What is Puzzle Word 3a?
-----------------------

Puzzle Word (or PuzWord) is a word  search game based on the games  commonly
found in Puzzle Books.

The idea behind  the game is  for you to  locate 21 hidden  words which  are
hidden within a letter grid of 17 x 17 characters.

The words are hidden; forwards, backwards, and  in all directions (- | /  \)
and can  cross through  one another  in  any direction.  Words may  also  be
linked,  for   example  elephant   and  antelope   could  be   combined   as
'elephantelope' within the grid.

PuzWord will also keep a record of the top ten game times achieved.


Installation.
-------------

Within this archive you should find the following files:

\APP\PUZWRDxx.OPA                 <--- Main application.
\APP\PUZWRD\ALIENS.PUZ            <--- Ready made Puzzles.
\APP\PUZWRD\ANIMALS.PUZ
\APP\PUZWRD\BIRDS.PUZ
\APP\PUZWRD\PUZWRD.RSC            <--- Help file.
\PUZWRD.TXT                       <--- This text file (reference only)

If any of these files  are missing then the  archive has been tampered  with
and I should be contacted immediately.

Once installed the main application will take up 12k of disk space, and when
running will use aproximately 14k of memory.

After PuzWord has been run (and  a game played to completion) the  following
additional files will be created:

\APP\PUZWRD\PUZWRD.CFG            <--- Configuration file.
\APP\PUZWRD\TOPTEN.DTA            <--- Top 10 times data.


Playing PuzWord.
----------------

PuzWord is now  a type II  application whereby  the database to  be used  in
gameplay can be selected  by moving the system  screen cursor over the  file
name below the application icon, and pressing ENTER.

On running the program  for the first  time you will  be presented with  nag
screens concerning the use and registration  of the program. Once these  are
out of the way the program will present you with a dialog which will request
the following data:

  User Name          : <Put your name here>
  Registration Key   : <registration key once registered>
  Sound              : [On/Off]
  Diagonal Words     : [Allowed/Not Used]
  Word Layout        : [Forewards & Backwards/Forwards Only]
  Allow Crossed Words: [Yes/No]
  Printer Type       : [Serial/Parallel]

Sound On/Off will toggle on and off various beep's and sound effects  within
the program when a game is underway.

Diagonal Words sets whether words should be hidden in only the horizontal and
vertical planes, or whether both diagonals are allowed.

Word Layout specifies whether words will be hidden in the usual 
orientation, or whether some of them may be reversed.

Allow Crossed Words, specifies whether words are allowed to cross; e.g:


                                C  
              S               H
              P             I
            P H O E N I X M          or    E L E P H A N T E L O P E
              I         E              
          M O N S T E R
              X     A


Once you have added your  name, you may press ENTER  to exit the dialog  and
save your configuration.

When the configuration is saved it will also save the position of the 
Status Window (toggled using CTRL-MENU).

On entering the  main screen to the game  and be presented with  the
main menu as follows:



       Game             DataBase            Config
       ==============   ==================  ==============
       Play Game   ^P   Change Game ^C      Gameplay    ^G
       Player Name ^N   Update Existant ^U  Save Config ^S
       Top Ten     ^T   Make New ^M         About       ^A
                                            Exit        ^X

      '^' Indicates Psion Key.



Play Game       ^P - Allows you to start playing PuzWord.

Player Name     ^N - Allows you to change the players name from the  default
                     name which that detailed as the User Name in the system
                     configuration.

Top Ten         ^T - Allows you to view the  top ten games completion  times
                     (if the game has been completed at least once).

Change Game     ^O - Allows you to choose which  .PUZ file you wish  PuzWord
                     to use for it's gameplay.  Only puzzles with more  than
                     thirty words will be permitted.

Update Existant ^U - Update an existant  .PUZ file, that  is add  additional
                     words to it.

Make New        ^M - Allows you to create additional .PUZ files for  PuzWord
                     to use to generate Puzzles. You will first be presented
                     with a  dialog requesting  the name  of the  file  e.g.
                     animals, and this will be used to create the .PUZ file,
                     e.g. ANIMALS.PUZ, within the \APP\PUZWRD\ directory.

Gameplay        ^G - Access the configuration dialogue.

Save Config     ^S - Save game configuration.

About           ^A - Cycles through the help / nag screens. Once  registered
                     these will change to give contact / support data.

Exit            ^X - Exit PuzWord.

When adding words into a Puzzle file Puzzle Word will not allow words 
with less that 4 or more than 8 letters.

Gameplay.
---------

Once you have selected the  .PUZ file you wish to  use for your puzzle,  and
have hit Psion-P to commence game  play PuzWord will initialise the  puzzle.
This usually takes about 8  seconds, but if a .PUZ  file is being used  with
long words (SFAUTHORS / ALIENS / SFWORLDS)  it may take up to 40 seconds  to
hide the words within the puzzle. If  this is the case a number of  Grabbing
Words/Hiding words status messages can be seen. This is no cause for  alarm.
;-}

Once the words have  all been hidden  PuzWord will beep  telling you that  a
game is ready to start.

When the game is ready for playing you will be presented with the main  game
screen which contans three windows:

- Game Grid - the 17 x 17 grid containing 21 hidden words.

- Word List - the list of the 21 words to be found.

- DB List   - Which shows the name of the database being played.

Within the grid is a black cursor  square which can be navigated around  the
game grid using the cursor keys.

The object of the game is to locate each hidden word in the word list within
the game grid, and to mark the start  and end (or end and start) letters  of
thw word. Marking of the letters is  achieved by moving the cursor over  the
letters and pressing the ENTER key for  each word. Once a word is so  marked
it will be crossed out in the word list and removed from gameplay.

When ENTER is being used to mark the positions of the words within the  grid
two key indicators will  appear between the game  grid and word list,  these
will appear with each keypress as an aid to keeping your keypresses in sync.

The game is  completed once  all hidden  words are  found. At  this point  a
congratulations dialog will appear and the  game play data added to the  Top
10 listing (if good enough). Pressing any key will then reveal the locations
of the hidden  words, and a  further keypress  will return you  to the  main
program menu.

When a game is underway  the following keys in  addition to the cursor  keys
and ENTER key are available:

ESC     - Will abort  a game  in  progress, revealing  the location  of  the
          hidden words.

HELP    - Will give a brief overview of available key presses. The countdown
          timer will be suspended whilst the help screen is being viewd.

SPACE   - Pause game.  The game  will  be paused  and the  count-down  timer
          temporaily halted. Pressing any key  unpauses the game and  allows
          play to continue.

P       - Print puzzle out to printer.

.PUZ File tips.
---------------

Due to the  nature of  the algorithms  used within  PuzWord if  you use  (or
create) a .PUZ database containing long  words (8 characters plus) you  will
find the following will occur:

- Lengthly Grabbing Words / Hidding Words messages at game initialisation.

- Words being limited to the following hide directions; | and -, or / and \.
  This sometimes makes gameplay a little easier.
  
- Using words of less than 8 characters for 90% of the words within a puzzle
  database will generate the most complex puzzles.

If anyone generates their  own .PUZ files  for PuzWord I  am quite happy  to
include the files within the archive, and list you in the Puzzle credits.


.PUZ Puzzle File Credits.
-------------------------

ALIENS.PUZ   - D.Brewood - List of Alien SciFiction species.
ANIMALS.PUZ  - D.Brewood - List of animals.
BIRDS.PUZ    - D.Brewood - List of Misc Animals.
MONSTERS.PUZ - D.Brewood - List of Mythical Monsters.
SFAUTHOR.PUZ - D.Brewood - List of Science Fiction Authors.
SFWORLDS.PUZ - D.Brewood - List of Imaginary Worlds / Lands.
COMPUTER.PUZ - D.Brewood - List of computer parts / terms.
GIRLNAME.PUZ - D.Brewoos - List of girls names.

Disclaimer.
-----------

I can not  accept any liability  for damage to  your Psion, or  for loss  of
data, due to the use  or operation of this program.  You run it at your  own
risk. The program has however  been coded to be as  safe as possible, and  I
have been running it for quite some time with no problems occuring at all.

Support.
--------

PuzWord will be updated on  an irregular basis, and  in the future may  have
additional features added. If you are  interested in the development of  the
program then please contact me via the following email address's:

NeST:         90:100/106.0@nest.ftn
Internet:     dbrewood@cix.compulink.co.uk
              dbrewood@nest.demon.co.uk
CIX:          'psion' conference.


Registration.
-------------

PuzWord is shareware. This means that if  you use it for longer than 7  days
you must either: Register the software, or delete the application from  your
Psion.

Registered users will receive a registration key which will remove the nag 
screens from the program.

The  registration  fee  for  PuzWord  is  œ10.00  pounds  sterling,  or  the
equivalent of œ15.00 pounds sterling if registering from overseas.


Good luck, and I hope you enjoy PuzWord!


Daron M. Brewood