*Please Maximize this window to see the full text.* §§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§ § Jon Persky Games Presents § § SWITCH v. 2.0 § §§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§ PACKING LIST SWITCH.EXE - The executable program file. SWITCH.TXT - This text file BLUEDOT.ICO REDDOT.ICO }Icon files BLANK.ICO All these files MUST be in the same directory on your disk. If any of these files are missing or look altered please let me know! REQUIREMENTS Windows 3.x, mouse, VGA. I'm not sure if you can get by without at least a 386, you're free to try. IMPORTANT: This program needs the file VBRUN100.DLL to work. Please refer to the Technical Notes section further in this file for more details. INSTALLATION First, copy the files that came with Switch to your C:\WINDOWS directory by using File Manager. (If you get a message indicating overwriting the file VBRUN100.DLL, click OK; you only need one copy of this file.) Close File Manager and open your Games group in Program Manager. Select File...New and click on Program Item. In the Description box, type "Switch". In the Command Line box, type "\windows\switch.exe". You don't need to worry about the rest; just click OK. The icon will be there and you're ready to go! OVERVIEW SWITCH is a game of logic. When you load the program, you will see nine boxes. Four blue balls will be in the four left boxes, four red balls will be in the four right boxes, and the middle box will be left empty. The goal of Switch is to reverse the order of the colored balls so that the blue balls are on the right, and vice versa. Starting position: B B B B R R R R Winning position: R R R R B B B B HOW TO PLAY To move a ball, simply click on it. Legal moves are as follows: You can move a ball one space into an empty space, or you can jump over another ball of the opposite color. For example, if the order looks like this: B B B B R R R R then you can move a red ball over one space to the left: B B B B R R R R or you can jump over a red ball with a blue ball. B B B R B R R R You cannot move backwards (i.e., blue balls must move right and red balls must move left.) You can only jump over one ball at a time, and you cannot jump over a ball of the same color. Each move you make is counted as a turn. Illegal moves (followed by a beep) are also counted as turns to make sure you learn how to move. There are only two solutions to the puzzle, and it will take you at least 24 turns to solve it. It's very difficult, so good luck! COMMANDS Game Menu New (F2): Starts a new game. Exit (^X): Quits Switch. About Switch: Shareware info and other stuff. Options Menu Show How to Do It (^S): Watch the ultimate solution to the puzzle flash before your eyes! Puts an end to frustration, if only you can memorize the pattern! Background Color - Customize your Switch window with a palette of 7 colors. Help Menu - a dialog box that tells you to open this file. STRATEGY & HINTS Switch takes a great deal of logic and brainwork to master. If you are still stumped and continuously get stuck, here are some hints: 1) Never leave two balls of the same color next to each other, except for the starting and ending positions, since you cannot jump over two balls at once. Try to alternate blue-red while you play. 2) Take your time and be careful! Remember that you can not undo your move if you mess up. Time and patience is the key to a good score. 3) There are not many solutions to the puzzle, but once you solve it, you'll recognize the pattern and be able to solve it again and again. Remember the solution is just a key press away! (But it would be CHEATING!) (But nobody's WATCHING!) TECHNICAL NOTES Switch was made on Microsoft Visual Basic v. 1.0. To work effectively, the program MUST be accompanied by the file VBRUN100.DLL. You should either receive the file with this program or separately from the person or board you received this from. If not, please contact me via CompuServe [70661,700] or by mail (see below for address) and I will upload or or mail a disk (to minimize costs, I will send a low-density 5.25" disk, please tell me if this is a problem) to you at no charge. Note: VBRUN100.DLL is a large (270+ KB) file. You only need one copy of this file. So if you have previously downloaded a Visual Basic application or have the Visual Basic program, you can delete this file. However, you should have a copy of this file in the same directory as the Switch program. NEW IN VERSION 2.0 Because NONE of the 40+ people who downloaded v.1.2 told me about it, v.1.2 stayed online with a fatal bug! I had dumb-brainedly left the icon files out of the zipfile, AND listed in the source code this line, many times over: dots1.picture = LoadPicture ("c:\vb\jongames\switch\bluedot.ico") Chances are you don't have a \vb\jongames\switch subdirectory!!! If you try to run 1.2, you will get a "File Not Found" error message. I changed it to: dots1.picture = LoadPicture ("bluedot.ico") Now it won't work on my disk (for some reason) when executing it from VB, but I copied the files to another directory on my hard disk and the .EXE file worked fine. Sorry about the mess, and I hope you will tell me about these bugs in the future!!! So that was the EMERGENCY reason I updated it. The other new feature in Switch is the Show How To Do It feature, because I know you are dying to know how the puzzle is solved! SHAREWARE INFO Switch is Shareware. If you enjoy it, you should register by sending $5 to: Jonathan D. Persky 5 Oak Lane Weston, CT 06883 Please include your name, address, and where you got your copy of Switch. If you register, you will receive a disk (please specify 3.5" or 5.25") of the latest versions of all completed Jon Persky Games so far. The disk will only contain one copy of the file VBRUN100.DLL. You can also register electronically if you subscribe to CompuServe. Simply type GO SWREG and search for registration #254. The registration fee will appear on your CompuServe bill. If you register by this method, the fee will be $6 instead of $5. This additional charge covers CompuServe's 15% processing fee. However, you may find this method more convenient, as you can include the fee on your CompuServe account and you don't have to bother with sending cash or checks. Please remember that the only way I receive compensation for my time and effort is by your registration payment. Remember that you'll receive a disk with the complete set of Jon Persky Games in exchange for your registration. At the current time, the disk will include 6 games (see the "Won't You Please Check Out" section below.) With shareware, disk, and postage costs, this is a $32 value for your $5 registration! The good thing about shareware is that the author and the user both benefit from it a great deal. And, if you don't like the game, simply remove it from your hard disk and your only cost is any charges associated with downloading the program. Also, you are not required to pay registration for the games you receive upon registering this game. You may upload Switch to bulletin boards in condensed or uncondensed format or pass it to your friends provided you do so at no cost and you keep the files SWITCH.EXE, SWITCH.TXT, BLUEDOT.ICO, REDDOT.ICO, and BLANK.ICO intact and unaltered. (Check with your bulletin board to make sure it has a copy of the file VBRUN100.DLL, and if it doesn't, please upload that separately.) AND WON'T YOU PLEASE CHECK OUT... As of September 1, 1992, these are all completed Jon Persky Games, with the latest version number in parentheses and the program name in brackets. 1. What's My Number? (3.0) [WHATSMY#.EXE] Can you guess the computer's secret number in as few turns as possible? 2. Switch (2.0) [SWITCH.EXE] 100's of combinations, only 2 solutions to this challenging logic puzzle! 3. 23 Pickup (2.1) [23PICKUP.EXE] The game where you get to prove the mechanical brain is not always smarter than the natural variety. 4. Target (2.1) [TARGET.EXE] Shoot for the bullseye in this fun dart-shooting game. Which type of throw is best for you? 5. Number Crunch (2.0) [NOCRUNCH.EXE] Can your trigger finger beat the clock and uncover the numbers in order? Based on the board game Numbers Up. 6. Jeopardy Scorekeeper (1.1) [JEOPKEEP.EXE] An accessory program that lets you play along with the contestants on TV! FEEDBACK I'd love to chat. If you subscribe to CompuServe, E-Mail me at ID# [70661,700]. Questions, comments, ideas, suggestions, criticism, or ideas for new games would be appreciated. If you don't use CompuServe, you can use the traditional mailbox method and send it to the address above. I'll be sure to get back to you personally. I am 14 years old, a novice computer programmer, and would like to learn all I can! NOTE: I can also be reached at The Fine Blue Line BBS at (203) 226-3565. P.S. PLEASE SPREAD THIS AROUND!!! Public domain software is the most popular kind out there, and its essential purpose is to provide you with quality entertainment for a low cost. Please do your best to upload this game to all the bulletin boards you subscribe to, and pass it around to your friends. It will make us all very happy ! If enough people let me know what they think, I'll feel motiva