HELP INDEX

Skirmax

version 2.00 ©1997

Skirmax is an exciting strategy board game where the first player to find the opposing player flag wins!

HINT:  To get past the intro screen, press the Enter, Escape, or Spacebar keys.

New Features (for Version 2.00)

How to ...

Play The Game

Win The Game

Select A Computer Opponent

Play Another Person

Setup Your Pieces

Move Your Pieces

Make An Attack

Rules Manual

Commands


New Features:

o   A new computer opponent level called Excellent.

o   Ability to change (or completely remove) the board terrain, including water obstacles.

o   Movement and combat animation.

o   A less intrusive cheat option.  Double clicking the left mouse button over an occupied square reveals:

the rank and name of the piece

whether the piece has moved

whether the piece has been in combat

o   Option for backward movement.

o   Option for Skirmishers long distance movement.

o   Option to exchange sides with computer while game under way.

o   Quick setup, which speeds play by allowing the computer to setup your pieces as well as his.  After the computer sets up all pieces, you may rearrange yours and change other options before beginning play.


Rules Manual:  Contents

1. 	Introduction

2. 	Objective

3. 	The Pieces

4. 	The Board

5. 	The TallyBox

6. 	The Opponents

7. 	Setup Phase

8. 	Movement Phase

9. 	Combat

10.	Hints on Strategy


1. Introduction

Skirmax© is an exciting game of strategy that pits two players against each other with the objective to first discover the opposing players flag and thereby win the game.  Each player has 40 pieces at game start which he sets up on the board in the setup phase.  Each player then alternates moves until a flag is captured or one side has no pieces remaining that can move.

2. Objective


objective
2. Objective

The first player to capture the opposing player flag wins.  A player may also win by eliminating from the board all enemy pieces that are allowed movement.  (The mine and flag are the only pieces not allowed to move.)

1. Introduction

3. The Pieces


pieces
3. The Pieces

There are 2 different colors of pieces.  There are 12 different types of pieces with various rank:

Assassin	-

General	1

Brigadier	2

Colonel	3

Major	4

Captain	5

Lieutenant	6

Sergeant	7

Sapper	8

Skirmisher	9

Mine	-

Flag	-

Unknown	n/a

2. Objective

4. The Board


Assassin

The Assassin is the weakest piece on the board.  It loses to all pieces that attack it.

Rank:	-

Number at game start:	1

Movement distance:	one square

Movement direction:	forward, backward*, or lateral

Special rules:

It will defeat both the General (in attack only) and the Flag (which will win the game).

* Backward movement allowed if that option is selected.

>> ... General


General

The General is the strongest piece on the board.  When he attacks, he defeats all pieces except the Mine.  When he is attacked, he defeats all pieces except the Assassin.

Rank:	1

Number at game start: 	1

Movement distance:	one square

Movement direction:	forward, backward*, or lateral

Special rules:

The General loses to an attacking Assassin.  He will defeat an Assassin he attacks.

* Backward movement allowed if that option is selected.

<< ... Assassin

>> ... Brigadier


Brigadier

The Brigadier defeats the Assassin and all pieces with rank higher than 2.  If attacking a mine, he loses.

Rank:	2

Number at game start: 	1

Movement distance:	one square

Movement direction:	forward, backward*, or lateral

Special rules:

none

* Backward movement allowed if that option is selected.

<< ... General

>> ... Colonel


Colonel

The Colonel defeats the Assassin and all pieces with rank higher than 3. If attacking a mine, he loses.

Rank:	3

Number at game start:	2

Movement distance:	one square

Movement direction:	forward, backward*, or lateral

Special rules:

none

* Backward movement allowed if that option is selected.

<< ... Brigadier

>> ... Major


Major

The Major defeats the Assassin and all pieces with rank higher than 4. If attacking a mine, he loses.

Rank:	4

Number at game start:	3

Movement distance:	one square

Movement direction:	forward, backward*, or lateral

Special rules:

none

* Backward movement allowed if that option is selected.

<< ... Colonel

>> ... Captain


Captain

The Captain defeats the Assassin and all pieces with rank higher than 5. If attacking a mine, he loses.

Rank:	5

Number at game start:	4

Movement distance:	one square

Movement direction:	forward, backward*, or lateral

Special rules:

none

* Backward movement allowed if that option is selected.

<< ... Major

>> ... Lieutenant


lieutenant
Lieutenant (6)

The Lieutenant defeats the Assassin and all pieces with rank higher than 6. If attacking a mine, he loses.

Rank:	6

Number at game start: 	4

Movement distance:	one square

Movement direction:	forward, backward*, or lateral

Special rules:

none

* Backward movement allowed if that option is selected.

<< ... Captain

>> ... Sergeant


sergeant
Sergeant (7)

The Sergeant defeats the Assassin and all pieces with rank higher than 7. If attacking a mine, he loses.

Rank:	7

Number at game start: 	5

Movement distance:	one square

Movement direction:	forward, backward*, or lateral

Special rules:

none

* Backward movement allowed if that option is selected.

<< ... Lieutenant

>> ... Sapper


sapper
Sapper (8)

The Sapper defeats the Assassin and all pieces with rank higher than 8. If attacking a mine, he wins.

Rank:	8

Number at game start:	5

Movement distance:	one square

Movement direction:	forward, backward*, or lateral

Special rules:

The Sapper is the only piece that defeats the Mine

* Backward movement allowed if that option is selected.

<< ... Sergeant

>> ... Skirmisher


skirmisher
Skirmisher (9)

The Skirmisher defeats only the Assassin.

Rank:	9

Number at game start:	8

Movement distance:	one square

Movement direction:	forward, backward*, or lateral

Special rules:

May move up to 9 adjacent squares (all in same rank or file) when the Horse Mounted Skirmisher option is selected.

* Backward movement allowed if that option is selected.

<< ... Sapper

>> ... Mine


Mine

Rank:	see special rules

Number at game start: 	5

Movement distance:	0

Movement direction:	n/a

Special rules:

The Mine defeats all attackers except the Sapper

<< ... Skirmisher

>> ... Flag


    Flag

The Flag can not move, but is essential to victory.  When captured, the game is lost.  All pieces defeat the Flag.

Rank:	n/a

Number at game start:	1

Movement distance:	0

Movement direction:	n/a

Special rules:

none

<< ... Mine


Unknown

This is a place holder for a unknown enemy piece.  See Hidden On/Off for more detail. Use the [image] to activate this option.

Note that by double clicking the left mouse button over a square, the piece identity, whether it has ever moved, and whether it has been in combat (and therefore revealed its identity) is displayed in a popup box.  This is an alternative to looking at the entire enemy board when wanting to cheat and look at only one enemy square.

Also, a quick way to hide and unhide unknown pieces is by clicking the right mouse button.


Rank

The rank of a piece determines its ability to win or lose in combat.  A piece with a lower-numbered rank will defeat a piece with a higher-numbered rank.  In otherwords, the lower ranked pieces, for example the General, are the more powerful and therefore more worthy pieces.

Some pieces like the Flag, Mine, and Assassin have no rank.  See the rules for each of these pieces to determine their combat ability.


Color

The color of a piece determines to which player it belongs.  There are two colors:  Red and Blue.  In games against the computer, the computer always takes Red.  In human versus human play, the Blue color will always setup and move first.  In games against the computer, it is a 50% chance that either Red or Blue will move first.


Number at game start

Each type of piece starts the game with a predefined number for each color.  The number of pieces at game start for the different pieces is as follows:

Assassin	1

General	1

Brigadier	1

Colonel	2

Major	2

Captain	3

Lieutenant	4

Sergeant	4

Sapper	5

Skirmisher	5

Mine	8

Flag	1


board
4. The Board

The board consists of 10 columns and 10 rows.  Each square on the board is located by a coordinate system that has its origin in the lower left corner square of the blue player.

Pieces must always remain on the board during game play.  They are only removed from the board when captured during combat.

The terrain is for aesthetic purposes only, except for the water squares, which are impassable.  No entry is allowed into the water squares.  The river in the middle of the board is also for aesthetic purposes and has no effect on game play.  All non-water terrain may be removed by pressing <Ctrl>+<2>, and all terrain by pressing <Ctrl>+<3>.

field

grain

forest

water

You may elect to remove all ground terrain (except the water squares) or all terrain (including water squares) by selecting Options | Board Selection... in the game menu.

3. The Pieces

5. The TallyBox


coordinate system
Board coordinate system

The conventional Cartesian coordinate system is used to locate individual squares.  In otherwords, the lower left square is square (1, 1) and the upper right square is (10, 10).  The (1, 1) square is in the blue players lower left corner of the board.  (Thus, the board will rotate 180 degrees for human to human games for the different players.)


tally box
5. The Tally Box

The tally box consists of grey icons of the 12 pieces and two columns of numbers, one red and the other blue.  These numbers are counters representing the number of pieces of that type and color currently in the tally box.

At the start of the setup phase the number of pieces at game start is a predefined value between 1 and 8.  As the pieces are dragged out of the tally box to the board, the tally box will decrement the counters for the pieces as appropriate.

Once play begins, the tally box will increment the counters for the pieces due to combat losses as appropriate.  This is a handy way of keeping track of your progress relative to your opponent.

4. The Board

6. The Opponents


opponents
6. The Opponents

There are four different opponent options available:

Human

Easy

Cautious

Aggressive

Excellent

To select a computer opponent, select any of the first three options.  To play against another person real-time, select the Human Opponent menu option.

How To Select A Computer Opponent

How To Play Another Person

5. The TallyBox

7. Setup Phase


Setup Phase
7. Setup Phase

To setup your pieces, simply click on the grey icon located in the Tally Box for the piece you wish to move on to the board and drag it to the square desired as the destination square.  If the move is legal, it will be performed.  You may only attack opposing pieces.

Once you have placed all your 40 pieces on the board, click on the green arrow [image] button, or select the Options Advance Phase selection from the menu.  Alternatively you may use the short cut keyboard command <CRTL>+<P>.  This will move the game into the next phase.  If you are the last player to setup, it will move the game into the Movement Phase; otherwise it will prompt for the next player to setup his pieces.

How To Setup Your Pieces

6. The Opponents

8. Movement Phase


Movement Phase
8. Movement Phase

To move, simply click on the piece you wish to move and drag it to the unoccupied square desired as the destination square.  If the move is legal, it will be performed.  You may not move into a square occupied by another friendly piece.  In play against the computer, you may undo the most recent move by pressing the toolbar button [image].

Only horizontal (forward and backward) and lateral (right and left) movement is allowed.  Movement backwards is allowed if that option is selected.  No diagonal moves are allowed.

In a human versus human game, make sure you hide your pieces before moving.  You may hide your pieces using the black question mark and rectangle [image] button.  Alternatively, just click the right mouse button.

How To Move Your Pieces

7. Setup Phase

9. Combat


Combat
9. Combat

To attack a piece, simply click on the piece with which you wish to attack and drag it to the square containing the desired defender.  If the attack is legal, it will be performed.

A message box will pop up and announce the attacking piece identity and the defending square.  (Alternatively, you may select to hear the combat announced rather than seeing a pop up box.  Select Combat Report from the Options menu.)  Upon resolution of the attack, another message box will pop up and announce the combat outcome, winner, and loser.  If you capture the flag ...

In combat, the ranks of both pieces are compared.  The piece with the lowest numbered rank wins the combat.  There are a few exceptions to this.  See The Pieces for details.

How To Make An Attack

8. Movement Phase

10. Hints on Strategy


Hints on Strategy
10. Rules:  Hints on Strategy

The beauty of Skirmax© is the rich strategy that results from a game with very modest rules.  This short page of hints will not allow you to master all opponents or situations.  However, these general principles may assist the novice.

Placing your flag in the back ranks will increase the number of moves that the opposing player requires to find your flag.  However, since no backward movement is allowed, some sneaky players may place the flag immediately behind a water obstacle expecting the opposing player to advance past it.  Putting mines in back columns helps this ruse, as the opposing player may mistake them for flags and bloody a few pieces looking for your forward-placed flag.  A strong piece or two is required to secure and hold the flanks of the flag.

Novice players often consider the lowly Skirmisher as useless since it loses to all pieces save the Assassin.  However, a skilled player knows how to use the Skirmisher to shield his better pieces from futile loses.  For example, advancing a General or Brigadier into enemy lines can be frought with danger due to the presence of unknown Mines.  Use the Skirmisher to find these.  If Mines are highly suspect, such as at the end of the game when there are few pieces remaining and you know that a certain piece has not moved yet (it therefore is most likely a Mine), use the Sapper instead of the Skirmisher.  This tact suggests that some Sappers be set up in the back row so as to be around at the end of the game.

Completely surrounding the flag with mines is not always the best strategy.  This strategy makes it difficult to defend your flag should a Sapper come along teamed with a stronger piece.  Mines should be viewed as delaying pieces, not permanent, impassable walls.

Using the Brigadier as an assaulting spearhead can be a useful ploy if he is accompanied by Skirmishers and Sappers for finding and defusing Mines.  Keeping the Assassin just behind the Brigadier can also score a big hit when a General comes up to defeat a Brigadier.  A quick counterattack with your Assassin will leave you with the only General on the board.

Some piece specific recommendations follow. The Assassin should remain unmoved (or well protected) until the enemy General is found.  Be careful when moving him up to the General.  The General can attack and defeat an Assassin.  Therefore, place your Assassin in a place where the General will move up to him and then pounce.  Because of this, dont show your General too early.  This gives your opponent the chance to lay a trap with his Assassin. While waiting for the time to use high rank, specialized pieces (ie, Sappers and Skirmishers), use Captains and Majors to protect them from enemy attack.  Sergeants are useful for placing just behind a mine to kill a sapper after defusing a mine.  Skirmishers, when mounted (assuming that option is selected), are very useful to quickly determine the identify of distant pieces.

Finally, if you adhere to the Prussian military writer, Karl von Clausewitz, three rules:  (1) economy of force, (2) surprise, and (3) speed, you will do well.

If you have comments or variants youd like to see in the next version, send them to:

AZSOFT@AOL.COM

Thank you for playing Skirmax.  Remember:  Skirmish to the max!!

Gargoyle Game Developers© 1997  All Rights Reserved.

9. Combat


How To Play The Game

For those wishing to dive immediately into a game, here are a few quick start rules.

A. Play Against A Computer

1. Select an opponent using the opponents options buttons.  For an easy opponent, press the red flag button with one dot [image].  Increasing difficulty is offered with more dots.  The computer will then setup his pieces.

2. Setup your pieces by clicking on the grey icon located in tally box and dragging the piece to a desired start square on the board.  A valid start square is any square in your back 4 rows.

3. Advance to the movement phase by pressing the green arrow button [image].  You will have a 50% chance of moving first.  The computer will tell you who moves first (by sound if you have the Combat Reports option selected for audio).

4. If you move first, click on the square containing the piece you wish to move and drag using a depressed left mouse button to the desired destination square and release.  If the move is legal it will be performed.

5. The computer will then make its move.

6. To attack a piece, and initiate combat, click on the square containing the piece you wish to attack with and drag it to the square containing the piece you wish to attack.  If the attempted combat is legal it will be performed and the outcome will be displayed to the screen.  The Tally Box will adjust the counter for the losing piece(s).

7. Play continues in this fashion until you have captured the computer player flag [image], or he has captured yours.

B. Play Against Another Player

1. Press the red and blue rectangles Human [image] button to select a game against another human player.

2. The blue player sets up his pieces similar to the play against a computer opponent, while the opposing player diverts his eyes from the computer screen.

3. The blue player then clicks on the green arrow Advance Phase [image] button which will advance to the red players setup.

4. The red player sets up similarly and then then clicks on the green arrow Advance Phase tool bar button once to advance the game to the first move turn and diverts his eyes away from the screen.  This prevents him from looking at the blue players pieces and their identities.

5. The blue player then clicks on the black question mark and rectangle Hidden On/Off [image] button which will rotate the board 180 degrees and reveal his pieces identity.  When the blue player has decided which piece to move, but before moving the piece, he then clicks the black question mark and rectangle Hidden On/Off button again.  Moving the hidden piece allows both players to watch the move.

6.  The red player may then look at the screen, as both colors of pieces will be displayed as crossed sword and musket.

7. The blue player then makes his move by dragging the (now crossed sword and musket) piece to the desired square on the board.  Both players may watch the computer announce the outcome if it is combat.  The Tally Box will adjust the counter for the losing piece(s).

8. The red player then makes his move similar to steps 5 - 7 above, with the blue player diverting his eyes from the screen.

9. Play continues in this fashion until a player captures a flag.

NOTE:  You will know if an opponent has cheated and looked at your pieces after he has completed his move because prior to the click on the black question mark and rectangle button, the board will not be rotated to your side of the board.  If your opponent has looked at your pieces identities unbeknownst to you, then the board will already be rotated when you come to the computer for your move.  (Play a few turns and youll see what is meant here.)


How To Win The Game

The first player to capture the opposing players flag wins.  A player may also win by eliminating from the board all enemy pieces that are allowed movement.  (The mines and flags are the only pieces not allowed to move.)


How To Select A Computer Opponent

Select a computer opponent using the Easy [image], Cautious [image], Aggressive [image], or Excellent [image]  buttons.


How To Play Another Person

Select a human opponent using the Human [image]  button.


How To Setup Your Pieces

Click on the grey icon and drag the piece to the desired start square.  A valid start square is any square in your back 4 rows.  If the set up is legal, it will be performed.


How To Move Your Pieces

Click on the square containing the piece you wish to move and drag it to the desired destination square and release.  If the move is legal it will be performed.


How To Make An Attack

Click on the square containing the piece you wish to attack with and drag it to the square containing the piece you wish to attack.  If the combat is legal it will be performed and the outcome will be displayed to the screen.


Commands:

File menu

Options menu

View menu

Help menu


File menu commands

The File menu offers the following commands:

New	Creates a new Skirmax© game.
Open	Opens an existing Skirmax© game.
Close	Closes an opened Skirmax© game.
Save	Saves an opened Skirmax© game using the same file name.
Save As	Saves an opened Skirmax© game to a specified file name.
Exit	Exits Skirmax©.


Options menu commands

The Options menu offers the following commands:

Opponent	Selects a difficulty level for a computer opponent, or selects a game against another person.
Advance Phase	Advances the game to the next phase.
Hidden On/Off	In games against the computer, reveals the computer pieces identity. In games against another person, reveals the current player turns piecesrd.
Sound On/Off	Turns the sound on or off. A depressed button is on.
Undo Last Move	Undoes the last entire game turn (both players moves).
Backward Move	Allows pieces to move backward (if allowed to move).  A depressed button is allows backward movement.
Mount Skirmisher	Allows skirmishers (9s) to move up to 9 squares (as long as these are all on the same rank or file). A depressed button is allows horse mounted movement.
Exchange Sides	Places all the red pieces on the blue side of the board and makes them blue color, and places all blue pieces on the red side of the board and makes them red color.


Advance Phase command
Advance Phase command (Options menu)

Use this command to advance the phase of the Skirmax©  game.  This is used when setup of all pieces is complete and the game is ready to begin.  For human to human play, this is used to switch between red and blue player setups.  Once all 80 pieces are setup by the players, selecting this button will begin the game.

Shortcuts

Mouse:	Click the application's Advance Phase menu button.

Keys:	CTRL+P selects the easy opponent


Hidden On/Off command
Hidden On/Off command (Options menu)

Use this command to show or hide pieces.  When pieces are hidden, a crossed sword and musket symbol appears instead of the piece.  This represents the Fog of War inherent in Skirmax.  The only way to reveal the identity of the piece is by attacking it.  You may move (by dragging with the left mouse button) this symbol just like a normal piece.

When playing a computer opponent, selecting this command will show the computer pieces identities; this is cheating during the game, and instead should be used at the end of the game for curiousity.  When playing a human opponent, this only shows your own pieces.

NOTE:   A recommended alternative to looking at the entire setup of the enemy is to double click the left mouse button on a square to reveal its occupant, and that occupants move and known status -- i.e., whether it has ever moved and whether it has ever been in combat and therefore revealed its identity to the enemy.  (This is useful if youve encountered an enemy piece and lost during combat, but have now forgotten what it was!)

Shortcuts

Mouse:	Click the application's Hidden On/Off menu button.

Click the right button.

Keys:	NUM KEY + shows or hides the pieces


Sound On/Off command
Sound On/Off command (Options menu)

Use this command to turn on and off the sound in the Skirmax©  game.  This assumes that your computer has a multimedia capability.

Shortcuts

Mouse:	Click the application's Advance Phase menu button.

Keys:	CTRL+S turns the sound on and off.


Undo Last Move command
Undo Last Move command (Options menu)

Use this command to undo the last move of the Skirmax©  game.  The command works best if performed after a computer moves.  This will undo both the computer and the player moves.  This only works for the most recent single move past.  Moves earlier than that are not recoverable.

This command is unavailable during games against human opponents to prevent cheating.

Shortcuts

Mouse:	Click the application's Undo Move menu button.

Keys:	BACKSPACE undoes the last move.


View menu commands

The View menu offers the following commands:

Toolbar	Shows or hides the toolbar.
Status Bar	Shows or hides the status bar.


Help menu commands

The Help menu offers the following commands, which provide you assistance with this application:

Index	Offers you an index to topics on which you can get help.
Using Help	Provides general instructions on using help.
About	Displays Skirmax specific information.


File New command
New command (File menu)

Use this command to create a new Skirmax© game in Skirmax© .

You can open an existing Skirmax© game with the Open command.

Shortcuts

Toolbar:

Keys:	CTRL+N


File New dialog box

Create a new Skirmax game.


File Open command
Open command (File menu)

Use this command to open an existing Skirmax© game in a new window.

You can create new Skirmax© games with the New command.

Shortcuts

Toolbar:

Keys:	CTRL+O


File Close command
Close command (File menu)

Use this command to close all windows containing the active Skirmax© game.  Skirmax©  suggests that you save changes to your Skirmax© game before you close it.  If you close a Skirmax© game without saving, you lose all changes made since the last time you saved it.  Before closing an untitled Skirmax© game, Skirmax©  displays the Save As dialog box and suggests that you name and save the Skirmax© game.

You can also close a Skirmax© game by using the Close icon on the Skirmax© game's window.


File Save command
Save command (File menu)

Use this command to save the active Skirmax© game to its current name and directory.  When you save a Skirmax© game for the first time, Skirmax©  displays the Save As dialog box so you can name your Skirmax© game.  If you want to change the name and directory of an existing Skirmax© game before you save it, choose the Save As command.

Shortcuts

Toolbar:

Keys:	CTRL+S


File Save As command
Save As command (File menu)

Use this command to save and name the active Skirmax© game.  Skirmax©  displays the Save As dialog box so you can name your Skirmax© game.

To save a Skirmax© game with its existing name and directory, use the Save command.


File Save As dialog box

The following options allow you to specify the name and location of the file you're about to save:

File Name

Type a new filename to save a Skirmax© game with a different name.  A filename can contain up to eight characters and an extension of up to three characters.  Skirmax©  adds the extension you specify in the Save File As Type box.

Drives

Select the drive in which you want to store the Skirmax© game.

Directories

Select the directory in which you want to store the Skirmax© game.

Network...

Choose this button to connect to a network location, assigning it a new drive letter.


File Exit command
Exit command (File menu)

Use this command to end your Skirmax©  session.  You can also use the Close command on the application Control menu.  Skirmax©  prompts you to save Skirmax© games with unsaved changes.

Shortcuts

Mouse:	Double-click the application's Control menu button.

Keys:	ALT+F4


Options: opponent
Opponent command (Options menu)

Use this command to select your Skirmax©  opponent.

Human	Selects a game for two human players.
Easy	Selects a game against an easy computer opponent.
Cautious	Selects a game against a cautious computer opponent.
Aggressive	Selects a game against an aggressive computer opponent.
Excellent	Selects a game against an excellent computer opponent.


Human Opponent command
Human command (Options Opponent menu)

Use this command to select an easy Skirmax©  computer opponent.

Shortcuts

Mouse:	Click the application's Human Opponent menu button.

Keys:	CTRL+H selects the easy opponent


Easy Opponent command
Easy command (Options Opponent menu)

Use this command to select an easy Skirmax©  computer opponent..

Shortcuts

Mouse:	Click the application's Easy Opponent menu button.

Keys:	CTRL+E selects the easy opponent


Cautious Opponent command
Cautious command (Options Opponent menu)

Use this command to select an cautious Skirmax©  computer opponent.

Shortcuts

Mouse:	Click the application's Cautious Opponent menu button.

Keys:	CTRL+C selects the cautious opponent


Aggressive Opponent command
Aggressive command (Options Opponent menu)

Use this command to select an aggressive Skirmax©  computer opponent.

Shortcuts

Mouse:	Click the application's Aggressive Opponent menu button.

Keys:	CTRL+A selects the aggressive opponent


Excellent Opponent command
Excellent command (Options Opponent menu)

Use this command to select an excellent Skirmax©  computer opponent.

Shortcuts

Mouse:	Click the application's Excellent Opponent menu button.

Keys:	CTRL+X selects the excellent opponent


View Toolbar command
Toolbar command (View menu)

Use this command to display and hide the Toolbar, which includes buttons for some of the most common commands in Skirmax© , such as File Open.  A check mark appears next to the menu item when the Toolbar is displayed.

See Toolbar for help on using the toolbar.


Toolbar

The toolbar is displayed across the top of the application window, below the menu bar.  The toolbar provides quick mouse access to many tools used in Skirmax© ,

To hide or display the Toolbar, choose Toolbar from the View menu (ALT, V, T).

Click	To

Open a new Skirmax© game.

Open an existing Skirmax© game.  Skirmax©  displays the Open dialog box, in which you can locate and open the desired file.

Save the active Skirmax© game or template with its current name.  If you have not named the Skirmax© game, Skirmax©  displays the Save As dialog box.

Select easy computer opponent for Skirmax© game.

Select cautious computer opponent for Skirmax© game.

Select aggressive computer opponent for Skirmax© game.

Select excellent computer opponent for Skirmax© game.

Select human opponent for Skirmax© game.

Advance to next game phase.

Show or hide pieces from board.

Turn the sound on or off.

Take back the previous game turn.


View Status Bar Command
Status Bar command (View menu)

Use this command to display and hide the Status Bar, which describes the action to be executed by the selected menu item or depressed toolbar button, and keyboard latch state. A check mark appears next to the menu item when the Status Bar is displayed.

See Status Bar for help on using the status bar.


Status Bar

The status bar is displayed at the bottom of the Skirmax©  window.  To display or hide the status bar, use the Status Bar command in the View menu.

The left area of the status bar describes actions of menu items as you use the arrow keys to navigate through menus.  This area similarly shows messages that describe the actions of toolbar buttons as you depress them, before releasing them.  If after viewing the description of the toolbar button command you wish not to execute the command, then release the mouse button while the pointer is off the toolbar button.

The right areas of the status bar indicate which of the following keys are latched down:

Indicator	Description

From (*,*) to (*,*)	The last move made on the board by 	the computer player.

Blue	The color of the moving player.

Move 1	The phase or current game turn.

Easy	The difficulty level selected.


Index command (Help menu)

Use this command to display the opening screen of Help.  From the opening screen, you can jump to step-by-step instructions for using Skirmax©  and various types of reference information.

Once you open Help, you can click the Contents button whenever you want to return to the opening screen.


Using Help command (Help menu)

Use this command for instructions about using Help.


About command (Help menu)

Version 2. Skirmax© 1997.

All rights reserved.

Gargoyle Game Developers


Help Using Help Command
Context Help command

Use the Context Help command to obtain help on some portion of Skirmax© .  When you choose the Toolbar's Context Help button, the mouse pointer will change to an arrow and question mark.  Then click somewhere in the Skirmax©  window, such as another Toolbar button.  The Help topic will be shown for the item you clicked.

Shortcut

Keys:	SHIFT+F1


Title Bar

The title bar is located along the top of a window.  It contains the name of the application and file name of the current Skirmax© game.

To move the window, drag the title bar.  Note: You can also move dialog boxes by dragging their title bars.

A title bar may contain the following elements:

Application Control-menu button

Document Control-menu button

Maximize button

Minimize button

Name of the application

Name of the Skirmax© game

Restore button


Scroll bars

Displayed at the right and bottom edges of the Skirmax© game window.  The scroll boxes inside the scroll bars indicate your vertical and horizontal location in the Skirmax© game.  You can use the mouse to scroll to other parts of the Skirmax© game.

Clicking within the scroll bar region will advance the display screen 2 board squares.  Clicking on the arrow bar in the scroll bar will advance the game 1/4 square.


Size command (System menu)

Use this command to display a four-headed arrow so you can size the active window with the arrow keys.

After the pointer changes to the four-headed arrow:

1.	Press one of the DIRECTION keys (left, right, up, or down arrow key) to move the pointer to the border you want to move.

2.	Press a DIRECTION key to move the border.

3.	Press ENTER when the window is the size you want.

Note:  This command is unavailable if you maximize the window.

Shortcut

Mouse:	Drag the size bars at the corners or edges of the window.


Move command (Control menu)

Use this command to display a four-headed arrow so you can move the active window or dialog box with the arrow keys.

Note:  This command is unavailable if you maximize the window.

Shortcut

Keys:	CTRL+F7


System Minimize Command
Minimize command (application Control menu)

Use this command to reduce the Skirmax©  window to an icon.

Shortcut

Mouse:	Click the minimize icon on the title bar.

Keys:	ALT+F9


Maximize command (System menu)

Use this command to enlarge the active window to fill the available space.

Shortcut

Mouse:	Click the maximize icon; or double-click the title bar.

Keys:	CTRL+F10 enlarges a Skirmax© game window.


Close command (Control menus)

Use this command to close the active window or dialog box.

Double-clicking a Control-menu box is the same as choosing the Close command.

Note:  If you have multiple windows open for a single Skirmax© game, the Close command on the Skirmax© game Control menu closes only one window at a time.  You can close all windows at once with the Close command on the File menu.

Shortcuts

Keys: 	CTRL+F4 closes a Skirmax© game window


Restore command (Control menu)

Use this command to return the active window to its size and position before you chose the Maximize or Minimize command.


Switch to command (application Control menu)

Use this command to display a list of all open applications.  Use this "Task List" to switch to or close an application on the list.

Shortcut

Keys:	CTRL+ESC

Dialog Box Options

When you choose the Switch To command, you will be presented with a dialog box with the following options:

Task List

Select the application you want to switch to or close.

Switch To

Makes the selected application active.

End Task

Closes the selected application.

Cancel

Closes the Task List box.

Cascade

Arranges open applications so they overlap and you can see each title bar.  This option does not affect applications reduced to icons.

Tile

Arranges open applications into windows that do not overlap.  This option does not affect applications reduced to icons.

Arrange Icons

Arranges the icons of all minimized applications across the bottom of the screen.


No Help Available

No help is available for this area of the window.


No Help Available

No help is available for this message box.