home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
PC-SIG: World of Games
/
PC-SIG World of Games (CDRM1080710) (1993).iso
/
1333
/
GUIDE
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1992-01-03
|
23KB
|
793 lines
User's Guide For
BALLOON SPELLER
ISD/ITD110
Version 3.01
KIDware
1380 156th NE, Suite H2
Bellevue, WA 98007
(206) 721-2556
(c) KIDware, 1992
All Rights Reserved
User's Guide for
BALLOON SPELLER
INTRODUCTION
BALLOON SPELLER is a program for home or school. You can play
three different spelling games using lists of words you input
or any of the 70 built-in lists. In "Word Flash," a word
appears from behind a giant hot air balloon and then
disappears. You spell the word from memory. In "Word Jumble,"
the letters of the word to be spelled are scattered around.
You move a balloon around picking up the letters to spell the
word. And, in "Word Guess," you guess the letters in the word
to be spelled (a Hangman type game).
COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS AND INSTALLATION PROCEDURE
To use BALLOON SPELLER, you need an IBM compatible computer
with at least 256K of memory, a floppy disk drive, DOS 2.0 (or
higher), and graphics capability (Hercules monochrome, CGA
color, EGA color, or higher). A mouse is optional. If you use
floppy disk drives, the disk is ready to use as is. But before
using the program, we suggest you do two things: make a backup
copy of the disk and then set up the disk to your particular
system. If you use a hard disk drive, install the disk on your
hard drive and then do the suggested setup. Depending on the
number and types of disk drives you have, follow the given
instructions.
Page 1 - (c) KIDware, 1992
Single Floppy Drive System:
1. Place DOS disk in drive A and start system. Have
formatted blank disk ready for use.
2. Replace DOS disk with BALLOON SPELLER disk and type:
COPY A:*.* B: This will allow you to copy the files
from the BALLOON SPELLER disk (referred to by DOS as
disk A) to your blank disk (referred to by DOS as
disk B). Follow instructions given by computer.
3. The backup procedure is now complete. Put the
original copy of the BALLOON SPELLER disk in a safe
place; you will always use your copy. Now, place
that copy in drive A and proceed to setup
instructions.
Dual Floppy Drive System:
1. Place DOS disk in drive A and blank formatted disk in
drive B; start system.
2. Replace DOS disk with BALLOON SPELLER disk and type:
COPY A:*.* B: This will allow you to copy the files
from the BALLOON SPELLER disk to your blank disk.
3. The backup procedure is now complete. Put the
original copy of the BALLOON SPELLER disk in a safe
place; you will always use your copy. Now, place
that copy in drive A (or B) and proceed to setup
instructions.
Hard Disk System:
1. Start system.
2. You first need to create a directory for the
programs. At C: prompt, type MD C:\BS This creates
a directory name BS on your hard disk (you may use
another name if you want). Now, move to that
directory by typing CD C:\BS
3. Place the BALLOON SPELLER disk in drive A. Type:
COPY A:*.* C: This will allow you to copy the files
from the BALLOON SPELLER disk to your hard disk.
4. Installation is now complete. Put the original copy
of the BALLOON SPELLER disk in a safe place. Proceed
to setup instructions.
Page 2 - (c) KIDware, 1992
SETUP INSTRUCTIONS
To set up the disk for your system, place your copy of the
program disk in a drive (or go to directory C:\BS on a hard
disk) and type: SETUP You will be asked several questions;
answer accordingly. The setup routine will write two files to
your disk, so if using a floppy disk, make sure it is not
write-protected.
The first question asks what type of graphics system you have:
Hercules monochrome (HGC), CGA (Color Graphics Adapter) or EGA
(Enhanced Graphics Adapter). Choose the proper response
(either use the cursor key to move the highlighting and press
<Enter> when the desired response is highlighted or press H for
Hercules, C for CGA, E for EGA). Initially, the computer will
highlight the graphics system it believes you are using. If
you have VGA graphics, choose EGA as your response. If you use
Hercules monochrome graphics, all text screens will appear half
width, graphics screens may be slightly compressed, and of
course no color will appear. This is normal. If any screen is
scrambled, you have to adjust your monitor's vertical and/or
horizontal hold controls. Unfortunately, the Hercules graphics
driver may not work with all computer/monitor systems.
The second question asks if you have a mouse installed. If you
have a mouse, answer 'Yes'; if not, answer 'No'. If you use a
mouse, a utility will be loaded that allows your mouse to
perform the cursor key movements and two other keystrokes
described in the program running instructions. For your
reference, the mouse will perform the following:
Move Mouse Up - Cursor Up
Move Mouse Down - Cursor Down
Move Mouse Left - Cursor Left
Move Mouse Right - Cursor Right
Press Left Mouse Key - <Enter>
Press Right Mouse Key - <Esc>
So, whenever the running instructions call for cursor key
movements, or use of the <Enter> or <Esc> keys, you may use
your mouse instead. Also, in order to use the mouse, a mouse
software driver must be loaded prior to using the BALLOON
SPELLER disk. This driver is usually called MOUSE.COM and is
almost always loaded when your computer boots up, hence you
probably don't have to make any changes. If, however, no
driver is loaded when your machine boots up, you have to load
it yourself. Refer to your mouse's manual for instructions.
The next setup question asks if you want sound. In most cases,
you should answer 'Yes' since BALLOON SPELLER uses music and
sounds to indicate correct/incorrect responses. If however,
Page 3 - (c) KIDware, 1992
for instance in a classroom situation, you find the sound
disturbing, then answer 'No'. If you turn the sound off, there
will be slight delays in the programs where sounds would
usually be heard. You may also hear some low-volume clicking
sounds.
You can save word lists on disk. The fourth question asks
which disk drive you will use to store your spelling lists.
Make your choice (the letters A and B usually designate floppy
drives, C and D designate hard drives, and E and F designate
RAM drives). The drive you choose will be made the default
drive (the drive the program will look at for stored files).
If desired, you can still change this drive in the program.
Also, word lists can be written to your printer. Printers can
be connected to one of three ports on the computer (usually
LPT1). The fifth question asks where your printer is
connected. All printing will go to the designated port.
The last question involves highlight color. In all menu
selections, there will be one key highlighted in some color.
One way to select the corresponding menu item is to press that
highlighted key. Because different graphics system have
different contrast and color characteristics, the default
highlight color (bright yellow) may not be acceptable. Use the
up/down cursor keys to change the highlight color until it is
acceptable to you, then press <Enter>.
Page 4 - (c) KIDware, 1992
PROGRAM RUNNING INSTRUCTIONS
Once the program is installed and set up, you can run it.
Please note if you ever change your system setup (different
graphics system or add/delete mouse), you should rerun the
setup program. Running the program is simple. If you are
using floppy drives, place your copy of the program disk in a
drive. If using a hard disk, move to the proper directory by
typing: CD C:\MS At the DOS prompt, type GO and press
<Enter>. After loading some needed files, a title screen will
appear. Press any key to clear the screen and a menu screen
will appear.
When the menu appears, you have four options: (1) Program
Description, (2) Word List Editor, (3) Balloon Speller Games,
or (4) Exit Program. To make your menu selection here (and in
all menus), you may use the cursor keys (or a mouse, if
installed) or a letter key. To make the selection using the
cursor keys, use the up/down keys until the desired selection
is highlighted, then press <Enter>. To use the letter keys,
press the highlighted key in the desired menu selection. Make
your choice. Choose "Program Description" for a brief
explanation of the BALLOON SPELLER program, or choose "Exit
Program" to stop. If you choose one of the other two options,
continue as instructed below.
One last comment: the <Esc> key plays an important role in
running the program. At any time, if you want to leave a
particular menu screen, or any screen, pressing the <Esc> key
will usually accomplish this. Always try <Esc> if you seem to
be stuck somewhere.
Page 5 - (c) KIDware, 1992
WORD LIST EDITOR
In the Word List Editor, you have seven options:
(1) Enter New Word List: choose this option to input a
new list. The use of the list editor is quite
straightforward. Type in the words. You can use
lower or upper case letters. The left-right cursor
keys and <Space> bar move the cursor within a word.
<Del> and <Backspace> can be used to delete letters.
The up-down cursor keys and <Enter> key move you from
word to word.
(2) Edit Current Word List: choose this option to change
the list currently being used by the program. You
can add new words or delete old ones. To delete a
word simply blank it out using the space bar, delete
key or backspace key. The program will close up any
gaps left in the list. To add a word, type it in a
blank space or type over an unwanted word.
(3) Use Built-In List: choose this option to use one of
the 70 built-in spelling lists. There are ten lists
for each grade level from K to 6. The program will
first ask what disk drive the lists are on (the
default drive selected during setup is suggested).
Next, it ask which grade level (K,1,2,3,4,5,6) and
then which particular list (1-10). Finally, you are
asked if you want the words to be in lower case or
upper case letters. The built-in spelling lists
cannot be changed. You may, however, read in a built-
in list, modify it and then save it to your own disk
for future use.
(4) Read Word List From Disk: choose this option to read
in a list you have previously saved using the list
editor. You are asked which disk drive to look on.
The files you have stored on the selected drive (60
files maximum) will be listed. Use the cursor keys
to point to the file you wish to read in, then press
<Enter>. Once read in, you may edit/save/print the
list.
(5) Save Word List On Disk: choose this option to save
your current word list. The program asks which drive
to use and asks for a file name. The name must start
with a letter and can be no more than 8 characters
long.
(6) Print Word List On Printer: choose this option to
print out your list. The list will be printed on the
Page 6 - (c) KIDware, 1992
printer port selected in the BALLOON SPELLER setup
procedure.
(7) Return to Main Menu: choose this option to go back
to the BALLOON SPELLER main menu.
Page 7 - (c) KIDware, 1992
BALLOON SPELLER GAMES
Once you have entered or selected a word list, you can play one
of three games In each game, every word on the spelling list
will be used (unless you stop the game before completing the
list). The <Esc> key is used to stop any game. There are
several ways to enter the spelling of the word. Each method is
explained with the corresponding games.
The three games that can be played are:
1. Word Flash: In this game, you first make the word
appear from behind a large balloon by pressing the
<Space> bar. You then must spell the word by
selecting the letters in order. You can press the
letters on the keyboard to spell the word or use the
cursor keys (or mouse) to move the displayed marker
until it surrounds the desired letter, then press
<Enter>. You are given three tries to spell each
word. You can flash the word again, but this counts
as a try. The fewer tries you need to spell a word,
the more points you score.
2. Word Jumble: Here, the letters to spell the word are
scattered about. You must spell the word by picking
up the letters in proper order. Use the cursor keys
to steer your balloon. You are allowed three errors
before the spelling is given to you.
3. Word Guess: The final game is like Hangman. You
guess at letters in the word. If your guess is
correct, the letters are shown in their proper
position. If your guess is incorrect, you continue.
You have five guesses each represented by a balloon.
With each incorrect guess, a balloon deflates. After
five misses, the proper spelling is given to you.
Once you have finished playing a game (either by trying all
words in the list or stopping the game), your score will be
given to you and a list of the words you had trouble with will
be provided. At this point, you will be returned to the
Balloon Speller Games menu, where you can choose another game
or choose to return to the BALLOON SPELLER main menu
Page 8 - (c) KIDware, 1992
HIDDEN MENU OPTION
Realizing this program will usually be used by unattended
children, we have added an option that should prevent any
accidental or intentional stopping of the program or changing
of the spelling lists; it is the Hidden Menu option.
The Hidden Menu option works with the Balloon Speller Games
Menu only. What the option does is turns off the ability to
return to the BALLOON SPELLER main menu. The option is turned
off or on by pressing <Ctrl>-H while in the Balloon Speller
Games Menu. Notice that when the option is on, only one of the
three games can be selected and the message "HM On" appears at
the lower right hand corner of the screen. When the option is
off, the menu appears as normal.
OPTIONAL RUNNING INSTRUCTIONS
If you have previously saved a word list on disk (assumed to be
the default drive selected in the setup procedure), you can
automatically load that list and go directly to the Balloon
Speller Games selection menu. To do this type:
GO filename
and press <Enter>. For example, if you have saved a list named
LIST12, you would type:
GO LIST12
and press <Enter>. The program will go directly from the title
screen to the game selection menu once the desired list is
found. If the named list cannot be found, the BALLOON SPELLER
program will tell you so and will pause somewhere within the
Word List Editor. This new feature will only work on lists you
have saved, not built-in lists.
Page 9 - (c) KIDware, 1992
GENERAL COMMENTS
1. When reading word lists from disk or writing them to
disk, please make sure the disk you want to save the
list on is in the proper drive and the drive is
ready. The program contains some error trapping
routines, but at times erratic behavior occurs when
try to read-write from-to a disk drive that is not
properly ready.
2. Similarly, when printing word lists, make sure the
printer is on-line and ready before starting the
printing option.
WARRANTY INFORMATION
The BALLOON SPELLER program has been written with care, but
there still may be bugs and problems. If you find any such
problems, please let us know. We cannot guarantee the program
is completely error free. We do guarantee it will load and
run. If, within one year of purchase, the program fails to
load and run, simply return the original disk to us (postpaid)
for a quick replacement.
This warranty only applies to manufacturing defects. No
further guarantees are expressed or implied. Also note that
copying the disk (other than one backup copy) or this printed
material is strictly prohibited by US and world copyright laws.
For further information or help, contact us at:
KIDware
1380 156th NE, Suite H2
Bellevue, WA 98007
(206) 721-2556
Page 10 - (c) KIDware, 1992
REGISTRATION FORM
ISD/ITD110 - Balloon Speller
We want to know who you are. By sending us this registration
form, we can inform you of any updates or new products from
KIDware. Thanks for your time. This information will only be
used by KIDware.
Name __________________________________________________________
Address _______________________________________________________
City __________________________________________________________
State _____________________________ Zip ______________________
Date of purchase
_______________________________________________________________
Where did you buy this disk?
_______________________________________________________________
Comments?
Send the form to:
KIDware
1380 156th NE, Suite H2
Bellevue, WA 98007
Page 11 - (c) KIDware, 1992
