Introduction

Computer Scrabble is a highly sophisticated computer program which allows you and others to play Scrabble on or against your computer. The program can provide you with up to three opponents in any one game - each programmed opponent can be assigned one of four skill levels.

All you need is the Computer Scrabble program and your BBC B computer. The program provides an on-screen board and all the facilities of the board game - you can even use a board while Computer Scrabble can provide a worthy opponent also also keep score!

The Computer Scrabble program includes a playing vocabulary of over 8,000 words. These have been carefully selected from Chambers 20th Century Dictionary (which is the reference used in the official Scrabble tournaments) to ensure a consistent and competitive level of play from the Computer Scrabble program. In addition, the program will check words that you play against its vocabulary and challenge any words it does not "know" - as its vocabulary is finite - and you are able to either accept or reject its challenge.

The program has play levels 1 to 4, with level 1 being the least skilled opponent and level 4 the most skilled. As an indication, the Computer Scrabble program is tuned to achieve average scores of 160 points at level 1 and 320 points at level 4 in a two-player game.

Rules For Playing Scrabble

Scrabble is a word game for one to four players. The play consists of forming interlocking words, crossword fashion, on the Scrabble playing board using letter tiles with various score values.

Each player competes for a high score by using his letters in combinations and locations that take best advantage of letter values and premium squares on the board. The combined total score for a game may range from about 500 points to 700 or more depending on the skill of the players.

The Play

Each player has seven letters in his rack at the start of the game, and after each play draws enough new letters to maintain his total.

1. The first player combines two or more of his letters to form a word and places them on the board to read either across or down with one letter on the centre square. Diagonal words are not permitted.
2. A player completes his turn by counting and announcing his score for the turn. He then draws as many new letters as he has played, thus always keeping seven letters in his rack.
3. The second player, and then each in turn, adds one or more letters to those already played so as to form new words. All letters played in any one turn must be placed in one row across or down the board. They must form one complete word and if, at the same time, they touch other letters in adjacent rows, they must form complete words, cross-word fashion, with all such letters. The player gets full credit for all words formed or modified by his play.
4. New words may be formed by:
   1. Adding one or more letters to a word or letters already on the board.
   2. Placing a word at right angles to a word already on the board. The new word must use one of the letters of a word already on the board or must add a letter to it.
   3. Placing a complete word parallel to a word already played so that adjoining letters also form complete words.
5. No letter may be moved after it has been played.
6. The two blank tiles may be used as any letter desired. When playing a blank, the player must indicate what letter it represents; after which it cannot be changed during the game.
7. Any player may use his turn to replace any or all of the letters on his rack. After discarding them, he draws the same number of new letters and his discarded ones and then mixed with those remaining in the pool. He then awaits his next turn to play.
8. Any words found in the standard dictionary are permitted except proper names, etc, usually commencing with a capital letter, those designated as foreign words, abbreviations and words requiring apostrophes or hypens. Consult a dictionary only to check spelling or usage. Any word may be challenged before the next player starts his turn. If the word challenged is unacceptable, the player takes back his tiles and loses his turn.
9. Play continues until all tiles have been drawn and one of the players has used all of the letters in his rack or until all possible plays have been made.

Scoring

1. The score value of each letter and the letter distribution is indicated in the tables at the end of this section. Note that the value of a blank is zero.
2. The score for each turn is the sum of the score values of all the letters in each word formed or modified in the play plus the premium values resulting from placing letters on premium squares.
3. Premium Letter Squares: Certain squares double or triple the score of a letter placed on them. These squares are designated by symbols on the screen board, and the symbols are explained on the screen menu.
4. Premium Word Squares: The score for an entire word is doubled when one of its letters is placed on a double word square; it is trebled when a letter is placed on a treble word square. Include premiums for double or triple letter values, if any, before doubling or tripling the word score. If a word is formed that covers two premium word squares, the score is doubled and then re-doubled (four times letter count), or trebled and re-trebled (nine times letter count) as the case may be. Note that the centre square is a double word square.
5. The above letter and word premiums apply only in the turn in which they are first played. In subsequent turns, letters count at face value.
6. When a blank letter tile falls upon a premium word square the sum of letters in the word is doubled or trebled even though the blank itself has no score value.
7. When two or more words are formed in the same play, each is scored. The common letter is counted (with full premium value, if any) in the score for each word.
8. Any player who plays all seven of his letters in a single turn scores a premium of 50 points in addition to his regular score for the play.
9. At the end of the game each player's score is reduced by the sum of his unplayed letters, and, if one player has used all of his letter, his score is increased by the sum of the unplayed letters of all the other players.

Examples Of Word Formation And Scoring

In the following, each word added in each successive turn is shown in heavy type. The score shown are the correct scores if the letter R is placed on the centre square. In turn 1, count HORN; in turn 2, FARM; in turn 3 PASTE and FARMS; in turn 4, MOB, NOT and BE.

Playing Computer Scrabble

The computer will start by asking you certain questions:

How many players (1-4): up to four players can participate, and any or none of them can be designated as computer players. Press the appropriate number key.

The computer will then ask you to type in the names of the players. Enter the first name and then press the RETURN key.

The computer will then ask if the name entered is to be a (BBC) computer player. If yes (Y) it will then ask you at which level you wish it to play. The levels range from 1 up to 4.

If you have answered no (N) to the previous question, the computer will ask you to enter the name of the next player, always asking if the player is to be a (BBC) computer player.

The last question to be asked by the computer is whether or not you wish to see the computer's rack(s). This is entirely up to you.

The Blanks: When you get a blank and wish to use it press the Space bar and then type in the letter you wish the blank to represent. Blanks are shown on the scren board in the lower case.

The Options Menu

The menu is permanently displayed and the following options are available:

Loading

Tape: *RUN (RETURN)
Disc: Hold SHIFT and tab BREAK to load.