********************************************
 Laser Chess installation and configuration
 (c) 1997-2002 by Eric Tucker
********************************************


INSTALLING LASER CHESS
======================

Laser Chess is a Java application.  To run it, you need the JRE
(Java Runtime Environment).  I'd recommand version 1.4 or later,
since that is what I have tested with most recently.

You can get a version of the JRE for Windows, Solaris, or Linux
from Sun's web site:

	http://java.sun.com/j2se/

Laser Chess should theoretically run on any platform for which you
can find a Java VM, although I have only personally tested it on
Windows 2000.

Once you have installed the JRE, you're all set to go.  The files and
directories in the Laser Chess distribution are:

	INSTALL.txt     how to install and run the game
	README.txt      how to play the game
	CHANGES.txt     revision history
	BUGS.txt        bugs in Laser Chess
	AGENDA.txt	ideas for new features
	COPYING.txt     GNU general public license
	source          directory with source code (.java files)
	bin             directory with compiled, runnable code (.class files)
	sounds          directory with Laser Chess sound effects


STARTING A GAME
===============

First, change to the bin directory, which contains the .class files
needed to actually run the program.  Then, type

	java LaserChess

A dialog will come up to prompt you for game setup.  By default,
Laser Chess is played on a single computer, with the two players
taking turns at the keyboard, and with no time limit for each turn.


GAME OPTIONS: NETWORKING
========================

Laser Chess can also be played on two computers over a TCP/IP network.
All you need to know is the IP address or name of one of the hosts.

To play over a network, one computer must be run in "server" mode, and
on the other in "client" mode.  This distinction matters only for
purposes of initially establishing a connection: the server will
listen on a socket, and the client will initiate the connection.  The
player on the server machine chooses the game options: what color he
wants to play, and what time limits, if any, will be imposed on moves
in the game.  The server machine then tells the client machine what
options were chosen.

The server and client can be started in either order; the first one
started will wait for the second to arrive before they both proceed
together.

Note that in a networked game, both computers must be running the same
version of Laser Chess.


GAME OPTIONS: TIME LIMITS
=========================

We've all played strategy games with people who take forever to make
their moves.  If you have such a partner, then you want time limits!
There are two kinds available in Laser Chess:

Per-turn time limits: each player's turn is limited to a certain
number of seconds.  If a move is not made within the allotted time,
the turn is lost.

Per-game time limits: like in chess tournaments, each player has a
time budget for the entire game.  The time taken for all of his moves
put together cannot sum to more than this amount of time.  When a
player's time runs out, that player loses the game.


BYPASSING THE GAME CONFIGURATION DIALOG
=======================================

If you want, you can bypass the dialog box and tell Laser Chess how to run
using command-line parameters.  For documentation on how to do this,
start the program by typing

	java LaserChess -help
