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BEAGLE BAG INSTRUCTIONS
-----------------------
GENERAL INFORMATION
-------------------
Beagle Bag is a disk full of games for your Apple computer.
You may be surprised to find that it is a NORMAL DISK, just
like ones you have initialized yourself. Most other game
disks on the market are "locked up" and won't respond to
everyday DOS commands. Not Beagle Bag - you can CATALOG it,
LOAD from it, SAVE to it, DELETE and RENAME programs...ALL
that good stuff. Even ctrl-Reset works "normally" (almost)
instead of causing a memory-scrambling reboot. Most
software manufacturers lock their disks to (try to) prevent
piracy. Beagle Bros trusts you and leaves programs unlocked
to make them more friendly and more usable. We appreciate
your support; don't pirate our disks, and we won't pirate
yours.
The first thing you should do with Beagle Bag is BACK THE
DISK UP using one of the "Copy" Programs from your System
Master disk (or any other Apple copy program). Store the
copy or master in a safe place, away from prying magnetic
fields.
If you're not using one of the two Menu programs on the
disk, you can RUN a Beagle Bag game just like any other
Applesoft program- Type "RUN" followed by the program name
and hit Return. ENDING programs follows standard procedures
too- type CTRL-C (sometimes ctrl-C/Return) or hit
ctrl-RESET. You will usually be given the option of
re-running the program or returning to Short Menu.
SHORT MENU
----------
BOOTING* the Beagle Bag disk is a good idea, because it
installs Apple's normal Disk Operating System in your Apple
and runs "Short Menu", a streamlined version of the more
all-purpose "Beagle Menu" (see next page). After Short Menu
displays the game names, use the Arrow keys to move the
flashing cursors to the game you want. Hit Return to run
the game or Esc to quit the Menu. Selecting the "(Catalog
Disk)" option does just what it says. Some Beagle Bag games
don't appear in the Menu, but will be seen in the catalog.
You may adapt Short Menu to any normal disk. Type your
applesoft (and integer) program names, 16 maximum, separated
by commas, into a Data statement similar to Short Menu's
last program line (which you must DELETE). END YOUR DATA
STATEMENT WITH A COMMA, and SAVE your new menu BEFORE you
run it. If you are having problems, you may want to
temporarily delete the "Onerr Goto" command near the start
of the listing.
- If you're new around here- to "boot" a disk, type "PR#6"
and hit Return. If this fails, turn the power off, insert
the disk in the drive, and power-up again.
BEAGLE MENU
-----------
The Beagle Bag disk contains a multi-purpose program called
"Beagle Menu" that will display only the file names you want
in a text screen menu. Go ahead and run it with any
normal-DOS disk in your drive. Beagle Menu will take over
your Apple, first scanning the catalog and then displaying
certain files for menu display and execution. BEAGLE MENU
WILL PROBABLY NOT WORK IF YOU HAVE NON-STANDARD DOS IN
MEMORY. To get standard DOS in memory, boot a normal disk
like Beagle Bag or the System Master.
PROGRAM LINE 100 determines which file names will be
displayed in the menu. Load Beagle Menu by typing "LOAD
BEAGLE MENU" (return). Then type "LIST 100" (return). You
might see-
100 S=1: B=0: A=1: T=0: U=0
S,B,A,I,T and U stand for Sector-numbers and Binary,
Applesoft, Integer, Text and Unlocked files. The number 1
means DISPLAY that file-type; a value of 0 (zero) means
DON'T DISPLAY it. In the example above, Sector-numbers to
the left of each file name WILL be displayed (S=1);
Applesoft files WILL be displayed (A=1); Binary, Integer and
Text files will NOT be displayed (B=0, I=0 and T=0), and
Unlocked files will NOT be displayed (U=0). For almost ALL
practical purposes, you should LEAVE VARIABLES B AND T SET
EQUAL TO ZERO.
Change Line 100 to fit your needs, and SAVE the program
before you run it by typing "SAVE BEAGLE MENU" (return). Of
course, if you want, save it under the name "HELLO" or "N"
or even "VISI CALC"; I don't care. "N" is nice, because you
can simply type "RUNN" to run it. There is a handy program
called "Master Create" (on your System Master disk) that you
can BRUN to change the name of a disk's "Greeting Program",
the program that automatically runs when you boot that disk.
When Beagle Menu is Run, it will first "read" the disk that
is in the drive and then "catalog" it. If and when the
screen is full (every 20 names), the program will "take a
picture" of that "page" and store it in memory, then proceed
to the next page of 20 file names.
You will then see Page 1 on the screen with an inverse
"cursor" to the left of the top file name. To move the
cursor, use the Left and Right Arrow keys. If you move the
cursor beyond the first or last file name on the screen,
Beagle Menu will look for another page to display. Play
with it and you'll see what I mean.
Pressing Return will execute the program at the cursor.
Applesoft or Integer files at the cursor will be RUN; Text
files will be EXEC'd (probably inappropriate from a menu
program, come to think of it..); and Binary files will be
BRUN. You must remember (or learn now) that many Binary
files are NOT MEANT to be BRUN, but BLOADed instead. If
your BRUN a stored picture-file, for example, you will
"crash" into the monitor, giving you an asterisk-prompt and
a flashing cursor.
Typing "L" will LOAD an Applesoft or Integer file (wiping
out Beagle Menu, of course), or BLOAD a Binary file. A
BLOAD won't necessarily be obvious; for example, BLOADing a
hi-res picture won't SHOW you the picture, it will just load
it into memory. But then that's another subject.
Typing "H" will display the HELP Page. "Help" pretty much
explains the rest of Beagle Menu's functions, so I won't
cover them here.
In response to the comments I have had so far on this
program-
Q. Why don't you display Free Sectors all of the time?
A. Because free sectors are a fact you don't usually need to
know when you are running a menu program. The less
information on the screen, the better, especially for
beginners or non-computerers ( a good reason not to display
sector-numbers).
Q. Why not include other "housekeeping" commands, like Lock,
Unlock and Rename?
A. I'll leave that for you to do. It kind of seemed like
over-engineering to me, maybe best included in some other
program.
Q. Is this a Public Domain program?
A. Heck NO!
BUZZWORD
--------
BUZZWORD is a word substitution game that's good for at
least a few laughs. Running it will produce a menu with
Options 1-6.
Options 1-5, "Computer's Stories": Buzzword places five
stories in memory. Select one of them and read along. The
story will be automatically typed except for the missing
"buzz words". You select the word by pressing any letter
key, A-Z. The computer will then supply a word that begins
with the letter you typed. Try any letters you like. Use
different sequences (for example, your name, A-B-C...,etc.)
for different results.
Option 6, "Type Your Own Story": Select 6 from the menu and
you can type your own Buzzword story. The computer will
supply a buzzword whenever you press a NUMBER key. If you
want a number as part of your story, you'll have to spell it
out. The chart at the top of the screen indicates the
part-of-speech of the buzzword. If you don't like the word
the computer gives you, back-space over it and request a new
one. You must save or load a story to or from disk by
typing an "@". To erase your story and go back to the menu,
type two asterisks.
To Put your own computer stories (for Options 1-5) in
memory, look at program Lines 9000-9600. All text is
entered as an A$ string. When a NUMBER is encountered in
A$, a buzz word is inserted-
1: PERSON 5: VERB
2: PLACE 6: PAST-TENSE VERB
3: THING 7: ING VERB
4: ADJECTIVE
0: Repeat the last buzz word whose number was followed
by a slash.
To view Buzzword's vocabulary by category, exit the program
and List Lines 10000-10100. For alphabetical listing, Run
the program, exit, turn on your printer (probably with
"PR#1"), and type "GOTO 22222" (return). Change any words
you want in Lines 10000-10100 (keep the NUMBER of words the
SAME), and "Save Buzzword Version #2".
ELEVATORS
---------
ELEVATORS is a real-time action game played with 12 keys
plus the Space Bar. When you run the game, you will see a
lo-res building with four elevators, the numbers "00" on the
left and "5:00" on the right. To start the game, press
Return.
Three keys operate each elevator car. Car #1, the car on
the left, is controlled by the 1, Q & A keys; Car #2 by 2, W
& S; Car #3 by 3, E & D, and Car #4 by 4, R & F. Notice
that these four groups of keys are in four vertical columns
on the keyboard. The TOP row of keys (1,2,3,4) make
elevator cars 1,2,3 and 4 go UP. The BOTTOM row of keys
(A,S,D,F) make cars 1,2,3 and 4 go DOWN. And the MIDDLE row
of keys (Q,W,E,R) make the cars STOP and pick up passengers.
The object of the game is to pick up as many carloads of
passengers as possible between 5:00 (game starts) and 5:30
(game ends). The number of passengers you have delivered is
indicated by the graphics number on the left of the screen.
The time is shown on the right.
Random lights will appear on various floors of the building.
These lights represent passengers wanting to get out of the
building. Any elevator car may respond to any light. to
pick up the passengers, simply send any elevator car UP
(1,2,3 or 4 key) to the lit floor and STOP (Q,W,E or R).
Passengers will get in the car ONLY if it is UNOCCUPIED. If
you stop an empty car at a lit floor, the floor light will
go off and the car itself will light up. It is now FULL.
You must now send the elevator DOWN (A,S,D or F) to the
ground floor. Once the car is there, passengers will
automatically get off, and you will be credited with a
carload of passengers on the scoreboard.
Plan-ahead strategy is necessary for high scores. Don't
wait for floor lights before sending a car up. Instead,
send cars up in anticipation, and position them apart from
each other ready to respond to nearby floors. This is the
way real elevators work. If a car is stopped at a floor,
and a light comes on, passengers will automatically get
aboard. It is also advisable to keep one of the cars near
the bottom floor, because lower-floor passengers can be
handled in the fastest time. In this building, it could be
a real disadvantage to be on an upper floor, but WINNING is
what counts, RIGHT!?
You may speed things up by pressing the Space Bar to cut the
power to one or more cars, thereby putting all energy into
the remaining ones. The text below each car will indicate
whether or not it is on. If your time is about to run out,
and you're trying to get that last carload of passengers
down, Car #1 may be speeded up greatly by turning off the
power to Cars 2, 3 and 4.
Variations:
a. Beginners often like to learn using only one elevator
car for an entire game, then two, etc.
b. One player takes Cars 1 and 2; another takes 3 and 4.
This makes it easier to concentrate on what's happening, and
higher scores are often possible.
c. Try using one, two, three and four cars and compare
scores with other players using the same set. You may be
surprised!
d. If you own a compiler, compile Elevators and stand back!
GAS CRUNCH
----------
GAS CRUNCH needs only one instruction: It is possible to
win, so don't give up.
HANG PERSON
-----------
You don't need instructions for Hang Person do you? I
didn't think so. For two players or more, one player can
enter a secret word or words for others to guess. For one
player, hit Return-only and the computer will "think" of a
word or words for you to guess. To change the computer's
words in the program, List Lines 10000-10140 and replace any
words you want, but keep the total at 150. The program
decides which of the 150 words to pick in Line 9000.
MAGIC PACK
----------
MAGIC PACK consists of four tricks: PLENTY QUESTIONS, 21
NUMBERS, NEXTWORD and CARD SCANNER. Select them all from
Magic Pack's menu. Plenty Questions and Card Scanner are
not meant to be run by anyone other than a "magician" (you?)
who has PRACTICED with these tricks.
1. PLENTY QUESTIONS
-------------------
PLENTY QUESTIONS involves some "computer magic", and you are
the magician. YOU MUST PRACTICE THIS TRICK several times to
get the hang of it (it's worth it; audiences really enjoy a
slick presentation of this trick).
The object of Plenty Questions if for the computer to guess
the audience's secret word by asking certain "Yes or No"
questions.
Tell someone to think of an object (in this case, any word
or words that can follow the word "a" or "an"). you must be
sure that the secret word is 16 characters in length or less
(12-or-less is better), containing only the letters A
through Z, spaces, hyphens and/or apostrophes. NO PERIODS
allowed.
When you see "Hit Any Key When Ready", pretend as though you
are hitting just ANY key, and casually (but carefully) hit
ctrl-A ( the CTRL key, then the A key; holding both down at
the same time). You are now in the "Magic Mode". If any
key OTHER than ctrl-A is hit first, the trick WILL NOT WORK
(see "Non-Magic Mode" below). The computer will now ask a
random question and wait for a Yes or No answer.
The first character you type before each answer WILL NOT
APPEAR on the screen. This is the big secret of Plenty
Questions! Your job as the magician is to carefully spell
the secret the secret word, one letter at a time, one
question at a time, with an INVISIBLE SECRET LETTER before
each answer.
The computer's questions and your answers are irrelevant.
You should type mostly "Yes" and "No" answers with an
occasional "Sometimes" or "???" to make the trick more
believable. Other answers such as "Never" or "No Way!" are
appropriate too.
The best time to type the secret letter (remember, no one
must know you are doing it!) is WHILE the computer is typing
out its question. At this time, all eyes will be on the
screen and not on you or the keyboard. you can even read
the question out loud to distract everyone from any sound or
movement from the keyboard. After you type your secret
letter and your Yes or No answer, press the Return key. you
will know each secret letter has been entered into the
computer's memory when the letter "I" in "PLENTY QUESTIONS"
at the top of the screen changes to a number 1 (one).
To finish a secret word, type a PERIOD as your invisible
secret letter. For example, if the secret word is "Cow",
your answers could be "(C)Yes", "(O)No, "(W)Maybe" and
"(.)Sometimes" (invisible characters in parentheses). After
you type an invisible period and a Yes or No answer and hit
Return, the computer will finish with an "I've Got It!",
followed by "It's a Cow!" or whatever the secret word is.
If you make a mistake and have not yet typed your Yes or No
answer, hit Return, and type a new secret letter. If you
have already typed an incorrect secret letter and answer AND
hit Return, enter a Left Arrow (backspace) as your next
secret letter. This will ERASE the previous secret letter.
In the confusion, you may wonder if you are misspelling the
secret word. Don't worry too much; who says a computer is
supposed to be able to spell?
If you want to start the secret word over, type a Slash, and
all of your previous secret letters will be erased from
memory.
To delay the computer's guess, enter a Right Arrow as your
secret letter. The computer will ignore this character and
let you answer another question. This is a handy feature
when the secret word is very short and you want to see a few
more questions.
If you don't know the secret word or if you need an escape
because you are confused, type an invisible Comma before
your answer, and the game will end with the computer
guessing a random word. It doesn't hurt to have the
computer guess wring occasionally. After all, he (she) is
only human...
There are two built-in default words. The computer will
guess "LIGHT BULB" whenever you type a secret Semi-Colon.
It will guess "TUNA SANDWICH" if you enter a secret Period
after only one question. You can set the audience up with
one of these two words if you think they have figured things
out. You can change these default words in program Lines
1460 and 1500. Be sure to include a period at the end of
the words, like this: S$="WORDS."
Non-Magic Mode: Sooner or later, one of your audience
members will insist on typing th answers themselves, or they
will refuse to tell you the secret word. If this happens,
you have shown the trick once too often. Let the skeptic
take over anyway. He will hit "any key" (not ctrl-A) when
asked to do so, and now the computer will NOT look for
secret characters. Instead, it will ask 17 questions and
then make a random (and undoubtedly incorrect) guess.
Explain that the computer is probably tired, and go on to
the next trick. If you are experimenting with the Non-Magic
Mode and wish to end before 17 questions, end any Yes or No
answer with a Period, and the questions will stop.
PLENTY QUESTIONS COMMAND SUMMARY
MAGIC MODE (invisible):
Secret Letters: Enter one per question before answering the
question. The letter "I" in "Plenty Questions" at the top
of the screen changes to a number "1" when the secret letter
is entered.
Period: End secret word. Computer will guess secret
word.
Comma: End questions. Computer will guess random
word.
Slash: Erase all previous secret letters. Continue
questions.
Left Arrow: Erase previous secret character.
Continue.
Right Arrow: Delay secret letter input until next
question.
Semi Colon: End questions. Computer will guess
"Light Bulb".
Period (as first secret letter): End questions.
Computer will guess "Tuna Sandwich".
NON-MAGIC MODE:
After 17 questions: Questions end. Computer will guess a
random word.
Period (visible after answer): Questions end. Computer
guesses a random word.
2. 21 NUMBERS
-------------
21 NUMBERS is another trick where an audience member can
control the keyboard. Just follow the instructions on the
screen.
3. NEXTWORD
-----------
Just follow the instructions on the screen. Hit Return
after each word. The secret? We're not telling...
Well, I suppose we could tell YOU. The computer starts his
next word with the LAST LETTER of your word and expects you
to do the same. If you're into reprogramming this, you
could make his word start with the SECOND letter of your
word, or the next-to-last letter, etc., etc.
4. CARD SCANNER
---------------
You're the magician again. Your Apple, with some help from
its "Advanced Video Scanner" (people really BELIEVE this!),
will read a randomly-selected playing card through the video
monitor. The trick here is, first of all, to know what the
card is yourself. Then, when the computer says to type
"RUN", you pretend to, but you DON'T. Instead, you type the
initials of the card's identity, and NO MATTER WHAT YOU
TYPE, the letters R-U-N- WILL APPEAR ON THE SCREEN. Here
are the code letters for the playing cards:
First key ("R" appears)-
A or 1: ACE
2 through 9: NUMBER-CARD, 2 through 9
0 (zero): 10-CARD
J,Q or K: JACK, QUEEN OR KING
Second key ("U" appears)-
C,D,H or S: CLUBS, DIAMONDS, HEARTS or SPADES
Third key ("N" appears)-
N: (insignificant).
For example, to indicate King of Spades, type "KSN", and hit
Return. For Eight of Diamonds, type "8DN"; for Ace of
Clubs, "ACN" or "1CN"; for Ten of Hearts, "OCN", etc.
If you type an illegal code or "Run", the computer's answer
will be "Playing Card", which is indeed a correct answer!
As with any magic trick, don't overdo it! On about the
third performance, people will be watching your fingers, and
it's probably then time to switch to another trick where
THEY control the keyboard (21 Numbers or Nextword).
NAME GAME
---------
NAME GAME is a real crack-up at parties. The instructions,
however, are a bore, so I omitted them.
OINK!
-----
OINK! is an easy-to-play two-key game. Enter two players'
names (come on, be imaginative with those names!). Press
Return after each. The computer will decide who goes first.
Type "R" to roll the dice. You will be awarded points equal
to the number you roll. Roll as many times as you want,
EXCEPT if you roll DOUBLES (both dice the same), your turn
will end, and you will lose your points for that turn.
Type "Q" to quit your turn and keep all of your points.
Bonus points are offered as incentive not to quit. First
player to 200 points and type a "Q" wins the game.
PICK-A-PAIR
-----------
PICK-A-PAIR is a great party game that will alleviate
"Computer Phobia" (a common disease these days) in almost
anyone. Try Pick-a-Pair with your non-typing or
non-computer friends. It's easy to play and they'll like
it.
Follow the screen prompts and enter two players' names. The
Apple will decide who goes first. Each player in turn will
be asked to select two numbers from 0-15. Pressing return
is not necessary. Each number selected will reveal a color
symbol. If the symbols match, you will be rewarded with
points TOTALING THE TWO NUMBERS SELECTED. Therefore, it is
wise to pick high numbers first. The first player with 68
or more points wins the game!
QUICK-DRAW!
-----------
QUICK-DRAW is a battle between two video gunmen who never
miss. They are controlled by two keys; the left man by the
Z key, and the right man by the /? key. You will probably
need two players to play Quick-Draw, although our Uncle
Louie has been known to spend hours up in the attic pitting
his left hand against his right!
Press Return to start each turn. Several color symbols will
flash on the screen. One will stay for a couple of seconds
with the words "FIRING SYMBOL" under it. You must remember
this symbol! The next time you see it, you must press your
key, (Z or /?), as quickly as possible, before your opponent
presses his.
The first shooter to press his key while the firing symbol
is on the screen shoots his opponent. If you press your key
first while any other symbol is visible, your opponent gets
a free shot at you (and he won't miss!). All bullets will
bounce into the bullet bucket and trigger the score
accumulator. Point totals for each shot are determined by
the time on the screen when the shot was fired. The faster
you shoot, the larger your score for that turn. First
player to 10 points wins. A rounded-off score appears on
each player's hat. The exact scores appear on the text
screen below each shooter.
SLIPPERY DIGITS
---------------
SLIPPERY DIGITS works just like your old 15-number game.
Try the "Visible" version first to get the hang of it. The
Arrow Keys move the numbers Left and Right, and the A and Z
Keys move them Up and Down. When a number enters its proper
location, you will hear a musical "beep" (if you haven't
turned off the sound).
In the Invisible Mode, each number will become visible ONLY
WHEN IN THE CORRECT POSITION. Look at the horizontal color
(or grey) bars at the top of the screen. These indicate the
color of the number blocks that should be in each vertical
row. This feature is especially helpful in the Invisible
Mode.
The "Black & White or Color TV?" choice at the beginning of
the game simply gives the number colors more contrast in
Black & White, and more color in Color. Both ways, the game
works the same.
The shuffle before each new game will take longer on some
games. The computer checks after each shuffle to see if it
is physically POSSIBLE to achieve numerical order. Half of
the time it isn't so it re-shuffles.
SUB SEARCH
----------
SUB SEARCH is a real-time search for a group of invisible
enemy "submarines". Your job is to seek out these subs and
capture their fuel supplies before your fuel and oxygen run
out.
When you run Sub Search, your Apple will decide how
many subs you are to find and determine your oxygen and fuel
supplies. Press return when ready to begin your search.
Five keys control the movement of your sensor on the screen:
To move UP & DOWN, press the A & Z keys.
To move LEFT & RIGHT, press the Arrow keys.
To JUMP 15 SPACES (at a cost of only 10 units of fuel),
press the Space Bar.
Each of these five direction keys only needs to be pressed
once to cause movement in the appropriate direction. It's a
good idea to keep your fingers on these keys during the
game.
Data regarding fuel supply, oxygen supply and number of subs
will be updated on the lower section of the screen.
The SCANNER is activated with an S keypress. Missing subs
will be temporarily reveals with "blips" in the horizontal
and vertical bars on the screen. Using the scanner will
cost you 40 units of fuel, so activate it sparingly. After
the scanner is used, press a direction key to continue
searching.
The EQUALIZER converts fuel to oxygen and vice versa.
Hitting Q will trigger the equalizer and prolong your
search.
OXYGEN: Your oxygen will decrease at an erratic rate
whether you are moving or not. The only way to obtain more
oxygen is to use the Equalizer (Q).
FUEL: Your fuel supply will decrease one unit for every
unit you move on the screen. Locating an enemy sub WILL
INCREASE your fuel supply by 40 units. Using the scanner
(S) will COST you 40 units.
FINDING SUBS: Besides using the scanner (S), invisible subs
may be found by searching with your sensor, using the
direction keys (A,Z, and Arrows). Your sensor will leave a
trace pattern so you can tell where you have searched. This
trail will be erased if you use the scanner. If you
encounter a sub, you will notice it in your trace pattern.
You will also notice your trace pattern slowly
disintegrating as you move. Do not confuse the "holes" in
the pattern with the subs you are looking for.
You must land PRECISELY on a sub to capture it. Once
captured, a sub will become visible, and you will hear one
or more beeps. The number of beeps tell you how many subs
you have NOT yet been located. This information also
appears on the lower right of the screen.
The game ends when you have found all of the subs OR when
you have run out of fuel or oxygen. you will be given a
final score based on the percentage of subs found times
1000, plus the amount of fuel and oxygen you have left.
TEXTTRAIN
---------
by Bert Kersey & Jack Cassidy
TEXTTRAIN is a real-time race against a "train-time" clock.
you will keyboard-control a text-format "freight train"
whose "engine" and "cars" appear on your monitor as text
characters- The engine is an inverse asterisk/plus, and the
cars are inverse and normal letters. You control the motion
of the train (Forward and Reverse); the five turnouts or
track Switches; and the Coupling and uncoupling of the cars.
The object of TextTrain is to couple together a pre-defined
series of freight cars and pull them to the Check Station at
the top of the track layout in the fastest possible time.
At the start of the game, you will be asked to type a word.
This word must be from one to nine letters in length and
contain no non-alphabetical characters and no letter "P"
(explanation later). This word or series of letters will be
the "train" you must create during the game. If you're a
beginner, start with a two-or-three-letter word. After you
type the word, hit Return, and the game will start.
Your Apple will draw a track layout, scramble the letters of
your word, and place them, along with several random letters
on the layout as freight cars. Notice that the clock starts
running immediately from time 0:00. The clock runs quite
fast to make up for the small scale of the train (as good an
explanation as any!). Above the clock is a representation
of the train you must create. On the track, you will see
the engine, always an inverse two-character car. The front
(asterisk) of the engine flashes while it is idling. The
plus-sign is the back of the engine onto which are coupled a
few cars (letters). The Freight On Board (F.O.B) Chart at
the left shows what's in the cars.
While the train is idling, you are in the "Command Mode".
The commands available to you are displayed at the bottom of
the screen. The F, R, C and S keys are the only keys that
will do anything in this mode, except the asterisk option is
not displayed on the screen.
FORWARD and REVERSE motion is initiated by pressing F and R.
Try it. To STOP the train, hit any key except F and R. The
SPACE BAR is the most easy-to-find "brake" key. It is
permissible (and often very efficient) to hit ANY of the
Command Mode keys (F, R, S or C) to stop the train.
As the train travels around the track to the top
straightaway, its string of cars will read backwards. The
order of cars you will be concerned with is FROM THE ENGINE
BACK. Notice that the trains "*+HARVEY" and "YEVRAH+*" are
the same.
SWITCHES are thrown by first pressing the S key. When you
hit S, all five switches will light up with numbers. To
throw a switch, simply press the appropriate number key. If
the switch is "open", it will "close" and vice versa. Any
key other than 1,2,3,4 or 5 will put you back in the Command
Mode. If a car is on or near a selected switch, you will be
warned and returned to the Command Mode. Keep an eye on the
switches as your train moves. Your train will DERAIL, thus
ending the game, if it encounters a closed switch!
COUPLING and UNCOUPLING are initiated with a C keypress.
After hitting C, you will be asked how many cars you want
behind your engine. This must be a number from 0
(engine-only, no cars) to 9. No train longer than nine cars
(plus engine) is allowed. You MUST enter a proper one-digit
number to get out of the Coupling Mode. To couple cars onto
your train, you must BACK YOUR TRAIN into them. Your train
will automatically stop, and you will be put in the Couple
Mode.
YOU CANNOT COUPLE CARS ONTO THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE. An
attempt to do so will derail the train and end the game!
The same misfortune will occur if you forward OR reverse
into the siding bumper (just under the clock). You must
stop BEFORE you reach the bumper, or you crash!
The Freight-On-Board (F.O.B) Chart identifies the cars the
engine is coupled to. Each car's letter stands for the
cargo of the car- B for Boxes, K for Kites, etc. If the
cargo word on the F.O.B. Chart. If you want, change the set
of words in the TextTrain listing (Lines 2070-2110) to suit
yourself.
To successfully finish a game, you must drive your completed
train COMPLETELY INSIDE the Check Station and STOP. (NOTE:
You also may drive THROUGH the Check Station or stop there
anytime you want.) If you do stop, your train will
automatically be inspected for a modest fee. If your train
consists of the correct freight cars IN THE CORRECT ORDER,
your time will ne noted and compared with the best time so
far for the current set-up. From the second repeat game on,
the best time so far will be posted under the clock. When a
game ends, you will be given three options. An asterisk
will end the game. ESC will let you type a new word and
clear previous times from memory. Any other key will start
a new game with the same set-up as the previous game.
Why no P's in TextTrain trains? It's pretty technical, but
if you're interested, the program uses Applesoft's SCRN()
function to look for clear track (spaces) in front of the
engine as it moves ahead. If no space is found, it's derail
time. The letter "P" just happens to be the same lo-res
color (O-Black) in it's upper half as the space character.
To distinguish a "P" from a space, the engine would have to
look at the bottom color of each character in front of it as
it traveled (space's bottom half is 10-Grey and P's is
13-Yellow), but this would slow things down considerably (I
know; I tried!). So no P's, o.k? One Beagle Bros Tip Books
(I can't remember which One) explains more about colors and
Apple text characters. The "Railroad Regulations"
explanation in the game (if you try to enter a "P") might
make more sense.
Strategy is important for fast TextTrain times. Think ahead
and look for pairs or other groups of cars that can stay
coupled together. You can save time by going directly to
Switch or Couple Modes by hitting S or C while the train is
moving. Experiment with different methods, and have fun!
TRIPLE DIGITS
-------------
TRIPLE DIGITS is for two players. Each is dealt the same
thirteen digits (0,0,0,0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7 and 8). One player
plays black numbers, the other plays white. The numbers are
to be placed one at a time in an UNOCCUPIED SQUARE on the
screen. Follow the computer's instructions for playing
numbers.
You will notice approximately 20 squares blocked with ...'s.
These squares are NOT usable unless they become unblocked.
The computer blocks and unblocks squares at random between
turns.
Scoring is done by placing 3 OR MORE of YOUR digits in a
row-
HORIZONTALLY, reading Left to Right, or...
VERTICALLY, reading Top to Bottom, or...
DIAGONALLY-UP, reading Left to Right, or...
DIAGONALLY-DOWN, reading Left to Right.
For example, a 9-3-2 will give you 932 points; 0-5-0 will
give you 50, etc. Use your numbers strategically for
highest scores or to block your opponent from scoring. It
is desirable (and profitable) to score in two or more
directions on the same turn.
Every score will contain the digit you just played and two
adjacent digits (THREE-TOTAL, no more). If there is more
than one way to add a score in any one direction, the
computer will pick the HIGHEST POSSIBLE combination. Say
you added a 3 to make a 4-1-3-2 string of numbers. You will
get 413 points, not 132.
The game ends when all numbers have been played, OR if a
player gives up and types a "Q" at the start of a turn. The
player with the higher score wins.
WOWZO
-----
WOWZO is for two players, but don't let that stop you from
playing against yourself! Before the game starts, some
probing questions will be asked of you. Type your answers
and hit Return after each.
NAMES OF PLAYERS: If your name is FRANK and you prefer
DARTH or PRUNEFACE, by all means, use it. The second
player's name will be rejected if it has the same first
three letters as the first player's name. You'll see why
later.
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: Selecting 1,2 or 3 will control the
speed of the game clock and the time limit between moves.
Beginners should use 3. Give 1 a try too; it's fun!
KEYWORD: Enter any 5-letter word or series of letters with
NO REPEAT CHARACTERS. Then hit Return.
The object of Wowzo is to move your "man" (the first three
letters of your name) through the maze and land on ALL FIVE
of the keyword letters before your opponent. There is no
"beginning" and no "end" to the maze. After you enter a
legal keyword, the Apple will place its letters in random
maze positions and place the first three letters of each
player's name in the upper left corner. These three letters
are the player's "men".
The computer will decide who goes first- let's say George.
"GEO" will flash in the maze, and the computer will print
"George's Turn-Which Direction?", or "Which Gate?". You,
George, must respond accordingly before the timer reaches
zero. Assuming time doesn't run out, on each turn you will
move at least one gate AND move your piece at least once,
but NOT NECESSARILY IN THAT ORDER.
WHICH DIRECTION? To move your man in the Wowzo maze when
you are asked "Which Direction?", press a key-
To move Left or Right, press an Arrow key.
To move Up or Down, press the A or Z key.
Your man will move in the direction chosen until it
encounters a maze wall OR keyword letter. In either case,
it will automatically stop. If you land on a letter,
whether you need the letter or not, you get another turn.
If you hit a wall without encountering a letter, your turn
is over unless you haven't moved a gate...
WHICH GATE? Any gate may be moved on any turn. When the
computer asks "Which Gate?", press a gate letter. The
appropriate gate will pivot 90-degrees. Don't press Return.
COMPUTER GATES: After each player's turn, just to make
things more interesting, the computer will move two
randomly-selected gates.
When you land on a letter, the following happens: a. You
will be credited with the letter on the scoreboard (if you
don't already have the letter) b. The computer will replace
the letter somewhere else in the maze. c. You will get a
BONUS TURN; another GATE and MOVE.
If time runs out during your turn, you will be sent, via Air
Mail, to the upper left corner of the maze, and your turn
will end. Period.
Wowzo Strategy: The most obvious defensive strategy is to
use the gates to seal off your opponent about ten miles from
the nearest letter that he needs. Also, use already-landed
on letters for extra mileage via bonus turns AND to remove a
letter from your opponent's path. Try to line up with
several letters and grab them all in one turn. A game of
Wowzo can end abruptly this way!
PLUS
----
Some of these programs have been gathering dust around here
for years (a couple of them probably should have STAYED
here). Some of these relics won't appear in the Short Menu
until you catalog the disk.
DATE SEARCH is my favorite, I suppose. Even though it isn't
really a game, people get a kick out of it. The only good
thing I can say for CROSS WORD is that it lives up to its
name. OINK is explained fully on page 13. If you use one
of the names from BABY NAMES for your kid, please contact
our lawyers (Legal Brothers) concerning royalty fees.
PACK MY BOX is a challenge that will probably never be met,
but let us know if you do! POLY-DICE is fun if you're a
statistics nut- You may want to expand it to roll more dice
(how about all night long?). I can't BELIEVE how long
people will play NAME GAME. See page 13 for more details.
Every Apple owner should have a copy of TEST PATTERNS
(although it could get expensive). And PLEEEEEEASE don't
phone the Beagle Building saying your copy of NAKED CITY
doesn't work; it's SUPPOSED to do that! Secretly load it
into a friend's Apple, and stand back and watch...