Home » Archimedes archive » Micro User » MU 1991-03.adf » PD-Stuff » Misc/Games/!Chain/!help
Misc/Games/!Chain/!help
This website contains an archive of files for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore 16 and Commodore 64 computers, which Dominic Ford has rescued from his private collection of floppy disks and cassettes.
Some of these files were originally commercial releases in the 1980s and 1990s, but they are now widely available online. I assume that copyright over them is no longer being asserted. If you own the copyright and would like files to be removed, please contact me.
| Tape/disk: | Home » Archimedes archive » Micro User » MU 1991-03.adf » PD-Stuff |
| Filename: | Misc/Games/!Chain/!help |
| Read OK: | ✔ |
| File size: | 0774 bytes |
| Load address: | 0000 |
| Exec address: | 0000 |
File contents
Rules for Chain Reaction
Chain Reaction is played on an eight by eight grid with 2 to 4 players.
The aim is to be the last player left on the board. Players take it in turns
to place one piece on the board. The following are the only rules:
1) A piece can only be placed on a square which is either unoccupied or
occupied by the player whose turn it is.
2) Corner squares have a critical mass of two.
3) Edge squares have a critical mass of three.
4) Centre squares have a critical mass of four.
5) If the number of pieces in ANY square at ANY time exceeds the critical
mass of that square, then it will explode.
When a square explodes, one piece is added to each of the neighbouring
squares, and that number of pieces are removed from the exploding square.
All control is via the mouse, and the use of the icons on the right hand side
should be fairly obvious.
The only ones that require explanation are the player control panel,
which is the 4 x 4 collection near the middle of the right hand side.
There is one row of these for each of the possible players.
If a player is available then the relevant boxes are shown in the same colour
The first column shows the type of player (H)uman or (C)omputer
The second column shows the number of squares occupied by the player
The third column shows which computer player is being used:
0 Totally random play
1 Randomly selects on already owned square if available (else as 1)
2 A mixture of 0 and 1. The fourth column indicates the % of times it will
play like 0
3 Like 1, but with a bit more thought
4 Like 3, but as in 2 a degree of randomness is given in column 4
5 A lot more thought (though it still is not brilliant once you've played
several games), as in 2 and 3 a degree of randomness can be set in
column 4, a better game is often obtained by setting this to about 10.
a final word
Share and Enjoy 00000000 52 75 6c 65 73 20 66 6f 72 20 43 68 61 69 6e 20 |Rules for Chain | 00000010 52 65 61 63 74 69 6f 6e 0a 0a 43 68 61 69 6e 20 |Reaction..Chain | 00000020 52 65 61 63 74 69 6f 6e 20 69 73 20 70 6c 61 79 |Reaction is play| 00000030 65 64 20 6f 6e 20 61 6e 20 65 69 67 68 74 20 62 |ed on an eight b| 00000040 79 20 65 69 67 68 74 20 67 72 69 64 20 77 69 74 |y eight grid wit| 00000050 68 20 32 20 74 6f 20 34 20 70 6c 61 79 65 72 73 |h 2 to 4 players| 00000060 2e 0a 54 68 65 20 61 69 6d 20 69 73 20 74 6f 20 |..The aim is to | 00000070 62 65 20 74 68 65 20 6c 61 73 74 20 70 6c 61 79 |be the last play| 00000080 65 72 20 6c 65 66 74 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20 62 |er left on the b| 00000090 6f 61 72 64 2e 20 50 6c 61 79 65 72 73 20 74 61 |oard. Players ta| 000000a0 6b 65 20 69 74 20 69 6e 20 74 75 72 6e 73 0a 74 |ke it in turns.t| 000000b0 6f 20 70 6c 61 63 65 20 6f 6e 65 20 70 69 65 63 |o place one piec| 000000c0 65 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20 62 6f 61 72 64 2e 20 |e on the board. | 000000d0 54 68 65 20 66 6f 6c 6c 6f 77 69 6e 67 20 61 72 |The following ar| 000000e0 65 20 74 68 65 20 6f 6e 6c 79 20 72 75 6c 65 73 |e the only rules| 000000f0 3a 0a 0a 31 29 20 41 20 70 69 65 63 65 20 63 61 |:..1) A piece ca| 00000100 6e 20 6f 6e 6c 79 20 62 65 20 70 6c 61 63 65 64 |n only be placed| 00000110 20 6f 6e 20 61 20 73 71 75 61 72 65 20 77 68 69 | on a square whi| 00000120 63 68 20 69 73 20 65 69 74 68 65 72 20 75 6e 6f |ch is either uno| 00000130 63 63 75 70 69 65 64 20 6f 72 0a 20 20 20 6f 63 |ccupied or. oc| 00000140 63 75 70 69 65 64 20 62 79 20 74 68 65 20 70 6c |cupied by the pl| 00000150 61 79 65 72 20 77 68 6f 73 65 20 74 75 72 6e 20 |ayer whose turn | 00000160 69 74 20 69 73 2e 0a 0a 32 29 20 43 6f 72 6e 65 |it is...2) Corne| 00000170 72 20 73 71 75 61 72 65 73 20 68 61 76 65 20 61 |r squares have a| 00000180 20 63 72 69 74 69 63 61 6c 20 6d 61 73 73 20 6f | critical mass o| 00000190 66 20 74 77 6f 2e 0a 0a 33 29 20 45 64 67 65 20 |f two...3) Edge | 000001a0 73 71 75 61 72 65 73 20 68 61 76 65 20 61 20 63 |squares have a c| 000001b0 72 69 74 69 63 61 6c 20 6d 61 73 73 20 6f 66 20 |ritical mass of | 000001c0 74 68 72 65 65 2e 0a 0a 34 29 20 43 65 6e 74 72 |three...4) Centr| 000001d0 65 20 73 71 75 61 72 65 73 20 68 61 76 65 20 61 |e squares have a| 000001e0 20 63 72 69 74 69 63 61 6c 20 6d 61 73 73 20 6f | critical mass o| 000001f0 66 20 66 6f 75 72 2e 0a 0a 35 29 20 49 66 20 74 |f four...5) If t| 00000200 68 65 20 6e 75 6d 62 65 72 20 6f 66 20 70 69 65 |he number of pie| 00000210 63 65 73 20 69 6e 20 41 4e 59 20 73 71 75 61 72 |ces in ANY squar| 00000220 65 20 61 74 20 41 4e 59 20 74 69 6d 65 20 65 78 |e at ANY time ex| 00000230 63 65 65 64 73 20 74 68 65 20 63 72 69 74 69 63 |ceeds the critic| 00000240 61 6c 0a 20 20 20 6d 61 73 73 20 6f 66 20 74 68 |al. mass of th| 00000250 61 74 20 73 71 75 61 72 65 2c 20 74 68 65 6e 20 |at square, then | 00000260 69 74 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 65 78 70 6c 6f 64 65 2e |it will explode.| 00000270 0a 20 20 20 57 68 65 6e 20 61 20 73 71 75 61 72 |. When a squar| 00000280 65 20 65 78 70 6c 6f 64 65 73 2c 20 6f 6e 65 20 |e explodes, one | 00000290 70 69 65 63 65 20 69 73 20 61 64 64 65 64 20 74 |piece is added t| 000002a0 6f 20 65 61 63 68 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 6e 65 |o each of the ne| 000002b0 69 67 68 62 6f 75 72 69 6e 67 0a 20 20 20 73 71 |ighbouring. sq| 000002c0 75 61 72 65 73 2c 20 61 6e 64 20 74 68 61 74 20 |uares, and that | 000002d0 6e 75 6d 62 65 72 20 6f 66 20 70 69 65 63 65 73 |number of pieces| 000002e0 20 61 72 65 20 72 65 6d 6f 76 65 64 20 66 72 6f | are removed fro| 000002f0 6d 20 74 68 65 20 65 78 70 6c 6f 64 69 6e 67 20 |m the exploding | 00000300 73 71 75 61 72 65 2e 0a 0a 41 6c 6c 20 63 6f 6e |square...All con| 00000310 74 72 6f 6c 20 69 73 20 76 69 61 20 74 68 65 20 |trol is via the | 00000320 6d 6f 75 73 65 2c 20 61 6e 64 20 74 68 65 20 75 |mouse, and the u| 00000330 73 65 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 69 63 6f 6e 73 20 |se of the icons | 00000340 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20 72 69 67 68 74 20 68 61 6e |on the right han| 00000350 64 20 73 69 64 65 0a 73 68 6f 75 6c 64 20 62 65 |d side.should be| 00000360 20 66 61 69 72 6c 79 20 6f 62 76 69 6f 75 73 2e | fairly obvious.| 00000370 0a 54 68 65 20 6f 6e 6c 79 20 6f 6e 65 73 20 74 |.The only ones t| 00000380 68 61 74 20 72 65 71 75 69 72 65 20 65 78 70 6c |hat require expl| 00000390 61 6e 61 74 69 6f 6e 20 61 72 65 20 74 68 65 20 |anation are the | 000003a0 70 6c 61 79 65 72 20 63 6f 6e 74 72 6f 6c 20 70 |player control p| 000003b0 61 6e 65 6c 2c 0a 77 68 69 63 68 20 69 73 20 74 |anel,.which is t| 000003c0 68 65 20 34 20 78 20 34 20 63 6f 6c 6c 65 63 74 |he 4 x 4 collect| 000003d0 69 6f 6e 20 6e 65 61 72 20 74 68 65 20 6d 69 64 |ion near the mid| 000003e0 64 6c 65 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 72 69 67 68 74 |dle of the right| 000003f0 20 68 61 6e 64 20 73 69 64 65 2e 0a 54 68 65 72 | hand side..Ther| 00000400 65 20 69 73 20 6f 6e 65 20 72 6f 77 20 6f 66 20 |e is one row of | 00000410 74 68 65 73 65 20 66 6f 72 20 65 61 63 68 20 6f |these for each o| 00000420 66 20 74 68 65 20 70 6f 73 73 69 62 6c 65 20 70 |f the possible p| 00000430 6c 61 79 65 72 73 2e 0a 49 66 20 61 20 70 6c 61 |layers..If a pla| 00000440 79 65 72 20 69 73 20 61 76 61 69 6c 61 62 6c 65 |yer is available| 00000450 20 74 68 65 6e 20 74 68 65 20 72 65 6c 65 76 61 | then the releva| 00000460 6e 74 20 62 6f 78 65 73 20 61 72 65 20 73 68 6f |nt boxes are sho| 00000470 77 6e 20 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 73 61 6d 65 20 63 |wn in the same c| 00000480 6f 6c 6f 75 72 0a 54 68 65 20 66 69 72 73 74 20 |olour.The first | 00000490 63 6f 6c 75 6d 6e 20 73 68 6f 77 73 20 74 68 65 |column shows the| 000004a0 20 74 79 70 65 20 6f 66 20 70 6c 61 79 65 72 20 | type of player | 000004b0 28 48 29 75 6d 61 6e 20 6f 72 20 28 43 29 6f 6d |(H)uman or (C)om| 000004c0 70 75 74 65 72 0a 54 68 65 20 73 65 63 6f 6e 64 |puter.The second| 000004d0 20 63 6f 6c 75 6d 6e 20 73 68 6f 77 73 20 74 68 | column shows th| 000004e0 65 20 6e 75 6d 62 65 72 20 6f 66 20 73 71 75 61 |e number of squa| 000004f0 72 65 73 20 6f 63 63 75 70 69 65 64 20 62 79 20 |res occupied by | 00000500 74 68 65 20 70 6c 61 79 65 72 0a 54 68 65 20 74 |the player.The t| 00000510 68 69 72 64 20 63 6f 6c 75 6d 6e 20 73 68 6f 77 |hird column show| 00000520 73 20 77 68 69 63 68 20 63 6f 6d 70 75 74 65 72 |s which computer| 00000530 20 70 6c 61 79 65 72 20 69 73 20 62 65 69 6e 67 | player is being| 00000540 20 75 73 65 64 3a 0a 20 20 20 30 20 54 6f 74 61 | used:. 0 Tota| 00000550 6c 6c 79 20 72 61 6e 64 6f 6d 20 70 6c 61 79 0a |lly random play.| 00000560 20 20 20 31 20 52 61 6e 64 6f 6d 6c 79 20 73 65 | 1 Randomly se| 00000570 6c 65 63 74 73 20 6f 6e 20 61 6c 72 65 61 64 79 |lects on already| 00000580 20 6f 77 6e 65 64 20 73 71 75 61 72 65 20 69 66 | owned square if| 00000590 20 61 76 61 69 6c 61 62 6c 65 20 28 65 6c 73 65 | available (else| 000005a0 20 61 73 20 31 29 0a 20 20 20 32 20 41 20 6d 69 | as 1). 2 A mi| 000005b0 78 74 75 72 65 20 6f 66 20 30 20 61 6e 64 20 31 |xture of 0 and 1| 000005c0 2e 20 54 68 65 20 66 6f 75 72 74 68 20 63 6f 6c |. The fourth col| 000005d0 75 6d 6e 20 69 6e 64 69 63 61 74 65 73 20 74 68 |umn indicates th| 000005e0 65 20 25 20 6f 66 20 74 69 6d 65 73 20 69 74 20 |e % of times it | 000005f0 77 69 6c 6c 0a 20 20 20 20 20 70 6c 61 79 20 6c |will. play l| 00000600 69 6b 65 20 30 20 0a 20 20 20 33 20 4c 69 6b 65 |ike 0 . 3 Like| 00000610 20 31 2c 20 62 75 74 20 77 69 74 68 20 61 20 62 | 1, but with a b| 00000620 69 74 20 6d 6f 72 65 20 74 68 6f 75 67 68 74 0a |it more thought.| 00000630 20 20 20 34 20 4c 69 6b 65 20 33 2c 20 62 75 74 | 4 Like 3, but| 00000640 20 61 73 20 69 6e 20 32 20 61 20 64 65 67 72 65 | as in 2 a degre| 00000650 65 20 6f 66 20 72 61 6e 64 6f 6d 6e 65 73 73 20 |e of randomness | 00000660 69 73 20 67 69 76 65 6e 20 69 6e 20 63 6f 6c 75 |is given in colu| 00000670 6d 6e 20 34 0a 20 20 20 35 20 41 20 6c 6f 74 20 |mn 4. 5 A lot | 00000680 6d 6f 72 65 20 74 68 6f 75 67 68 74 20 28 74 68 |more thought (th| 00000690 6f 75 67 68 20 69 74 20 73 74 69 6c 6c 20 69 73 |ough it still is| 000006a0 20 6e 6f 74 20 62 72 69 6c 6c 69 61 6e 74 20 6f | not brilliant o| 000006b0 6e 63 65 20 79 6f 75 27 76 65 20 70 6c 61 79 65 |nce you've playe| 000006c0 64 0a 20 20 20 20 20 73 65 76 65 72 61 6c 20 67 |d. several g| 000006d0 61 6d 65 73 29 2c 20 61 73 20 69 6e 20 32 20 61 |ames), as in 2 a| 000006e0 6e 64 20 33 20 61 20 64 65 67 72 65 65 20 6f 66 |nd 3 a degree of| 000006f0 20 72 61 6e 64 6f 6d 6e 65 73 73 20 63 61 6e 20 | randomness can | 00000700 62 65 20 73 65 74 20 69 6e 0a 20 20 20 20 20 63 |be set in. c| 00000710 6f 6c 75 6d 6e 20 34 2c 20 61 20 62 65 74 74 65 |olumn 4, a bette| 00000720 72 20 67 61 6d 65 20 69 73 20 6f 66 74 65 6e 20 |r game is often | 00000730 6f 62 74 61 69 6e 65 64 20 62 79 20 73 65 74 74 |obtained by sett| 00000740 69 6e 67 20 74 68 69 73 20 74 6f 20 61 62 6f 75 |ing this to abou| 00000750 74 20 31 30 2e 0a 0a 61 20 66 69 6e 61 6c 20 77 |t 10...a final w| 00000760 6f 72 64 0a 0a 53 68 61 72 65 20 61 6e 64 20 45 |ord..Share and E| 00000770 6e 6a 6f 79 |njoy| 00000774
.