Please read all this doc, it's not that
long and is terribly amusing.
o-o-O FIRST DOMINOES O-o-o
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Will probably run on any ST, so long as
it has at least 1/2 meg. LOW RES only
As far as we know, the first real game
of dominoes on any computer!
Now features selectable domino set:
double nines or double sixes.
Nine dominoes per player in a double 9
set game.
If you select the double six set, then
you can select to play with either
7 or 6 dominoes per hand.
Plays matchplay type singles games.
Cup match option with user modifiable
no. of games in match.
Uses standard legal move techniques,
i.e. does not cheat.
2 to 5 players allowed (double nines).
2 to 4 players allowed (double sixes).
Other new additions are FLASH-KNOCK,
which lets you know if you can't go.
FALSE-KNOCK. Will not let you knock if
you can go. I added this because some
people knock hastily, without looking
properly (also occurrs in the pub
but probably for differnt reasons!)
50HZ toggles display frequency between
50 and 60 Hertz.
These 3 options are selected from the
title screen, can be switched on & off
and are saved in save-prefs.
Lots of other improvements have been
made on this version many of which you
probably wont notice unless you were an
avid user of the last version, examples
of these are:
Complete redefinition of pallette,so at
last you can alter the domino or table
colours, without interfering with other
graphics.
All quit options must now be verified
by pressing 'Q'-most other keys cancel,
no more accidental quitting.
All other mods should be transparent.
Please let me have your thoughts and
suggestions on this update-is it worth
me updating further?
A lot of these additions are thanks to
our plumber! He saw me playing it one
day and we started talking about it.
He said he played an arcade version on
the Isle of man! He is also a keen team
player. Only thing was, he asked if I
could do a SEGA version for him!!!
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I often enjoy playing dominoes in the
pub for ten pence a game. I thought
how nice it would be to have a game at
home, trouble was, with two or three
players, the game is not so good. Also
there are times when no-one wants to
play, the computer version solves all
of these problems and more.
With First Dominoes you can have from
two to five players... one human and 1
to 4 computer controlled players, or,
you can let computerised players play
on their own. Good for learners.
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PLAYERS NAMES:
To make full use of FD you will need
to edit the players names 1-5 on the
menu screen, point the mouse (arrow)
at one of the five names and click the
left button, the > symbol will appear
if you don't want that player to be in
the game, just press return.
If you want to rename the player just
type the new name and press Return.
If you make a mistake, such as a wrong
spelling then press return and start
again.
You can alter all five player names
and if you leave any blank then those
players won't be in the game.
Obviously, at least 2 MUST be in.
selecting the SAVE INF by pointing and
clicking the mouse will save all the
names you enter, then, whenever you
load first dominoes in the future the
names will be as you typed them, as
will the colours and speed settings.
NOTE:when using the double-six domino
set player 5 will be deselected. This
is due to the obvious reason that
there aren't enough dominoes to have
a five player game (with 6 or 7 each).
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SPEED:
You are also able to change the speed
at which the players play, point and
click on the SPEED: box, left button
will decrease the speed, right will
increase it. (saved in SAVE INF)
I usually have the speed set quite
slow-100 so I can see what's going on.
Speed can be adjusted either on the
menu screen or from 'YOUR WINDOW'.
Speeds are from 0 (slow) to 128 (fast)
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COLOURS:
The sixteen colours can be altered by
dragging the three sliders at screen
bottom.
First point at the colour you want to
alter and click, the tick should move
to that colour.
The numbers on the three sliders will
show you the current red-green & blue
setting for that colour, you are able
to drag the sliders and change the
settings.
Care must be taken or you might end
up not being able to see anything!
If that does happen move the mouse
fully down and right and click to
restore the default palette.
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THE GAME AND YOUR WINDOW:
Your window will appear every time it
is your turn to play. If you want to
see the 'table' then point and click
on the little box, top left of your
window, your window now disappears,
allowing you to see what has been put
down. Click the left mouse button to
make it reappear.
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ENDS:
Top left of your window is the ENDS:
icon, showing the two current values
in play.
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KNOCK:
Below this is the all important KNOCK
icon, if you don't have a domino that
matches either of the ends, in other
words, if you can't go, you click on
this icon.
Be careful with this because once you
have 'knocked' you can't change your
mind, and in a real game you could be
penalised, or deemed to have cheated.
You can prevent this by enabling the
FALSE-KNOCK on the title screen.
Also, if FLASH-KNOCK is selected then
the knock icon will be blinking on all
occasions where you can't go.
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PLAYER STATUSES:
To the right of your window are the
names of all current players and the
number of dominoes they have left.
The dash by the side of one indicates
whos 'down' it was.
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PLAYING A DOMINO:
At the bottom of your window your
'hand' is shown. You can point at any
domino which matches one of the
current ends, click on and play it.
Here arises a situation where if the
current ends were 5-6 and the domino
you were playing was 6-5, then you
would be able to, either, make both
ends=6 or both ends=5, by playing to
one end or the other.
This is catered for by being able to
click on the top or bottom half of
the domino in your window you are
about to play....
...E.G.
Currently the 'top end' is a six.
Currently the 'bot end' is a five.
You are about to play the 6-5 domino.
Click to the top of it to play it to
the top. Now both ends=5
Click the bottom of the domino to play
it to the bottom, now both ends=6
In normal situations it doesn't matter
where you click on the domino, so long
as it's a legal move it will be played.
Take a little time to familiarise your
self with the above info-it's essential
to good tactical play.
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QUIT GAME, GOTO MENU:
Clicking in this box means you give up
playing and return to the title screen
when you do this all the scores for
player wins will be reset.
Pressing the 'ESC' key will also allow
you to quit playing.
Clicking the mouse in the top left
corner of the title screen allows you
leave the game altogether and return
to the desktop.
You must confirm after doing any of
the above by pressing 'Q'.