README for http://hydro.electric.gen.nz/pub/bin/Steiz%2C%20JE/Yahtzee/
[including subdirectories]

[Sorry about the drawl in this README. I tend to be verbose.]

This directory contains a 1982 computerisation of the Milton Bradley
dice game called Yahtzee. There should be other websites online with
some information on how to play it. This version should be playable so
on any original IBM Personal Computer from 1981 or later derivative so
long one has a BASICA or GW-BASIC runtime -- or equivalent, so it
should run in MS-DOS, PC-DOS, Windows, et al quite fine. (Actually,
come to think of it, I'm not sure it is originally a Milton Bradley
thing, but I suppose they did popularise it.)

Downloading: I have done up a GZIP archive (and hopefully a ZIP one by
the time you have read this). And to show how long I've had the files
in the archive, take a look at the directory with it uncompressed. :)
Ah, vanity. (PS: the uncompressed directory's files are passworded to
ensure you download all the files, and to make timestamp viewing
easier.)

(NB: You will need the file MENU.BAS -- it must have been part of a
games pack at some stage; I had to add the file in 1993 to quell the
annoying exit errors for the game.)

Update, 2002-02-02 2237NZDT: The ZIP version's batch file to execute
the game doesn't seem to extract properly, albeit in the archiver
WinZip 8.0 (3105) -- the carriage returns seem to have got munged in
the process. Typing 'gwbasic yahtzee2' should coax the game to
starting up without the batch file.

Google at the writing of this seems to list some good Yahtzee links
at
	http://www.google.com/search?safe=off&q=Yahtzee
which may be worth checking out. I see a Windows version in the first
few results, which *may* be fun.
	http://directory.google.com/Top/Games/Dice_Games/Yahtzee/
also looks good, and there's a Java applet implementation at
	http://grail.sourceforge.net/demo/yahtzee/
with rules at
	http://grail.sourceforge.net/demo/yahtzee/rules.html ,
too. :) Anyway, now that I see it,
	http://www.jas.tj/yahtzee/
looks nice. Time to fire up wget... :)

Pasted at the end of this README is the opening screen from the game,
slightly modified to paste properly into emacs.

 -- Jonathan Ah Kit


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Contact details for myself are at http://www.electric.gen.nz/ .

Site copyright 2001 by Jonathan Ah Kit. All rights reserved, of course.
Evidently, I don't hold the rights to the files in this directory, of
course, so please don't sue me as a poor student...

Game implementation copyright 1982 by JE Steitz.
Included runtime library file in archive copyright 1986 by Microsoft
Coporation.

This README was last modified on 2002-01-02, at 2239NZDT.


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                        YAHTZEE  By J. E. Steitz
                                 6/27/82

This game replicates the game of YAHTZEE as published by Milton Bradley
Company.  The rules of the game are quite simple.  If you purchase the
copyrighted game, you may obtain the printed rules which are followed
exactly in this demonstration of the IBM Personal Computer.

During play, instructions are given at the very bottom of the screen to
let you know what to do at each step.  You may use the ARROW keys or the
SPACE BAR to move the cursor from place to place on the screen.  The cursor
looks like this: > and flashes so you will notice it.

When you have decided what you want to do, you must remember to hit the
RETURN (<-+) key to inform the computer that you have made some choice or
taken some action.

Hit the RETURN KEY TO CONTINUE.


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