SPIDER
======
ST/STe version V1.5 by
Jean-Etienne DOUCET
June 24, 1992
-------------------
Spider is a 104 cards (two 52 packs)
solitaire. This version allows you to
play it on your favorite computer.
Warning: Spider only runs in
+-----------------+
| LOW resolution |
+-----------------+
(I hate docs that let you run a program
to know if it will be ok under the
resolutions you have...)
GAME RULES
----------
The aim of the game is to sort all the
cards in 8 only-one-suit series.
Initially,there are 44 cards face-down
placed in 10 columns, each 4 or 5 cards
high.
On top of each of the 10 columns is
dealt 1 face-up card. That makes 54
cards on the board and 50 left for
further re-distribution.
You only can remove from the board full
series (King down to Ace), all cards
being of the same suit (say Clubs for
example). You therefore have to
reorganize columns by moving, from one
to another, groups of one or more cards.
Moves
-----
One group can only be moved if:
1 - it is on top of a column,
2 - it is made out of consecutive
cards of the same suit,
3 - the first card of the group can be
placed on one next-ranked card
(e.g. a 7 on a 8), no matter what
the suit of this card is.
If a group move discovers a face down
card, this one is tilted face up.
Trying to move a group that is a one-
color-only group removes it from the
board.
Re-dealing cards
----------------
When you feel the game is blocked up,
you can re-deal one face-up card on each
column. This can only be done if there
are no empty columns.
There are 5 deals in the game, as there
are 50 cards left after the game instal-
lation.
PROGRAM CONTROL
===============
All the commands use the mouse, except
when you have to type in your name for
the 10 best scores Hit Parade.
During the game, you can use the left
button to move groups of cards or the
right button to pop-up the control
panel.
Moves
-----
Clicking the left button under the last
card of a column moves the topmost group
to the next possible column, or to the
first next empty column, if there are no
other possible move. The same effect is
achieved by clicking in the same column
anywhere under the last card of the
group.
You can move a part of a group by
clicking the left button on the first
card of this sub-group.
If there are possible moves on non empty
columns, the moved group will never go
in empty columns. If you want to move it
into an empty column, then you must
click the first card of this group (as
if it was a sub-group).
When a move is possible, it is automa-
tically done towards the first good
position on the right, with a little
music to tell this has been done.
Control panel
-------------
Clicking the mouse right button calls
the control panel. The left button
serves to a command selection; the right
button returns to the game.
There are 6 commands:
HELP suggests you a move or a new 10
cards deal. Be warned that the
suggested moves may not be the
most efficient. However, this can
be of some help for beginners.
The command is disabled if there
are empty columns.
DEAL puts a face-up card on each of
the 10 columns. Deal is disabled
if there are no more cards to
deal or if there are empty
columns.
UNDO takes you back before the last
move. You can undo any move;
however undoing a deal or a move
that uncovers a face-down card
will flag you as a cheater: you,
therefore, will not be allowed
to enter the Hit Parade; the
UNDO button is lightened to ad-
vise you not to use it.
INFO gives you informations about the
game status: number of deals that
have been done, current score,
time spent and suits that have
been completed; removed suits
are inverted. One can also
have a look to the Hit Parade.
VIEW allows you to "split" the view
when columns become too long;
there is a special section about
this command, see further.
QUIT leaves the game. If your score is
high enough, you can enter the
"Hit Parade" where -- this is the
only circumstance -- you'll have
to use the keyboard to enter your
name.
Some of these commands use a message
panel (or the HELP arrow); to discard
it, you just have to click a mouse
button.
View splitting
--------------
When you select this command, the mouse
cursor becomes a cross. You can abort
the command with a click on the right
button.
With the left button, you select two
lines of the board: the board is then
splitted (with an indication about the
number of hidden lines), thus
making all of the bottom of the columns
to move up consequently. You can revert
to the normal view by selecting the VIEW
command again.
SCORING
=======
The scoring in Spider is as follows:
- 10 points for each face-down card
that has been turned face-up;
- 15 points for each column that does
not contain any face-down card;
- 2 points for each card correctly
placed, i.e. on the next upper rank
card from the same suit;
- 50 points for each complete suit,
wether it's removed from the game
or not.
- 2 points for each complete suit but
the first three that remains on the
board.
Wining a game scores between 990 and
1000 points, depending upon the number
of complete suits that are left
on the board: each one past the first
three adds 2 points to your score.
Spider keeps the 10 best scores in
something called Hit Parade. You can
only enter the HP when (both):
- your score is higher than the 10th
registered score, or else there are
less than 10 scores currently regis-
tered.
- you have not used any "cheating"
UNDO command.
To clear the HP, one has only to delete
the score file SPIDER.SCR.
VERSIONS
========
1.1 removed a bug about sub-groups
moves, and also problems with mar-
king of columns too long to fit on
a single screen.
1.2 introduced some sort of "partial"
UNDO: one could undo moves EXCEPT
deals and cards uncovering moves.
1.3 extends UNDO to all moves. Colors
have been changed.
1.4 (the last, I hope) introduces the
same scoring scheme as the Sun
version; also, removes a bug about
eliminations that discover cards.
Memory usage has been limited to
200K. New entry panel has been
drawn (using Crack Art) using only
ST colors, not STE's as before.
1.5 all bugs have been removed, except
maybe those due to: new graphics
for cards (thanks again Crack Art).
(1.52): new music & sounds: version
only delivered to people having
sent postcards before June 1st, 92;
fortunately, they are very few :^)
BUGS
====
Tell me if you find one: you win the
current last version...
VARIOUS CONSIDERATIONS
======================
Spider is written using GFA Basic v3.07
(+ compiler v3.01). I'm glad not to
have to use C to make it...
It has only been tested on STe (520
and 1040). I think it should run on
regular ST's.
I have no idea how about Spider can run
on a MegaST(e) or a TT...
ST Spider is a freeware program
-- no fee asked for--.
It may freely be copied and distributed
as long as:
1 - the 2 files (SPIDER.PRG and
SPIDER.DOC) remain together;
2 - it is not sold or used in any way
for profit.
Although a freeware program, it would be
kind of you to send a postcard of the
place where you live. (This will please
my children very much...)
Comments, suggestions, bugs reports, and
all this kind of things, are welcome.
E-mail address is below.
Moreover, although I very rarely write,
I'm a daily reader of comp.sys.atari.st,
so, in case of mail bounce, you can join
me there...
Have fun: it's not as hard as it seems.
---------------------------------------
Jean-Etienne Doucet
e-mail: doucet@laas.laas.fr
snail mail: 38 chemin Malclabel
31500 Toulouse
France
---------------------------------------