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         $VER: CNet (Word) Searcher, v1.46 (10-Feb-97) by Dotoran!
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    Hello, and welcome to yet another little game by me(now over 30 games!)

Updating from Searcher, v1.42 thru v1.45:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Simply copy all command files over those you presently have. Remember to
check the Puzzles/ directory to see if there are any additional puzzles!

    Run the included "Searcher_Update146" script as a CNet ARexx door. This
update will rename your single digit puzzles to use leading zereos in their
filenames, and will then ask you if you'd like to run the ORG file to sort
your puzzle files from longest to shortest words, so that Searcher has an
easier and faster time at hiding the words.

Updating from Searcher, v1.41 or earlier:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTE: Only issue the delete line if using a version of Searcher OLDER than
      the 1.42 version. If presently using v1.42, you do NOT have to delete
      these files.

    If you're presently running an older version of Searcher, please type the
following command in a cli window:

                    delete mail:users/#?/_searcher

    If you're paranoid as to what the above will delete from your system,
then issue this command in the cli BEFORE using the delete command:

                    list mail:users/#?/_searcher lformat %P%N

    This command will show you a list of the full paths of the files that
will be deleted when you issue the delete command above.

    This will go through and DELETE any SAVED GAME files Searcher used in the
past. This new version is incompatible with older SAVED GAME files.

    You should then copy over ALL files located in the CNetSearcher/ path,
as well as any Puz# files in the /Puzzles/ path that you do not ALREADY have.
In addition, the /Puzzles/!Puzzles file should also be copied.

To Install:
~~~~~~~~~~~
    Copy the included "CNetSearcher/" directory somewhere on your system.
It doesn't matter WHERE you store this directory, so long as you keep ALL
files found WITHIN this directory inside the "CNetSearcher/" directory.

    This file was written and tested under CNet Amiga, v4.24e, however it
should ALSO function perfectly using the 3.05c versions too!

    You should now add the "<path>CNetSearcher/Searcher" program as an
ARexx Door file. You can opt to use the "AL" command to add it to one of
your list areas, or you can opt to add it as a command in CNet's BBSMENU
file. To do this, add the following line to the end of Menu # 2, the
Available Everywhere menu:

    WS, WordSearch  |  {#0<path>CNetSearcher/Searcher}
                       ^
                   Control-Q

    NOTE: Where "<path>" is the location you copied the "CNetSearcher/"
          directory to.

That's It!

To Play the Game!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    This is another one of those fairly self explanatory games, where the
available keys will be shown to you at the start of the game.

    Each puzzle has the ability of maintaining a "champs" file, which will
list the last 15 players who successfully COMPLETED the puzzle. The data
found in these files is formatted this way:

    handle (?? wide ?? tall ?? dirs) in ?? hrs, ?? mins, ?? secs.

    The only piece of info here that might need further explanation is the
"dirs" value. This reflects the total number of directions that COULD have
been used to hide words, however it does NOT necessarily mean that ALL these
directions were used. Generally, the more directions the program can choose
to hide words from, the harder the game.

    When a user opts to QUIT the game, they'll be asked if they wish to
SAVE the game, so that they can choose to CONTINUE the game at a future
date and time. If a user CONTINUES a saved game, then SOLVES the game, the
saved game file will be deleted from the disk. A file "_searcher" will be
created in the user's mail directory which stores this saved game data.

Known Bugs / Quirks?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    The new "SAVE GAME" feature does not take into consideration the length
of time it took the user to SOLVE the puzzle. Because of this, a check is
made to insure the user solved the puzzle in one sitting before being added
to the CHAMPS file. I had considered saving the "elapsed time so far" to
the saved game data file, but then considered the fact that the user could
get a hard copy of the screen, save the game, find all the words, then
resume the game only to blitzingly fast find all the words, so I opted to
NOT allow this to happen.

    If a user opts to quit the game before completing the entire word list,
they'll simply exit the game. NO ENTRY will be made to the "champs" file.

In the future...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Sometime in the future, I'd like to do the following:

- I'd also like to incorporate some form of POINT SCORE, based on WHICH
  directions were used, how many directions were used, whether HINTS were
  used, which ones, and how often, etc. This POINT SCORE would then appear
  in the Champs File(s) along with the other data.

- Perhaps the ability to let the USER enter a list of words personally, to
  which the program would generate a puzzle from.

- To enhance the above, also have the ability to create the puzzle in a
  "file format" (complete with answer key) that the user could then download
  at their leisure.

- Using the same puzzle coding, have it opt to create a word grid puzzle,
  instead of a word search puzzle, where it would hide the words, then show
  you markers where letters of words are found and it would be up to the
  user to figure out which words went where, etc.

And from you...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    If you find any fault with this program, or have an idea NOT listed
above that you'd like to see implemented, please send them to me whenever
you get the chance.

Creating Your Own Puzzles...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    To create additional puzzles for use with Searcher, follow these steps:

1. Load the "!Puzzles" file, located inside the "CNetSearcher/Puzzles/"
   directory into a text editor. To the BOTTOM of the list, add your entry.
   The line should START with the next numeric value, followed by a space,
   then up to 30 characters for use as a TITLE for this puzzle. SAVE this
   file, then proceed.

2. Using the same NUMBER you STARTED your line with above, create a text
   file(also located INSIDE the Puzzles/ directory) called "Puz#", where
   the # is the number you started with. This file should contain the word
   list you'd like to use, one word per line, each word appearing ALL IN
   UPPERCASE LETTERS. You should have NO BLANK LINES anywhere in this file.
   Save this file and you're done.

3. The next time you use Searcher, you'll see your word list appearing on
   the initial listing. In time, you'll see a "Puz#.champs" file created
   for your puzzle too, as soon as someone COMPLETES the puzzle for the
   first time.

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                       Frontiers BBS (716)/823-9892!
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