Neu (new): A dialog pops up to show all options which are needed to create a new game (Shortcut: Strg+N)
Pause: to pause the running game. Useful for suspending a match between two computer players.
Beenden (Quit): Well, I think you know what it means. (Shortcut: Strg+B)
This menu changes the display during a match.
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Display |
Example |
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Vektorgrafik |
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Pixel, klein |
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Pixel, mittel |
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Pixel, groß |
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Vektorgrafik: Not that pretty, but fast.
Pixel: Looks much better, but needs more power.
This is the dialog to create a new game. You can specify of which type white and black players are (Mensch = human ; Computer= computer). The level selects the level of the computer player.
The other two listboxes define general properties of the match. Grafiktyp (=type of graphics) has the same options as the menu "display" (Darstellung). Spielart (=type of game) offers two different game types as follows:
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Klassisch |
Modern |
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The aim is to capture all of the opponent's pawns or to get him into a situation such as he cannot make a valid move anymore.
Normal pawns may only move diagonally forward
Normal pawns may only move one "square"
Example:
you move your pawns using drag & drop: "take" a pawn of yours, move the mouse to the square where you want to drop it. If this square is then marked green you can drop the pawn there (During the move you MUST press the Mouse button constantly - if you don't your pawn will be dropped before you reach the square you are aiming for).
Capturing works also only diagonally forward.
To capture an opponent's pawn you have to move over it. The square directly behind his pawn in a diagonal move has to be free.
Example:
Use the mouse to drag the pawn exactly over the path you intend to follow in your move (i.e. over the pawn to be captured and down onto the free square which follows it).
After taking one pawn you can - if possible - take another directly after the first. In this case you must not release pressure on the mouse as you cross the free square between two of your opponents pawns but only on that which follows the last pawn you have captured.
Example:
ATTENTION: Do not release the mouse button while dragging.
If you are in a situation in which you are able to take one of you opponents pawns - you are in an obligation to do so. (Even you hadn't realised yourself that such a move was possible ;-))
If your opponent was under obligation to take but did not, his pawns that might have taken yours are marked green. In this case you are able to chose which of these you wish to have removed. This you can do by selecting one with your mouse.
If a normal pawn reaches the last row it is turned into a special pawn called "Dame". Dames are displayed in a special way. "Dame" is a German word and means "queen".
Example:
A Dame can move backwards
A Dame can move as many squares as she likes.
A Dame has to stop directly after the piece she has taken.
A Dame may capture severally times successively. However, as with normal pawns, when capturing she can only capture two or more at the same time if these are separated by one free square and one only. When capturing just one pawn, she also must stop on the free square following the taken pawn. This even though her normal moves are not limited to one square. She may also not change direction during her moves.
Example:
If a Dame is under obligation to capture and another pawn too the Dame has a higher priority than the normal pawn.
If you do not capture at all or do so with a normal pawn you can say goodbye to your Dame. :-)
There were several motivations to do "Nicand's Dame".
Nico wanted to program a computer player for a long time. I think he has done a great job here :-)
We wanted to collect experience in team programming which is reality in our future jobs.
Java's platform independence has attracted our interest. "Nicand's Dame" was developed on two different systems: Nico used Win95 and Andreas worked with OS/2 Warp 4.
Furthermore we wanted to practice our java knowledge. Learning by doing :-)
The tasks were split as follows:
Nico: Implementation of the computer player (AI) and the rules
Andreas: userinterface and graphics
Katherine McLaughlin. She translated our German documentation into English and tested the program ('Buuh, he wins always !') ;-)
This program is mailware. Just like cardware it means that you're asked to send an e-mail to both authors if you wish to use our program for a longer period.
We hope you will have much fun playing our game. Comments, bug reports, suggestions and approvals are appreciated.
Nico Kämpchen: Nico.Kaempchen@studbox.uni-stuttgart.de
Andreas Ebbert: Andreas.Ebbert@ruhr-uni-bochum.de
