     ˻
      FourSide ͼ
     

      FourSide is a challenging variation on the popular
     dominoes theme.  The game is comprised of placing
     four-sided game pieces, each side containing a number,
     on the game board in such a manner that all surfaces the
     new piece contacts contain a matching number for that
     surface.  The more surfaces a new piece touches, the more
     score you receive!
                      
     THE FOURSIDE MENUS
     ------------------
      
      There are two menus in FourSides. The first one, the
     GAME PLAY Menu, appears after the title screen. This menu
     offers you several options:
     
          + playing another player,
          + playing your computer,
          + watching a demo of play,
            or
          + quitting the program.
     
      The option currently active is highlighted by a bar
     which can be moved with the UP- and DOWN-ARROW keys. To
     select an option, highlight it first then press ENTER.
      
      After selecting an option on the first menu, the LEVEL
     OF PLAY Menu appears.  Selection of an option on this
     menu requires highlighting and pressing ENTER,just as on
     the Game Play Menu. The Level of Play Menu allows you to
     set the difficulty of play or to quit the game. 
     
      Difficulty affects block complexity, i.e., the diversity
     of values a block side can have. For example, the
     BEGINNER level has blocks with sides having values 1, 2,
     or 3, while the EXPERT level blocks have values ranging
     from 1 to 9.  The higher the range, the harder it is to
     make a valid move. If you are playing the computer, the
     level of difficulty also affects the computer's playing
     skill, so beware! Your computer will become craftier and
     craftier as the game progresses. 
     
      
     BEGINNING PLAY
     --------------
      
      After you select the level of difficulty, the FourSides
     game screen appears. It has two distinctly-separate
     sections, the red STATUS area on the right the blue BOARD
     area on the left. The STATUS area is used to display
     scores and to manipulate blocks in your hand. The BOARD
     area is used for making all your moves. A player's hand
     consists of five blocks which can be used to make these
     moves. 
     
      The blank line appearing at the top of the screen at the
     beginning of a game is used during the game for the
     display of prompt messages. At the bottom of the screen,
     special key functions are displayed. These keys are
     "special" because they function uniquely and differently
     from their normal key.
     
     The special keys and their functions are:
      
             F1 -- Gives the current player a HINT by
     indicating a possible move.
                A hint is not necessarily the best move, so
     save your three allowable hints for when they are most
     needed.
     
             F2 -- Toggles the SOUND ON/OFF. When the sound
     toggle is ON, a visual musical note will appear at the
     bottom of the screen.
     
      ESC or F8 -- Allows you to quit or leave the program. 
     
          SPACE -- Toggles between the BOARD and STATUS areas.
     
      
      Before play actually begins, the player to move first is
     selected and high-lighted in the STATUS area, and a block
     is placed in the center of the BOARD area. This block is
     the "primer block" because all subsequent moves stem from
     it. The green and red areas appearing on the BOARD are
     BONUS and MINUS areas which affect the scoring of each
     move made in these areas.
     
     
     ACTUAL PLAY   
     -----------
      
      Actual FourSides play occurs on the BOARD or in the
     STATUS areas. The SPACE key toggles between these two
     areas. When a cursor is visible in the BOARD area, play
     is occurring there. When no cursor is visible, play is
     occurring in the STATUS area. 
      
      THE STATUS AREA --- In this area are displayed players'
     scores as well as the current player's hand. Each player
     must formulate a move using one of these blocks. The
     current block, indicated by a double-arrow highlighter
     pointer, can be rotated to fit an area on the BOARD with
     the ENTER key.
     
      The LEFT- and RIGHT-ARROW keys move the blocks in the
     hand. After a block has been chosen and properly rotated,
     a player can attempt a move on the BOARD. 
      
      THE BOARD AREA -- In this area, players' moves are made
     by moving the cursor with the ARROW keys to the desired
     area of the BOARD and by then pressing the ENTER key. A
     move is valid only if it is made in an area where a move 
     has not yet been made and where the contacted sides of
     adjacent blocks have matching values. The block used for
     a move is the one in the STATUS area highlighted by the
     double-arrow.
     
      If a move is successful, the block is moved from the
     player's hand to the board. If the move is not
     successful, a low tone will sound, and a new move must be
     attempted. A valid move is always possible because the
     computer checks before allowing a player to attempt a
     move. If a player cannot move, the computer automatically
     forfeits that turn. 
     
      
     VALID MOVES IN FOURSIDES
     ------------------------
      
      A valid move must meet these requirements:
     
         1 -- No previous move must have been made to the
     position.
         2 -- Contact must be made with at least one block
     already on the board.
         3 -- All touching sides of the blocks in the
     resulting contact(s) must have identical values.
     
     
     SCORING     
     -------
      
      A valid move awards the total of the VALUES of all
     touching sides TIMES the NUMBER of touching sides. For
     example...
     
      A block making contact on three sides with values 8, 1,
     and 3 would score 36 points, i.e., (8 + 1 + 3) x 3 = 36. 
      
      In addition, if the move is made in a BONUS area, 20
     extra points are awarded. If the move is made in a MINUS
     area, 20 points are deducted. (NOTE: A player's score
     will never fall below zero -- even when repeated
     deductions are made.)
     
      
     THE END OF A GAME
     -----------------
      
      Play ends when all BOARD areas have been used, or when
     no valid moves exist for either player. A FINAL SCORE
     Menu appears and indicates the winner(s). After the FINAL
     SCORE Menu, a PLAY AGAIN Menu appears to allow the
     user(s) to play again or exit the program. 
      
     
     SPECIAL NOTE!
     -------------
     
      At the EXPERT level, your computer is extremely good!
     Rest assured that this level of play is NOT achieved
     through any type of "cheating," such as the manufacturing
     of blocks to fit particular moves. The computer merely
     checks all the possibilities before moving. Its skill
     comes from hard work and not foul play! 
     
               DISK FILES USED BY FOURSIDES:
                        FOURSIDE.EXE
     
     Gemini 12/90