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Welcome to the newest version of Backgammon Classic
- new design, improved strength, many playing options and intuitive
interface! Three different levels, from
beginner to advanced, can extend your fun and improve your skills! Do not
hesitate to challenge the highest level! Version 7.2 of
our game is based on a new and improved playing engine and has a new look,
with many visual improvements and options. Here are a few of
the new game enhancements and features:
new 2D and 3D boards
and new checkers, having an improved animation, more
shapes and colors;
load/save game positions compatible with the previous versions;
watch a game / save a game to a text file;
playing and doubling optimization, minimum resources required.
This version has an extra way to register the game, by
entering its serial in the appropriate field of the Settings page. A few
small bugs were also fixed and an optional menu button was added. Two new
buttons can be displayed on the game board in this version, and the last two
games are automatically saved in last.gam files, allowing you to watch them
later. |
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The
Main menu has these
commands on big buttons, from top to bottom: |
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Exit
- you can
exit the program any time, even during a game; it can be automatically saved and loaded at a new session start.
Settings
-
This
button will open a new page, containing all the game settings that you can change as
you wish. Details below.
Stop
-
Pressing this button at any
time will interrupt the current game, so you can load or start a new one. But
notice, this will affect the score for games or matches with a value
according to your position at that moment.
Play -
You can start a new simple
game or a new match game, according with the length you set in the Settings menu. Once you have started a new game, some options in this
menu are no longer enabled.
Undo
-
You can roll back any move
or moves made during a game. This is possible only for the checkers movements,
not for the cube actions you have accepted or refused.
Screen
- Toggle for the windowed
mode.
Menu
- If activated, this
button allows you to see the secondary game menu only by pressing it. |
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Secondary menu
commands, from top to
bottom:
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Minimize: minimizes the game
windows, so you can see your desktop and launch other programs. The game
can be restored with a click on taskbar.
Help: shows you a help page
with game info, such as rules, how to play, how to get in contact with
the author and how to buy.
Website: launches the default
Internet client directly to our main site, so you can see and download
the newest version of our game.
Version: It automatically checks if
a new version is available for download.
History: Pressing this button at any
time will display a history of your last 22 matches results. You can see
also the time when you played them and how they affected your ratings.
Statistics: The new window that
appears will show you some values of the game statistics (the current
turn and the previous one), including game and match odds, equity and
dice values.
Open: This command allows you to
continue a saved game position or to play in other ways a position you
consider interesting. Please note that the loaded game will change the
doubling status as it was when the game was played, but it will be
restored when the game ends. Current match must be finished in order to
allow the loading.
Save: Save the current game
position, so you can restore it later exactly from where you left the
game. The doubling status and stake will be saved in the same .sav file.
Watch: Load a game file (.gam) and
watch the entire game you have played and then saved.
Record: This button saves the game
you just finished in a text file, so you can watch it again later. Do
not save loaded positions or resumed games! Only an entire game is
recommended to be saved with this command.
Move: When you cannot decide what is
the best move in a certain position, this button will make the next
moves for you, as the computer would do if it plays with your men on
level two. If you consider this is not a good move, the
Back button allows you to restore
the last position and make your own move.
Finish: When you are sure about the
score of your current game, you can press this button and let computer
to auto-play it faster until the end. No doubling is allowed during this
period.
Match length: Two buttons you
can use to increase or decrease the match length (not during a game); the range
is 1..64 points.
Time: Shows you the local time and
the game/match duration.
Post: This button opens the default
e-mail client on your computer, with the ratings data required to be
posted to our top. Same action can be done by sending as attachment the
file ratings.txt; in both cases add your name as in the game order.
E-mail address is: top@backgammon.ro
Flip: You can change the side of
your home, to the left or to the right part of the board. This would
also change the direction of the checkers movements. Your choice will be
saved.
Checkers: This button helps you
choose the type of the checkers : Clear, Classic, Modern, Metallic,
Gray/Blue, Yellow/Teal, Red/Green, Beige/Brown. Your choice will be
saved.
Board: This button helps you select
the game board from several 2D and 3D models. Your choice will be saved.
Mute: Mute or un-mute the game
sounds. |
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Settings
page, which includes the user's rating and experience values |
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If Nickname button is
pressed, the game users list will appear in the center.
This game allows up to ten players to be enlisted, with
independent ratings. The player can be selected from
users table, and the nickname can be edited in the
Current
user
field. If no valid player is selected, the program will
try to get the windows' logged username. |
Checkers speed: It can be adjusted in
four steps, from slow to instant. For not accelerated graphic displays we
recommend the instant option;
Dice animation: Enables or not a short
dice animation;
Bar display: When the mouse cursor is
positioned over a checker which can be moved, the destination point (s) may
be shown with a dot or by lighting up its bar number;
Show info: A tip with current button
action can be displayed in the upper side of the game frame;
First move: The player having the first
move can be decided either by the biggest die or in alternate mode;
Left mouse button: The move executed
when left mouse button is clicked can be determined by the value of the left
or of the biggest die;
Auto save: The current game can be
automatically saved on exit or, if not, you'll be asked for ending it;
Board: The playing board can be selected
from two wood models 2D and 3D;
Checkers: The game checkers could be
Black/White, simple or having several shapes and colors;
Nickname: At the game start, the name of
the current computer user will be selected by default . This name can be
changed, and other nicknames can be added in the Users list (up to ten
players).
Rating: Your rating starts at 1500, and
it will increase when you win and it will decrease when you lose. The
Experience is computed by adding the length of all played matches; it can be
Reset at any moment, even restored if
you have changed your mind.
Doubling cube: If playing matches, you
can enable the doubling cube; when enabled, the Jacoby and Crawford rules
can be validated too.
Match length: It can be adjusted between
1 and 64, with two buttons, up and down; Show allows to be displayed in the
score area.
Sound FX: Several sound effects can be
enabled, for clicks, errors, etc. If so, their intensity can be adjusted by
clicking on the volume bar.
Voice alerts: Several voice alerts can
be enabled, for load, double, etc. If so, their intensity can be adjusted by
clicking on the volume bar.
Game level: Levels one and two are for
beginners, but level three is designed for medium and experimented players
(it affects the player's ratings);
Log file: A text file named bclog.txt
can be created in the game's folder; it contains the matches start and end
time, as well as their scores;
Backgammon score: Enables or disables
the backgammon scoring (x3);
White dice: The white dice can be
automatically rolled after the black's moves, but this can not be done when
doubling cube is enabled;
Status: Shows whether the game is
registered or not.
Registration: It points to a field where
the registration string can be entered (or pasted). |
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Registration |
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After your order is placed, you will receive a
registration e-mail with the game code in an attached text file. To complete
the process, you could: 1. Save the
text file to the game's folder from user's Documents
or
2. Copy the serial code and press enter it
(paste) in the
registration field from the bottom part of the Settings page, and restart
the game.
You have to perform the game registration when
you are logged as administrator. In case you are using a Windows version
newer than XP and you choose method 1, you have to Unblock the text file
you have saved to your local disk. Also, the game executable should have set
the option 'Run as administrator'. |
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Keyboard commands |
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BACKSPACE
- same as the UNDO command from the menu bar;
M - same as the Move command from the menu bar;
ENTER - play a new game;
S - flip sides;
L - load a game position;
V - save a game position;
C - change checkers;
F - finish the current game;
P - stop the current game;
T - settings page;
O - toggle for the windowed mode
Q - allows you to end
current game and match
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H - help page;
Z - minimize window;
X
- exit to OS;
W - backgammon website;
U - check for a new version;
R - history page;
I - time information;
E - post by e-mail your current ratings;
A - statistics page;
D -
doubles the game stake, same as a click on the cube.
N - displays the game menu
Message box: Enter
or Space
is OK, while Esc
or N
is NO.
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Miscellaneous |
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To roll the dice, just click anywhere on the game board.
To make a move or bear off, click on the
checker you want or on its triangle. If the checker is on the bar, click on it
to enter in the opponent's home. Usually, the left mouse button makes the
biggest die, while the right one makes the smallest. If this can not happen due
to the opponent checkers, it will try to make the other die. This rule
applies also when you are on the bar.
If SHIFT key is pressed during the mouse
click, current checker will be moved with both dice values if possible;
To double the stake, click on the doubling
cube if you own it or if it is in the board's center.
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Game requirements |
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Minimum:
- Processor PIII / 700Mhz or equivalent;
- Memory 128Mb RAM; 30Mb on a hard disk;
- Video card with resolution 1024 x 768 pixels, 16 bit mode;
- Sound blaster card or compatible;
- Windows XP any edition.
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Recommended:
- Processor P4 / 1.5Ghz or equivalent;
- Memory 256Mb RAM; 50Mb on a hard disk;
- High speed video card , 1024 x 768 pixel resolution, 24 bits;
- Sound blaster stereo card or compatible;
- Windows Vista, 7 or 8. |
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