from completing theirs. Obviously the only way to win is to be the best at doing both at the same time, but how to know when to do what? The key to winning this game is to set up traps which consist of two or more squares which are completed simutaneously and cannot both be stopped by the other person.

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Cubix (lines) Rules

   Cubix is the name and Cubix is this game. Unlike Nubix and Twobix, the point in this game is not to complete the formation of a square by adding the fourth line, but instead to add the final line to complete a cube. With this lines version of Cubix, this is done one line at a time so there are 54 turns altogether, the same as in Nubix and Twobix. However unlike those games which have 36 squares, there are only 8 cubes with this version, Cubix- Squared. With the more challenging verison of Cubix, Cubix- Cubed. you have 27 cubes. There are no color differences with this game and you do get an extra turn when finishing, so this is like a completely 3D version of Nubix and bears no resemblance to Twobix.

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Cubix (sides) Rules
Tetrix Special

   Tetrix has some special properties which make it unlike any other Cubix game. The most obvious fact is that it is triangular, not box shaped. For those who are unfamiliar with the shape and may give a damn, it is played inside a Tetrahedron, or a 3 sided pyramid, even though it really has 4 sides counting the bottom and a Pyramid has 5 sides counting the bottom.

   It also has triangles instead of squares and a greater interconnectedness than the typical Cubix game which makes for better 2 player Twobix playing because it is harder to keep your opponent from scoring. Nubix and Twobix rules are exactly the same as they are for other Cubix games but because there are only 3 sides to triangles you have to beware of making a second line, not a third line, because that will enable the other person to score.

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Chains

A chain is when in Nubix or Cubix, 1 scoring move leads to another and another and so on. The only way to prevent long chains is to build blocks. In Twobix there are no chains because there is no extra turn after win moves. Chains can be annoying to be on the other end of because often it looks like there is no hope of getting another turn but that is not always the case. After playing for awhile you can get pretty good at figuring out where chains begin and end. If it appears to be 1 long endless chain using up all possible moves, and you must take a turn giving your opponent the chain, make it at the end of the chain. Chains do not always go as far as they seem, sometimes even if you are good at spotting them. Learn from the computer when playing in the one player mode. If it is on a roll making all kinds of win moves and then suddenly can't make a win near the end, what is left over is a separate smaller chain in which, if you had made your last fatal move there instead of wherever else you went, you probably would have won.

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Traps

A trap is a term used to define a set of moves in Twobix in which the other player cannot block you from scoring. This is usually 2 adjacent squares (not necessarily on the same plane) which have 2 open moves on each and two moves of your own color on each. By filling in the 3rd line of both squares at once, you are ensured of a score no matter where the other person goes because then you can score by completing the other. With beginners at this game, each is confronted with having to choose between playing the spoiler and stopping the other from completing squares, or completing their own squares. At a more advanced stage, you have to prevent others from completing their traps while trying to fool your opponent from spotting your traps. At still yet a higher level of play, you have to use multiple traps and using your 'stop the other player' moves to complete traps. This game is only as good as your opponent and can be as simple as Checkers or as complex as Chess depending on how good both players are.

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Blocks

A block is set of completed sqaures or blank lines in Nubix or Cubix which stop a chain dead in its tracks. These are hard to define how exactly to construct (and I do not wish to give too much away) as they involve moves that each player makes so it is the combination of what each player does which defines where chains begin and end. A confident player will give up points early in the game to build blocks to fence off mini-chains to use if they need to make a 'give your opponent a win' move later in the game. This only works when you think your opponent is so stupid he or she will not see that, or you can keep better track of how many moves are left and how many chains there are. For this reason, the cheat mode tells you how many moves are left which can help you better time your moves (and it also tells you when no good moves are left in the one player mode). Hint: A series of long parallel lines across the cube can build blocks in Nubix.

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Register Info

   Shareware is does not mean free, though it is still one of the best deals under the sun. You get to try out really neat stuff and you are trusted to pay for what you like. This means EVERYBODY, not just the rich or people who test programs for a living, gets to see whats at the cutting edge, new or unique, without having to spend a fortune to see if the programs really live up to the promises on the box.

   Too many people don't register to warrant shareware releases of most products and many good programs die out because people think it really doesn't make a difference. DON'T KID YOURSELF, if you don't bother, who's to say anyone else will? If you want to see better programs along the lines of ones you like, only paying for them can make it happen.

    If you would like to register this program and receive the programs described within the program under Register info in the program, send a check or money order for $22 plus $4 (or less depending on what you are registering) shipping to...

           Scandere Software

           PO Box 1329

           Dennisport, MA  02639

    If you would like to contact me regarding other payment options, postage fees outside of the USA, multiple user or educational site licenses, or setup info, the e-mail address for support of this program is Jared10@aol.com

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New Cubix games

    All registered users get Cubix- Squared, Cubix- The Wall (all 6 levels) and the Tetrix level, beyond that lie the other Wall based games as seen in the previous version of Cubix- Squared, 1.0, and, of course, Cubix- Cubed. A preview of Cubix- Cubed is still in this version under the  'Game' menu. See Register Info in the program for more details on discounts and free games.

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New modem features

    I am learning quite a lot from how people are using the game. People really are playing it online, and some even try to play many opponents at once. Though the game was not previously made specifically to do that (running multiple copies of the program at once) and though by trying to do that it sometimes froze, they kept trying it anyway.

    New Cubix features are Multi-opponent games without having to run additional copies of the program, and typing in the moves they tell you they made (which the computer tells them they made) instead of having to figure it out using the grid.

    I was not kidding when I said before in an earlier version of the game that you control the timetable for new Cubix levels. I still see myself primarily as a utility programmer. Until Cubix registrations exceed my ZR programs registrations, Cubix will not be my highest priority. Given the high rate of downloads of the game, IF these people register too, that likely will happen. As soon as it does, Cubix will be priority one and ZR will have to take a backseat for awhile (all other unzipping programs applaud, <g>).

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The Programs

    There are currently 3 Cubix 3D games for Windows (TM Microsoft (r) out now in shareware. You can receive all of them by registering the full version which includes receiving a disk (or e-mail for those who choose that option) of all 3 programs in a single program. They are Cubix- Squared, Cubix- The Wall, (all 6 levels) and Cubix- Tetrix respectively.

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Cubix- Squared

    This is the original window Cubix game which is proving to be fairly popular with downloaders because it is small and a real 3D program. A new version is just out (you may have it if you are reading this), version 1.2 which  has new modem options including typing in moves and multi-opponent games for those who converse with many people online at once and are smart enough to play many games simutaneously (I'm lucky when I can do well in one). Its dimensions are 2 by 2 by 2 cubes, 54 lines total in a game, 36 squares (possible wins) for Nubix and Twobix, and 8 cubes (possible wins) for Cubix.

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Cubix- The Wall

    The Wall is no longer an also-ran Cubix game. Many people said hey, why should I register the shareware game Cubix just to get 1 more level, but there are 6 new levels in The Wall which most people don't know about (not to mention the fact that you get the triangular Tetrix level as well). The Wall weighs in at 3 by 3 by 1 cubes, 64 lines total in a game, 42 squares (possible wins) for Nubix and Twobix, and 9 cubes (possible wins) for Cubix.(Number of actual grids, cubes, and lines vary depending on which level you are playing on, these quoted are for the main level, The Wall.)

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Cubix- Tetrix

    This is the weird one of the Cubix games in that it has nothing to do with Cubes and lots to do with triangles. It is played inside of a Tetrahedron (see Tetrix Special for more details).

    I like it as a change of pace from the normal Cubix games. Its dimensions are hard to describe. It has 3 tetrahedrons stacked inside a larger one, there are 24 lines total in a game, 20 triangles (possible wins) for Nubix and Twobix. It is definitely worth checking out.

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The Games

    Each Cubix program has 3 different games (except Tetrix which has only 2). There were originally 4 games (2 different versions of Cubix, lines and sides) but 2 Cubix games was deemed too confusing and one was dropped in favor of many more levels for The Wall than was previously planned, including the introduction of the Tetrix level to the registered versions. The games are called Nubix, Twobix, and Cubix.

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