|

|
|
Installation
Follow these steps to get started:
- Run the Install Tool from your Palm™ Desktop
directory.
- Click Add, and add the LastOne.prc file to your HotSync®
list.
- HotSync your Palm OS handheld.
How to Play
Last One is a game for two to four players, in which the object is to
get rid of the cards in your hand onto a discard pile by matching the
number or suit of the previous discard. Each player may be a human or
the computer, but at least one human player is required.
For two player games, each player starts with 7 cards. For three and
four player games, each player starts with 5 cards.
Before a human player's turn, the screen displays whose turn it is, as
well as the last card played and score and number of cards for all
players. The direction of play is also shown, using an arrow above the
player names. To play, click Continue from this screen. Your hand
will be displayed, as well as the last card played. You must then either
play a legal card from your hand (by tapping on it) or draw a card. When
you are done with your turn, tap the Next button to proceed.
A legal card is:
- Any card that matches either number or suit of the current top
discard.
- A wild card (8 by default) in which case you get to pick a suit.
If there are no cards left to draw, the discard pile will be
"recycled", and game play continues.
The first player to get rid of all their cards wins that round, and the
other players score penalty points for the cards remaining in their
hand.
A sort menu in the card display form allows sorting your hand in any of
the following ways:
- Special cards first
- By number
- By suit
- By number, then by suit
Game Options
The game options system allows for several game options, as well as
redefining the special meanings and scores of any card in the deck. The
options editor is accessible via the Game Options button on the title
screen.
The following meanings can be assigned to cards:
- Wild (any suit)
This card is playable on top of any card. When it is played, a dialog
will appear prompting for a new current suit.
- Wild (same suit)
This card is playable on top of any card. When it is played, the card's
suit becomes the current suit.
- Skip
Skips the next player.
- Reverse
Reverses the direction of game play.
- Draw Two
Forces the next player to draw two cards and forfeit their turn.
- Draw Two (cont.)
If draw card accumulation is enabled, this card adds two cards to the
number to be drawn. This card may not be used to start such a sequence,
though.
- Draw Four
Forces the next player to draw four cards and forfeit their turn.
- Draw Four (cont.)
If draw card accumulation is enabled, this card adds four cards to the
number to be drawn. This card may not be used to start such a sequence,
though.
- Play Again
Allows the player to play another card in the same turn.
- Start Melee
Starts a "melee" with the next player. If the next player plays the next
card in the same suit, the player starting the melee must draw a number of
cards equal to the number of the second card. If not, that player must
draw a number of cards equal to the card that started the melee. This
special action is only usable with card numbers 2 through 9.
By default, the only card with a special action assigned is 8, which is
a Wild (any suit) card. It's score is 50, the face cards are scored 10,
and the other cards are scored by their face value (1 for Ace, 2 for 2,
etc). These settings can be returned to at any time by selecting Reset
Game from this form's Option menu.
The following game options are also available:
- Must play card to continue
Normally, a turn can be ended after playing or drawing a card. This
option forces the player to play a card before the turn can end.
- Wild card must match discard
This option forces a wild card to match the last card discarded, by number
or suit.
- Allow draw card accumulation
A draw card will normally force the next player to draw a certain number
of cards. With this option enabled, the next player may play another draw
card to add to the number of cards to draw and pass it onto the player
after him.
- Allow play after drawing card
Normally, after a card has been drawn, the player may not play a card in
the same turn. This option allows such a play to take place.
- Double deck
This option starts the game with a 104-card deck (2 standard decks of 52
cards). This option is recommended if any card higher than 6 (or more
than one card) is assigned the Start Melee special function, to avoid
having no cards to draw.
- Rotate first player
Each hand starts with the first player by default. With this option sets,
the starting player rotates with each hand in a game.
- UNO-style scoring
Normally in Crazy Eights, each player's score at the end of a round is
calculated from the cards they are holding, and the player with the lowest
score wins. With this option set, the scoring is like that of the game
UNO®, where the winner of a round has their score increased by the
total score of the cards that everyone else is holding.
Game variations may be stored in a database for later use. The Save
As and Load/Delete options of the game options form menu allow
management of this database. The shareware version has a restriction of 3
stored variations. It comes pre-loaded with option settings for the Last
One variation, and those for that... other... Palm OS Crazy Eights
game.
Preferences
The Preferences dialog is available from the title form's menu.
- Verbose AI Players
This option enables messages showing when the AI players draw or play
cards, as well as what cards they play.
|