Hotel On Mayfair is a version of the popular property trading game. A knowledge of this game is assumed. There are two versions on the cassette.

On side 1, 1 - 5 players battle with the computer.
On side 2, 2 - 6 players can compete against each other.

The following instructions apply to both versions.

The board is displayed on screen throughout the game. To its right, the player cash and property value is permanently displayed and updated - the 'C' value being the players' cash, and the 'P' value being the players' property value.

The centre of the board is used for communication between player and computer during the game.

Because the whole board is displayed, properties are numbered, not named.

A Help Menu is available to each player before a turn is taken. The Help Menu lists the options which cover all aspects of the game. To execute an option, the initial letter contained within the brackets is simply pressed.

Each option will now be covered.

Simply shows the position on the board of each player's marker.

Used only when a player wishes to charge rent to another whose marker has landed on owned property. As in the normal game, the owner has only a few seconds to make the claim, else the rent due is lost.

Allows a player to erect buildings on sites, up to a maximum of five houses (1 hotel) on each site.

The following rules apply to site improvement:

1. Before any buildings are erected, a player must hold all sites within a set. (Note: The set numbers are not shown on the board but are easily calculated. They are numbered 1 - 8 inclusive moving from the 'Go' square, clockwise around the board).
2. Buildings cannot be erected on stations or on either of the utilities.
3. Sites must be built upon evenly. The difference in houses between sites in a set must not exceed 1. i.e. a player cannot erect four houses on 'Mayfair' and only 2 on 'Park Lane'.
4. The computer automatically places hotels on sites that have the equivalent of five houses on them. For example, should a player wish to erect 3 hotels on three unimproved sites then that player must purchase 15 houses - five for each site since five houses are required for each hotel.
    
   Example: Should a player wish to erect three hotels on three sites - each of which already contains four houses then that player simply purchases another three houses - one for each of the three sites - making a total of five on each site.
5. If anything illegal is attempted, the computer will respond with the message "You can't!!!". Sometimes when this happens, the reason may not be apparent, but the computer is programmed accurately to detect illegal moves.
    
   Here are some of the 'not so obvious' illegal moves:

   A.	Trying to purchase more than a player's cash will allow.
   B.	Trying to build unevenly.
   C.	Trying to build more houses or hotels than are available.
   D.	Trying to buy more buildings than the set will hold.

Can be carried out only on unimproved sites. The mortgage value is half that of the purchase price.

Rent cannot be charged on a site which has been mortgaged, nor can houses be built on sites in a set which contain a mortgaged property. A mortgaged site may be transferred to another player or lifted by the owner.

Displays the property owned by a player. The centre of the board will display the 'Title Deed' which shows the cost of the property, the rents that may be collected, the house/hotel cost, and the property number.

Allows players to sell buildings back to the bank for half their original price. The same rules apply for selling buildings as for erecting buildings.

Players may not sell buildings unevenly or sell back hotels in exchange for cash and four houses if there are no houses available for the transaction. In such circumstances, a player may be forced to sell all buildings on the set.

Allows players to trade sites, not buildings by selling, buying and exchanging. Only unimproved sites may be traded.

Players may buy from and sell to the computer, but due to memory limitations exchanges cannot be considered by the computer. The computer will not approach any player. It is up to the player to approach the computer with a sensible offer.

Used to make a move around the board. The computer will move the player's marker the number of places as shown by the dice.

Players landing on unowned sites have the option to 'B'uy or 'V'iew. The View option simply displays the remaining sites of the set.

If a player rejects the site it is immediately auctioned and sold to the highest bidder. A player may make a bid by pressing the 'B' key, entering the player number, and the bid.

A player landing on owned property is subject to a rent payment if rent is claimed by the owner.

Prints the game status to a printer.

Warning: If no printer is connected, the computer will 'hang'. If this should happen, the game will be lost!

The Report is available only in version 2 of the game.

Allows the present game to be saved on cassette tape. Place a blank tape in the recorder and then follow instructions on screen.

The saved game data may then be loaded into the computer using the 'Saved Game' option at the beginning of the program.

Note: No options may be selected from the 'Help Menu'. The Help Menu serves only as a reminder to execute an option from the Help Menu first press the 'Z' key to return play to the game then select the option.

Hotel On Mayfair has been designed to be as user-friendly as possible, and uses single key instructions wherever possible, and reacts instantly in most cases. Only on occasions when a player is requested for a value, such as a property number, or a cash value, will a player need to press ENTER after an input.

Side 1 contains Hotel On Mayfair (with the computer as an opponent). To load, enter:

PCLEAR 8 (ENTER)
CLOADM (ENTER)

Side 2 contains Hotel On Mayfair (without the computer as an opponent). To load enter:

PCLEAR 8 (ENTER)
CLOADM (ENTER)

If you forget to enter PCLEAR 8, the program will crash!