"Connect Four"
By Robert Leake
CURSOR 2, no. 1 (August 1980): 51-54.


About the included Programs (description by Paul Thacker):

1) Connect Four (1980)(Robert Leake)(2000 baud).zip - Found in Ken Lill's tape 
collection on tape hand-labeled "New Game COH".  It's a Cursor program.  The 
first few lines are machine language.

2) Connect Four Parameter Program (1980)(Robert Leake and Fred Cornett)(2000 
baud).zip - Found in Ken Lill's tape collection on tape hand-labeled "New Game 
COH".  It's a Cursor program.  It helps the user enter the machine language 
portion of the Connect Four code.


Overview:

Fred Cornett, the editor of Cursor thought very highly of "Connect Four."  The 
September 1980 issue of "Cursor" has two pages (52 and 53) that are notoriously 
difficult to read.  These pages the "Connect Four" LISTings.  The ink on the 
original pages used was light blue with orange bands running the length of the 
page.  This was done as a means of copy protection; it made photocopying the 
newsletter much more difficult.  That early form of program copy protection 
worked rather well, as the pages are hard-to-read even in the archived issue of 
Cursor on BallyAlley.com.


"Connect Four" Instructions from Cursor:

Editor's Note: This is the finest board game program we have ever seen written 
for the "Bally!"  The graphics, color and sound are excellent.  
The computer makes each move totally cognizant of all the ramifications of his 
move.  Hence, you are forced to play very well indeed in order to win (it beats 
us 8 out of 10 times).  This program alone is well worth the $9.75 subscription 
price for "Cursor."

The object of this game is to get four of your playing pieces in a row (without 
any of your opponent's pieces in between) vertically, horizontally or 
diagonally before the computer or your human opponent does.

Pieces drop vertically in the selected column to the lowest unoccupied 
position.  To select a column, move the joystick left or right and squeeze 
trigger when indicator is over desired column. Joystick 1 always goes first.

This program loads in three separate segments; pay very close attention to the 
instructions, and input the information exactly as you see it.

Note: Starting with this issue, whenever 2 or more spaces are located together 
on a program line, C=SPACE. So, whenever you see "C", key in a space (this is 
done to make it easier for you to tell how many spaces are necessary).


Connect Four Parameter Program by Robert Leake - Adapted by Fred Cornett

This program MUST be input and run PRIOR to inputting the "Connect Four Main 
Body Program"!!!

After you have keyed this program into the computer and pressed "RUN", the 
screen will clear, and the following will appear:

This display is telling you to refer to the chart marked "LINE 2". Take the 
value shown in the box DIRECTLY below the "1" (which is 2), and input the 
value, check to see if you have input it correctly before pressing "GO"; the 
computer will space a line and print:

     LINE #2 2=

Check box 2 (which is 32), input value, hit "GO" and continue thusly. It must 
be stressed that you MUST check for errors before you press "GO" each time. If 
you make only one error, this program will not function properly!!

Line 1 (Title Line) is absolutely necessary for data in subsequent lines to be 
accessed (do not delete)!

After you have run the "Parameter Program", and input the data in lines 2 
through 7, the next step is to delete lines 100 through 310. This can be 
accomplished in one of 2 different ways.

1. Lines 280 through 310 comprise a small program that will load lines 1 
through 7 on tape. Merely follow the directions that will be printed, on your 
screen. Press "RECORD" on your tape machine and then press "GO" after the 
leader has cleared, the record head. Use :LIST and playback the tape to make 
sure it has recorded. (Lines 2 through 7, which prior to running the program, 
contained numbers in sequence, i.e., 12345678, etc., now contain garbage to 
include such things as "??A4#)/??&". Do not think you have done something 
wrong, the computer is merely trying to print info that does not conform to 
ASCII Code; you will see many on those lines.) If Lines 1 through 7 have loaded 
on tape, hit "RESET" and input tape, then key in "Connect Four Main Body 
Program".

OR

2. The only purpose of the "Parameter Program" is to assemble data in lines 1 
through 7. Lines 100 through 310 are totally unnecessary after the data has 
been loaded. After you have completed inputting all the data for lines 2 
through 7, you must delete all lines that follow Line 7. If you do this, do not 
bother to input lines 280 through 310 at the beginning (they only apply to 
loading lines 1 through 7 on tape). After you have deleted all lines except 1 
through 7, key in "CONNECT FOUR MAIN BODY Program".

[The "Connect Four" program LISTings and data appear here in the newsletter.  
Refer to the archived issue of Cursor (available on BallyAlley.com) to see 
them.]

After you have loaded the assembled lines 1-7 and the "Connect Four Main Body 
Program" into the computer, you must load String Arrays 77 through 84 with 
data.

This is done by typing in the following one line program without a line number:

FOR A=77T0 84;PRINT #1, "@(" ,A,")=",;INPUT ""@(A);NEXT A;RUN

Computer will print: @(77)=

Input the values from the following, checking for accuracy before pressing 
"GO":

STRING   VALUE    STRING   VALUE

 @(77) = 1200      @(78) = 100
 @(79) = 8         @(80) = 1
 @(81) = 12        @(82) = 150
 @(83) = 8000      @(84) = 0

If you have done everything correctly, the program will run perfectly. We have 
triple checked the info and listings for errors, there are none.

Next, we suggest you load the complete assembled program on tape; this will 
preclude any accidental loss of the program.

STEP 1: Load an unused tape into your tape recorder; press "PLAY" and run the 
tape a few feet past the end of the tape leader. Stop the recorder.

STEP 2: Load the following one line program into your computer without a line 
number- DO NOT PRESS "GO"!!

NT=1;CLEAR ; :PRINT ;TV=13:LIST ;F0R A=77T0 84;PRINT 
#1,"@(",A,")=",@(A),";",;NEXT A; PRINT ":RETURN ;RUN

NO NOT PRESS GO AT END OF PROGRAM LINE!!

STEP 3: Press "RECORD" on tape recorder;

Press "GO" on computer. Complete program including string arrays will load on 
tape.

HAVE FUN