SIEGE OF THE BEAST    by Nick Torkos, Sept. 7, 1991

INSTRUCTIONS

	The game is played similar to the way the board game FOX and GEESE is
played.  However, for those of you who have never heard of this game (the
majority) I'll explain.

	The setting is at an old medieval village called Tarikan.  Life here was
once pleasurable for everyone until THE BEAST arrived.  The beast is a giant 
snake that has a voracious appetite.  For a while, the inhabitants of the 
village have been able to survive with only minor losses.  But now, the beast
is on a rampage and the village must make a last stand against it in order to
survive.  You were elected to be the leader.  First you must select the
number of soldiers you would need for assistance.  Then you have to use them
to trap the beast so that it can no longer move, and then it can be killed. 

	You must use your men wisely.  It is not possible to surround the beast
with 8 men or less.  Even though the snake looks wild and unorthodox, it is
intelligent enough to find out the unprotected soldiers, and eat them. If
it eats enough so that you have only eight men left, then it is too late, 
the snake wins the battle and slaughters everyone.  However, if you can trap
it so that it can't move the village will be saved.

	The game is played on a 9x9 square board.  You and the snake take turns
moving around it.  When it is your turn (the screen prompts you) click the
mouse over the square the man you want to move is standing on.  You will hear
a sound, and the man you selected will be highlighted.  You can move in any
direction you want (up, down, left, right, diagonally), but only one square
at a time (ie. to any adjacent square).  Simply click over the square you
want this man to go to, and he will do so.

	The snake can also move in the same directions.  However, it can also
eat your man if he is unprotected (ie. the space behind him is empty). This
is similar to the way you would jump a man in checkers, except the snake
can also do this going up, down, left, right, in addition to going 
diagonally.  For example, if the snake is on the square just above one
soldier, and the square below that soldier is unoccupied, then the snake can
eat the soldier.  To protect this soldier you have to put another soldier
just below him.  The same logic goes if the snake is to the left of the 
soldier, and there is an empty space to the right of the soldier, etc.

	You select the number of soldiers you want in the opening screen.  The
game ends if you can siege the beast, or if the beast kills most of your men
and you have only eight left.

	When you have a lot of men on the screen, the game plays a little slow
because of the graphics, but hopefully it is not slow enough to be annoying.


CLOSING STATEMENTS

	Well, that's about it.  The game play is simple enough.  You move, the
snake moves, you move, the snake, etc.  but it is still challenging to
win the game.  You could probably figure out a technique to win with a lot
of soldiers, so once you do then try to win with less soldiers which is a 
little harder.  My personal best is to use 18 soldiers.  I have no idea how
to win with 17 or less soldiers, so if you do then let me know.

Nick Torkos
28 Pritchard Avenue
Toronto, Ontario  CANADA
M6N 1T3

Feel free to send any questions or comments.