Fold in the expanded-grid mechanism for generating different kinds

[sgt/puzzles] / puzzles.but

diff --git a/puzzles.but b/puzzles.but
index 2d10605..a7921d1 100644 (file)
--- a/puzzles.but
+++ b/puzzles.but
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ This is a collection of small one-player puzzle games.
 reserved. You may distribute this documentation under the MIT licence.
 See \k{licence} for the licence text in full.
 
-\versionid $Id: puzzles.but,v 1.1 2004/08/16 12:23:56 simon Exp $
+\versionid $Id: puzzles.but,v 1.2 2004/08/16 12:42:11 simon Exp $
 
 
 \C{intro} Introduction
@@ -406,10 +406,54 @@ When a rectangle of the correct size is completed, it will be shaded.
 
 \H{rectangles-params} \I{parameters, for Rectangles}Rectangles parameters
 
-The only parameters available from the \q{Custom...} option on the
-\q{Type} menu are \e{Width} and \e{Height}, which are
-self-explanatory.
-
+The \q{Custom...} option on the \q{Type} menu offers you \e{Width}
+and \e{Height} parameters, which are self-explanatory.
+
+\q{Expansion factor} is a mechanism for changing the type of grids
+generated by the program. Some people prefer a grid containing a few
+large rectangles to one containing many small ones. So you can ask
+Rectangles to essentially generate a \e{smaller} grid than the size
+you specified, and then to expand it by adding rows and columns.
+
+The default expansion factor of zero means that Rectangles will
+simply generate a grid of the size you ask for, and do nothing
+further. If you set an expansion factor of (say) 0.5, it means that
+each dimension of the grid will be expanded to half again as big
+after generation. In other words, the initial grid will be 2/3 the
+size in each dimension, and will be expanded to its full size
+without adding any more rectangles.
+
+Setting a high expansion factor tends to make the game more
+difficult, and also rewards a less deductive and more intuitive
+playing style.
+
+\H{rectangles-cmdline} \I{command line, for Rectangles}Additional
+command-line configuration
+
+The expansion factor parameter, described in \k{rectangles-params},
+is not mentioned by default in the game ID (see \k{common-id}). So
+if you set your expansion factor to (say) 0.75, and then you
+generate an 11x11 grid, then the game ID will simply say
+\c{11x11:}\e{numbers}. This means that if you send the game ID to
+another player and they paste it into their copy of Rectangles,
+their game will not be automatically configured to use the same
+expansion factor in any subsequent grids it generates. (I don't
+think the average person examining a single grid sent to them by
+another player would want their configuration modified to that
+extent.)
+
+If you are specifying a game ID or game parameters on the command
+line (see \k{common-cmdline}) and you do want to configure the
+expansion factor, you can do it by suffixing the letter \cq{e} to
+the parameters, followed by the expansion factor as a decimal
+number. For example:
+
+\b \cq{rect 11x11e0.75} starts Rectangles with a grid size of
+11\u00d7{x}11 and an expansion factor of 0.75.
+
+\b \cq{rect 11x11e0.75:g11c6e5e4a2_4e9c3b3d3b5g2b6c4k4g30a8n3j1g6a2}
+starts Rectangles with a grid size of 11\u00d7{x}11, an expansion
+factor of 0.75, \e{and} a specific game selected.
 
 \C{netslide} \i{Netslide}