


OTHELLO(6)                                             OTHELLO(6)


NNAAMMEE
       othello - an othello game.

SSYYNNOOPPSSIISS
       ootthheelllloo  [  --dd  _d_i_s_p_l_a_y  ]  [  --gg  _g_e_o_m_e_t_r_y  ] [ --ii ] [ --rr
       _r_e_m_a_r_k_s_f_i_l_e ] [ --vv ] [ --WWii ] [ --WWpp _x _y ] [ --WWPP _x _y ]

DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN
       _O_t_h_e_l_l_o is a version of the popular Othello game. It  con-
       tains  graphical interfaces for SunView, X11 and XView, as
       well as being able to function on normal display terminals
       using a termcap interface.

       Othello is played on an 8 x 8 board, with pieces which are
       black on one side and white on the  other.  A  legal  move
       consists  of  placing  a  piece  of one's own color on the
       board so as to "sandwich" a row (orthogonal  or  diagonal)
       of  pieces  of  the  opposite color between the piece just
       placed and another piece of the same color. All pieces  so
       sandwiched  are  flipped  over  to reveal the color of the
       other side.

       The object of the game, is to have more  pieces  than  the
       opponent  at  the  end  of the game (ie. when the board is
       full or neither side has a legal move).  If  you  have  no
       legal move, you simply miss a turn.  White goes first.

       With _o_t_h_e_l_l_o_, to place one of your own pieces simply click
       with the mouse over the square  in  which  you  want  your
       piece  to  go.  Note  that it is also possible to supply a
       number and a letter pair, to indicate where you would like
       your  new  piece  to  go. This is the only method to place
       pieces with the dumb tty interface.

       There are various buttons and cyclic selections available.
       Their  meanings  are  given  below,  plus an indication of
       their keyboard equivalents. With  the  cyclic  selections,
       clicking  over  the left half of the cycle icon increments
       the selection, and clicking over the  right  half  of  the
       cycle  icon decrements the selection. With the SunView and
       XView version, it is also possible to  make  a  seclection
       from a popup menu using the right mouse button.

OOTTHHEELLLLOO BBUUTTTTOONNSS
       With the graphics versions, there are six buttons that are
       displayed at the top of the Othello window. Each of  these
       buttons, except the "done" button has one or more keyboard
       equivalents which are given in brackets below.


       ddoonnee [[ NNoo kkeeyybbooaarrdd eeqquuiivvaalleenntt]]
                         Change _o_t_h_e_l_l_o to an icon.

       llaasstt [[ll oorr LL]]     Show  the  last  move  played   by   the



                           9 April 1990                         1





OTHELLO(6)                                             OTHELLO(6)


                         computer.

       nneeww ggaammee [[nn oorr NN]] Start a new game of _o_t_h_e_l_l_o

       ssuuggggeesstt [[ss oorr SS]]  Let the computer suggest a good move for
                         you.

       uunnddoo [[uu oorr UU]]     Undo the last two moves, yours  and  the
                         computers.

       qquuiitt [[qq oorr QQ]]     Exit the _o_t_h_e_l_l_o program.

OOTTHHEELLLLOO CCYYCCLLIICC SSEELLEECCTTIIOONNSS
       With the graphics versions, just below the six buttons are
       four cycle icons.  These can either be selected  with  the
       left  mouse  button, to increment or decrement the current
       selection (depending upon which half on the icon you click
       over),  or  a selection can be made from a popup menu when
       you click with the right mouse button (SunView  and  XView
       versions  only).   Each cycle value has a keyboard equiva-
       lent which is given in brackets below.  This must be  fol-
       lowed  by the value of the new selection you wish to make.
       The dumb tty version has the equivalent of  these  buttons
       displayed to the right of the othello board display.


       AAssppiirraattiioonn [[ AA ]]  Sets  the  degree  of aspiration for the
                         computers moves. Keyboard selection val-
                         ues are in the range '1' to '6'.

       DDiiffffiiccuullttyy [[ DD ]]  Sets  the  degree  of difficulty for the
                         computers moves. Keyboard selection val-
                         ues are in the range '1' to '4'.

       CCoommppuutteerr ppllaayyss [[ CC ]]
                         Selects   whether   the  computer  plays
                         black, or white pieces. Keyboard  selec-
                         tion  values  are 'b' for black, and 'w'
                         for white.

       RReemmaarrkkss [[ rr oorr RR ]]
                         Toggles  whether  the   computer   makes
                         remarks.  Keyboard selections values are
                         'y' or 'n'.

OOPPTTIIOONNSS
       --dd _d_i_s_p_l_a_y
              Used with the X11 variant of _o_t_h_e_l_l_o to give a dis-
              play type.

       --gg _g_e_o_m_e_t_r_y
              Used with the X11 variant of _o_t_h_e_l_l_o to give geome-
              try information.




                           9 April 1990                         2





OTHELLO(6)                                             OTHELLO(6)


       --ii     Invert the othello window before displaying it. For
              use  by  people who started their graphics environ-
              ment in inverse mode.

       --rr _r_e_m_a_r_k_s_f_i_l_e
              Use an alternate remarks file. By default,  _o_t_h_e_l_l_o
              will  initially look for the remarks file using the
              name supplied when the program was built.  If  this
              is  not  found, then it searches every directory on
              your search path. This option is also  provided  as
              an alternative at run time.

       --vv     Print  the  version  number  of this release of the
              _o_t_h_e_l_l_o program.

       --WWii    Start the _o_t_h_e_l_l_o program up in iconic  form.  Sun-
              View  automatically  uses  this  flag, but the NeWS
              version will also.

       --WWpp _x _y
              Start the open window position at _x _y

       --WWPP _x _y
              Start the icon position at _x _y

FFIILLEESS
       /usr/local/lib/othello.remarks

BBUUGGSS
       See the TODO file for the list of known problems.

AAUUTTHHOORR
       Rich Burridge,        Domain: richb@Aus.Sun.COM
       PHONE:      +61       2       413       2666         Path:
       {uunet,mcvax,ukc}!munnari!sunaus.oz!richb
       Original  SunView  graphics implementation by Ed Falk, Sun
       Microsystems, CA.
       Computer  playing  strategy  and  remarks  code  by  Chris
       Miller.


















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