Contents

This is Go-Moku Headache help file from 6.3.1996 by Aleksander Kelšin.

Go-Moku history

Rules of the game

How to play?

Comments, suggestions and bug-reports

License


License

Permission is granted to any invidual or institution to use, copy, or redistribute this game as long as it is not modified and that it is not sold for a profit.

Like anything else that's free, this game is provided as is and comes with no warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. In no event will authors be liable for any damages resulting from the use of this software.


Go-Moku History

The ancient Japanese game of Go-Moku (five stones), still popular in the Orient, is played on the intersections of a go board. Players take turns placing stones from an unlimited supply until one player wins by getting five in a line, orthogonally or diagonally. Experts are of the opinion that the first player can force a win, but as far as we know, no proof of this has ever been published (is that true?).

The game became popular in England in the 1880s under the name of go-bang. It was sometimes played on an ordinary draughts board, each player using 12 or 15 draughtsmen. Moves were permitted in any direction if no one had won by the time all the draughtsmen were placed.


Comments and bug-reports

Comments, suggestions and bug-reports

We appreciate any comments and suggestions that you can think of  this implementation of Go-Moku. The most important thing that you can do is notify us of any bug found in this program (playing algorithm bug, user-interface bug, ...).

Where to send?

Send comments and bug-reports to the authors using the Internet email service to any of the following addresses:

Aleksander.Kelsin@snet.fer.uni-lj.si

Primoz.Plesec@kiss.uni-lj.si


Rules of the game

See also: How to play?, Go-Moku history

Go-Moku is a board game for two players. It is played on a go board with 19x19 intersections (from 5x5 to 21x21 in this implementation).

Players take turn in placing black and white stones at intersections of a board.

Black player starts.

The object of a game is to get five stones of the same color in a line, orthigonally or diagonally.

The game concludes when one of the players wins or when the board fills up.


How to play?

See also: Rules of the game

How to start a game?

Game can be started either by selecting Game/New from the main menu (pressing the F2 key is equivallent) or by clicking the smiley button in the lower-left corner of a Go-Moku Headache window.

Note: When the program is started, game starts automagically, too.

How to place stones?

Using a mouse

When it is your turn, simply click the intersection you want to put a stone on.

Using a keyboard

YES, it is possible to play without having or using a mouse (who would actually want to do that?). You can use the following keys to put stones on a board:

Left	moves a cursor one intersection to the left.

Right	moves a cursor one intersection to the right.

Up	moves a cursor one intersection to the top.

Down	moves a cursor one intersection to the bottom.

Home	moves a cursor one intersection to the left and then it moves one intersection to the top, too.

PgUp	moves a cursor one intersection to the right and then it moves one intersection to the top, too.

End	moves a cursor one intersection to the left and then it moves one intersection to the bottom, too.

PgDn	moves a cursor one intersection to the right and then it moves one intersection to the bottom, too.

Enter	places a stone on the current intersection.

Space	places a stone on the current intersection.

Menu description

Game/New

Starts a new game.

Game/Hint

Suggests the best move. If there is more than one best move, one is choosen by random.

Game/Autoplay

Starts the Autoplay mode. Computer plays again itself instead of you.

Game/Open...

Opens a previously saved game. If the game is not already over, can be played further.

Game/Save As...

Saves a current game.

Game/Exit...

Terminates Go-Moku Headache session.

Edit/Undo move

Undos one last move.

Edit/Copy

Copies the board as a bitmap to the Clipboard.

Note: all settings from the Options menu are recorded in GMH.INI file in your windows directory.

Options/Game/Skill/Beginner

Sets the playing level to beginner level.

Options/Game/Skill/Intermediate

Sets the playing level to intermediate level.

Options/Game/Skill/Expert

Sets the playing level to expert level.

Options/Game/Skill/Master

Sets the playing level to expert level.

Options/Game/Grid size/Original

Sets the board size to the original go board size. 19x19 intersections, that is.

Options/Game/Grid size/Largest

Sets the board size to 21x21 intersections.

Options/Game/Grid size/Medium

Sets the board size to 13x13 intersections.

Options/Game/Grid size/Smallest

Sets the board size to 5x5 intersections.

Options/Game/Grid size/Custom...

Lets you to specify number of intersections on a board.

Options/Game/Who starts?/Human

Sets you as a black player. The one who starts, that is.

Options/Game/Who starts?/Computer

Sets you as a white player. If this option is checked, then computer starts the game.

Options/Interface/Mark last stone

Determines if the very last stone, that was put on a board by either player should be marked with a little circle.

Options/Interface/Computers delay

It this options is checked, then computer will wait for 1.5 second before making a move. This is bogus selections, since it disables al other applications for 1.5 second on every computerss turn.

Options/Interface/Colors/Default

Sets the board, stone and all other colors as I think is best.

Options/Interface/Colors/Grid lines...

Lets you to change the color of boards grid lines.

Options/Interface/Colors/Black stones...

Lets you to change the color of black stones.

Options/Interface/Colors/White stones...

Lets you to change the color of white stones.

Options/Interface/ColorsWinners marks...

When one of the players wins, the winning line of five equal stones if marked with a crosses. By using this option youre able to change this color.

Options/Interface/Colors/Board...

Lets you to change the color of a board (background).

Options/Interface/What Esc key does?/Exits

Sets the Esc key to terminate Go-Moku Headache.

Options/Interface/What Esc key does?/Minimizes

Sets the Esc key to minimize Go-Moku Headache.

Options/Interface/What Esc key does?/Nothing

Sets the Esc key to do nothing.

Help/Contents

Opens this help file at the Contents page.

Help/Rules of the game

Opens this help file at the Rules of the game page.

Help/How to play?

Opens this help file at this page.

Help/License...

Shows the Go-Moku Headache license box.

Help/About...

Shows the About Go-Moku Headache box.