Jaap's Psion II Page

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-GAMES-

For the Psion Organiser II LZ series

This Games Pack comprises the following:-
ANAGRAMS For crossword solvers.
MAGIC For mind readers.
NIM The ancient matches game.
ROULETTE For gamblers.
POKER DICEFor everyone.
Please see the following pages for details of each.

INSTALLATION

Plug the Games datapak into slot B: or C: in your Organiser LZ or LZ64. Insert the word "Games" into the Main Menu as described in your handbook. preferably as the first item.

RUNNING THE PROGRAMS

EXEcute "Games" from the Main Menu

Select the game you want from the Games Menu by pressing its initial letter. To escape immediately, press ON/CLEAR.


ANAGRAMS

This is for crossword solvers and others who enjoy the challenge of finding anagrams for themselves.

Beware! If you are looking for a database or dictionary of anagrams this program is not for you. Instead you may be interested in the excellent "A Dictionary of Anagrams" by Michael Curl. Such dictionaries cater only for single-word and "cognate" anagrams; this program encompasses multi-word anagrams, without the spaces.

"Anagrams" generates permutations of the letters that you offer, and it does so in a RANDOM manner; it is a convenient and fast tool to assist you in your search by scrambling the letters, exactly as many do with a pen in the margin of their newspapers. In so doing it can take into account any letters which may be known from "lights" - other solved clues. In practice then, the anagram may be found instantly - or in an infinity of time. Yes! The challenge remains.

USING THE PROGRAM

  1. The program will not accept spaces between words as this would not assist you to find the anagram or a combination of several words.
  2. The maximum number of letters that may be entered as the initial word (or words) is 20. This is for display purposes - however it will accommodate MEGTHEARCHTARTAR... (try
    MARGARETTHATCHER) -
    also
    INCOMPREHENSIBLE...
    (PROBLEMINCHINESE).
  3. The DELete key works normally.
  4. When you have finished entering the original word/s of the clue, press EXEcute. If you press EXEcute, or ON/CLEAR without entering anything you will leave the program.
  5. If you reply Y (Yes) to the question "Any known letters?" you will be invited to position these known letters. In doing so you should press SPACE for an unknown letter. Continue entering letters or spaces until you reach the end of the word pattern.
  6. After each permutation of the letters you will be presented with a scrolling menu of five options:-
    Next   Word   Letters   StartAgain   End
    - 'N' will give you the NEXT permutation.
    - 'W' will supply a reminder of the original WORD(s).
    - 'L' will enable you to enter, or amend, LETTERS in the potential anagram that may have occurred to you after seeing a promising combination of letters in earlier permutations. If you have previously entered "known" letters, the earlier pattern will be displayed. Only letters that remain available in the clue will be accepted.
    - 'S' will take you back to the START of the program whilst still retaining the original word(s) in memory. You may then quickly search for other anagrams of the same word(s), or enter a new word without having to leave and then re-enter the program.
    - 'E' will END, and leave the program.
  7. If you hold your finger on the 'N' key, the keyboard buffer will store up to 16 Ns and these will result in the program generating that number of permutations at about 1-second intervals You will know when the buffer is full as the Organiser will 'squeak' at you. Any known letters that you had previously entered will remain, of course, securely anchored exactly where you put them.
  8. The input of symbols, numbers and punctuation is barred at all times.
  9. If you wish to check an anagram that you believe to be correct, enter the word/s and reply 'Y' when asked "Any known letters ?". Enter your chosen anagram in full and, if there are any incorrect letters, the program will tell you so as soon as they are entered.

MAGIC

Select 1 2 3 or 4 from the Magic Menu. The computer can read your mind and deduce your age, the number or numbers that you wrote down in any order - even the number of coins in your pocket.

You will need a pencil and paper, and possibly a calculator as well; no you can't use the Organiser, it's too busy reading your mind! Not for children under 6 and over 99.


NIM

This ancient game is played with matches, buttons, pebbles or the like, placed in any number of piles of any number each. In our game we use up to four piles of matches of a maximum of 18 each, and you play against the computer.

SOUND

The sound may be switched off at the beginning of the game if not required. If left on, victory by the computer is accompanied by a short, familiar ditty. Victory by the player brings forth sound effects after Handel's "The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba" from "Solomon".

THE OBJECT OF THE GAME

The object of the game is to take the last match.

THE RULES

There are only two rules:-

  1. You must take your turn i.e. you must take at least one match.
  2. You may take as many matches as you like, but from one pile only.

PLAYING THE GAME

The player may opt to select the matches or ask the computer to do so. If the latter, the computer will choose a random number between 0 and 18 inclusive for each of the four piles. The player may also opt to make the first move, or ask the computer to do so.

TACTICS

The computer applies a winning system, but is by no means impossible to beat. To maximise his/her chances the player should select the matches (the fewer, the easier the game), and he/she should also opt to start. The player's objective should always be to leave the matches in a "balanced" pattern, which the computer is then obliged to upset. If this is achieved, the computer will remove one match from the largest pile, cross its fingers and hope for the best!

The most difficult game to win is when the computer both selects the matches and also starts; the player's only chance then is for the random selection to be fortuitously balanced, which the computer is then forced to upset with its first move.

NOTES

  1. When selecting the number of matches in a pile, it is only necessary to press EXEcute for a single-digit number e.g. 5.
  2. You may escape from the program by pressing ON/CLEAR at any time that you are asked a question.
  3. You may Resign a game whenever it is your turn by pressing R The computer resigns when it is its turn if there are four or two single matches remaining.
  4. A small "p" is displayed at bottom left when it is the player's turn to go. and a small "c" when it is the computer's.
  5. In cases of extreme distress, the enclosed envelope my be opened to reveal the secret of the winning system. But don't tell everybody.

ROULETTE

This classic gambling game is based on the French Roulette wheel and table, as widely played in Europe, using a single zero, as opposed to the North American version. The wheel and table are as illustrated in the enclosure.

Players may place their bets before the wheel is spun and until it begins to slow down, at which time "Rien ne va plus" is declared.

The ball eventually stops on a number selected randomly between 0 and 36 and this number, and whether it is red or black, odd or even and high or low are all displayed, together with the winning odds payable for the eight most common bets.

SOUND

The sound may be switched off at the beginning of the program if not required. If the sound is on, winning odds are displayed accompanied by sound effects after Ludvig van Beethoven's Rondo a Capriccio in G major opus 129 "Rage over a Lost Penny".

THE BETS

English French Payout
Single number
(STRAIGHT)
En plein 35:1
Two numbers
(SPLIT)
A cheval 17:1
Three numbers
(STREET)
Transversale pleine 11:1
Four numbers
(SQUARE or corner)
En carre 8:1
Six numbers
(LINE)
Sixaine, or
transversale simple
5:1
Dozen
(1st, 2nd, 3rd)
Douzaine
(premiere, moyenne, derniere)
2:1
Adjacent dozens Douzaine a cheval 1:2
Column Colonne 2:1
Adjacent columns Colonne a cheval 1:2
RED or BLACK Rouge or noire 1:1
ODD or EVEN Impair or pair 1:1
HIGH(19-36) or LOW(1-18) Passe or manque 1:1


CAPITAL LETTERS above indicate the eight most common bets, and those for which winning bets and odds are displayed. In this simulation when the Roulette ball settles in the zero, the house takes all bets.


POKER DICE

This version of the popular game is for one to four players and uses the usual five dice with the six faces of Ace, King, Queen, Jack (Knave), Ten and Nine. Each player puts up the same stake, and the winner takes all. It is usual for all players to throw one dice first in order to decide which one starts; this is a considerable advantage that is explained below. Thereafter the first throw passes round the table in a clockwise direction to the next player.

The number of throws that each player may make, subject to a maximum of three, is determined by the first player. If he/she throws a good hand at the first, or indeed second attempt it is advisable to stop there, since subsequent players are limited to that maximum number of throws.

The final hands of all players are displayed after all have thrown. However no winner is announced, since very often different schools like to observe their own local rules and winning order of priority.

The most commonly-accepted order of winning hands is shown below.

SOUND

The sound may be switched off at the beginning of the program if not required. Each player's final hand, and the final scores of all players when all have finished. are displayed accompanied by sound effects after Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer ", if the sound is on.

WINNING HANDS

The order accepted by most schools is shown below. It is normal for the higher dice to take priority over all lower dice in all circumstances; thus three aces beats three Kings, and a Full House Kings on Jacks (K,K,K,J,J) beats a Full House Queens on Kings (Q,Q,Q,K,K).

THE NORMAL ORDER OF WINNERS

  1. Five of a kind.
  2. Four of a kind.
  3. Full House.
  4. High Straight         10 J Q K A
  5. Low Straight          9 10 J Q K
  6. Three of a kind.
  7. Two pairs.
  8. One pair.
  9. Highest single dice.

BroadOak Computing Limited
Software for the Psion Organiser II

LOOKSAT

Derive dish pointing angles and polar mount offset angles from any location in the world to any geo-stationary satellite, for the reception of Satellite Television. etc. Automated for use from 24 pre-programmed locations in the United Kingdom to any of four pre-programmed satellites. French version available shortly. Versions for all models, and also for LZ models only.

GAMES

For LZ and LZ64 models.
A compendium of popular puzzles and games-
ANAGRAMS
Assists in the solution of Anagrams by the random generation of available letters. A boon to crossword solvers. it includes a facility to fix known letters. or "lights", and accommodates multi-word as well as single-word anagrams.
ROULETTE
This simulation of the classic gambling game utilises the French layout of the Roulette wheel with a single zero, and permits gambling on the eight most popular bets. Winning odds quoted.
POKER DICE
The well-known dice game for one to four players.
NIM
Take the last match and beat the computer!
MAGIC
A collection of mind-reading feats by the computer.

ANAGRAMS is also available separately in a version for all CM, XP and LZ

BroadOak Computing Logo
BroadOak Computing Limited
P.O. Box 366
LONDON. WC2E 9SQ
Telephone 01-836-7640
November 1989.


COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Copyright BroadOak Computing Limited 1989

All rights are reserved. This User Guide and the BroadOak Computing programs that are referred to herein are the copyrighted works of BroadOak Computing Limited of P.O. Box 366, London WC2E 9SQ, England. No part of this publication may be copied, distributed, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system or translated into any human or computer language in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, manual or otherwise. or disclosed to third parties without the written permission of BroadOak Computing Limited.

DISCLAIMER

BroadOak Computing Limited makes no representation or warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to this product or manual or any BroadOak Computing Limited product or publication.

The contents of this manual are subject to change without notice.

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this manual, BroadOak Computing Limited will accept no responsibility for any loss or damage incurred in connection with its use, the product it describes or any other publication or product of BroadOak Computing Limited.

BroadOak Computing Limited will nevertheless welcome any suggestions for amendments, corrections or modifications that users may like to contribute.

"Psion" is a registered trademark of Psion plc.
"Organiser" is a trademark of Psion plc.

 

BroadOak Computing Logo
BroadOak Computing Limited
PO. Box 366
LONDON. WC2E 9SQ
Telephone 01-836-7640