ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º º º Q U I M B E E º º º ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ A game for 1 to 6 players, inspired by Triple Yahtzee. Version 3.0 Copyright 1987 Another Quality Software Product From CurtWare Author's Note A lot of time, thought and effort have gone into the design of this program. I've tried to create a quality product that is totally bug free and user friendly. My hope is that you will get many hours of entertainment and satisfaction from this product. I welcome any suggestions to improve the program, but I will not release the source code, in order to protect the public from altered copies that may not function properly. Although this is a Copyrighted software product (to protect my interests), I hereby release it to the public domain, and urge you to give copies to friends, or post it on electronic bulliten boards for free distribution. Please distribute it only as a complete, unaltered package (the complete package consists of QUIMBEE.EXE and QUIMBEE.MAN). The commercial sale of this program is expressly prohibited, although public domain software groups and user groups may include unaltered copies of this complete package in their library, providing that the library's diskettes do not sell for more than $7 each, and that they contain other software in addition to this package. If you find QUIMBEE to be a quality product, then a donation for my efforts ($10 suggested) would be greatly appreciated. Your donations will encourage me to continue writing public domain software. Thank you for your support! Curtis Garcia 800 East California Avenue Sunnyvale, Ca., USA 94086 Phone (408) 736-7451 ******************************** QUIMBEE.EXE ************* Now that you've got QUIMBEE, what should you do? First, make at least one backup copy for your personal use, and put the origional diskette in a safe place. If you use Microsoft Quickbasic Version 2.0 or 3.0 and would like a copy of QUIMBEE.EXE compiled to utilize the Microsoft runtime module (BRUN20.EXE OR BRUN30.EXE), send me a stamped self-addressed diskette mailer and a formatted 5 1/4" floppy disk, and specify the Quickbasic version. This will save you 45K of disk space for QUIMBEE.EXE alone. Since QUIMBEE is a compiled Basic program, COMMAND.COM must be reloaded by your system upon exiting the program. You may want to format one of your blank diskettes, by using the DOS FORMAT/S command. This command will copy the required system files onto the diskette after formatting it, then you can COPY the QUIMBEE.EXE file to that diskette for everyday use. Refer to your DOS manual for instructions on the FORMAT and COPY commands if you are unfamiliar with them. Next, read the balance of this manual, so you'll understand all of the game features available to you, to maximize your enjoyment. QUIMBEE AND YOUR HARDWARE To insure compatibility with as many computers as possible, QUIMBEE does not use any Poke or Peek commands. As a result, you must toggle your NumLock key off manually, so that the arrow keys on the numeric keypad will function properly. Whenever QUIMBEE expects a numeric input, use the number keys across the top of your keyboard. QUIMBEE does not care whether you enter upper or lower case alphabet characters. QUIMBEE was designed for a color (RGB) monitor, and should function fine with EGA monitors. I have no experience with monochrome systems, and do not know if it will work. WHAT IS QUIMBEE? I first wrote QUIMBEE to emulate Triple Yahtzee on a TI-99/4 computer in 1982. Since that time, many changes have been made to make it more user-friendly, largely in response to user's suggestions. Your suggestions to further improve the program are welcomed, and actively solicited. While it is mostly luck, a certain amount of skill is useful in deciding which dice to keep, and which to roll, and which scoring location to enter your score in. This is especially true when playing the higher game levels. ********************************* QUIMBEE.EXE Page 1 QUIMBEE AND DISK DRIVES QUIMBEE.EXE can reside on drive A, B or C. When the program starts, it will ask you for the drive letter where QUIMBEE and it's related files are stored. The program assumes that these files will be located in the current default directory of the drive you indicate. The disk containing QUIMBEE must not be write protected. If QUIMBEE.EXE and it's related files are stored in a sub- directory, you must make that directory the current default directory BEFORE running QUIMBEE. This can best be done by a BATch File. Please consult your DOS manual for instructions on writing Batch files and using the CHDIR command. QUIMBEE keeps track of the record score set for each of the four available game levels, and stores this data in a small file ( <200 bytes) named QUIMBEE.REC, in the current default directory of the drive you indicated above. For each of the four game levels, the name of the player who set the record, the score and the current date are recorded in this file, for display on your monitor each time you play QUIMBEE. The file QUIMBEE.REC is not provided with the program, it is created after your first game is finished. If you ever want to start a new record score file from scratch, simply erase or rename the one that is on your QUIMBEE disk at that time, and play QUIMBEE again to create a new record score file. QUIMBEE also allows you to save a game and restore it at a later time to continue playing it. You provide the filename, and the extension .QSV is added by the program. These game files are also written to and read from the current default directory on the drive you specified when the program began. You must follow the DOS file naming conventions. Game files vary in size, depending on the number of players and the game level selected. If your 360K diskette contains only the DOS system files and the QUIMBEE files, you should be able to store about 100 game files on the same diskette. ********************************* QUIMBEE.EXE Page 2 PLAYING QUIMBEE First insure that the current default directory on the drive containing QUIMBEE is set to the directory name which contains quimbee and it's related files. The default drive does not have to be the drive that contains quimbee. At the DOS prompt, type QUIMBEE and press the ENTER key if QUIMBEE is on the current default drive, or type X:QUIMBEE and press the ENTER key, where X is the drive letter that contains quimbee and it's related files. The Main Menu screen will appear, and ask you which drive contains QUIMBEE and it's related files. Press A, B or C in response to this prompt. Next the Main Menu will appear, as shown below: Main Menu Function (1-3) 1. Start new game 2. Restore game 3. Exit to DOS If you've already begun a game this session, and returned to this menu, a fourth option will be offered: 4. Replay MAIN MENU FUNCTIONS 1. Start new game - This function allows you to set up a new game, specifying the number of players, their names and the game level you wish to play. See Page 4 for this function. 2. Restore game - This function lets you continue playing a game that you previously stored to disk. See Page 5 for this function. 3. Exit to DOS - This function exits the QUIMBEE program and returns your system to the DOS command level. Your system will have to reload COMMAND.COM at this time. 4. Replay - This option restarts the game, using the same player's names and the same game level that you selected for the previous game. See Page 6 if you chose this function. ********************************* QUIMBEE.EXE Page 3 STARTING A NEW GAME If you pressed the number "1" in response to the Main Menu prompt, the following will appear: Number of players? (1-6) Press the number key corresponding to the number of players. Game level to play? (1-4) Press the number key corresponding to the game level you want to play. The game level specifies how many columns of the fourteen basic scoring catagories you will play. Higher game levels take longer to play, but the scores that you earn are multiplied by the column number (1-4) in which they are entered, adding a degree of skill in entering your scores for maximum value. Finally, you'll be asked to enter the names of the players. Enter the name of each player (up to 16 characters), in the desired order of play, pressing the ENTER key after each. Now go to page 6 of this manual. ********************************* QUIMBEE.EXE Page 4 RESTORE GAME If you chose this function from the Main Menu, the screen will clear and you'll be prompted to put the QUIMBEE game disk in the drive you specified when the program began, then press any key to see a listing of the available game files. Ensure that the proper disk is in the specified drive, and that the drive door is closed, then press any key. If no QUIMBEE game files exist on the drive you specified, you'll get an error message, and you'll be returned to the Main Menu screen. The quimbee game file names will now appear on your monitor, along with the following prompt: Filename?(blank to abort) If the game file you wished to restore is not listed, or you changed your mind, just press the ENTER key without typing a filename, and you'll be returned to the Main Menu screen. Otherwise, type the game file name that you wish to restore and press the ENTER key. It is not necessary to include the .QSV extension when entering the game file name. If the filename you entered does not exist, or the file is damaged, an error message will appear and you'll be returned to the Main Menu screen. After the file is loaded without error, go to Page 6 of this manual. ********************************* QUIMBEE.EXE Page 5 AUTOMATIC HIGH SCORE RETENTION If the file QUIMBEE.REC exists in the default directory of the drive you specified, the record score screen will now be displayed, simular to that shown below: Current Record Scores Game Level Set by Score Date set 1 player's name xxxxx date 2 player's name xxxxx date 3 player's name xxxxx date 4 player's name xxxxx date Your score to beat is: xxxxx Press any key to continue If the file is not found, this message appears instead: QUIMBEE.REC file not found on Drive X It will be created at the end of this game Press any key to continue When ready, press any key to begin the game. This file is automatically updated (or created) at the end of a game, if the old record high score for that game level was exceeded during the previous game. ********************************* QUIMBEE.EXE Page 6 DICE COMMANDS A player's turn begins when his or her name appears on the screen, and the computer rolls all six dice. By using the commands described below, the player indicates which dice to keep (LOCK). Locked dice will have a red bar displayed under them, and are not rolled when the other (unlocked) dice are rolled. Dice that display a flashing blue 'Q' are WILD dice, and may be used to satisfy any scoring category's requirements (with some restrictions on the Full House category). Wild dice are automatically locked when you select any other dice value. To LOCK dice of a given value, press that NUMBER KEY (not on the numeric keypad). If you select only one value of dice to be locked, any dice of that value (or Wild dice) that appear on subsequent rolls during that turn will automatically be locked for you. If you select more than one value of dice to be locked, you must manually lock dice you wish to keep after each roll. To lock all six dice, press A (for All). This is useful when trying to make a Straight. After locking all six dice, you can use the next command to unlock individual dice that you don't want to keep. To UNLOCK a single die of a certain value, press the U key (for Unlock). This prompt will be displayed on row 20: Unlock a die of what value? (1-6) then press the NUMBER KEY corresponding to the value of the die to be unlocked. The red bar under one die of that value will disappear, indicating that the die is now unlocked. To UNLOCK ALL six dice, press the 0 key (not on the numeric keypad). Any WILD dice displayed will remain locked. This is useful when you want to lock dice of a different value than that which you origionally selected. This also resets the flag for automatic dice locking when a single die value is subsequently selected. When you've locked the die you wish to keep, press the SPACE BAR to roll all the unlocked dice. You normally get three rolls per turn, though you do not have to use all of them. ********************************* QUIMBEE.EXE Page 7 PREVIEW FEATURE The preview feature makes playing quimbee a little easier by displaying the score that your current dice combination is worth in each empty scoring location. Scoring locations that would have a value of zero for the current dice combination, are left blank to avoid clutter on your screen. The preview score values are shown in blue numbers to distinguish them from previously entered scores, which are shown in black numbers, and from the Upper and Lower Totals, which are shown in white numbers. This feature is automatically invoked after the last roll of each player's turn, to help the player decide where to enter a score. PREVIEW FEATURE OPTIONS A player can cause the preview scores to be displayed after any roll of the dice by pressing the P key. This allows you to confirm a score that is available to you with the current dice combination. The preview function will remain active for the balance of that turn, with the preview scores being updated after each roll of the dice. The operation of the preview feature as described so far, is it's OFF mode, which is the default when quimbee is started. There is one final option. Any player can toggle the preview feature's mode (for their turns only), by pressing the S key during his or her turn. The following prompt will appear in red on line 20: Turn preview feature OFF? (Y/N) Pressing the N key sets the preview feature to the ON mode, (for the current player only) and the preview scores will be displayed after every roll of the dice during each of this player's turns until toggled again by the player. The preview feature can be toggled to it's OFF mode, for the current player, by pressing the Y key at the above prompt. ********************************* QUIMBEE.EXE Page 8 ENTERING YOUR SCORE You must enter a score for each of your turns. If your final dice combination does not satisfy the scoring requirements of any of the empty scoring locations, then you must enter a score of zero in one of these empty scoring locations. Note: when this condition exists, you won't see any preview scores displayed in blue on your screen. Each turn consists of three regular rolls of the dice. If you decide to enter a score before taking your third roll, and the preview feature is toggled off for you, I suggest that you press the P key to verify scores that are available before you enter your score. Once entered, scores cannot be changed or moved. You indicate where to enter a score by using the arrow keys on the numeric keypad (the Numlock key must be off). The red * and ¯ symbols move together vertically to indicate the scoring category to record your score in. The ¯ symbol also moves horizontally to select the game level column to record the score in (from 1 to the game level selected when you started Quimbee). These symbols WRAP in all directions. After selecting an empty scoring location (or one with blue preview score values displayed in it), press the ENTER key to record your score. It is immediately displayed in black numbers in the scoring location you selected, and your total score is updated. The current total score for each player is displayed in the upper left corner of the screen, immediately to the left of the ONES thru SIXES scoring categories. The total score for the current player is shown in blue numbers, and the others in black. ********************************* QUIMBEE.EXE Page 9 JEOPARDY ROLLS After the third roll of the dice, you may be eligible for a fourth roll if the current dice combination includes either a 4 or 5-of-a-kind (4 or 5 dice of the same value, including any Wild dice). If you're eligible, the following message will appear in red on line 20: Press J key if you want a JEOPARDY roll! You can ignore this prompt and enter your score as described above, or press the J key for a JEOPARDY ROLL. If you press the J key, the computer first checks to see if more than one dice value qualifies. This can happen if there are two or more wild dice. If this is the case, the computer will prompt you to choose one of the eligible values. Next, the computer unlocks all six dice, relocks all dice of the selected eligible value, and rolls the remaining dice. If, as a result of the JEOPARDY ROLL, your 4 or 5-of-a-kind has improved to a 5-of-a-kind or a QUIMBEE (6-of-a-kind), the following message will appear on line 20: JEOPARDY roll successful, DOUBLE SCORES! The preview scores will be updated to show the values of the current dice combination. You now select a scoring location to enter your score in, and it will score double it's normal value, due to your successful JEOPARY ROLL. This completes your turn. If the JEOPARDY ROLL fails to improve your dice combination, then the following message will appear on line 20: JEOPARDY failed, re-rolling all six dice The computer will then unlock and re-roll all six dice, and update the preview scores to show the values of the current dice combination. You now select a scoring location to enter your score, and this completes your turn. ********************************* QUIMBEE.EXE Page 10 ENDING A GAME EARLY You can end the current game at any time by pressing the F10 key. The following prompt will then appear on line 20: End this game?(Y/N) Press Y to immediately end the current game and return to the Main Menu or press N or ENTER to continue playing. SAVING A GAME ON DISK You can save the current game to disk, and restore it at a later time to continue playing it, by pressing the F1 key. The following prompt will appear on line 20: Save game to disk?(Y/N) Press N or ENTER to cancel this function and continue play of the current game, or press Y to save the current game conditions to disk. If you press Y, you'll be asked to enter a filename. Enter a 1 to 8 digit filename (no pathname or extensions allowed). The game will be saved to the current default directory of the drive you specified when starting QUIMBEE after the current round of play has been completed. After the game has been saved to disk, the following prompt will appear on line 20: Continue current game?(Y/N) Press N or ENTER to return to the Main Menu, or press Y to immediately continue playing the game that was just saved to disk. SOUND EFFECTS QUIMBEE includes sound effects when displaying the current player's name, displaying his or her scores in the scoring locations and when rolling the dice. These are normally on when you start QUIMBEE. If you find these sounds distracting, simply press the F6 key to toggle the sound effects off. Pressing F6 again will turn the sound effects back on. Each time you press F6, a message will appear on line 20, informing you of the current mode (On or Off) for the sound effects. ********************************* QUIMBEE.EXE Page 11 UPPER SECTION SCORING Scores in the upper section (ONES - SIXES) are equal to the total of all dice of the selected value in the current dice combination (wild dice count as the selected value also). This value may be doubled as the result of a JEOPARDY ROLL. When the total of the ONES thru SIXES scoring locations in a scoring column exceeds 84 points, 5 bonus points are awarded for each point above 84, and displayed in the row labelled Upper bonus. The UPPER TOTAL row shows the total of the ONES thru SIXES scoring locations and the Upper bonus for each game level. The UPPER TOTAL value is multiplied by the column number (game level) once all six of the UPPER SECTION scoring locations have had a score entered in them. LOWER SECTION SCORING 3, 4 and 5-OF-A-KIND ..................... total of all dice (wild dice score 7 points each in these scoring locations) QUIMBEE (6-of-a-kind): first QUIMBEE ........... 75 points each additional ........... 175 points FULL HOUSE: Accepts three combinations: 3 pair ........................................ 25 points 1 pair Plus 3 or 4-of-a-kind ................ 30 points Two 3-of-a-kinds ............................. 40 points (Wild dice score 15 points each in this scoring location, but they do NOT contribute to making the combinations). STRAIGHTS: 5 or 6 dice in numerical sequence (WILD dice help) 5 Straight ..................................... 40 points 6 Straight (in 5 or 6 Straight score location) . 60 points REPRIEVE: no requirements ................ total of all dice (WILD dice score 7 points each in this scoring location) LOWER TOTAL: Shows the total of the lower section scoring categories. Lower section scores are multiplied by the column number as soon as they are entered. Lower scoring section scores may be doubled by a successful JEOPARDY ROLL. There are some exceptions to the above values. These occur when QUIMBEE's (6-of-a-kind) are made, refer to the preview score values displayed on your screen for these values. ********************************* QUIMBEE.EXE Page 12