
               RiscOS Solitaire and Colotaire

                   Player's  Instructions

           Version 2.00,  dated 25th March, 1991
                   by R.I.D.Macfarlane


PLAYING THE GAME

Play can be effected solely by using the mouse and its
buttons.  The SELECT button is used to click on the
selected ball to be moved.  The pointer will then be
changed to a ball or a square box, which can be dragged to
the chosen hollow by retaining finger pressure on the
button and then releasing it.

The righthand ADJUST button can be clicked to backtrack on
the play by one step at a time during any of the functions.
The pointer will flash rapidly until a ball is moved.

The middle button is used to bring up the options menu.


MENU OPTIONS

  Main board(Large Window)   Small window       Bar

     Info          ->        Solitaire  ->      Info  ->
     Solitaire     ->        Colotaire  ->      Quit
     Colotaire     ->        Play
     Playback                Quit
     Solution
     Sound
     Small Window
     Quit                                       

The Info item leads to a second menu, which shows the
information which is available about the application.  This
is grouped into program status, general background, playing
instructions and rules of the games.

Choosing either of the two games of Solitaire or Colotaire
will invoke a new board.  The Colotaire game provides the
novice with an easier route to the solution by restricting
the choice of possible moves; six patterns are selectable,
all of which contain solutions to Solitaire.

Since it is important to know what colour is to be removed
next in the Colotaire game, an extra coloured ball is
displayed in the top left hand corner of the main window.
This can be switched on or off by clicking the SELECT
button when the pointer is over the ball.

There are in fact four ways in which each game can be
played.  As well as the normal type, the experienced
Solitaire buff may like to try to achieve the solution by
having a reduced amount of information displayed or in the
case of the 'daft' option, a confusing number of false
balls.  The small window will always display the correct
state of play. 

The playback option allows the player to return to the
start of his solution attempt.  The pointer flashes over
the first and each successive ball that had been moved, so
that clicking the SELECT button will recreate the play.  By
choosing this option again from the menu the play will
revert to the normal mode at any stage.

The solution option is similar to the playback option and
differs only in that the corresponding solution is loaded.
The pointer will be made to flash for both of these
functions, but at a slower rate for the Solution option.

The sound option will switch the sound on or off.

The last two options deal with program control. 'Small
Window' ('Play' on the small window's menu) provides the
link between these two windows; 'quit' terminates the
application.

Both windows can be shown simultaneously by firstly
arranging for the large window to be displayed and then
clicking the SELECT mouse button over the bar icon.


APPLICATION MESSAGES

The program keeps a check on the play and will display a
message if the player attempts to move a ball into an
incorrect position.  If the wrong colour is attempted to be
removed in Colotaire the display of the indicating ball in
the top left hand corner is switched on.

Messages which are more descriptive are available to
ACORN's Interactive Help application; this is available on
the Welcome Disc.  This Help application has a window which
displays messages from the part of the screen that is
pointed to by the mouse pointer.  All the !Solitaire error
messages will be displayed in this window rather than in a
central error window, if this Help application is active.                