Backgammon v1.1
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copyright 1995 Stand Alone & Erik Wiessmann


* What's it do?
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	Backgammon for the Newton plays exactly as the board game.  
Backgammon can be played agains a friend or against the Newton, or you 
can even watch the Newton play itself.

* Requirements
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	Backgammon needs Newton Operating system 1.3 or later (it will 
work on MessagePad 100s, MessagePad 110s, and MessagePad 120s, but has
not been tested on Original MessagePads or Sharp ExpertPads.) It also 
needs about 75k of free storage space.

* What's in this archive?
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	There are two Newton software packages and three text files in 
this archive. They are:
	* Backgamn.txt	document you're now reading. 'Nuff said.
	* Backgamn.pkg	software package you'll install on your Newton.
	* Register.txt		read me file describing the Register software.
	* Register.pkg		software package you can install on your Newton
						to use Register, which will allow you to pay 
						for Backgammon via email.
	* SAStuff.txt		A list of all the software currently published by
						Stand Alone.
	

* Installing Backgammon
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	First off, you must get the Backgammon software package onto your 
Newton. You can do this using the Newton Connection Kit (for Mac or 
Windows), the Newton Package Downloader, or the Newton Package 
Installer. See the documentaion with each of these for more 
information on installing packages with them.

* How To Play
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	Backgammon is a race between two armies of 15 men, each moving 
around a U shaped track consisting of 24 'points'. To play the game 
hold the Newton sideways.  The line down the center of the board is 
known as the 'bar'. On this version, the bar also tells the player 
or players whose turn it is.  The side near you is your outer (home) 
table.  Your pieces start from the upperleft and move clockwise.  The
object of the game is to move all your pieces onto your opponent's 
home board and then remove them from the board.  The loser of the 
previous game always moves first.  Each player's turn consists of 
rolling the two dice and moving their pieces the amount of points 
rolled on the die.  
	If the player rolls doubles, they can move their pieces four 
times the number on the die. If a player has two or more pieces on a 
point on the board his opponent cannot move onto that point.  A 
single piece on a point is called a 'blot.'  If this piece is landed 
on by the opponent, the point is captured and the captured piece is 
placed on the bar. The captured piece must re-enter the board before
any other pieces can be moved.  If the piece can not re-enter the 
board, the player forfeits their turn. A player can bear off (remove)
their pieces from the board on the first point of his circut when all
their pieces are on their home board.  The player who bears off all 
their pieces first wins! A piece may be removed if it is sitting on a
point equal to one of the dice, or if it is on the highest point, and
one of the dice is more than it (this sounds complicated, but play
it and you'll get the hang of it).  
	The Doubling Cube is used to increase the value of the game. If a 
player thinks they are going to win the current game, and it is the 
beginning of their turn, then they may double the value of the game.
Their opponent may accept the doubled value or forfeit the game. The 
game may not be doubled again until the opponent who did not request 
the previous doubling wishes to double the game's value or a new game
has started.Pressing the New button starts a new game and resets the 
scores.

* It's Shareware
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	What's this mean? It means that you gotta pay for it if you like 
it. You have a 30 day trial period for Backgammon. When it's over, 
Backgammon will stop working.  There are instructions for registering 
accessible via the info button. 

* Registering Backgammon
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	You have a 30 day trial period in which to examine Backgammon, 
during which it will function fully. Should you wish to register, 
you'll need to do one of the following:

	* Send us a check for $20 to:
		Stand Alone
		1146 Morse Ave., #3C
		Chicago, IL, 60626, USA
		
	* Using CompuServe, GO SWREG and register ID # 6830
	
	However you register, PLEASE be sure to include an email address 
(it's not vital, but it will result in MUCH quicker service) and 
your name, as entered in the Prefs -> Personal section of your 
Newton. This is used to generate the password we send you to unlock 
Backgammon, so it has to be exact.

	Once you register, you will receive a password from us. To use 
it, go to the registration window in Backgammon (under the "i" button).


* Contacting us
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	If you have any questions regarding Backgammon, or any other Stand 
Alone Newton application, please don't hesitate to contact us:

	Email:
		internet: 	info@standalone.com (<-- preferred)
		AOL: 		wiesse
		eWorld: 	Gottlb
		CompuServe:	76342,3057
		
	Phone:
		Voice: 		(312) 262-5150
		Fax:		(312) 262-5148
		
	Regular Mail:
		Stand Alone
		1146 Morse Ave., #3C
		Chicago, IL, 60626, USA
		
* Special Thanks
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	I'd like to thank the everyone for their help in play-testing 
Backgammon:
		Ashley Barnard
		Marc Field
		Jason Grazado
		Gary Greco
		Steve Holden
		Serg Koren
		Scott Leapman
		Steve Lewis
		Hardy Macia
		Dave Nanian
		Scott Silverman
		Glen Raphael
	

* Version History
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1.0	August 4, 1995		First public release
1.1 October 13, 1995 	Improved Newton level of play. Newton makes 
						moves faster. Several bugs
                   		worked out. Can remove pieces off the board
                   		anyway player wants.