KiwiCroquet (v2.0) Help This help file does not teach you the rules of croquet, just the mechanics of using KiwiCroquet. You should read the ReadMe.txt file for information on installation, hardware requirements, possible problems, etc. After loading there is visible on the screen the KiwiCroquet window, showing the lawn and the three command buttons "Play", "Practice", and "Quit". Play: After left clicking on the Play button you are asked to select an opponent. You can choose to play against yourself (human vs. human), against one of three different computer opponents, or have the computer play against itself. Below the portraits of the three computer opponents is a brief statement of their playing philosophy. You will then have to set the handicaps in the box that appears. -3 is for a world-class expert and 14 is for the rawest beginner. Handicaps have two effects: 1) bisques are assigned; and 2) various skills are adjusted, such as how accurately the movement of the ball during a shot reflects your aim. If the handicaps of the two players are different, you are asked if bisques are to be used (there are no half-bisques). From this point on the "Status Box" in the upper right shows which hoop the balls are "for", and the number of bisques each player has. Then the coin is tossed and the various choices of turn and colour sorted out. If you need to make a choice, left click with the mouse pointer over the choice you want to make. All prompts for information from you will occur in the small Options/Info box in the upper left of the KC window. Once the starting player and colours are determined, the starting player chooses which ball to put in. If you are the starting player your ball appears on the lawn in the upper left corner. To place it on a baulk line (either one) move the pointer over it and LEFT click, continuing to hold the button down. As you move the mouse the ball moves. When over the spot you want, release the button. If the position is legal, the ball will be placed there. If not, a warning beep sounds and the ball is placed back in the upper left corner. When moving the ball the mouse pointer changes to a "not valid" icon if the ball is not in a legal position (with some left/right leeway). To shoot, place the pointer near the ball, RIGHT click and hold down. As you move the mouse an aiming line will appear between the ball and the pointer. When you release the button, the ball will shoot in a direction opposite to the aiming line. It is opposite, rather than in the same direction, so that it will not be too easy to hit another ball simply by placing the aiming line over it. Think of it as like "stalking". The initial velocity of the ball is in proportion to the length of the aiming line. The aiming line has a maximum length, and if you exceed that then the aiming line will no longer track the mouse movements. A full strength shot will travel a bit further than one lawn length. You may want to practice (see PRACTICE below) to get the feel of the lawn. From then on the game plays according to the rules of croquet. If it is the turn of a computer opponent then he/she follows the same procedures as you do, and you cannot do anything but watch. The text in the Options/Info Box will guide you. Note that at the beginning of a turn you must select which ball you want to play. Once a selection is made, a circle will appear for a short time around the "for hoop" for that ball. The for hoop is also indicated by the text in the Options/Info Box, and in the Status Box in the upper right. There is no excuse (or credit) for making the wrong hoop! At the end of your turn you must click on the "OK" button. Before doing that you can choose to take a bisque (if available) or, if in cheat mode, take back the last shot. If a ball makes a valid roquet then it becomes "in-hand" and disappears from the lawn. You place the ball-in-hand for the croquet shot just as though you were aiming (i.e., RIGHT click near the croqueted ball and hold down, then move the pointer). The aiming line that appears indicates the direction in which the ball-in-hand will be placed, adjacent to the croqueted ball. The length of the aiming line is irrelevant, in this instance. Once placed you can adjust the stroke style (roll/stop) using the slider bar that appears on the left side of the KiwiCroquet window. Then aim as normal to do the croquet shot. You cannot set the shot style for shots other than the croquet shot. If you want to end the current game then click on the "Stop Playing" button. If the computer is playing then you can also choose to "Pause" the game, and later continue with the "Go" button. The Exit button will exit the programme. Practice: There is also a practice mode in KiwiCroquet. LEFT click on the "Practice" button to activate this mode. In practice mode you can shoot any ball, and also pick up and move any ball (LEFT click and hold while moving, then release). Normal rules are disregarded except that balls that go off the lawn are placed on the yard line. Of course, you cannot place a ball off the lawn. When you select Practice a box appears prompting you to set the handicap of the practicer. This allows you too see how the handicap system works. You can also select to allow croquet shots or not. Menus: Menu items are selected by LEFT clicking on the main menu title. If there are sub-menus, then click on one of the options that appear. The menus are: Game ---- Save: Saves the current game. You must select a name for the current game, ---- although you can overwrite an existing saved game (you are asked if you are sure). Load: Loads a saved game. The current game (if any)is erased, although ---- you can opt out. Games saved with previous versions will not work. Exit: Exits Kiwi Croquet and returns to Windows. ---- Set Speed --------- This displays a slider bar to adjust how fast the balls move. Once set, subsequent runs of KiwiCroquet adopt the same speed. Options ------- Music: Sets the source of background music, or turns it off. ----- Cheats: Toggles the cheat mode on/off. See cheat menu below. ------ Slow Motion: ----------- Toggles slow motion; if checked, balls move much slower than normal so you can see what's going on more clearly. Help: Displays this file. ---- About: Displays version number, etc. ----- Cheats (if enabled) ------ Takeback: Allows you to take back the most recent shot and try again. Not -------- fully tested at this time, but I have had no problems. Set Hoops: Allows you to set the "for hoop" for each ball. ---------