ISHIDO The Way of Stones WELCOME TO ISHIDO From the first move this ancient game and beautiful puzzle will call upon your deepest powers of strategy and concentration as you match 72 stones on a board of 96 squares. You can play for points, compete against the clock, or kick back and meditate over each move with the deliberation of a Master. See if you can outdo your own best score in progressive games, and learn the secret of 4-Ways. Design your own stonesets using Ishido's sophisticated graphics editors and/or your own paint programs. Let the Oracle guide you as you play against the computer or challenge your friends. As your strategy improves you will have a chance to discover what's at the heart of Ishido and why, to some, The Way of Stones is far more than a game. TABLE OF CONTENTS Getting Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 System Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Ishido Contents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Installing Ishido on your Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Starting Ishido from your Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Starting Ishido from a Floppy Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Using the Ishido Codewheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 The Game Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Selecting Menu Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Beginning Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Rules of Play. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Placing Stones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Matching Stones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Creating a 4-Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Just Remember These 4 Simple Rules . . . . . . . . . 8 Ancient & Modern Ways of Playing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 The Ancient Way: Game & Scoring. . . . . . . . . . . 8 The Modern Way: Game & Scoring . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Game Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Solitaire Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Cooperative Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Tournament Game. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Challenge Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Scoreboard & High Scores Display . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Ancient Way Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Modern Way Strategy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Center Master Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Master Game. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Menus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 ? Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 File Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Game Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Choices Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Help Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Scores Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 The Stoneset Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Edit Stoneset Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Stoneset Editor Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Edit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Using XColor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Using Mask Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Editing an Existing Ishido Stoneset. . . . . . . . . . . 33 Creating and Editing a New Stoneset. . . . . . . . . . . 34 Saving User-Edited Stonesets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Loading User-Edited Stonesets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 The Oracle of the Stones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Traditional Oracles & Computer Oracles . . . . . . . . . 37 Using the Oracle of the Stones . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 First, Formulate the Question. . . . . . . . . . . 38 Next, Ask the Question . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Then, Interpret the Augury . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Saving Auguries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 The Hexagrams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 GETTING STARTED SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Here's what you need to play Ishido: Amiga 500, 1000, 2000, 2500, 3000 with 512K of memory. ISHIDO CONTENTS Included in the package are: * One 3.5" disk * This manual * The Ishido codewheel INSTALLING ISHIDO ON YOUR HARD DRIVE If you have a hard drive, Ishido can be installed there instead of being run from a floppy disk. You'll need to have one megabyte of free memory on your hard drive. Use the following procedure: 1. Enter the CLI (or Shell) by double-clicking the icon from the WorkBench. 2. Create a drawer by typing makedie dh0:ishido and press Return. (This assumes your hard drive is dh0: - substitute the correct name if yours is different). 3. Insert the Ishido Disk into df0:. 4. Type copy df0:#? dh0:ishido and press Return. All of the necessary files are copied to your hard drive. STARTING ISHIDO FROM YOUR HARD DRIVE. Enter the CLI and do the following: 1. Type cd dh0:Ishido and press Return. 2. Type ishido and press Return. Ishido will load automatically. 1 STARTING ISHIDO FROM A FLOPPY DISK Put the Ishido Disk into df0: at the Workbench prompt. The game loads automatically. USING THE ISHIDO CODEWHEEL Title screens appear, then the game board is presented with the sound of wind chimes (if you have 1 megabyte of memory or more). When you click the mouse, you are asked for the correct code to enter Ishido. Your screen will show four elements - two patterns, two words -- and a window to type in. 1. Match the left-most pattern on the screen to the same pattern on the outer edge of the outer ring of the codewheel. 2. Now find the second pattern from the left on the screen, and match it to the same pattern on the middle ring of the codewheel. 3. Rotate the middle ring so the second pattern lines up under the first pattern. 4. Next, find the left-most word on the screen, and match it to the same word on the edge of the inner ring of the codewheel. 5. Rotate the ring so the word is lined up under the two patterns. 6. Look for the second word on the interior of the inner ring; there is a number immediately above the word. 7. Enter that number and press Enter to begin Ishido. Fig 1. Ishido Codewheel 2 OVERVIEW Ishido is a board game where you attempt to match stones according to their colors and patterns. Ishido can be played as a solitaire game, by two players, by a player against the computer, or even by the computer itself (this is useful to see how the computer thinks). You can also play cooperatively to achieve a high score, or competitively. Ishido also has several unique features: you may consult the Oracle during the game to answer questions, and you can select from amongst several different boards and stonesets, or even create your own stoneset. This section shows you how to play Ishido by giving you a tour of the game board, then discussing how to begin and play a typical game. Next, the manual lists each of the commands and options available in Ishido. Hints and strategies are presented, and finally the Stoneset Editor is explained in detail. If you're impatient with reading rules and want to start playing with a minimum of fuss and bother, read the Beginning Play section and go to it. You'll find most of the menu items to be fairly obvious. Your first games probably won't score well unless you read the Strategy section, though. Once you have experienced The Way of Stones, come back and read the entire manual. There is much in here to contemplate for you to become a true Master of Ishido. THE GAME BOARD The first step in playing Ishido is getting to know the board. Follow the steps in the Starting Ishido section to load Ishido and make the Game Board appear. Game Board Touchstone |--------------------------------------------------| |-----------| | <------ the Beyond -------> | | | | |-----------------------------------| | |-----------| | | <-------- | | | | The Within | | | |-----------| | | | | | | Scoreboard| | | | | | | | | | \|/ | | | | | | |----| | | | | | | | XX | | | | | | | |----|----| | | |-----------| | | /|\ | OO | | | | | Stones |->|----| | | |-----------| | | | | | | | |-----------------------------------| | | | | | |-----------| |--------------------------------------------------| Pouch Opening Tableau 3 * The Main Bar appears when you press the right mouse button, and consists of the following menus ?, File, Game, Choices, Help, and Score. * The Game Board is eight squares high by 12 squares wide. * Stones come in sets of 72 stones. Each stone has two attributes: A color/pattern and a symbol. There are six symbols and six colors/patterns in each stoneset, thus creating 36 unique stones. Each stone comes in a pair, hence 72 stones in each stoneset. * The Within consists of the light interior squares. * The Beyond consists of the dark squares at the outer edges of the board. * The Touchstone displays the next stone to be played. * The Scoreboard shows both the number of points scored (at the top), and the number of 4-Way matches achieved (at the bottom). * The Pouch shows a representation of the number of stones remaining to play. Double-clicking on it (or selecting Show Pouch from the Help menu) shows you the stones in detail, and their order in the pouch. SELECTING MENU ITEMS To select an item from any menu: 1. Press the right mouse button and hold it down. The Menu Bar will appear at the top of the screen. 2. With the button still pressed, highlight a menu name - that menu will open - then highlight an item within the menu. 3. Release the mouse button to select the highlighted item. 4 BEGINNING PLAY Now that you're familiar with the board, it's time to cast the first stone. When the game opens and you see the empty game board, open the Game Menu (see Selecting Menu Items above) and select new Game. The game begins with a unique Opening Tableau of six stones on the board and a pouch of randomly ordered stones. The Opening Tableau consists of stones placed at each of the four corners and on the two center squares. Each of the six symbols and six color/patterns are represented in the Opening Tableau. The game begins in Solitaire mode with Modern scoring. These settings can be changed by using the menus; see Menus later on in this manual for details. RULES OF PLAY At each turn, one stone from the pouch is displayed on the touchstone. Every stone has two attributes: a symbol and a background color/pattern. You'll try to place each stone on the board so that its color/pattern or symbol matches the stone next to it. You or other players then continue to place stones until no more legal matches are possible or until the pouch is empty. Placing Stones Point the cursor to the spot you want to place the stone on the board and click the left mouse button once. The stone on the touchstone moves to the square you selected. You can also move stones from the touchstone to the board by clicking on the stone and dragging it to the board. Click the mouse button again to set the stone on the board. Matching Stones Place each stone in a square next to (above, below, left or right - but NOT DIAGONAL to) another stone, matching either the color/pattern or symbol with the adjacent stone: 5 To legally place a stone next to two other stones, your stone must match one stone with the color/pattern attribute and match the second stone with the symbol attribute: To legally place your stone so that it adjoins three other stones, you must match two of the stones with one attribute, and the third stone with the other attribute: After you gain a little experience making two- and three-way matches, try your skill at a four-way match (4-Way). To make a 4-Way, place a stone in the center of four other stones, matching two of the stones on one attribute and the other two stones on the other attribute: 6 Creating a 4-Way Creating 4-Ways is the best way to build a winning strategy. They are also the only way to receive Oracle auguries (readings). You can learn more about the Oracle in the Using the Oracle section and pick up strategy tips in the Strategy section, further on in this manual. For now, here are the basics: 1. Using any chosen stone, start a 4-Way match by placing a stone that matches the color/pattern on one side and a stone that matches the symbol on the other side. 2. Then draw other stones from the pouch and add to the 4-Way. 7 3. Only this stone: XXX can be placed in the center to complete this 4-Way match. If you get stuck, take your best guess at placing the next stone. "Dialog boxes" will pop up and help guide you if you make a mistake. (See Center Master Play and Master Game for more insight into creating 4-Way matches). Just Remember These 4 Simple Rules... 1. To create a 1-Way match you must match your stone with the stone on the board using one of your stone's two attributes. 2. To create a 2-Way match you must match your stone using one of its attributes for one stone, and its other attribute for the second stone. (Remember: "1 and 1") 3. To create a 3-Way match you must match your stone using one of its attributes for one of the stones, and its other attribute for the other two stones. (Remember: "1 and 2") 4. To create a 4-Way match you must match your stone using one of its attributes for two of the stones, and its other attribute for the other two stones. (Remember: "2 and 2") Ancient and Modern Ways of Playing There are two ways of playing Ishido: The Ancient Way and the Modern Way. Each uses a different system of scoring and requires a somewhat different strategy. Either style can be selected from the dialog that appears when you choose any of the Game Menu commands. The Ancient Way: Game & Scoring In the Ancient Way of playing Ishido, the player wins when he or she empties the pouch, placing all the stones on the board. The player also creates as many 4-Ways as possible. The number of 4-Ways created appears on the lower portion of the scoreboard, next to the graphic for 4-Way symbol. If several players empty the pouch, the player with the most 4-Ways wins. If no one empties the pouch, the player with the most 4-Ways wins. If no one empties the pouch and everyone has the same number of 4-Ways, the player with the fewest number of stones left in the pouch wins. 8 The Modern Way: Game & Scoring In the Modern Way of playing, the goal is to score the highest number of points. Players can get high scores by creating as many 4-Ways as possible, as early in the game as possible, as they try to empty the pouch. Players receive points by legally placing stones next to other stones in the light, interior potion of the board (The Within). The greater the number of sides legally matched, the greater the number of points earned. Points earned for legal matches are: Single-sided match 1 point Two-sided match 2 points Three-sided match 4 points Four-sided match (4-Way) 8 points Each 4-Way match earns bonus points and doubles the points awarded for subsequent matches. For example, after the first 4-Way, a single-sided match earns two points, a two-sided match earns four points, a three-sided match earns eight points, and a 4-Way earns 16 points. The next 4-Way doubles the point scheme again, and so on. Bonuses awarded after each 4-Way match are: First 4-Way 25 points Second 4-Way 50 points Third 4-Way 100 points Fourth 4-Way 200 points Fifth 4-Way 400 points Sixth 4-Way 600 points Seventh 4-Way 800 points Eighth 4-Way 1,000 points Ninth 4-Way 5,000 points Tenth 4-Way 10,000 points Eleventh 4-Way 25,000 points Twelfth 4-Way 50,000 points 9 At the end of the game, bonuses are awarded when fewer than three stones remain in the pouch. Bonuses awarded are: Two stones left in pouch 100 points One stone left in pouch 500 points Empty pouch 1000 points Since 4-Ways double the points achieved by matches and produce bonus points, a player who scores four 4-Ways without placing all the stones can actually score higher than a player who does empty the pouch but does not make any 4-Ways. GAME MODES You can play Ishido by yourself in the Solitaire mode, or test your abilities against others or the computer in the Challenge and Tournament modes. If you're feeling non-competitive, you can settle into a cooperative game and find out if two heads are better than one! Select the type of game you want from the Game Menu. Then follow the instructions for the game you wish to play below. Solitaire Game In a solitaire game, the contestant plays alone. Here's how to set up solitaire play: 1. Select Solitaire game. 2. Then select Ancient or Modern scoring. 3. For the selection of players, you have several choices: * Leave Computer Player 1 unselected to enable you to play a solitaire game. * Select Computer Player 1 to start the computer on a game of solitaire. 4. Now select New Game from the Game Menu to begin a solitaire game with your designated scoring and player choices. The board appears, set with the Opening Tableau of six stones. Cooperative Game In Cooperative play, you and a partner take turns placing the stones. You can act as both players, play with the computer as your partner, or tell the computer to play both of the player roles. Whether human or computer, players earn a single, team score. Here's how to set up cooperative play: 1. Open the Game Menu and select Cooperative game. 2. Then select Ancient or Modern scoring. 10 3. You have several choices for player selection: * Leave the computer options unselected to take turns placing the stones with another human player. * Select Computer Player 1 to designate the computer as a cooperative player which will make the first move. * Select Computer Player 2 to designate the computer as a cooperative player which will wait for you to make the first move. * Select both computer options to designate the computer as both cooperative players. 4. Then choose New Game to begin a cooperative game with your designated scoring and player choices. The board appears, set with the Opening Tableau of six stones. Tournament Game In Tournament play, you and any number of other players take turns playing entire identical games, with each player receiving the same Opening Tableau and drawing the stones in the exact same order. Each player earns a separate score and the computer can be one of the players in the tournament series. As in regular play, each game in the tournament ends when the player empties the pouch, when the player chooses to end the game, or when the timer runs out. Here's how to set up tournament play: 1. In the Game Menu, select Tournament game. You are asked to end any game in progress, and if you want to set up a new tournament. 2. Select Ancient or Modern scoring. This sets the scoring mode for all games in the tournament. 3. You have two choices for player selection: * Leave Computer Player 1 unselected to take turns playing consecutive games only with other human players. * Select Computer Player 1 to designate the computer as the next player in the tournament. 4. You can set a time limit for tournament games by highlighting the timer option in the Game Menu. Select Timer and another sub-menu appears. Highlight an option there to display the timer bar. Move the timer scroll bar to set the time limit - from one (1) to 60 minutes - for each game in the tournament. During the game, the minutes count down on screen. Or, leave Timer unselected to allow an unlimited amount of time for each game in the tournament. 5. Then choose New Game to begin a tournament with your designated scoring, player, and timing choices. The board appears, set with the Opening Tableau of six stones. 6. After the current player ends a game, begin subsequent games in the tournament by selecting New Game from the Game Menu. You can also begin a new tournament by selecting Tournament from the Game Menu and then new Tournament from the Tournament Game dialog box. 11 At the start of each new game, make sure the Computer Player 1 box is not selected if you want a human to play next, and selected to let the computer play next. 7. Select Tournament from the Game Menu to begin a new tournament. Starting a new tournament creates a new shuffle, or order of stones in the pouch, and erases the current scores in Tournament High Scores. You are asked to confirm if you want to start a new tournament or continue with the current tournament. You must save a tournament if you want to keep the high scores for that tournament. Note: If you leave the tournament game mode to play another type of game, that tournament will be lost. You should save the tournament to the current disk or your hard drive if you wish to resume that tournament at a later time. Loading a saved tournament will also delete the current tournament. Challenge Game In challenge play, you and one other player take turns placing the stones to complete one game. You can also play against the computer. You can tell the computer to assume the role of two players competing against each other. Whether human or computer, each player earns a separate score within the challenge game. Here's how to set up challenge play: 1. In the Game Menu, select Challenge game. You are asked to end any game in progress. 2. Modern scoring is your only choice. 3. You have several choices for player selection: * Leave all computer player options unselected to enable you to play a challenge game with another human player. * Select only Computer Player 1 to designate the computer as the challenge player making the first move. Select only Computer Player 2 to designate the computer as the challenge player making the second move. Select both computer players to designate the computer as both challenge players. 4. You can also choose to limit time for making a move to any length of time from one second to 60 seconds by selecting Timer and moving the timer scroll bar to set the time limit for each move in the Challenge game. During a game, the seconds count down on the screen for each player. If the timer runs out before a player places a stone, that player scores zero for the turn and the timer begins on the other player's turn. Leave Timer unselected to allow an unlimited amount of time for each move in the challenge game. 5. Then choose New Game to begin a challenge game with your designated player and timing choices. The board appears, set with the Opening Tableau of six stones. 12 SCOREBOARD AND HIGH SCORES DISPLAY Scores can be represented on the scoreboard graphically with Roman numerals or with standard Arabic numbers. Click on the Scoreboard to toggle between the two representations. With Graphic Scoreboard turned on, these marks represent the following numbers of points: I 1 point XL 40 points II 2 points L 50 points III 3 pints LX 60 points IV 4 points LXX 70 points V 5 points LXXX 80 points VI 6 points XC 90 points VII 7 points C 100 points VIII 8 points D 500 points IX 9 points M 1000 points X 10 points v 5000 points XX 20 points x 10,000 points XXX 30 points l 50,000 points High scores appear on the Today's Scores, All-Time Highs, and Tournament High Scores scoreboards. Select Modern Scores, Ancient Scores or Tournament Scores from the Scores Menu to see these scoreboards. Today's Scores displays the highest scores of the day, from all game modes except tournament scores. Click on Clear to erase the scores. It clears automatically when the computer's internal clock indicates that a new day has begun. All-Time Highs displays the highest scores from Solitaire, Cooperative and Challenge modes. Click on Clear to erase the scores from the board. If your score qualifies, a dialog box appears when you end the game which allows you to enter your name. Tournament High Scores displays the highest scores from tournament games. Starting a new tournament erases game scores in Tournament High Scores. Select Show High Scores from the Choices Menu to make high scores appear automatically after the end of each game. In Tournament play Show High Scores makes the Tournament High Scores scoreboard appear after each tournament game. 12 STRATEGY To become a master player, you need to learn the art of emptying the pouch while simultaneously creating as many 4-Way matches as possible. Using all four corners as well as the center of the board increases your chance of emptying the pouch and creating 4-Ways. Learn how to make 4-Ways and play ahead. You can build a strong game by anticipating possible moves based on the stones you know are unplayed. ANCIENT WAY STRATEGY In the Ancient Way of playing Ishido, the main goal is to place all the stones on the board, thus emptying the pouch. The secondary goal is to create as many 4-Ways as possible, because when both players empty the pouch the player with the most 4-Ways wins. And if neither player empties the pouch, the player with the most 4-Ways wins. If neither player empties the pouch and each player has the same number of 4-Ways, the player with the fewest number of stones in the pouch wins. When playing the Ancient Way solitaire, your games will be ranked on the high scores display using the criteria stated above. Note: Ancient scoring isn't allowed in Challenge play. 14 MODERN WAY STRATEGY In the Modern Way of playing, the goal is to score the highest number of points. 4-Ways produce bonus points and double the point value of all subsequent moves. Thus the ability to create 4-Ways often and early in the game is the mark of a power player. A premium (and scoring bonus) is also placed on emptying the pouch of all its stones. CENTER MASTER PLAY In Center Master Play, you build upon the two center stones to create four 4-Way matches. Here are the steps for creating a Center Master Play: Beginning: X-- Third play First play -- XX----| X--| Two opening stones X-- Second play Progressing: XX XX XX X X XX XX X 15 Center Master Play with one 4-Way played: MASTER GAME You have played a Master Game if you empty the pouch while creating eight 4-Way matches around the six opening stones (four 4-Ways around the center and one at each corner. If you are playing at this level, congratulations! You're on your way to becoming a legend! Here is an example of a Master Game in-progress with five 4-Ways already played: 16 MENUS This section describes each menu item in Ishido. Many of these commands are described elsewhere in this manual in more detail. Keyboard shortcuts are available for some menu items. ? MENU About Ishido This lists the game credits. Click the left mouse button on the dialog box to return to the game. FILE MENU Fig. 2. File Pulldown Menu 17 Load Game Fig. 3. Load Game Screen Opens a list of your saved games. In the dialog that appears, select the name of the game to open; click on the up or down arrows to see more names on the list. The available volumes are shown on the top list; click on the desired drive to select it and see its files in the list below. Click on /Parent to move to the next higher directory' all directories are shown with (dir) after their name. Then select Open to load the game; you are asked to confirm your choice. (You can also type in file names and path names into the File and Drawer boxes, if you like). Warning: If you select Open, you end the current game automatically. Save Game Fig. 4. Save Game Screen Saves a game in progress. This displays a dialog which is very similar to the Load Game dialog described above. Select the text window labeled File, then type in the name for the saved game. (If the game already has a name, it appears in this window when the dialog appears.) Click OK to save the game; click Cancel to return to the current game without saving. 18 Load Game Fig 3. Load Game Screen Opens a list of your saved games. In the dialog that appears, select the name of the game to open; click on the up or down arrows to see more names on the list. The available volumes are shown on the top list; click on the desired drive to select it and see its files in the list below. Click on /Parent to move to the next higher directory; all directories are shown with (dir) after their name. Then select Open to load the game; you are asked to confirm your choice. (You can also type in file names and path names into the File and Drawer boxes, if you like.) Warning: If you select Open, you end the current game automatically. Save Game Fig 4. Save Game Screen Saves a game in progress. This displays a dialog which is very similar to the Load Game dialog described above. Select the text window labeled File, then type in the name for the saved game. (If the game already has a name, it appears in this window when the dialog appears.) Click OK to save the game; click Cancel to return to the current game without saving. 18 Note: If you're playing from a floppy disk, it is recommended that you save to another blank formatted disk. Save Game As Saves a game in progress. This displays a dialog which is very similar to the Load Game dialog described above. Select the text window labeled File, then type in the name for the saved game. (If the game already has a name, it appears in this window when the dialog appears.) Click OK to save the game; click Cancel to return to the current game without saving. Quit Returns you to the Workbench. GAME MENU Fig 5. Game Menu This menu lets you choose the game mode to use when playing Ishido. New Game Begins a new game. If the current game hasn't been ended, a dialog box appears to confirm whether or not you want the game to end. Click OK to end the game, or Cancel to return to the game. Start Game Over Starts the current game over from the beginning. You are asked to confirm this in a dialog box; if you start a game over, you cannot be put on the High Scores list. End Game Ends the current game (games do not end automatically). You are asked to confirm the choice. 19 Solitaire... This allows you to play by yourself, or to watch the computer play a game by itself. Choose Ancient or modern scoring. If you want the computer to play the game by itself, select the Computer Player #1 command in this menu. This is a way to see how the computer plays Ishido, and to learn more strategy. Cooperative... This allows you to play Ishido with two players who alternate their turns, working together to achieve the highest score. The choices are similar to the Solitaire mode, above. If you select Computer Player #1, the computer will take its turn before yours (#2 plays after you). Or you can select two computer players who will play one after the other. Tournament... This allows you to set up a tournament where any number of players may try to achieve the highest score on the same shuffle of tiles. You have the option of setting a Timer on each game, from 1 minute total to 60 minutes total (the Timer command on this menu is enabled). Move the timer scroll bar to change the time increment. Challenge... In this game mode, players take turns in a game, each trying to achieve their own score higher than their opponent. A Timer can be set to limit the amount of time taken for each move, from 1 to 60 seconds (the Timer command on this menu is enabled). Ancient This selects the Ancient method of scoring. This cannot be used for Challenge play. Modern This selects the Modern method of scoring. Computer Player 1 This selects the computer to play the number one position; in a Solitaire game, the computer will play the game for you. Computer Player 2 This selects the computer to play the number two position; in a Challenge game, the computer will play after you move. 20 Timer The Timer is only enabled in Tournament or Challenge games. When it is active, a submenu appears for you to select the Tournament or the Challenge Timer. Tournament Timer lets you set the time for each game from 1 minute to 60 minutes by using the slider. Click OK to accept the Timer setting and return to the game; click Cancel to return to the game without setting the Timer. Challenge Timer lets you set the time for each move from 1 second to 60 seconds by using the slider. Click OK to accept the Timer setting and return to the game; click Cancel to return to the game without setting the Timer. CHOICES MENU Fig. 6 Choices Menu Stonesets Fig 7. Stonesets Choices Submenu This displays a submenu where you can edit your own stonesets or load in existing stonesets. Click on the radio buttons of one of the following stonesets to select it: Gems, Inner Shapes, Magic, Chungfu, Ishido, Rameses, Runes, or Shaman. Choose Other if you want to load a stoneset that you have created (a standard File dialog appears where you can select the stoneset to use). 21 If you want to create your own stoneset, highlight Edit Stoneset. (For a complete explanation of how to edit a stoneset, see The Stoneset Editor later in this manual.) Click OK to accept the stoneset chosen and return to the game board, or click Cancel to return without changes. Boards Fig 8. Board Choice Submenu Displays a submenu where you can choose one of Ishido's game boards. Click on the radio buttons of one of the following boards to select it: Gems, Inner Shapes, Magic, Chungfu, Ishido, Rameses, Runes, or Shaman. Matching Board This item, when checked, means that the game board used matches the stoneset selected. Other Displays a standard dialog to load in another board. You may use a standard paint program to edit an existing board. Here's how to do that: 1. From your paint program load in an existing board from the Ishido game disk. 2. Edit the board and save to a data disk. Note: You must only use 16 colors to edit the board. Also, the name of your saved board must have the text .(board) following the name used - e.g., newboard.(board) - to be able to load into the game. 3. Insert your data disk when the file dialog appears. 4. Select your saved board to begin a game with it. 22 Graphic Scoreboard When this is checked, the graphic scoreboard appears; you can also click on the scoreboard itself to toggle it on or off. Sounds This command controls the sounds produced by Ishido. A check mark appears next to this menu command if Sounds are turned on. Stone Click Select this command to toggle on/off the sound of the stones being placed on the board; a check mark appears next to the command when the Stone Click is on. Messages Select this command to turn on or off the display of error messages, such as when you try to make an illegal move. A check mark appears next to the command when the Messages are on. Show High Scores Select this command to always show the High Scores after a game whether or not you made the list. A check mark appears next to the command when this option is on. Oracle Select this command to display a dialog box where you can ask a question of the oracle. This dialog box appears when you start a game. The answer will appear when you complete a 4-Way during the game. Type in your question and click OK or press Return to return to the game. (See the Oracle of the Stones section later in this manual for more details. HELP MENU Fig 9. Help Menu You are not alone. Several types of assistance are available to help you place stones or plan your strategy. To get these hints, use the following commands. 23 Undo Previous Move This puts the stone you just placed back on the touchstone so you can play it again. Show Possible Moves This lets you see all legal moves for the stone currently on the touchstone. However, selecting Show Possible Moves when there is a move left to play disqualifies you from making the All-Time Highs scoreboard. Always Show Moves Selecting this command means that you will automatically see all legal moves each time a new stone appears on the touchstone. Turning on Always Show Moves disqualifies you from making the All-Time High scoreboard. A check mark appears next to this command when it is turned on. Show Pouch... This command lets you look at the stones remaining in the pouch. Selecting Show Pouch disqualifies you from making the All-Time High scoreboard. Note: When you select Show Possible Moves, Always Show Moves, or Show Pouch, you are given the option of getting back to the game without risking your chance to make the All-Time High scoreboard. Note: Show Possible Moves, Always Show Moves, and Show Pouch are not available in Tournament play. Undo Previous Move is not available in Challenge play. Rules... This command displays a dialog that shows the basic Ishido rules. Click the up or down arrows to move the text up or down; click Exit when you are done. Strategy... This command displays a dialog that shows the basic Ishido strategy. Click the up or down arrows to move the text up or down; click Exit when you are done. 24 SCORES MENU Fig 10. Scores Menu This option displays the High Scores list, which is kept for the various types of scoring. In all cases, click the left mouse button to return to the game. click Clear to clear the high scores; you are asked to confirm this choice. Modern Fig 11. Modern High Scores Screen This shows the high scores for the Modern style of scoring. 25 Ancient Fig 12. Ancient High Scores Screen This shows the high scores for the Ancient style of scoring. Tournament Scores Fig 13. Tournament High Scores Screen This shows the tournament high scores for the Ancient and Modern styles of scoring, depending on the scoring system selected. 26 THE STONESET EDITOR This tool lets you customize existing stonesets for Ishido or create your own. Editing an existing stoneset is easier than creating a stoneset from a blank screen, but both of them take some planning. You'll notice that the stonesets included with Ishido each have a theme; we recommend that you pick a theme before creating your own stoneset. The Stoneset Editor is loaded by the following process: * Select the Stoneset command from the Choices Menu. * Select Edit Stoneset... from the submenu to enter the Stoneset Editor. The Stoneset Editor is loaded displaying the current stoneset selected for play. You can then clear the screen if you want to start a new stoneset. m If you want to load a user-edited stoneset, make sure the Other stoneset is selected before you select Edit Stoneset. (All user-edited stonesets are available as Other). The Stoneset Editor consists of the Edit Stoneset screen, where you can choose the attributes of your new stoneset or alter an existing stoneset. The Edit Stoneset screen shows you the entire stoneset at once. Each stone in the stoneset must be unique in either its shape, colors, or markings. The displayed stoneset can now be edited, making any changes desired (see Editing An Existing Ishido Stoneset below). Or, the screen can be cleared and a new stoneset can be designed (see Creating and Editing New Stoneset below). Note: If Edit Stoneset is selected when the Other stoneset is chosen, the Load Stoneset screen is displayed with the user-edited stoneset. Another User-Edited Stoneset can be loaded into the editor at this time (see Loading User-Edited Stonesets below). If you do not want to load a User-Edited Stoneset, select Cancel. The Current Stoneset will be displayed in the Editor. 27 EDIT STONESET SCREEN All stoneset creating and editing is done on this single screen. It is composed oaf the following areas: The Stone Select Area at the far left is where the individual stones are selected for editing, and where the final results of the editing are shown. All 36 individual stones are represented in this area. The Stoneset Mask Area is at the bottom of the stone select area and shows the masks that represent each of the columns. The masks are more evident when the stones are of different shapes. Fig 14. Edit Stoneset Screen. The Three Squares at the top center of the screen show the stone being edited in three different ways: * The left area shows the stone as it is being edited, with background transparent (shown as medium grey). * The center area shows the stone as it will look against a dark background. * The right area shows the stone as it will look against a light background. There are also 5 buttons located on the screen. These buttons select the following options: * Undo cancels the edit just performed and returns the Stone Edit box to the previous state. * XColor changes the chosen color in the Stone Edit box to the color selected in the Color Selection box. 28 * T selects the light grey color that represents transparent in the Stone Edit box. Note: If a transparent color is used to design stonesets, edits to the stoneset may distort the mask. To remedy this, change the transparent color in the stone to another color. * Use returns to the Ishido Play screen maintaining all edits made during the current editing session. * Cancel returns to the Ishido Play screen without maintaining any edits made during the current editing session. The Stone Edit Box is in the center of the screen. This is where the user edits (or creates) the selected stone. The Color Selection Box is just below the Stone Edit box. The user has a choice of 15 colors and transparent. Transparent is always represented by the medium grey color that is selected when the "T" button is clicked on. The Mask Template Area is just below the XColor button. The masks in this area of the screen are available for use in creating new stonesets. (See Using Mask Templates, below.) STONESET EDITOR MENU Pressing the right mouse button while in the Stoneset Editor displays the Stoneset Editor menu. This menu has two sub-menus: File and Edit. The options available in each menu are described below. File Fig 15. File Submenu There are four options available in the File menu: New Stoneset, Load Stoneset, Save Stoneset and Save Stoneset as. The first three options can also be assessed directly from the keyboard without accessing the File menu by the use of selected keys. A description of each function, and the "shortcut keys" used to access it directly are shown below. 29 New Stoneset Selecting this options moves a new, blank stoneset into the Stoneset Editor and erases the current one. Press the right Amiga key [A] and the N key simultaneously to access new Stoneset. Warning: Make sure you press the correct Amiga key! Pressing the left Amiga key [A] and the N key simultaneously will take you out of the game to the Workbench screen. If you make this mistake, you can get back into the game by pressing the left Amiga key [A] and the M key simultaneously. Load Stoneset Selecting this option loads a previously edited and saved stoneset into the Stoneset Editor. Press the right Amiga key [A] and the L key simultaneously to access Load Stoneset. Save Stoneset Selecting this option saves the stoneset currently being edited to the file that it was previously saved to. If it was not previously saved, the Save Stoneset screen is displayed and the stoneset can be saved by creating a new file, or selecting an existing file. Press the right Amiga key [A] and the S key simultaneously to access Save Stoneset. Save Stoneset as Selecting this option saves the stoneset currently being edited by displaying the Save Stoneset screen, the stoneset can then be saved by creating a new file, or selecting an existing file. Note: If you're playing from a floppy disk, it is recommended that you save to another blank formatted disk. Edit Fig 16. Edit Submenu 30 There are four options available in the Edit menu: Cut, Copy, Paste and Erase. Each displays a submenu where you select either Stone, column, or Row as affected by the operation. A description of each function is shown below. Cut Selecting this option moves the Stone, Column, or Row selected in the stone select area to the program's clipboard. From the clipboard the Stone, Column, or row can be "pasted" to another Stone, Column, or Row area. Copy Selecting this option copies the Stone, Column, or Row selected in the stone select area to the program's clipboard. From the clipboard the Stone, Column, or row can be "pasted" to another Stone, Column, or Row area. Paste Selecting this option moves the selected "Cut" or "Copy" from the clipboard to the stone select area according to the following rules: * A Stone in the clipboard can be pasted to any column or to any stone area. The existing mask is not changed if different from the stone in the clipboard. A Stone may not be pasted to a row. * A Column in the clipboard can be pasted to any selected column. * A Row in the clipboard can be pasted to any selected row. Erase Selecting this option removes the selected stone from the Stoneset Editor without moving it to the clipboard. USING XCOLOR The XColor option is used when it is desirable to change all of one color in a selected stone to another color. To use XColor: 1. Press the XColor screen button. Note: XColor is activated when the button is highlighted. 2. Select the new color in the Color Selection box. 3. Use the arrow cursor to point at the color to be changed in the Stone Edit box, then press the left mouse button. All of the areas that contained the previous color now contain the new color. 31 This option is very valuable when the user wants to change the background color of a stone to a new color. In this way: * The user creates one stone in a column. * That stone is copied to the rest of the column. * Use XColor to change the background in the rows. Very quickly there are six identical stones with different backgrounds and one column of the new stoneset is completed. Just repeat the process five more times with different designs and identical backgrounds in each of the rows and the new stoneset is finished. USING MASK TEMPLATES The mask templates make it very easy to create a new stoneset where the two attributes for determining matches are shape and color. From the Stoneset Editor: 1. Access the File menu from the Stoneset Editor menu and select New Stoneset. 2. Select OK. The Stoneset Editor has been cleared, and only transparent grey shows in the Stone Edit box. With the top left stone edit area chosen: 3. Point at the desired shape in the mask template area and press the left mouse button. The mask chosen now appears in the first column on the left. 4. Select the top stone edit area of the 2nd column. 5. Point at a different desired shape in the mask template area and press the left mouse button. The mask chosen now appears in the second column on the left. 6. Repeat Steps 4 and 5 for columns 3 - 6. Each of the columns now contains a mask of a different shape and the new stoneset is half completed. It is a good idea to save the stoneset at this time. Now use the XColor option to change each of the different shapes in a row to the same color. In other words, when you are finished, each column will be of a single shape and each row will be of a single color, for a total of 36 stones, each of a different shape and color. 32 EDITING AN EXISTING ISHIDO STONESET It is possible to load any of the Ishido stonesets into the Stoneset Editor and customize them to individual taste. From the Stoneset screen: 1. Select the desired stoneset. 2. Select the Edit Stoneset option. The Stoneset Editor is now displayed with the selected stoneset showing. 3. Select the stone to be edited. The selected stone is now displayed in the Stone Edit box. 4. Using the available colors and options (remember XCOLOR), edit the stoneset by selecting the desired colors from the Color Selection box (remember that the medium gray will be transparent when the stone is displayed on the Ishido Play screen), and then placing them on the selected stone by pointing the arrow cursor and pressing the left mouse button. 5. When the current stone has been edited to satisfaction save it by selecting Save Stoneset from the File sub-menu in the Stoneset Editor menu. Note: You must press the Return key in lieu of clicking the Save button. Note: At any time, Cancel may be selected to return to the Ishido Play screen without saving any of the edits made since the last time that the Save Stoneset option was accessed. 6. Select the next stone to be edited and repeat Steps 4 and 5. Note: To assure that no data will be lost, save to disk often. 7. When the final stone has been edited, select the Save Stoneset option to save the edited stoneset to disk. 8. Select Use from the Stoneset Editor. This operation returns to the Ishido Play screen with the newly edited stoneset ready for play. 33 CREATING AND EDITION A NEW STONESET To create a new stoneset, from the Stoneset screen: 1. Select any stoneset. 2. Select the Edit Stoneset option. The Stoneset Editor is now displayed with the selected stoneset showing. 3. From the File sub-menu in the Stoneset Editor menu, select the New Stoneset option. When the question "Erase all the stones?" appears select OK. All selected stones are cleared from the Stoneset Editor and all stone areas are filled with transparent gray. 4. Using the available colors and options (remember XCOLOR and the mask templates), edit the stoneset by selecting the desired colors from the Color Selection box (remember that the medium gray will be transparent when the stone is displayed on the Ishido Play screen) and then placing them on the selected stone by pointing the arrow cursor and pressing the left mouse button. 5. When the current stone has been edited to satisfaction save it by selecting Save Stoneset from the File sub-menu in the Stoneset Editor menu. Note: You must press the Return key in lieu of clicking the Save button. Note: At any time, Cancel may be selected to return to the Ishido Play screen without saving any of the edits made since the last time that the Save Stoneset option was accessed. 6. Select the next stone to be edited and repeat Steps 4 and 5. Note: To assure that no data will be lost, save to disk often. 7. When the final stone has been edited, select the Save Stoneset option to save the edited stoneset to disk. 8. Select Use from the Stoneset Editor. This operation returns to the Ishido Play screen with the newly edited stoneset ready for play. 34 SAVING USER-EDITED STONESETS It's a good idea to Save often during the editing process. It can be very frustrating to have your creations lost because of a computer, power, or disk failure. The following steps outline the Save option: 1. From the Stoneset Editor menu File sub-menu, select the Save Stoneset option. The Save Stoneset dialog box is now opened. Stonesets can be saved to any drive and may e saved as new files or over existing files. If the stoneset was previously saved, the save option will work without displaying the Save Stoneset dialog box. To save a previously saved stoneset to a new file: 2. Select the Save Stoneset as option. The Save Stoneset dialog box is now opened. Stonesets can be saved to any drive, and may be saved as new files or over existing files. Fig 17. Save Stoneset Dialog Box 3. Place a formatted data disk in the selected drive. 4. Type the new file name (maximum of eight (8) characters) and press Return. The Cancel option returns to the Stoneset Editor without saving the stoneset to disk. 35 LOADING USER-EDITED STONESETS To load an existing stoneset into the Stoneset Editor: 1. Select the Load Stoneset option from the File menu. The Load Stoneset dialog box is displayed with available stonesets in the current disk showing in the Volume Drawer box. Fig 18. Load Stoneset Dialog Box 2. Put the desired data disk into the drive and select Available Volume. 3. Select the desired stoneset from the Volume Drawer. 4. Press the Open screen button, or press the Return key on the keyboard to load the stoneset. The Cancel option returns to the Stoneset Editor without loading a stoneset. 36 THE ORACLE OF THE STONES The Oracle of the Stones is a system of divination based on the principle or synchronicity* - the theory that the coincidence of events in space and time involves something more than mere chance. What we take as coincidence - for example, the arrangement of the stones in the 4-Way pattern from their random order in the pouch - depends not only on the physical reality of the stones available to be played, but on the state of mind of the player as he or she chooses where to place each stone. The Oracle of the Stones uses this "meaningful coincidence" (the arrangement of stones in the 4-Way) as a tool for gaining insight into a situation or question posed by the player. Frequently mistaken as mere fortune-telling, the Oracle of the Stones allows the user to examine the full potential of a given situation, as mirrored by the 4-Way. The Oracle readings, or auguries, produced by the 4-Ways reflect the questioner's state of mind at the moment the 4-Way pattern comes into existence. Brief and at times cryptic, the resulting auguries, challenge the questioner to divine, or figure out by intuition, the response to the problem or question he or she brought to the Oracle's attention. Most of the time, this simple act of divination can allow the questioner to discover a fresh perspective on the problem - and, perhaps, to uncover a solution. TRADITIONAL ORACLES AND COMPUTER ORACLES Since the earliest civilizations, consulting an oracle has required the discipline to learn the appropriate - and frequently intricate - divination techniques, and the patience to execute them conscientiously. These techniques were purposely designed to create an optimal time and space for the questioner and oracle to merge and become as one. It takes time, planning, concentration and even meditation to produce a 4-Way, and that is the Ishido technique for consulting the Oracle of the Stones. Webster defines oracle as "a shrine through which hidden knowledge is revealed." The compute is certainly a most appropriate oracle for our new age. Perhaps the most powerful tool any of us has ever possessed, our computers of, frequently, reveal hidden knowledge. Some of us become so engrossed in their power and complexities that we really do relate to our Amigas as shrines! What would tickle an ancient sage more than utilizing this very epitome of logic to produce a result which totally defies logical explanation? * The term "synchronicity" was coined by Swiss psychologist C.G.Jung. For an excellent discussion of this concept, please refer to "Synchronicity: An Causal Connecting Principle," The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche (Collected Works of C. G. Jung, volume 8). 37 USING THE ORACLE OF THE STONES So how do you use Ishido's computerized Oracle? There are four steps: figuring out the question you want to ask, asking it, creating a 4-Way match, and then interpreting the augury that results from the 4-Way. First, Formulate the Question Questions that can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no" don't usually work well, because they can't tap the richness of the Oracle's response. Instead, try questions like: "What will be the outcome if...?" or "What effect will such an such an action have on...?" or "What do I need to know about...?" This kind of thoughtful questioning encourages a more lucid state of mind and allows the Oracle's response to be both appropriate and comprehensible. Another technique is to make one to three queries around a specific subject. The questioning could go something like this: * "Please describe my present situation in regard to..." * "What is the best path to follow in this situation?" * "What else do I need to know?" Experience shows that asking too many questions on a subject frequently muddies the water more than clears it. Better to ask just one question that is absolutely clear in your mind, than several that are vague. Next, Ask the Question Now that you have your question, begin a game and then follow these steps: 1. Select Oracle under the Choices Menu to engage the Oracle. If you do this during a game, the Oracle dialog will appear immediately. If you do this prior to beginning, the dialog will appear as soon as you begin a New Game. 2. At the dialog box, type in your question for the Oracle. Use the delete key, double click on a word, or highlight several words (as you would with any standard word processor) if you need to edit your question. 38 Fig 19. Oracle Dialog Box 3. When you are satisfied with your question, click OK or press Return to save your question and close the dialog box. If you wish to change your question after pressing Return, you must reselect Oracle under choices twice (the first time will deselect the Oracle, the second time will reselect it). Your question will reappear and you may change it as you please. 4. When you create a 4-Way, an Oracle Augury appears in response to your question. Fig 20. Oracle Augury Read the text, then close the Oracle Augury dialog box and resume playing. Follow steps 1 through 3 above to create another question any time before you complete your next 4- Way. At 4-Way produces one Oracle reading only. You cannot undo your last move after achieving a 4-Way and obtaining an Oracle reading. The Oracle is not available in the computer play mode. If you complete a game without having achieved a 4-Way and thus haven't received an Oracle answer to your question, the "What is your question?" dialog will automatically reappear with your unanswered question when you begin a new game. Simply select OK if you still wish a response to that question. 39 Then, Interpret the Augury when you create a 4-Way, the Oracle Augury, or reading, appears. click on the down arrow to see all the text. An augury is a sign, or indication; a way of discerning a course of action (or inaction) by observing and interpreting. Ishido auguries are based on an ancient oracle known as the I Ching, the Chinese Book of Changes. Ishido arrives at a particular augury by factoring the identities and locations of the five stones in the 4-Way with the precise time at the moment the move is made. To understand the meaning of the augury, think of its language in terms of symbol and metaphor. Any answer which responds literally to a question is not so rare as it is fortuitous. Expect to have to intuit the message conveyed by the augury. Sometimes answers respond not to the question that was asked, but to the hidden question that may be confronting the questioner's subconscious. If you are attuned to this possibility, you can use your intuition to interpret a meaningful response. whether the auguries seem clear or confusing to you, keep in mind that the Oracle of the Stones is not a fortune-telling device. It does not absolve the questioner of the responsibility for making choices about the future. It does not determine the future. What the Oracle of the Stones can do is direct attention toward those inner choices that remain "hidden" until the proper question is asked, and so aid the questioner in making decisions that are pivotal in determining the future. Saving Auguries You can save an individual Oracle Augury when you read it, or set up an option that automatically saves all Oracle readings. To save an individual Oracle reading, follow these steps: 1. When the Oracle reading dialog box is open, select the Save option. 2. This displays a Save File dialog. Select the File box and type in a name to save your augury under; click Save to record the name. 3. Select whether you want to Replace a file or, if saving to an existing file, Append it. Replace means that your file will write over the current file of that name; Append means the augury will be added to the end of the current file of that name. 4. Select the drive and directory where you want the file to be saved. Click on directories in the file listing to open them; the Volumes list shows available drives where the file can be saved. 5. Click OK to save the augury; click Cancel to return to the game without saving. 40 THE HEAXAGRAMS The Oracle of the Stones uses the same synchronistic context and mathematical probabilities to produce an augury as does the I Ching. Each Ishido augury corresponds directly to an I Ching hexagram. The I Ching hexagram corresponding to your stonecast appears when you receive an Oracle reading. For a fascinating explanation of how the I ching works, how hexagrams are formed, and an introduction to the concept of synchronicity, please refer to C. J.Jung's Foreword and Richard wilhelm's introduction to and interpretation of The I Ching, or Book of Changes (Princeton, NJ:Bollingen Series XIX, Princeton University Press, 1967). 41