PC-MONOPOLY
Copyright (C) 1989 by Jerold A. Garber
FOOTHILLS SOFTWARE
1515 Shenandoah Drive
Boise, Idaho 83712
PLAYING GUIDE
INTRODUCTION
The object of the game is to acquire as much wealth as possible.
In the good old American tradition that is done by investing
wisely, in the case of this game in various types of real estate.
And unlike some similar games, PC-MONOPOLY permits a full range
of "negotiations" between players further adding to the playing
interest.
There are several advantages associated with playing PC-MONOPOLY
on your IBM compatible computer. First, the game is very fast.
The slow chores of handling "money" and calculating financial
transactions are eliminated. Most of PC-MONOPOLY is automatic;
one simply tells the computer what to do and the necessary
exchanges of money or property are handled by the invisible
banker - the computer. Another advantage is the ability to save
a game to disk and resume it later.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
PC-MONOPOLY will run on any IBM compatible computer.
If a color card and monitor are present the game runs in full
color, but it is just as much fun to play on a monochrome
system.
There are no other items required to enjoy the game.
GETTING STARTED
Before starting to play be sure to make a playing copy of the
distribution disk. It's always a good idea to keep original
program disks tucked safely away while playing or working from a
copy. Consult the computer manufacturer instructions for
information about how to make a playing copy.
To run PC-MONOPOLY simply insert the disk into the A: floppy
drive and at the A:> prompt type PCM and press Enter. The game
will load into memory and the disk will not be needed again
until you wish to save a game or restart.
If you wish to store PC-MONOPOLY on your hard disk, simply
create a directory for it and the game data file used to store
an unfinished game.
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SELECTING PLAYING OPTIONS
The computer is instructed by typing the letter (in either
upper or lower case) or number corresponding to the choice and
then pressing Enter. If prompted to "Press any key" it isn't
necessary to also press Enter.
After the program has loaded the game asks:
Resume disk filed game [Y/N]?
If a game has been stored on disk, it can be retrieved and
resumed by simply pressing 'Y' and Enter. The saved game will
be loaded into memory from the current directory on the disk in
the default drive. Entering an 'N' will, of course, permit
starting a new game.
If starting a new game, the computer will ask:
Sound on player moves [Y/N]?
Select the sound option by pressing 'Y' or play with no sound by
pressing 'N'.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS
On starting a new game the number of players must be selected.
PC-MONOPOLY permits up to six to play. Simply select the number
and press Enter.
PLAYER NAMES
PC-MONOPOLY prompts players by name, so enter the first name
of each player. Long names will be shortened automatically.
A symbol is displayed as each player name is requested. That
symbol becomes the player "piece" displayed on the screen board
as the game is played.
BEGINNING ACCOUNT BALANCE
PC-MONOPOLY automates much of the game. That includes
most financial transactions between the player and the
computer banker. At the start of a new game each player's
account is credited with a beginning balance of $1,500.
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PLAYING THE GAME
THE MAIN MENU
When the game is ready the game board is displayed on the screen.
The playing menu and the name, playing symbol and account balance
for player 1 are visible.
The following sections describe the Main Menu options.
1. ROLL AND MOVE
Entering a 1 moves the player displayed to the left of the Main
Menu. All menu options assume the player whose turn it is -- the
active player -- unless some other player is specified in a sub
menu. When a player selects "roll and move", the dice are
displayed and the player symbol is moved the appropriate number
of spaces.
2. BUY PROPERTY
If a player lands on an unowned lot, railroad or utility he/she
may buy it from the bank. (To buy property from another player,
see the Negotiate section.) Enter a 2. If the property is
unowned the price will be shown. To make the purchase, enter a
'Y' when prompted and the transaction is completed. The player
account will be debited the amount of purchase price. The
purchaser's symbol will appear on the property purchased and will
remain there as long as he/she owns the property.
3. PAY RENT
When a player lands on a property owned by another player, the
property owner is entitled to collect rent. The active player
pays the rent by entering a 3. The debit and credit transactions
are displayed and are automatic.
4. NEGOTIATE
Selecting to negotiate will bring up a sub menu consisting of the
following choices:
[L]oan
[P]ayment
[T]rade
[R]esume play
To borrow money from another player, the active player presses L.
The computer bank does not make loans.
Selecting P allows the active player to make a payment to another
player as in repaying a loan.
The T option will permit trading one piece of property for
another.
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PC-MONOPOLY asks for the name of the player negotiated with and
amounts or property numbers as appropriate.
Pressing R will permit the active player to resume regular play
at the Main Menu.
5. PASS TURN
Each time a 5 is entered PC-MONOPOLY will pass the active player
status to the next player and display that player and his/her
account balance.
6. BANKRUPTCY
An active player declares bankruptcy when he/she has a debt that
cannot be paid. An active player may elect to quit the game by
declaring bankruptcy at any time. When the player confirms the
decision to declare bankruptcy (by pressing 'Y' when prompted)
the remaining assets of that player are returned to the bank and
the player's symbol is removed from the game "board."
7. BUY BUILDINGS
Selecting item 7 at the Main Menu brings up a sub menu with the
following choices:
[H]ouse
H[O]tel
[R]esume play
Pressing H will prompt for the lot number on which the house is
to be "constructed." A display of numbers appears to aid in
selecting the appropriate lot number. A player must own all
property of a particular color group, that is, have a monopoly on
that color group, before building purchases are permitted. The
maximum number of houses on any one lot is 4. Hotels are bought
by selecting O. A hotel cannot be purchased until four houses
have been purchased for that lot. In other words, buying a hotel
is like buying a fifth building on that lot.
No "construction" of houses or hotels is permitted on utilities
or railroads.
8. SELL/MORTGAGE
The sub menu for the sell/mortgage option includes the following
choices:
[S]ell property
[M]ortgage property
[R]epay mortgage
Resume [P]lay
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Pressing S prompts for selling a building or a lot and further
prompts elicit information regarding the lot, number and type of
buildings as appropriate. The active player may choose to sell
to another player for a price mutually agreed upon or to the
bank. The bank sale returns a fixed lot price.
The M option permits mortgaging an owned lot. The bank advances
the set mortgage value and credits the players account. When a
lot is mortgaged rents may not be collected until the mortgage is
repaid. A lot may not be mortgaged if it has been developed
(buildings purchased) until the buildings have first been sold to
the bank. The owner symbol is displayed in a different color to
indicate a property is mortgaged. The bank assesses a 10%
service charge on all mortgages at the time the mortgage is
repaid.
Pressing R initiates the prompts for information needed to repay
a mortgage.
Pressing P resumes play.
9. INFO/SERVICES
The Info/Services item initiates the following sub menu options:
[A]ccount statement
[L]ot deed
Lot [P]rices/rents
Refresh [B]oard
[R]esume play
[Q]uit game
Pressing A will reveal the account record for the active player.
It presents a variety of information regarding that player's
holdings.
To see a "deed" for a piece of property press L. The player is
then prompted for a lot choice and the selected deed containing
price, mortgage, rent and building prices is displayed.
The prices and rents for all properties are displayed by pressing
P.
Sometimes the game "board" picks up stray characters from
incorrect keystrokes and the like. To remove the litter, the
board display may be refreshed by pressing B.
R when pressed will resume regular play.
The Q sub menu option will quit the game. An opportunity to save
the game to disk is prompted. Only one game may be saved on
disk; previously saved games are written over.
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GENERAL OBJECT
Again, the idea is to acquire and keep more wealth than the other
players. Success is a combination of luck, negotiating skill and
thinking ahead. Rather a lot like life itself!
OPPORTUNITIES AND OBSTACLES
The Chance and Community Chest spaces when visited will cause the
active player to automatically draw a card. The actions can vary
from taking an immediate trip to another place on the board to
receiving an inheritance. There are some good news cards, some
not so good news. The transactions resulting from drawing a
particular card are fully automatic.
AND FINALLY...
The author sincerely hopes you'll enjoy PC-MONOPOLY. If you
decide to register, that's great too! In any event you are free
to copy this program for friends and acquaintances as often as
you like. However, the program is copyrighted and the files
should be copied as a group without alterations of any kind.
Thanks for choosing to try PC-MONOPOLY! Enjoy it!
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^Z