Fliptile v1.0 by Jeff Tyrrill for TI-83
Fliptile is a game like Shiftrix for TI-85 (by Daniel Sczepansky),
reprogrammed from scratch.

The game file was last modified 3/23/97.

Thank you for playing Fliptile! Fliptile is a very addicting puzzle
game that will keep you playing for a long time. A TI-85 version of
this game is also available. Like all games, the more memory you have
free, the faster Fliptile will run. The program file is edit-locked.


Features:

-Designed with speed in mind
-Teacher key
-Save game
-High score
-Online quick-help

Features for Shiftrix users:

-Fliptile is faster
-Play control is more precise and responsive
-Cursor wraps around edges of screen


Gameplay and scoring:

The object of each level in Fliptile is to clear a randomly generated
grid of tiles that are either empty or filled. Move the cursor with the
arrow keys. Press 2nd over the space that you want to flip. A single
"flip" uses XOR logic to reverse the tiles on top of, above, below, to
the left of, and to the right of the cursor. When all the tiles are
empty, the level is complete.

The first level is very simple. In later levels, the patterns are more
complicated and overlap each other. There is a par given for each
level, which designates a reasonable number of "flips" that you should
use to complete the level. Go over par, and the "flip slack" is
reduced. Stay under par, and the "flip slack" is increased. The "flip
slack" is cumulative between levels. When it falls below zero, the game
is over. It starts at 2, which gives you a bit of leeway. The "high
score" is just the highest level that you have reached, and is
displayed between levels. Just play the game. You'll get the hang of
it!


Teacher key and saving games:

If the teacher approaches, press MODE, and your game will be quickly
saved, returning you to a blank home screen. When you run Fliptile
again and begin a game, you will be asked whether you want to continue
or start a new game.

By the way, if you quit the game between levels, the gamefield does not
have to be saved, which conserves a lot of memory. Saved games are
stored in the list FLIPS, which ranges from 85 to 1237 bytes. Other
than single-letter variables which are deleted upon exiting the program
(C, D, F, H, K, L, S, T, X, Y), and list FT, which is also deleted,
FLIPS is the only variable the program generates. FLIPS is not required
to exist on the calculator the first time Fliptile is run. If the list
FLIPS is edited outside of the game by people trying to cheat, Fliptile
will delete FLIPS and create a fresh one. Of course, that deletes the
saved game and high score.


Pausing the game and auto-shutoff:

Press ENTER during gameplay to pause the game. The current level, high
score, par, number of flips, and flip slack is shown. If you leave the
calculator in the pause screen for a few minutes, it will turn itself
off. Press ON to turn it on, and the pause screen will be displayed
again. During the game, the calculator will NOT shut itself off; it
must be paused for auto-shutoff to work.


TI-83/TI-85 differeces:
The TI-85 uses the pound sign (#) rather than the asterisk (*) to
display tiles. The pound sign is not available on the TI-83. The TI-85
has a larger game field (8*21) than the TI-83 (8*16), because the
screens have different resolutions.


Thanks for playing!
Questions, comments, and bug-reports are welcome. Send to

jeff_tyrrill@msn.com

Please report bugs; they will be fixed in the next version. If you are
unclear about anything in this document or the game, or I left
something out of this document, please email me and I will answer your
question. Thanks!