*tSerious Backgammon* *p4 *h065~~~~~~New~~~~Users~~~~~~ *h067~How~to~use~the~program~ *h069~~Backgammon~~Tutorial~~ *h080~~Advanced~~Backgammon~~ *h101~~~~~~~Ordering~~~~~~~~~ *p1Please select the topic you require ...*m*e *tNew Users* Serious Backgammon has been carefully designed to be as easy to use as Špossible. Everything is mouse controlled, and these help screens provide a Šcomprehensive guide to the game. *p4*c00,42*i44,31,62If you are using the program for the first time, Šread through these pages before playing your first game. *p1Select Help to return to these pages at any time when playing.*e *tNew Users* *p4If you are an experienced backgammon player, you won't need to read Šthe general backgammon tutorial, but you may still find the advanced tutorial Šinformative. *p1Do use the Preferences screen to set up the board to your own Šparticular choice. Various board designs are available, and the tables can be Šreversed if you prefer. *p4If you are new to backgammon, please read the instructions on the Šnext few pages. The game does have quite a bit of jargon to learn, but bear Šwith it as it is a very enjoyable game to play. *e *tUsing This Program* *p4 All the functions in this program are mouse controlled, and you Šshould find them easy and intuitive to use. *p1 The main part of the screen displays the board whilst Šyou are playing, as well as Help text (such as this page), ŠPreferences, or the introduction message. *p4 The bar across the top of the screen displays general Šmessages, as well as the current date and time.*e *tScreen Layout* *p4 At the bottom of the screen, a row of icons gives you Šaccess to a further range of functions: *p1Analyse*p4 Provides a quick analysis of the Šcurrent game, including your probability of winning *p1Help*p4 Brings up these help pages *p1Prefs*p4 The preferences screens allow you to alter (and save) the game Šconfiguration *p1Undo*p4 Undoes the current move *p1Hint*p4 Suggests your best move *p1Exit*p4 Allows you to exit the program*e *tBackgammon Tutorial* *p4 Backgammon is one of the classic board games, and has Šbeen played for over four thousand years, since the times of the Šancient Egyptians. *p1*c01,45Backgammon's rules are simple, yet it remains a Šchallenge to the most experienced player. Games are quick and Šexciting, ensuring none is ever boring, and the element of chance Šmeans both players always have a chance of winning.*U52,30,00*p4 Read on for the backgammon tutorial*m*e *tGetting Started* Serious Backgammon is entirely mouse controlled, and has Šbeen carefully designed to be as intuitive to use as possible. *p4 During play, you select a piece to move by clicking on Šit with the left mouse button. If you can move it (i.e. if it is Šone of your pieces) it will be highlighted with a tick. To Šcomplete the move, click on the point you wish to move to. ŠObviously, this position must be valid under backgammon rules, and Šnot occupied by two or more of your opponent's pieces, or out of Šreach of your dice. To cancel the move, click again on the first Špiece, that is highlighted, and the tick will be removed.*e *tInstructions* *c00,47 Backgammon is played on a board containing twenty Šfour points. The board is divided into four tables, with six points in each Štable. Each player has fifteen counters, laid out as illustrated ...*i51,04,57 *p4*c21,99*i02,38,55Opponents face each other across the Šboard and move in opposite directions, their pieces crossing over Šeach other. The winning player is the first to move all their Špieces round to their "inner" table, and from there bear them off Šthe board.*e *p4*c00,53*i57,06,53 Movement is decided by the roll of two dice. You can move Šone counter twice or move two counters. If you throw a double, you Šare allowed four separate moves, e.g. a double six means you can Šmove four sixes. *p1*c20,99*i04,40,54 Each move must be made in your Šdirection of movement. You cannot land on a point if your opponent Šoccupies it with two or more of his pieces.*e *tCapturing pieces* *p4*c20,99*i04,06,56A single piece is known as a BLOT. If you Šland on one of your opponent's blots, it is removed from the board Šand placed on the bar. A player who has pieces on the bar MUST Šplay them immediately, into his outermost table. If he cannot move Šthem his turn is forfeit.*i15,39,58*i45,39,59*e *tBearing Off* *p4 Once all your pieces are inside your inner table, i.e. Šin the innermost six points, you can bear them off the board. A Špiece can bear off if it can move exactly the number of spaces Šrequired, i.e. 5 from point 5, 2 from point 2 etc, OR if the dice Šroll is greater than the number of spaces required, and it is the Šhighest placed piece. *c00,50 To bear off, simply select the piece in the normal way, and Šclick off the board to the left to select the destination.*i57,35,63*e *tAutomatic Moves* In certain game positions there will only be one way in which you can play. ŠFor example, if you are bearing off and throw a double six, this can only be Šused to move your outermost counters off the board. *p1In these situations an A icon will appear in the centre of the board. ŠSimply click on this with the left mouse button and the computer will make all Šyour moves for you. *p4 This feature can be turned off from the preferences game screen.*e *tDoubling* If a player feels confident of winning, he can double the stakes for which Šthe game is played, by offering the doubling cube to his opponent. If the Šopponent accepts, the points won at the end of the game will be doubled. If he Šrefuses to accept a double he must resign, and the first player wins the game Šfor the initial stake. *c00,56*p1 Each player can double as many times as he likes, up to a limit of Š64. Either player can double first, but once you have doubled, your opponent Šgains possession of the cube and only he can double next. *i60,40,66*i62,44,67*i64,48,68*e *tDoubling* *p1 To offer a double, simply click on the red doubling cube with the left Šmouse button. Initially the cube shows 64, which means no double has yet been Šproposed. *p4 Choosing the right time to make a double is a fine judgement. If you are Šcertain of winning offering a double can be a big mistake. Your opponent will Šsimply resign and thus save himself from a possible gammon or worse. So the art Šof doubling is to offer the cube to your opponent whilst he still has a chance Šof winning, but your position looks likely to improve. *e *tDomino Backgammon* Playing backgammon with dominos adds substantially to the skill needed to Šwin. Instead of relying on the roll of the dice to decide each move, both Šplayers start with a set of twelve dominos. At the start of each move, a player Šchooses one domino which he then uses as his dice roll. Having a choice of Štwelve greatly increases your ability to look ahead, and plan a sequence of Šmoves. You can also see your opponent's dominos and predict what moves he will Šmake. *p1 To choose a domino, simply click on it with the left mouse button. Once Šall twelve dominos have been used by both players, a fresh set will be dealt.*e *tAnalysis* *p4 The analysis screen shows a quick estimate of the current game position. ŠTwo totals are shown for each player - the pip count and the number of cross- Šovers, which are used to calculate the approximate probability of the leading Šplayer winning.*i06,28,73*i44,26,72*e *tAdvanced Backgammon Tutorial* *p4 Backgammon is a miniature game of *p1warfare*p4. The opposing sides are Šcontinually attacking each other and simultaneously defending their own Špositions. A single dice throw can rescue a previously hopeless situation, or Šruin a carefully planned attack. The secret of backgammon is to continually re-assess your game plan. ŠAlways remain *p1flexible*p4, ready to change your strategy at any time. The following guide shows how to *p1plan*p4 your game, to Š*p1analyse*p4 your situation, and how to play from many *p1key Špositions*p4. *e *tMovement and Probability* *p4 Each move in backgammon is governed by the roll of two Šdice. As each die has six faces, it can land showing any number Šfrom 1 to 6. For both dice, this means there are 6 x 6 or 36 total Šcombinations of dice throws. Some of these are duplicates, for Šexample 1,2 is the same as 2,1. In total there are 21 Š*p1different*p4 dice combinations. A *p1direct*p4 move covers six points or less, that is it Šcan be made with a single die roll. An *p1indirect*p4, or Šcombination move, crosses more than six points, and always uses Šboth dice. *e *tMovement Probability Table* *p4 The table below shows the relative probability of Šmoving any given distance...*i05,19,74 *e *tUsing the Probability Table* *p4 From the probability table, you can see that you are Šfar more likely to achieve a *p1direct*p4 move than an Š*p1indirect*p4 one. In fact, there are 17 different ways in which Šit is possible to move six points, which gives a probability of Š17/36 or 47%! This means that it is extremely *p1dangerous*p4 to Šleave a blot six points away from your opponent - but it will be Šrelatively safe seven points away. When you are playing a game, remember that not all Šcombinations will be available, because some points will be held Šby your opponent.*e *tOpening Moves* *p4*c00,50 Each player starts with their pieces on only Šfour points. Two of these points contain five counters. In order Što win with the maximum score, your aim should be to *p1trap*p4 Šyour opponent behind a solid wall of your pieces, with two pieces Šon each consequtive point.*U55,12,00*c00,99 A solid wall of six consequtive points is a *p1prime*p4. A Šprime cannot be jumped because no single move can be greater than Šsix points. Building a prime to trap your opponent should be your Šmain objective.*e *tInitial Strategy* *p4 The start position has two points holding five counters Šeach. This is too many. In general you should aim to control as Šmany points as possible, by having two counters on each. Any more Šwastes the surplus counters. *c21,99*i02,35,75 In order to block your opponent's back counters, there are Šseveral *p1key points*p4 to build on. These are points *p15, 7, 4, Š3 and 9*p4, in that order. Always keep control of point *p16*p4. *e *tPlaying Off the Bar* *p4 At some stage in every game, you will probably have to Šplay at least one counter off the bar. In the early stages of the game this Šshould be easy, but later on pieces can be trapped for some time, with Šdisastrous consequences. The odds against re-entering a counter from the bar depend Šentirely on how many points your opponent controls in his inner Šboard. If he controls only one or two points, you will re-enter Švery quickly, but if he has five points you will have great Šdifficulty playing. *e *tPlaying Off the Bar* *p4*c00,38 The tables below show the probabilities for Šentering first one counter off the bar, and then two, depending on Šhow many points are controlled by your opponent. It is far more Š*p1difficult*p4 to enter two counters than just one. For example, with two Šcounters on the bar and 5 points held by your opponent, you have only a Š*p13%*p4 chance of playing both!*i40,04,76*e *tBearing Off* *p4 Once you have moved all your counters back to your Šinner table, you can begin bearing off. If you are well ahead, you Šmay well have trapped one of more of your opponent's pieces. In Šthis case, play cautiously. *p1Do not expose a blot*p4 unless Šabsolutely necessary. Always try to ensure a balanced, even number Šof counters on your highest points. If you are in no danger, you want to bear off in as few Šmoves as possible. If you cannot bear a piece off with a move, use Šit to move a piece onto a space, or to remove excess counters from Ša point which has more than others.*e *tConclusion* *p4 That concludes this brief tutorial. Backgammon is a Šfascinating game, and there are many excellent books available, Šfor those who take a deeper interest in the game. Good luck in all your games - there are many excellent Šbooks on backgammon available. *e *tPreferences* *p4 The preferences screens allow you to choose between a wide range of game Šoptions, and to save a game configuration, that will automatically install Šitself next time you play the game. *p1 Select the PREFS icon at the bottom of the screen to bring up Špreferences, at the start or end of the game, or before you move your first Šcounter. *p4 When you have finished, select SAVE to save your configuration, or OK to Šuse this configuration without saving it. *e *tPreferences Game Options* The game options screen allows you to choose between standard and domino Šbackgammon, and to select various game options and rules. *p1Max 5 counters/point*p4 Limits the number of counters that can be held on a single point. *p1Jacoby Rule*p4 Gammons and backgammons don't score unless a player has doubled. *p1Backgammons score 2*p4 Restricts a backgammon to the same score as a gammon, i.e. 2 points rather than 3. *e *tPreferences Style* *p4 The board options are as follows:-*U55,18,03 *p1STYLE*p4 - choose one of three graphical styles classic, arabic or ancient Š*p1Arabic NUMBERS*p4 - select ON to display the point numbers (useful for beginners) *p1ORIENTATION*p4 - some players prefer the board reversed *e *tPreferences - Start Positions* *p4 The choice of start positions greatly affects the Štactics you must use to win ... *p1Standard*p4 - the default start position*U55,24,02 *p1 ŠSnake Counters on Bar*p4 - all fifteen counters start from the bar, for both players *p1Snake*p4 - player two starts with most of his Šcounters on the bar, playing a "back game"*e *p1 Fayles*p4 - backgammon as it was played in the 16th century*U30,20,01 *p1Mylis*p4 - another centuries-old backgammon Švariation *p1Custom Start*p4 - choose your own start position. ŠChange this by selecting the board editor*e *tPreferences - Players* *p4 Each player can be set up to be either mouse or Šcomputer controlled, with the computer's skill level ranging from Š1 (weakest) to 4 (strongest). This allows you to play against a Šfriend, or to sit back and watch the computer playing against Šitself. *p1 The players' names can also be altered, from "Player ŠOne" and "Player Two" to your own name, or anything you prefer. *e *tPreferences - Scoring* *p4 Three different scoring systems allow the maximum Šflexibility. *p1Standard*p4 - scores 1 point for each game won, 2 points Šfor a gammon, or 3 points for a backgammon *p1Pip Count*p4 - the winner scores the opponent's pip count, Šwhich can lead to a huge score if you win by a backgammon *p11 Point/Counter*p4 - winner scores 1 point for each Šremaining counter in his opponent's inner table, 2 points for each Šcounter in the subsequent table and so on *e *tPreferences - Board Editor* *p4The board editor allows you to design any board position you Šwish, whilst playing a game, or to lay out your own custom start Šposition. The basic editing procedure is similar to playing a normal game. Click with Šthe mouse on a counter to select it, and then click on the position you want to Šmove it to. You can move the counters anywhere on the board, although obviously Šyou are not allowed to have different coloured counters on the same point. *e *tBoard Editor* *p4 The board editor replaces three of the main icons at the Šbottom of the screen. *p1Analyse, Help*p4 and *p1Exit*p4 work just Šas they do whilst playing a game. The new icons provide additional Šfunctions: *p1Undo*p4 - cancels the editing you have done, and restores the board to its initial state *p1Ok*p4 - return to Preferences*e *tBoard Editor* *p1Board*p4 - choose a board to edit *p1Copy From*p4 - choose one of these boards to start editing from. *p1Which Board*p4 - select "Main Board" to play on the board you have edited, or "Custom Start" to start from that position every time. *p1Ok*p4 - return to editing *e *tCreating Your Own Start Position* *p4 Using the board editor you can easily create your own start Šposition, that will be played every time you start the program. Use the board editor to create your chosen board layout, then Šclick on the Board icon and choose "Custom Start" from the "Which ŠBoard" selection. Click on *p1Ok*p4 to leave the board selection menu, Šthen the main *p1Ok*p4 icon to return to Preferences. In Preferences, select *p1Custom Start*p4 as your board start Šposition, and then save the entire preferences by clicking on Š*p1Save*p4. Now you should start with your own board layout every Štime you play.*e *tTower Software* *i04,18,60*c24,99*p4 Tower Software produces a range of high quality games Šfor all Amigas. *p4 If you have enjoyed this game, we hope you'll be tempted by Šsome of the other products in our range. *p1 Leaf through the next few pages for a description of some of Šour games, or why not use the order form on the disk to send for Šan up to date catalogue.*e *tMancala* *c00,50*i52,08,94 Reputedly the world's oldest game, this classic African Šboard game is a real test of skill. Although seldom found in the West, Mancala Šremains incredibly popular throughout Africa and Asia, having evolved over Šthousands of years. *c00,99*p4 "Impeccably programmed and presented like all of Tower Software's Šprograms...Hugely challenging" *p19/10 Amiga User International, December 93*m *e *tSerious Solitaire* The definitive collection of solitaire card games. Two Šcompilations each featuring a full fifteen games. Three levels of Šdifficulty add an extra challenge to the more straightforward Šgames, whilst allowing some of the more difficlt games to be Šsolved without too much stress. *p4"Brilliantly executed, with superb presentation and graphics"*m*p1Amiga ŠForce 11/93*m *p4"Extremely user friendly...the presentation throughout is excellent"*m*p1The ŠOne 8/93*m*e *tPrices* Excellent Card Games ........................... *#12.99 *p1 Excellent Card Games II ........................ *#12.99 *p4 Serious Backgammon ............................. *#12.99 *p1 Mancala ........................................ *#12.99 *p4 Serious Solitaire .............................. *#12.99 *p1 Serious Solitaire II ........................... *#12.99 *p3Send a blank disk and an S.A.E. for a free sample!*m *p4 If you have a printer, you can use the Order Form supplied on this Šdisk to order any of our programs, a sample disk or a free catalogue.*e *tNew Titles* Two new titles for 1995 include Excellent Cards III, with five games Šincluding one of the best poker games ever seen on a computer. The AGA Šversion uses standard IFF and BMP files for wallpaper, and includes a Šrange of attractive designs. Nimble! is a graphical adventure game spread Šover 35 levels of fun. *p1 Excellent Card Games III ...................... *#12.99 *p4 Excellent Card Games III AGA .................. *#14.99 *p1 Nimble! ....................................... *#12.99 *p3 Send a blank disk and an S.A.E. for a free sample!*m*e *tU.S. Orders* *p4U.S. orders are now handled by NorthStar Solutions. All games cost $24.95 inclusive of shipping and handling. Call 1-800-699-6395. VISA & MasterCard accepted.*m *p1Or email us for more details:*m tower@sv.span.com*mCompuserve: 100630,241*mOrder via Compuserve: GO SWREG, I.D. 6523*m*e *tPublic Domain Titles* *p4 We have also produced a range of titles that are in the public domain. ŠThese should be available from your favourite P.D. library or bulletin board, Šor can be ordered direct from us for *#2.50 per title. *p1Excellent Card Games Sampler*m*p4Serious Backgammon ŠDemonstration*m*p1Solitaire Sampler - 5 complete solitaire Šgames*m*p4Othello - complete game*m*p1CardSharp - 5 more solitaire Šgames*m*p4Mancala Demonstration*m*e *t...and Finally* *i04,12,60*i36,36,62*c24,99*p4 We're always happy to hear of any suggestions Šfor new games, or improvements for any of our existing titles. *p1 Thanks for playing! *e *tThis Program Is Restricted* *p1 Sorry, this is only a restricted version of Serious Backgammon! *p4Every so often this annoying screen is going to pop up Šwhilst you're playing just to remind you to buy the full version. ŠI don't want to annoy you too much of course, and you can spend as Šmuch time as you like reading the help pages, or playing with ŠPreferences. *p1The full version also allows you to save all your high scores to disk, Šalong with all your game settings configured in Preferences. *p3 *e *tImportant Information!* Hey, why not pause for a minute and consider whether you'd like Što buy the full version of this program! *p1*c00,46*i50,20,60 Your measly *#12.99 buys you the complete, unrestricted Šgame together with another sample disk crammed full of quality programs. *p4 Help support a small software house and at the same time have a real say Šin which programs we'll develop next! *e *tSerious Backgammon Evaluation Copy* Serious Backgammon allows you to play backgammon at its best. Check out the Šmany game options, Domino Backgammon, doubling, a full game tutorial and much Šmuch more. *U50,30,00 *p4 "Every feature you could ever expect" *p1 Amiga Force 10/93 *p4 "Excellent instructions and brilliant graphics ... a definite purchase" *p1 Amiga Mart 10/93*e *p4 Just click on FINISHED to return to your game...*m *e *tImportant Information!* Still playing huh - I guess you just can't get enough of Serious Backgammon. *p1 I can't fault your judgement, but don't you really think you should dip Šyour hand into your pocket and help support the poor starving orphans who Šcreated this wonderful program. *p4 And don't forget, the full version lets you save all your high scores, Šfor any number of different players, as well as all your custom Preferences Šsettings. Not only that, but you'll never be troubled by irritating messages Šlike this again! *e *tThank you for playing!* Thank you for playing this Evaluation Copy of Serious Backgammon. *i10,18,60*i40,22,62 Just click on FINISHED to exit...*m *e *E õ