JGrabble: Gordon Lee's Grabble Java Applet

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JGRABBLE INSTRUCTIONS

JGrabble is our Java applet which plays a regular game of Grabble. It requires your browser to have a Java plug-in of version 1.2 or better. If you can see text entry boxes and stuff in the large box above, it should work fine. Otherwise, please get the Java plug-in from http://java.sun.com/products/plugin/ .

There's a major difference between JGrabble and normal Grabble: The computer lets human players take as long as they like to grab words, and only when they pass does it grab the leftovers. It would be too unfair otherwise! :-)

THE USER-INTERFACE

Before we start, you may wish to look at the GRABBLE RULES section to better understand my terminology...

Welcome back! The interface is divided as follows:


1	Pool	Tiles in the Pool are displayed here. Blanks are normally represented by "_".
2	Word-check box	To check if a word is in the internal word list, clear the box contents with Delete, type the word and press Enter. See the Message box for results.
3	Command buttons	Click Grabble to let the computer take its turn and draw a tile from the Bag (when the Bag is empty, the button changes to Restart). Click Undo to (try to) revert to the situation before the last move.
4	Options panel	Experiment! This changes the rules and performance of the game. See the OPTIONS section.
5	Players' hands and scoreboard	The all-important scores and each player's hand (list of words). To change the number of players, see the ADVANCED section.
6	Word-grab boxes	A (buggy) convenience to grab words.
7	Bag	Or what's left in the bag... It would be quite pointless if I showed you the letters (right?), so they are represented by an icon.
8	Message box	Here's where messages will appear. You may have to scroll down if there is too much to show.

USAGE

Keep clicking Grabble until enough letters appear.

The first player to see a word (up to you to decide how to settle this -- shouts, buzzers, fistfights etc) types it in his/her Word-grab box (the light blue box under his/her scoreboard) and presses Enter or clicks the Grab word... button. Sometimes this doesn't work, so you'll have to manually edit the pool and hands.

When everyone passes, click Grabble and continue until the Bag (or everyone's patience) runs out.

OPTIONS

The options marked "@" and especially "@@" should not be used together (or turned off) on slower computers or those with less memory.

Minimum/Maximum word length	Self-explanatory, except computer doesn't check if humans' words are too long (it's used to limit the number of words it searches).
Use blanks (on restart)	If UNchecked (unticked), blanks are removed from the bag in the next game.
Finalise blanks' values	If checked, when a blank is played, it "becomes" the letter, so its value "sticks" until the next game.
@ Computer plays blanks	If UNchecked, computer players ignore blanks and words with blanks.
@@ Allow 2-word combos	If checked, computer tries to make words from 2 other words (and pool tiles), e.g. OPTIONS from POT + SON + I .
Computer grabs words	If UNchecked, computer doesn't play (so humans can have their own game).
Two computer players	If checked, computer also plays as Player 2.
Computer is careless	If checked, computer sometimes doesn't see a word to grab.
@ Comp prioritises to win	If checked, computer is more selective on which word it grabs so that it trashes the humans -- bwahaha!
Show solutions found	If checked, a list of grabbable (!) words is shown.
@@ Show clues (slower)	If checked, computer hints on what words can be played for the current turn. This option drastically slows down the computer.
Play sound effects	If checked, sound effects are played -- what else?! ;-)

ADVANCED

Several other options (e.g. number of players, word list, score/number of each letter and even icon to use in Bag) can be changed by editing the <param> tag in this HTML file (obviously you're not supposed to edit THIS file, so download JGrabble.zip and do it on your own computer...) I've labelled unused ones <xparam> but you may of course change them to <param>.

If you wish to change the word list the computer uses to grab words, create a text file with one word per line, with each line being the sorted letters of the word, a tab character then the word itself, all in lower case (e.g. abbeglr(tab)grabble). Only the letters a to z are allowed and the whole word list must be sorted alphabetically. Change the anagramList parameter in the HTML file to point to the correct file. See the existing ispell.ana for an example.

If you've access to the Java console (under Tools menu in Netscape/Mozilla, Tools>Internet Options>Advanced tab>Java VM in IE), have a look when the bag is refilled or when show-clues is on -- did somebody say, "Cheat?"

GRABBLE RULES

Grabble is a fun and fast-paced game using the tiles from Scrabble or a similar board game. All players play at the same time so no more waiting for your opponents to move!

As tiles are revealed one by one, players attempt to increase their score by grabbing their opponents' words while protecting their own. It helps to have quick thinking and reflexes (and a calm mind when S's or blanks appear!).

LET THE GAME BEGIN

Before the game starts, players agree on:

Whether blanks will be played, and if so, whether they can represent different letters in different words, or the letter they represent the first time sticks until the end of the game (Java programmers call this finalising a variable);
The minimum word length (usually 3) -- smaller values make the game easier but more hectic;
The dictionary to be used for checking obscure words; and
The scoring system (total number of letters, number of words, total Scrabble letter values or some other formula).

Scrabble tiles (with or without blanks, depending on the game mode) are shuffled together in a bag. Players are each allotted space on the table for their words, called their "hands". The middle of the table is left empty for "ungrabbed" tiles, called "the pool".

GAME PLAY

If the bag is empty, go to the END GAME section.

With players taking turns, a tile is taken out of the bag, revealed to all players (at the same time) and put into the pool.

The player who first shouts out a valid word (no shorter than the minimum word length) made from:

At least one of the tiles in the pool (e.g. RAG from A + G + R);
Two or more words that players have in their hands (e.g. GRABBLE from GRAB + BEL); or
At least one of the tiles in the pool plus one or more words that players have in their hands (e.g. GRABBLE from BARGE + B + L, or RAG + EBB + L)

(words cannot be split up) takes the corresponding tiles and forms the word in his or her hand. He or she then becomes the next letter-opener, and the order proceeds from that point.

If it is doubtful who shouted first, all offending words are ignored until the next tile is revealed, but players can continue shouting other words.

If noone makes any words, after a reasonable pause (5 to 10 seconds), repeat with the GAME PLAY section.

END GAME

If there are tiles left in the pool, players are given around 1 minute to make words. Scores are then calculated for each player using the agreed system.

EXAMPLE

Ali, Bala, Carol and Ding decide to play Grabble with blanks (non-sticking values), minimum word length of 3 and simple English words.

Ali picks an A then Bala picks a T. Ali shouts AT, but AT is too short, so Carol continues and picks a C. Carol yells TAC, Bala cries CAT then Ding bellows ACT. Both CAT and ACT are acceptable but TAC is not. As Bala cried first, he grabs the tiles and makes CAT in front of him.

(Pool: empty, Bala: CAT)

The turn skips back to Bala who picks a U. Bala bawls out CUT, but is prevented from grabbing it as it involves splitting CAT.

(Pool: U, Bala: CAT)

As noone says anything after several seconds, Carol picks an S. Ding screams CATS while Bala barks SCAT at the same time, then Ali exclaims ACTS. As they could not decide whether CATS or SCAT came first, both are ignored and the next word, ACTS, is accepted. Ali makes ACTS and adds a P to the U in the pool.

(Pool: UP, Ali: ACTS)

Ding suddenly shrieks CAST, but that is not allowed as no new tiles are added to ACTS. Unfortunately, noone sees CATSUP, so Bala continues and picks a blank. The scene is utter chaos, but somehow Ding manages to roar PUB first, using the blank as a B.

(Pool: empty, Ali: ACTS, Ding: PU_)

Ding grabs the tiles, but before she picks the next letter, Carol grabs both CATS and PU(blank) to form TEACUPS with the blank being the E, thanks to her years playing Countdown ;-)

(Pool: empty, Carol: T_ACUPS)

The game continues with CAPTURES and so on until the tiles (and the players) are exhausted. Finally, the score for each player is tallied to find the winner.

JGRABBLE LIMITATIONS AND BUGS

There is no check on the integrity of the pool, bag and hands. You can key in anything you like, so be careful!
Not really a limitation but a chance for us puny humans to beat the computer... The applet lets human players have as much time as they like to grab words, and only when they pass and click Grabble does it grab the leftovers.
The applet accepts words not in the word list (though there is a feature to check if it is). Actually that's because I've spent enough time cursing other word game software for disallowing my move :-(
Computer uses at most 1 blank per word to reduce the number of lookups.
When using 2-word-combos, prioritise-to-win gives wrong priority.
My search & show-clues algorithm is very inefficient, so you might notice a delay (or out-of-memory error :-O ) if there are many tiles in the pool (over ten) with some options turned on. Turn them off then!

... and this write-up could do with a bit better editing ;-)

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