Welcome to Solo Deluxe!

Solo Deluxe is a Newton version of three popular Solitaire games. With Solo Deluxe, you can play Klondike, Canfield and Pyramid, each with different playing options. See the end of this file for instructions on how to play.

This is version 1.62 and has been tested for quite a while, but if you find any bugs, please report them to me. If you have any suggestions on anything, IÕll be more than happy to read them and try to implement them as well (when time permits!).

Changes in 1.62

Fixed a bug where starting a new game after choosing the Restart with same deck function once would not use a new deck but always use the same one.
Fixed a bug with the options dialog (the text which hides the other options when selecting options for Pyramid was draggable).

Changes in 1.61

Fixed a bug that stopped the welcome screen to be shown, even if it was set to be in the preferences.
Fixed the delay until the Jocker appeared when a game was won (this might affect performance just a bit).

Changes in 1.6

Finally fixed the bug making Solo Deluxe incompatible with Extras Drawer management software (removed the code that changed Solo DXÕs icon during a game).
Added an option not to hear SoloÕs card sounds and surprises (useful for playing during long meetings).
Added the option to display your current luck score during game play.
Fixed a bug that made playing using the Tap method a very unlucky experience! This was a biggie!
Fixed another few bugs
Made it impossible to use both the Welcome screen and Autostart together since this caused errors.
Corrected a spelling mistake in the Help file (if you care, replace the one you have).

Changes in 1.5

Jumped to version 1.5 to stop the confusion about the old Solo 1.41 (some people thought it was more recent than Solo Deluxe 1.1).
Better memory management (heap space doesnÕt get mangled as much, especially on MP100s)
Fixed a bug that caused problems on Newtons using utilities like ExtraExtras (please report any problems).

Changes in 1.1

New optional SoloDecksTwo file for those of you that miss the deck used in Solo 1.41... contains another deck as well. 
Couple of changes to the Help file.
A couple of spelling mistakes in the help file and the JokerÕs comments.
Bug fix: when undoing a Deck flip, the number of remaining flips would not increase.
Bug fix: Cannot tap through the Welcome screen anymore
Interface: info button now complies with interface guidelines
Interface: "How many card flipped" outline dissapears during game play.

Solo Deluxe is distributed as a stuffit file. If you do not have the decompressor for this file format, you can download it from many ftp sites or on-line services. It should show up on Compuserve, America On Line, eWorld and the Internet (it should be on newton.uiowa.edu). If you canÕt find it, let me know! IÕll either send you the decompressor or the uncompressed file. Then again, if youÕre reading this, it means you did find it!

Solo is FREEWARE! If you want updates sent to you directly by e-mail, send me mail at arby@apple.com! Please distribute freely, as long as this file is included.


Here a couple of things you should know:

Solo Deluxe takes up quite a bit of RAM (about 130K), especially if you have the Help book  and the extra Deck designs installed (SoloHelp (19K), SoloDecks (45K) and SoloDecksTwo (31K)). If this is too much for you, find a copy of Solo 1.41 (regular version with Klondike only) which takes up less RAM (58K) and which also comes with Solo Lite , a lighter (35K) version that supports all the same rules, but without the gadgets.


Features of Solo Deluxe:

- Three different games (with multiple options)
- Many card designs
- Auto Start in your favorite game
- Iconizable
- Fun animation and ending
- Scoring based on how lucky you are
- Statistics (games played/won) 
- and more!

Following you will find some information on many topics, including rules to the games.

Have fun!

Arby

Send comments/suggestions/bug reports to:

Renaud Boisjoly
AppleLink: Renaud1
Internet: arby@apple.com
3421 Aubry, Longueuil, QuŽbec, Canada J4M 2W4

Thanks to Scott Leapman, Matthiew Dixon Cowles and Jeremy Wyld for beta testing! And to Scott Fringer for helping out with DOS compression stuff.


Decompressing Solo Deluxe

If you are using a Mac, simply decompress the enclosed files with a Stuffit compatible decompressor. 

If you are using a PC, you might need to de-binhex the file first (depending on where you got it). There is a program called BINHEX that will do that for you. Then you will need UNSTUFF (make sure you have the latest version) to unstuff the files. Both of these programs are available almost everywhere, but if you canÕt find them let me know. Once this is done, youÕll have all the files you need and you can then install them (using the Windows Connection Kit).


Installing Solo Deluxe

When you install Solo Deluxe on your Newton, You have the option of installing the Help File (SoloHelp) and Extra Decks (SoloDecks and/or SoloDecksTwo) as well. These take up a little more RAM, but theyÕre worth it! The SoloDecks file (not SoloDecksTwo) also contains a couple of sounds that are used by the game if they are there. SoloDecks (not Two) also contains Back designs for the cards. If you donÕt install these, you will get the default Card and Back design, and you will not get the special sounds. You may also install these packages on an external storage card, even if Solo is in your NewtonÕs internal storage memory. SoloHelp and SoloDecks do not appear in the Extras Drawer, but you can remove them the regular way.

Removing Solo Deluxe

If you ever decide to remove Solo Deluxe (why?) you might want to be aware of two things. Solo creates some preferences in your NewtonÕs memory, they are small, but they are there. There is no way for a programmer to know when you actually delete an application (there is no difference between removing an app and removing a card which contains the app). Because of this, you can end up with some data you do not need, which is why there is an option in Solo DeluxeÕs preferences to clear the preferences when you quit Solo Deluxe. In such a case, the memory is freed from your Newton, and if you remove Solo Deluxe at that point, no preferences will stay in your NewtonÕs precious memory.

Also, since SoloHelp and SoloDecks do not appear in the Extras Drawer, you might want to remember to remove them as well when you remove Solo.

General rules

You probably know how to play some form of solitaire, and the specific rules for each game follows this topic, but here are a few pointers for general operations.

Tap New Game to select the game you wish to play.
Tap the deck to get more cards.
Tap the Lock icon to enable dragging the Deck, Tap again to lock it and resume play.
Tap Restart  to replay the same game, with or without the same deck.
Tap the "i" button for Information and Options

Klondike Rules

There are three components to the game: the Deck, the four Foundations and the seven Columns.

Place cards in descending order and alternating suites ( i.e. 10 of Hearts, 9 of Spades, etc.) down the columns, the King being the highest value and the only card allowed in an empty column. 

Aces can go to the Foundations at the top. You then build the Foundations in ascending order of the same suite.


Canfield Rules

Canfield is similar to Klondike, except the Foundation card is not necessarily the Ace. If not, a King follows an Ace when building descending suites and vice-versa!

This game adds a fourth component: the Stock. Only Cards from the Stock go to empty columns until it becomes empty, at which time you can use cards from the Deck to fill these empty columns.


Pyramid Rules

Pyramid is very simple to play, but very hard to finish (the reward is good though).  The goal is to combine cards whose values total 13 i.e. 6 & 7, 8 & 5, single King, etc. Simply tap on the cards each in turn to select a pair.

You go through the Deck once, one card at a time. When playing the 2 card game, the previously dealt card is fed to a second pile from which you may also combine cards. This option makes the game somewhat easierÉ


The scoring system

Scoring is based on Luck Points. For every game you play, you lose a little bit of points, but when you win you get a bunch of points. The harder the settings, the more points you get. Win twice in a row and get extra points! Bring your luck to 100% and see what happens! By the way, the Joker card is good luck too!

Cheating

Playing a card from the Deck or Stock to the Columns, then moving it to another column (Klondike & Canfield), moving a card from the Foundations back into play or changing the number of cards flipped half way through the gameÉ

Although these moves are not valid (and illegal!), the game lets you play them anyway, but beware you may feel guilty after cheating this way (and your luck points may decrease slightly in some cases)!


How to improve your luck

Use harder settings and donÕt cheat.

Hint: flipping 1 card an unlimited number of times is not very good for your luck.

Using the same deck twice might be fun, but youÕll loose a few luck points!

Winning twice in a row is considered the luckiest thing of all!

Seeing a joker card is also lucky!

If you win an average number of games, your luck will stay pretty much the same (it might improve a bit), if you win more than the average person, your luck will increase, now this is based on the statistics I (with the help of my beta testers) managed to compile by playing many games, over time, future versions of the game will be more fair, especially if you let me know how many games youÕve played, which settings you used and how many youÕve won. Send me mail!


Changing your Preferences

Tap the ÒiÓ button and select ÒPrefsÓ. 

Card design: Choose your favorite!

Back Design: Many styles to choose from!

Specific options: Choose the number of flips of the Deck, the playing technique (drag or tap), etc.

Auto Startup: Start Solo Deluxe directly into your favorite game!


Displaying the Welcome screen

So you like the Welcome screen eh? But you decided you didnÕt want to see it anymore? And now you want to see it again? Well fear no more! You can display it again by choosing ÒShow Welcome screenÓ in the Preferences.
ever need to remove Solo Deluxe completely. You might also want to remove the packages named ÒSoloDecksÓ and ÒSoloHelpÓ.


Using the small icons

Lock: To lock the DeckÕs position, otherwise, you can drag it around (or the Flip arrow).

Lightning bolt: To clean up the screen.

Little Spade: Iconize the game. Tap the button which appears in your Notepad to return to a productive game of Solo (interrupted by some annoying Òreal workÓ).


ThatÕs it! Have fun!



Arby