GAMMONTOOL(6)

NAME
gammontool - play a game of backgammon

SYNOPSIS
/usr/games/gammontool [ path ]

AVAILABILITY
This game is available with the Games software installation option. Refer to for information on how to install optional software.

DESCRIPTION

gammontool paints a backgammon board on the screen, and then lets you play against the computer. It must be run in SunWindows. The optional path argument specifies an alternate move-generating program, which must be specially designed to run with gammontool.

The game has three subwindows: an option window on top, a message window in the middle, and a large board on the bottom. The buttons in the option window are used to restart, double, etc. The message window has two lines: the first tells whose turn it is, and the second displays any errors that occur.

  The Initial Roll

To start the game, roll the dice to determine who goes first. Move the mouse arrow onto the board and click the left button. One die appears on each side of the board: the die on the left is yours, and the die on the right is the computer's. If your roll is greater, then you move; if not, the computer makes a move.

  Making Your Move

When it is your turn, `Yourmove' appears in the message window. Place the mouse over any piece of your color, and click the left button. While holding down the button, move the mouse to drag the piece; the piece follows the mouse until you release the button. The tool checks each move and does not allow illegal moves. When you have made as many moves as you can, the computer takes its turn; after it finishes, you may either roll again, or double.

Doubling
    To double, click the Double button in the option window and wait for the computer's response. If the computer doubles you, a message is displayed and you must answer with the Accept Double or Refuse Double buttons. The Forfeit button can also be used to refuse a double. If the game is doubled, a doubling cube with the proper value is displayed on the bar strip. If the number is facing up, then you may double next. If the number is upside down, it is the computer's turn to double.

Other Buttons
    If you want to change your move before you have finished it, use the Redo Move or Redo Entire Move buttons in the option window. Redo Entire Move replaces all of the pieces you have moved so that you can redo them all. Redo Move only replaces the last piece you moved, so it is useful when you roll doubles and want to redo only the last piece you moved. Note that once you have made all of the moves your roll permits, play passes immediately to the computer, so you cannot redo the very last move. The Show Last Move button allows you to see the last move again.

  Leaving the Game
If you want to quit playing backgammon, use the Quit button. If you want to forfeit the game, use the Forfeit button. The computer penalizes you by taking a certain number of points, but the program does not terminate.

To play another game after winning, losing, or forfeiting, click the New Game button. To change the color of your pieces, click the mouse button while pointing at either the White or Black checkboxes. You may change colors at any time, even in the middle of a game. Changing colors in the middle of a game does not mean that you trade places with the computer; your pieces stay where they are, but they are repainted with the new color. Your pieces always move from the top right to the bottom right of the board, regardless of your color. As an additional cue as to your color, your dice are always displayed on the left half of the board.

  Log File
If a there is a gammonlog file your home directory, gammontool keeps a log of the games played. Each move and double gets recorded, along with the winners and accumulated scores.

FILES
~/gammonlog
    log of games played
/usr/games/lib/gammonscores
    log of wins and losses

BUGS
The default strategy used by the computer is very poor.

If a single move uses more than one die (for instance if you roll 5, 6 and move 11 spaces without touching down in the middle) it is unpredictable where the program will make the piece touch down. This may be important if there is a blot on one of these middle points. The program will always make the move if possible, but if two midpoints would work and there is a blot on one of them, it is much better to explicitly hit the blot and then move the piece the rest of the way.