xgammon(6)

NAME
xgammon -- an X11 backgammon for linux

SYNOPSIS
xgammon [-boardgeometry string]
       [-boardcolor color] [-bc color]
       [-darkcolor color] [-dc color]
       [-lightcolor color] [-lc color]
       [-barcolor color] [-b color]
       [-whitecolor color] [-blackcolor color]
       [-doublerfont font] [-littlefont font]
       [-doubling +doubling]
       [-rollout +rollout]
       [-nr number_of_rollouts]
       [-f filename]
       [-h black|white]
       [-g -gamekind hvc|cvc|hvh]
       [-winat points] [-bestof games]
       [-watchmove +wachmove]
       [-stonesteps pixels]
       [-delaytime tsec.]
       [-? -help]

DESCRIPTION
`xgammon', a backgammon program for linux

OPTIONS
xgammon recognizes the following options:

-boardgeometry string
    Defines the size of the board widget. `string' must be an XtGeometry string (example: 450x350). The board widget has by default a relation of 15/12 of width/height. string is parsed to this relation

-boardcolor, -bc color
    Defines the background color of the board

-darkcolor, -dc color
    Defines the color of dark pins

-lightcolor, -lc color
    Defines the color of light pins

-barcolor, -b color
    Defines the color of the bar and the left and right edge of the board

-whitecolor, -blackcolor color
    Defines the color of the stones

-doublerfont font, -littlefont font
    Youcan specify the fonts used to show the doubler dice value. One big and one little font. The programm figures out itself wich one is the right one for a given boardsize.

-h black|white
    Sets the color of the stones the human player has. Implies `-g hvc' option (the default)

-gamekind, -g cvc|hvc|hvh
    Sets the gamekind resource.
    cvc stand for computer versus computer,
    hvc stand for human versus computer,
    hvh stand for human versus human,

-winat points
    Play a tournament up to points points.

-bestof points
    Play a tournament of games games.

-watchmove, +watchmove
    If watchmove is true, you can see the stoned "fly", when the computer moves. `-watchmove' will prevent this `+watchmove is default'

-stonesteps pixel
    You can speed up the stones by giving this resource a greater value. Is of effect only with watchmove set `true'.

-delaytime seconds
    If you think the stones are moving too fast when the computer sets them, you can set a delaytime, to have a closer look o the situation, before the dice are rolled again. Is of effect only with watchmove set `false'.

-doubling, +doubling
    Sets if the computer should use the doubler dice. Since the doubling of the computer is poor, you might wish to turn it off, for this or other reason. `+doubling is default'

-rollout, +rollout
    `xgammon' will rollout a position given in a position file. This file will be automatically generated from the current game, if not specifies otherwise.

-nr number_of_rollouts
    Sets the number of rollouts.

-f filename
    This specifies the positionfile to be used. The default is `xgammon.save'.

HOW TO PLAY
Well, it's rather simple. With the `-h' option you can choose the color of your stones. (The default is black.) Then, alike the rules, `xgammon' will roll the dice (dice one for black, dice two for white) and decide who begins. The color, witch got the greater dice value, will have the dice drawn at the determined place and then can start move it's stones. If the computer is the beginner in the very first game, you have to click an additional mouseclick on the board, to make the startup look a little nicer.
Then if it is your turn, just move the mouse pointer over the stone you like to move, press button 1 and while holding it down, the stone will follow the pointer. If you release the button the stone will pe placed on that pin, if it is according to the rules, else it will be drawn where it came from.
If you made a bad mistke, there is the `u' key to undo the move or the `undo move' in the game menu.

DOUBLING
If it is your turn and the`xgammon.doubling' resource (see RESOURCES) is `true', `xgammon' will only draw empty dice. If you now want to double, either press the `d' key or click on the doubler dice (or the left border of the board). A popup will inform you, how the computer reacts or ask your opponent, if it is another human.

GAME OPTIONS
There are three different kind of games. Human versus human, computer versus human, and computer versus computer. Of wich the last one isn't very meaningfull yet.

MENU OPTIONS

[ edit position]
    In this mode you can enter a position by clicking on the pips/bar. The right mousebutton gives you a black, the left one a white stone, and the middle button removes a stone. If the position is setup you have to hit a key (if there are 15 stones of each color the program finishes edit mode automagically). Then you will be asked in a popup for the next roll to enter (or let the machine roll), turn, doublervalue etc. If completed game starts with this position.

[ computer finish]
    if one or the other player can't win a game no more, and you are bored with rolling down the whole game, you can click thie option and the computer will finish this game, and then leave control again for human player. In this mode the computer will not double.

[ rollout ]
    a click on this option lets the computer rollout the current position. the number of games rolled out are set in the xgammon.numrollouts resource (see resources) the result of the rollout is saved in a file according to the xgammon.savefile resource and the current process runing. it is more appropiate to use this feature via commandline options. (see ROLLOUT below)

[ mail dump ]
    this will save the current od an edited position in the format most often used in `rec.games.backgammon' newsgroup in a file named `xgammon.maildump'.

HOTKEYS
Almost all menu actions can also be started via a hotkey. This list you can completly set in your .Xdefault file. The list of this hotkeys is also visible by once pressing the `file' menu button. There are also the keys `q', `<Ctrl>c' or `<Ctrl>d' to quit the game.
There is also the 'u' key to undo a move.

TEXT WINDOWS
There are two text windows in the `XGammon-Buttons' window, where the current tournament, moves, doubler actions etc. are printed. You can also add comments there. The text in the lower window will be saved if you invoke any save command.

EDIT A POSITION
You may edit a position, and play out from there, by pressing the `edit position' menu entry in the `game' menu. Black stones are set with left mouse-button, white stones with the right one. If you misplac a stone you can remove it with button three. There will be a popup asking for additional information, if you have entered 15black and 15 white stones, or pressed ant key on the key-pad.

MAIL A POSITION
There is the menu option `mail dump'. Click there, and `xgammon' will save the current position in a file named `xgammon.maildump'. The format is that used most often in `rec.games.backgammon'-news group. So it is very easy to edit a position and then add some comments and mail or post it.

ROLLOUTS
Even if there is the menu option `rollout', this is more a command line option. An example would be `xgammon -rollout -nr 1000 -doubling -f rollout.save', witch will rollout a 1000 times the position saves in `rollout.save'. It should be rather easy to moditfy the save file slightly, and make several rollouts of these positions. All results will be appended to these files. If you insist using the menu entry `rollout ', it is most important to set the `numrollouts' resource according to you wishes, in your `.Xdefault file' cause `xgammon' will not ask you for this number, when starting rollouts.

X RESOURCES
Color Resources
It is possible beside the common X resources to set the following colors:

*boardColor: <color>
    Defines the background color of the board.

*lightColor: <color>
    Defines the background color of the lighter pins.

*darkColor: <color>
    Defines the background color of the darker pins.

*barColor: <color>
    Defines the color of the bar and the board borders.

*whiteColor: <color>
    Defines the color of the "white" stones

*blackColor: <color>
    Defines the color of the "black" stones

Other Resources
    There are some more X related resources:

.doublerFont: <font>, .littleFont: <font>
    Define the fonts used for doubler dices. The doubler dice size depends on the board size. If the board size is too little, the littlefont will be used.

.board.cursor: <cursor>
    Sets the cursor to be used for the board widget

.humanStones: <black|white>
    If you alaways want to play with the white stones you can also set this resource to white. (Default is black.)

.watchmove: <true|false>
    If watchmove is true, you can see the stoned "fly", when the computer moves. else no stone will be poped up.

.delaytime: <seconds>
    If you think the stones are moving too fast when the computer sets them, you can set a delaytime, to have a closer look o the situation, before the dice are rolled again. Is of effect only with watchmove is set to `false'.

Misc Resources

.stonesteps: <pixel>
    You can speed up the stones by giving this resource a greater value. Is of effect only with watchmove is set to `true'.

.doubling: <true|false>
    Sets if the computer should use the doubler dice. Since the doubling of the computer is poor, you might wish to turn it off, for this or other reason. `+doubling is default'

.humanStones: <black|white>
    If you alaways want to play with the white stones you can also set

.rollout: <true|false>
    Sets if `xgammon' should rollout a position given by a save file by default. It should not be that useful, to set this `true'.

.numrollouts: <number>
    Specifies the number of rollouts from a given position, before adding the result to a position file. Any unsigned integer value should be all right.

.positionfile: <name>
    This is the file, where `xgammon' will save and load all information from and to, that is needed for any action.

BUGS
The program is still in state of development, so there are certainly bugs. `xgammon' will save the current position in a `xgammon.sig_save' file on some signals. Please email this file to the authors. It may help find the bugs.

AUTHORS
Lambert Klasen and Detlef Steuer
email:
klasen@asterix.uni-muenster.de steuer@amadeus.statistik.uni-dortmund.de