This opportunity to challenge the TI was greeted enthusiastically by
our household, but we were soon to be disappointed.
The program contains options to either play against the computer or
another player. During the first attempt at the one player game, while
the computer was considering its second move, the program crashed with a
Bad Value in 2010.
The second game I managed to win, but at its end the board disappeared and I
was informed my score was now one, meaning I had won one game. Scoring in
the original game is done on a points system, the most being awarded for a
backgammon. Omitting this seems very strange, particularly as the program
includes an option to double.
On my third attempt everything was just going well when the display partially
scrolled off the screen and the program locked. This couldn't be cleared, so
I had to quit and re-load.
Fortunately, several subsequent games passed uneventfully, but the computer
proved to be a fairly pedestrian and not altogether intelligent opponent.
In view of the limited memory available, the program overall seems reasonable,
but it has little to offer an experienced player. Needs Extended Basic.
1st May 1984
