Minefield IIgs Introduction If you have ever worked with Windows (for those lowly PC machines), you may be familiar with MineSweeper, a logic-based game which runs under the windows environment. My Precalculus teacher demonstrated the game to me on the school's new network of 386's. I almost immediately went home and began working on a version for the Apple IIgs. I have been playing it ever since. Objective Minefield is played on a grid. A number of mines are spread randomly throughout the grid. The object of the game is to uncover all the cells NOT containing mines, and to place flags in the cells which do contain mines. How to play The cursor has two states. When the cursor is the standard arrow, it can be used to uncover grid cells. When the cursor is a flag, it can be used to place flags in cells. Uncovering a cell will display a number in that cell which represents the number of mines in adjacent cells(each cell has 8 adjacent cells, given that it is not on the edge of the grid). Uncovering a cell which contains a mine ends the game. If a cell's value is zero, the computer automatically uncovers all surrounding cells. You are given the same number of flags as there are mines in the grid. This number is at the top left of the grid at the beginning of a game. Each time a flag is placed, the number decreases by one, so it keeps track of the number of remaining flags for you. The first cell you click in will not be a mine, but generally there is no guarantee that any other cells will be safe--the point is to deduce where the mines are by comparing the numbers in the cells to the flags you have already placed on the grid. You can remove a flag by clicking on it; it will first turn into a question mark, and clicking it again will restore it to its pristine state. A cell with a question mark has no significance other than to remind you you are not sure what is in that cell. As an example, given the grid below: 0 2 Z <-- both this cell 0 2 Z <-- and this cell must contain mines because the 0 1 upper 2 only has two cells remaining which 1 1 could be mines. You would put flags in those cells like so: 0 2 F 0 2 F 0 1 Z <-- this cell does NOT contain a mine because the 1 1 second '2' has its two mines already. You would uncover that square: 0 2 F 0 2 F 0 1 3 <-- this cell has three mines adjacent to it. 1 1 Z <-- this cell is safe because the first 1 has its one already. Because it is adjacent to the 1, it does not contain a mine. Here is what the grid would look like: 0 2 F 0 2 F 0 1 3 1 1 2 <-- Now you know this cell has two adjacent mines. Minefield GS You can toggle between a normal and then flag cursor by selecting "Toggle Flag" from the Game menu, which is equivalent to typing Open-Apple-F, or by hitting the Tab key. Holding down the Apple key while uncovering a cell uncovers all its surrounding cells which do not contain flags. The number in the top right of the window is the time in seconds. That is your score. Needless to say, the lower, the better. You can pause the game, by selecting "Pause Game", Open-Apple-P from the Game Menu, or by hitting Esc. To resume the game, click anywhere within the window, or press the Space Bar. Minefield has three built in grid sizes, Easy, Medium and Well Done, in the Difficulty Menu. Easy is a 10 by 10 grid with 18 mines. Medium is a 15 by 15 and contains 40 mines. Well Done is a 31 by 16 grid with 90 mines. You can also play with any size if you like. Select "Custom Size" from the Difficulty menu. You will be prompted for the dimensions of the grid, which cannot exceed 31 by 16. If the "Safe Corners" option has been selected in the Game Menu when a game begins, it is guaranteed that the corner cells do not have mines. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ShareWare notice: I hope you find this game enjoyable, and distribute it freely. I also hope you recognize the work which has gone into writing the game. If you keep this game, please register by sending $10 for my efforts: Aaron Taurog 6927 Clearhaven Dr. Dallas, TX 75248 I will welcome any questions/suggestions/comments you may have. I will also send you a personalized copy of Minefield and keep you up to date with my shareware programming work. Again, thank you very much. I hope everyone with an Apple IIgs will be as addicted to this game as I am!