The Times Crosswords - Vol. 1 & 2 and 3 & 4 The Sun Crosswords - Vol. 1 & 2 and 3 & 4 Typed by Belgarath How to use the program To startup the program, insert the disk and reset. Then double click on puzzles disk, then double click on volume required. Each volume of crosswords contains 60 puzzles. When you are asked to select a puzzle, type in a number from 1 to 60 (Times Jubilee volume: type in a year from 1932 to 1987), and then press or . You can try the crosswords alone or in competing teams. The computer will ask you to press 1 or 2 to select a solo puzzle or team game. In the team version, teams take turns to attempt a clue, and there are two separate scores - one for each team. The computer will ask you if you want sounds or not. Press N if you prefer silence, S otherwise. The Puzzle will appear on the screen. Solving a clue Type in the number of the clue you want to solve, and press or . You may have to type 1A to distinguish from 1 across from 1 down; if there is any doubt, the computer will ask you to choose A (across) or D (down). You will see the clue at the bottom of the screen. If you don't want to solve this clue yet, you can cancel it and choose another by pressing C. At the bottom right-hand corner of the screen, the computer is asking you if you want help. Don't start typing in the answer yet; the computer will not recognise any letters but C (cancel), Y (yes I want help) or N (no I don't want help). Press one of these first. Level One: championship level - 50 points per clue Select N (no I don't want help). You will be asked to type in your solution on the bottom line of the screen. If you get it right, your answer will appear on the crossword grid, and your score will go up by 50 points. But if your answer is wrong in any details, you get nothing - no points, no help. If you select Y (yes, I do want help), you step down to Level Two: marker level - 40 points per clue The question Marker (Y/N)? appears at the bottom right of the screen. Select Y yes for level two, and you will be asked to type in your solution on the bottom line of the screen. There are still no marks for a solution which is wrong in any detail, but at this level (and lower levels), each letter of your answer will be marked. Correct letters appear on the grid in CAPITALS; incorrect letters are displayed in lower case. So, for example, if the correct answer is AIRLINE and you type in AIRMAIL, your answer will appear on the grid as AIRmail. If you can only guess part of the solution, you can try out your guess by filling up the rest of the answer with > marks. If you answer N to marker level, you step down to Level Three: convention indicator - 30 points per clue a two-letter coded hint appears after the clue, indicating what kind of clue this is - An indicates an anagram for instance. The Help (Y/N)? question reappears, if you need no further help, and are ready to enter your solution, answer N. If you answer Y, you step down to Level Four: coffee time clue (SUN crosswords only) - 20 points per clue There isn't a coffee time clue on Times or Sunday Times crosswords, so they skip this level. SUN crossword solvers get a less cryptic clue, and again the Help (Y/N)? question. Choose N (no more help) to try your answer at level four, or Y to step down to Level Five: first letter of solution - 10 points per clue If the first letter of your solution has not yet been filled in, you can 'buy' it by stepping down to level five. If the first letter is already there, you skip past it to the last question: Solution desired (Y/N)? If you answer Y (yes) the correct solution will be shown in the grid and thirty points will be deducted from your score. The computer will pause; when you are ready to continue, press any key. If you answer N (no) the computer will ask you to type in your solution. Typing C (cancel) to any of the questions allows you to cancel this clue and choose another. Trying again You can have as many tries as you like at each clue. Obviously, once you've had help with a clue at one of the lower levels, you are restricted to the lower score - you can't go back and solve it at championship level for 50 points. If for any reason you find the computer is asking you to type in a solution and you don't know what the solution is, just press or without giving an answer; you can always come back later and try again. Finishing The program finishes, and gives you your final score, when the last clue is solved. Alternatively, you can give up whenever the Insert clue number prompt appears by pressing or WITHOUT a clue number. You will be asked to confirm that you want to quit. Typed by Belgarath