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                             RATS!!
                            Version 4
                Copyright (C) 1993 David L. Smith
                       All Rights Reserved

                        TABLE OF CONTENTS


                   1.  GAME DESCRIPTION . . . . . . . . 1

                   2.  FILES  . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

                   3.  REQUIREMENTS . . . . . . . . . . 2

                   4.  DISCLAIMER . . . . . . . . . . . 2

                   5.  GETTING STARTED  . . . . . . . . 3

                   6.  PLAYING THE GAME . . . . . . . . 3

                       REGISTRATION FORM  . . . . . . . 7





                      1.  GAME DESCRIPTION

    You are a little house mouse, scurrying across the kitchen
floor in search of some food.  You must search the room to
uncover all the hidden cheese, but house cats are also hiding in
the room.  There may be a cat behind any tile on the floor, and
your search is ended if the cat finds you.

RATS!!, Version 4, is distributed as Shareware.  If you use the
game for more than fourteen (14) days, please become a registered
user by sending $20 to 
                   SMITH SOFTWARE DIST.
                   BPO 21945
                   PO Box 1119
                   Piscataway, NJ  08855-1119

    We encourage you to distribute the Unregistered Version
freely to friends, so long as no fee is charged for the game and
it is distributed in original form, complete with all support
files.














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                            2.  FILES

The following files are included in this package:
    RATS4.EXE       The main program file.
    RATS4.DAT       A file which saves the color palettes, the
                    low score records, and the current sound
                    status.
    RATS4.TXT       This document.  All instructions for playing
                    the game and for registering your copy are
                    contained here.
    CAT7.RAT        A picture file for the Welcome screen.
    TAIL11.RAT      Another picture file.
    TAIL22.RAT      And another picture file.
    RATS4.BKP       This file is a copy of the original RATS4.DAT
                    file which came with the program.  It can be
                    used to reset all colors, when you find you
                    have set up a color scheme you do not like,
                    or just want a quick reset.  Just copy the
                    RATS4.BKP file to the RATS4.DAT file.


                        3.  REQUIREMENTS

This program runs in 640X480X16 color VGA mode ONLY.  Currently,
it will only run with a VGA color monitor capable of the above
resolution attached, and running as the current monitor.  This
game was written using a 12 Mhz 286.  It has been tested on a 16
Mhz and 25 Mhz 386, and a 33 Mhz 486, and runs fine on all of
these.  


                         4.  DISCLAIMER

    This program is provided "as is" and without warranty of any
kind that it will work correctly in any or all situations.  No
liability shall be assumed for direct or consequential damage
caused by the use of this software.  The only claim SMITH
SOFTWARE DIST. makes is that there are no intentional bugs or
fatal errors in any original copy of the program that you
received directly from us.

    RATS!! source code, object code, game library pictures and
manuals on paper or on disk, are (C) Copyright 1993 by the author
D. L. Smith.
Game Design by:
                   D. L. Smith 1993.
Game Distribution by:
                   SMITH SOFTWARE DIST.
                   BPO 21945
                   PO Box 1119
                   Piscataway, NJ  08855-1119









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                       5.  GETTING STARTED

    We advise you to copy your original game disk and store it
away.  Use the copy as a working disk.
    To use RATS!! from a floppy disk, just set your active
directory to the disk drive holding the RATS!! disk.  For
example, if your RATS!! disk is in Drive B;, type
                   B:
                   RATS4
    To use RATS!! from a hard drive, copy ALL files from the
floppy disk to the hard drive.  We suggest you create a directory
for RATS!!, such as RATGAME.  To create a directory, at the DOS
prompt, type:
                   CD \RATGAME
                   COPY A:*.* C:\RATGAME
Then to run RATS!!, change your active directory to RATGAME and
just type:
                   RATS4


                      6.  PLAYING THE GAME

                       The Welcome Screen

    When the program is begun, the opening screen displays a
cat's face with a mouse in the cat's mouth.  If the computer
system has a compatible Mouse pointing device, the screen will
indicate this, and display a moving Mouse cursor.  After you have
seen enough of this gory scene, press any key or Mouse button to
move to the main menu screen.


                          The Main Menu

    The main menu offers eight (8) choices of action.  Each
choice is described below.  You may make your choice by using the
UP/DOWN arrow keys.  A box-like cursor will move to indicate the
present selection.  Press any other key when you have selected
your choice.  The Main Menu screen will then be replaced by your
chosen screen.  If you chose one of the games (choices #1, #2, or
#3), you may notice the word "WORKING" on the Main Menu screen,
while your game is being prepared.
    You can also use the Mouse, if available, to make your
selection.  Simply point the Mouse cursor nose to the number of
your choice, and press either button.  The Main Menu screen will
then be replaced by your chosen screen.  If you chose one of the
games, you may notice the word "WORKING" on the Main Menu screen,
while your game is being prepared.












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            The Three Games (Easy, Medium, and Hard)

    These three games differ only in the number of tiles used,
and in the number of Cats hidden behind the tiles.
          The Easy game has 64 tiles and up to 10 Cats.
          The Medium game is four times larger, and has up to 40
          Cats.
          The Hard game is twice as big as the Medium game, but
          may have as many as 100 Cats hidden behind the tiles.


                        Keyboard Commands

    Since the objective of the games involves finding all the
Cats in the shortest possible time, you may want to use two hands
to play the game.  The keyboard commands have been designed to
allow this.  With your right hand, you control the position of
the cursor (a highlighted box) with the Arrow keys.  Use UP,
DOWN, RIGHT, or LEFT arrows to move to the tile you want.  Your
left hand controls the action to perform on the tile which is
highlighted.  You can SELECT the tile, or you can MARK the tile
for future identification.


                        SELECTing a tile

    The SPACEBAR will SELECT the tile.  This means that whatever
is under the tile will be revealed.  If a Cat is under the tile,
you lose the game.  A short song of derision will be played, and
a smart-aleck message of condolence will be displayed.  The
program will also reveal where any Cats were placed, and will
show you where you erroneously thought a Cat had been.  (It
displays a Cat, crossed out by a large X.)  You can then press
any key to return to the Main Menu.
    If there is a Cheese under the tile you have just selected,
LUCKY YOU!  Five seconds will be deducted from your score.  This
may make the difference between a good game and a record breaker.
    Otherwise, the tile will display a number or a blank area. 
The number represents the count of Cats that are around the
selected tile.  If the area is blank, there are no Cats
immediately around the tile you have just SELECTed.  As an added
bonus, if the area you have just selected is blank, the game will
display all adjacent tiles which do not have Cats in them.  


                         MARKing a tile

    The TAB key allows you to MARK the tile.  If you believe a
Cat is under the tile, you should press the TAB key one time. 
This will cause a flag marker to appear on the tile.  If you are
not sure, a second push of the TAB key will MARK the tile with a
"?", so you can easily identify the tile as a possible Cat.








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                        Winning the game

    You win the game if you SELECT all tiles which do not hide a
Cat or if you MARK all tiles which hide a Cat.  Since five
seconds is subtracted from your time if you SELECT a Cheese, it
may be good strategy to SELECT all the tiles.  But you may be
able to MARK all the Cats in a shorter time.  The choice of game
strategy is up to you.


                         Using the Mouse

    The Mouse can also be used to play the game.  Simply point
the Mouse nose at the tile you choose.  Then press the LEFT
button to SELECT the tile, or the RIGHT button to MARK the tile.


                       The Customized Game

    If you choose the Customized Game, you can specify the width
and height of the playing board, as well as the number of cats
hidden on the board.  This gives  YOU  the ability to set up
games  of different sizes and difficulties.  YOU  define the
density of Cats in the game, and  YOU  decide your destiny.  Play
of the game is as for the other three games.  THIS OPTION IS
AVAILABLE ONLY ON REGISTERED PROGRAM VERSIONS.


                         Show Low Scores

    The program keeps a record of the lowest times achieved for
each of easy, intermediate, and hard games.  If your time is
lower than the current record when you win, you will be asked to
enter your name into the record books.  When you exit the
program, the new records will be saved in the file RATS4.DAT.
    Choosing Show Low Scores displays a menu with the current
records.  You can reset the current records by pressing the R key
or by clicking with the MOUSE in the indicated area of this
screen.


                          Change Colors

    This choice allows you to set up the screen colors as you
want.  The Change Colors screen will draw representations of all
the game symbols you may see, and offer a menu to change the
colors of most game areas.  You must use the keyboard for this
screen, since it seems too complicated to work a MOUSE selection
for up to 64 colors on 15 different display areas.  When you exit
the game, your color choice will be saved in file RATS4.DAT, so
that your color choice is available the next time you play.









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                              Sound

    The annoying music which is played when you lose or win, and
the button selection sounds can be turned on or off, as you
please.  You will see the current SOUND status (ON or OFF) on the
main screen.  When you exit the game, the current sound setting
will be saved in file RATS4.DAT.


                         ESCape to Quit

    The ESCAPE key can be used on the Main Menu screen to exit
the game, or you can choose the last choice with the cursor or
MOUSE.  ESCAPE will work on all screens to exit the game at any
time.













































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                   RATS!!, Version 4, REGISTRATION FORM

    BY REGISTERING, YOU RECEIVE
         1.   A PERSONALIZED COPY OF THE GAME;
         2.   THE FULL VERSION WHICH INCLUDES THE CUSTOMIZING
              GAME OPTION;
         3.   THE SATISFACTION OF SUPPORTING SHAREWARE AS A
              CONCEPT AND A SOURCE OF GOOD PROGRAMS.

IMPORTANT INFO:
===============

Name ____________________________________________________________

Address _________________________________________________________

City _______________________________ State ______ ZIP ___________

Country (if outside USA)_________________________________________


              Circle disk size:     5 1/4"    3 1/2"


COMMENTS/SUGGESTIONS:
====================
If you have any suggestions for improvement or bug reports,
please let us know.













=================================================================

Mail to:
                   SMITH SOFTWARE DIST.
                   BPO 21945
                   PO Box 1119
                   Piscataway, NJ  08855-1119

           Make checks only payable to "David L. Smith"










