Introduction

After a hard day in the gladiator arena or intense debating at Senate meetings, many educated Romans unwound after work by playing this challenging game. Like the Colosseum and the Pantheon, Roman Checkers is another part of Roman History that has been preserved for the enjoyment of today's TRS-80 Color Computer owner.

Roman Checkers is played on a standard checkerboard consisting of 64 squares: 8 across and 8 down. The object of the game is to outsmart an opponent and eventually occupy the most squares with your tokens. The tokens are two-sided and have an Eagle on one side and a Roman Monument on the other side. Player 1 is the Eagle and Player 2 is the Monument.

To capture your opponent's squares, you must trap one of his tokens between two of yours in vertical, horizontal or diagonal straight lines. When you trap your opponent's token between yours, your opponent's token will "flip". When the token flips, the square is yours.

Roman Checkers requires a TRS-80 16K Color Computer with at least 16K of memory. A game in progress may be saved on an optional cassette recorder.

Starting A Game

The screen will show:

KEYBOARD OR JOYSTICK (K OR J)?

Start the game by choosing the appropriate controls.

The screen will then show:

...ROMAN CHECKERS...

1 ONE PLAYER
2 TWO PLAYER
3 COMPUTER VS COMPUTER
4 INPUT GAME

SELECT (>)

(C) 1981 IMAGE PRODUCERS, INC.

Use the arrow keys to move the cursor to your choice, then press the Fire button. When 1 or 2 is chosen you will be asked to select the skill level at which you want to play. When 3 is chosen, you select a skill level for both computer players.

Level Of Difficulty

The Beginner Level is a defensive strategy game. The computer's move are automatic responses to what is on the board. In the Player Level, the computer not only responds, but applies strategy to gain preferred placement (edges and corners of the board, for example). In the Master Level, the computer selects moves based on its analysis of the next several moves in the game. Moves at this level take several minutes, as the computer has to "think". The box beneath the clock indicates the time required for each player's thought process.

When the computer plays against itself, you choose which level each side will play. For example, one side can be set for Master level and one side can be set for Beginner level. Observing computer matches can help you with your game by demonstrating strategy at various levels.

Deciding Who Goes First

After you select the skill level, the screen will show:

...WHO GOES FIRST?...

1 EAGLE
2 MONUMENT
3 TOSS A COIN

SELECT (>)

Decide which player will make the first move, or let the computer make a random choice by entering "Toss a Coin". When reviewing scores, the Eagle will be Player 1 and the Monument will be shown as Player 2. When playing the computer, the computer will always be the Monument. When this decision has been entered, the playing field appears on the screen.

Playing The Game

At the beginning of each game, two representatives from each team are in the centre represented by the Eagle and the Monument. The object of the game is to choose squares on the board that will trap one or more of the opponent's tokens between your own in vertical, horizontal or diagonal straight lines.

When you trap an opponent between two of your tokens, the opponent's trapped tokens become yours. Imagine the Eagles and Monuments as heads and tails of coins. Once flipped, the opposite symbol appears. Often a single move will cause simultaneous flipping in several directions.

At the upper right corner of the screen, you will see an 02. This shows that Player 1 has two occupied squares. At the lower right corner on the screen, you can see an 02 which means Player 2 is occupying two squares. As each player moves, these numbers will change. When every square on the board is filled, the game is over, and the player occupying the most squares wins.

The Clock

In the middle of the right margin is a digital timekeeper. This clock keeps consistent relative time (not actual time). The clock provides a point of reference for players who want to know how their timing compares with their opponent's.

The next page shows an illustration of a partially played game. Notice the scores of Player 1 and 2.

Note: Occasionally a message will appear on the screen which will announce that either Player 1 or Player 2 cannot move. For example, if it is announced that Player 1 cannot move, Player 2 will have the advantage to move again.

Scoring

During the game, the Eagle's score is kept in the upper right corner of the screen. The Monument's score is kept in the lower right corner of the screen. At the end of the game, a press of the button will bring up the running totals of games, as long as the same players compete.

Help Messages

At the right edge of the playing field, you will see some symboles which are convenient playing aids. To use any of these aids, move the cursor to the right edge of the screen, outside of the actual playing field. When the cursor is positioned over the symbol, press the button or the space bar to initiate the "help message".

The symbols are:

		?
		WA
		EA
		NA
		C
		S
		X
		T

Each is explained below.