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Shogi Variants - Version History\r
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Version 1.55a (of 14 May '98) - \r
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        - Fixed the problem of the program occasionally incorrectly identifying \r
          'Check' as 'Checkmate'.       \r
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        - Corrected the problem of a player being able to leave their King in\r
          check if giving check themselves.\r
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        - Fixed the move of the White Tiger on the Dai-Dai Shogi piece help screen.\r
  \r
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Version 1.55 (of 30 April '98) \r
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The changes include:\r
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        - Added the capacity to replay moves that have been previously taken back.\r
        \r
        - The code for taking back moves has been completely rewritten and improved,\r
          and a further user option for taking back moves has been added.\r
          \r
        - The player can now toggle the moves of a game forward and backwards using the\r
          TAB and BACKSPACE keys, or jump straight to the first or last move by pressing\r
          SHIFT+DEL or SHIFT+INS.  \r
 \r
        - An option has been added to display the influence and threats of all pieces and\r
          keep the influence map on screen until a key or mouse button is pressed. This option\r
          is activated by the tilde '~' key.\r
\r
        - Fixed some problems with the configuration settings of loaded games.\r
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  \r
Version 1.54 (of 23 April '98) \r
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The changes include:\r
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        - Fixed a number of bugs that occurred only when the 'Show Legal Move'\r
          option was set to off. These included the fact that the computer did\r
          not correctly detect check and checkmate, errors in the move of the\r
          Emperor and in application of the Lion protection rules in Chu Shogi.\r
          (Thanks again to Rikard Nordgren for the report) \r
\r
        - Continuing problems with the computer occasionally leaving its King in\r
          check have now been totally cured. (The earlier fix in version 1.53 only\r
          reduced the incidence of the problem).  \r
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Version 1.53 (of 19 April '98) \r
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The changes include:\r
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        - The bug that allowed a player to move a King next to the \r
          opponent's King has been fixed. (This move is now only possible\r
          if a player has more than one King-type piece)\r
\r
        - The speed of the flashing of the last moved piece is not now\r
          dependent upon CPU speed (ie: the piece will now flash at the\r
          same speed on a 486 as on a Pentium II)\r
\r
        - A bug that caused the computer player to occasionally ignore the\r
          fact that its King was in check has been fixed \r
\r
        - There have been a number of changes to the AI. The most significant\r
          of which are that the computer will generally promote a piece even\r
          if it considers that it will be immediately lost, and it should now\r
          be less likely to make some of the foolhardy attacking moves it made\r
          at the higher playing level in version 1.52   \r
  \r
        - The kanji (Japanese characters) of the 'Horned Falcon' and 'Soaring\r
          Eagle' on the Tai Help Screen are now the right way around. \r
          (Thanks to Rikard Nordgren for reporting this problem)\r
\r
        - It is now possible to effectively pass a turn with a Lion powered\r
          piece by double-clicking on it. (Thanks to Rikard for reporting this\r
          oversight as well)\r
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        - The name of the executable file has been changed to "ShogiVar.exe".\r
          This name will be retained for future versions to assist with\r
          upgrades.     \r
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   \r
Version 1.52 (of 13 April '98)\r
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The changes include:\r
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        - Full implementation of the move of the 'Emperor' in Tai Shogi and\r
          Maka-Dai-Dai Shogi\r
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        - The addition of a computer opponent for the Tai and Maka-Dai-Dai \r
          variants (leaving Tenjiku Shogi as the only variant that does not \r
          support a computer opponent)\r
\r
        - Fixed a bug in Dai-Dai Shogi that occasionally caused the computer\r
          player's pieces to promote inappropriately.\r
\r
        - Added an option that makes a moving piece flash for several seconds\r
          after the computer has made a move (to assist the beginner in following\r
          the game) - Thanks to John Bailey for the suggestion.\r
\r
        - Pressing the space bar during a game at any stage will also now highlight\r
          the last moved piece.\r
\r
        - Fixed a bug in the AI for Shogi that hindered the development of the \r
          computer's pieces.\r
\r
        - Increased the randomness of the computer's moves (to produce more variation\r
          in the game of the computer opponent).            \r
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        - Improved the AI when dealing with multiple exchanges in the bigger games.\r
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        - Various other small bug fixes and changes.\r
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Version 1.51 (of 27 March '98)\r
\r
Fixed a significant problem with the AI in the 25 March release that caused\r
the computer to make unfavourable exchanges of pieces in the higher difficulty\r
level. \r
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Version 1.5 (of 25 March '98)\r
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The changes include:\r
        \r
        - The addition of two new variants \r
                - Christian Freeling's Yari Shogi  &\r
                - Judkin's Shogi (also known as Mini-shogi Plus)\r
        \r
        - Increases in the speed of the computer opponent at its basic level\r
          by 3 to 8 times (depending on variant)\r
        \r
        - The addition of a higher level of computer opponent (this \r
          level is only partially developed and will be enhanced in future\r
          versions)\r
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        - The program now stops the game on checkmate (rather than requiring\r
          the capture of the King, or whatever). \r
\r
        - Completed games can now be saved and reviewed.\r
\r
        - The program files are now distributed as a self-extracting archive\r
          with all the data files in a separate directory from the main program\r
\r
        - Pieces in check are now shown in 'red' on the move influence screen   \r
\r
        - Fixed some problems in the games with multiple king-type pieces\r
\r
        - Fixed the crashes that occurred in Version 1.45 if certain menu\r
          selections were made during the computer's move\r
\r
        - Fixed the move of the Vermillion Sparrow in Tai (thanks to Dave\r
          Oliphant for the bug report)\r
        \r
        - Fixed the move of the White Tiger on the Tai Help Screen (ditto)\r
\r
        - Corrected a minor problem with the implementation of the special\r
          Lion capture rules in Chu and fully automated the validation checks\r
          for Lion moves in this variant (However, the restriction on not being\r
          able to capture a Lion on a second square if the first square is a Pawn\r
          or Go-Between has not yet been implemented).\r
\r
        - Added a computer opponent for Chu Shogi, Dai Shogi and Dai-Dai Shogi\r
          (only the weakest level of play is currently available for these\r
          variants)\r
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        - Various other bug fixes and minor changes\r
\r
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Also new bugs added!\r
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        - The computer versus computer option is broken (I will fix this as\r
          soon as possible)\r
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        - The Evaluation option no longer works as it should (ditto) :-(         \r
\r
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Version 1.45 (of 10 Nov '97)\r
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The changes included:\r
\r
        - Initial support for a computer opponent for the games up to \r
          Wa Shogi (11x11) \r
\r
        - Other improvements and options resulting from the addition of a \r
          computer opponent such as Suggesting moves, Evaluating game \r
          positions, etc\r
\r
        - The program saves game preferences on exiting. \r
        \r
        - The program recognises (and prevents) pawn drops that would \r
          result in checkmate.\r
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        - Many other minor & cosmetic changes.\r
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Version 1.41 (of 18 Oct '97)\r
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Fixed a few bugs in 1.4 in particular the one that made Wa unplayable except\r
with drops.\r
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Version 1.4 (of 7 Oct '97) \r
Contained a number bugfixes/changes from Version 1.3\r
\r
The changes included:\r
\r
        - Program now recognises 'Check'. (Finally!)    \r
\r
        - Added provision to show all pieces threatening or protecting any\r
          given square or piece on the board (This is activated by a right\r
          mouse click on the square or piece).\r
\r
        - Added the capacity to analyse the influence of friendly and \r
          enemy pieces on all squares (Left Mouse Click on any vacant \r
          square to activate).\r
 \r
        - Improved graphics for Shogi itself (& the smaller variants using \r
          shogi pieces).\r
\r
        - Changed the scoring notation to be in line with the usual notation\r
          for shogi (ie: the starting square not given unless more than one \r
          piece of the same type can reach the destination square).\r
\r
        - Changed many aspects of the game interface to reduce the number\r
          of intrusive dialog boxes.\r
\r
        - Added an auto-promotion option for shogi and some variants.\r
\r
        - Improved the text diagrams creation routines (diagrams can now be\r
          produced in a format identical to that recommended for use in posts\r
          to the Shogi-L discussion list)\r
\r
        - Added the option to produce smaller format text diagrams.\r
\r
        - Added the option to dump the game score to a text file, and\r
          changed the format of printed scores.\r
\r
        - Fixed some further small bugs associated with the "take back moves"\r
          option.\r
\r
        - Fixed a serious (fatal) bug in the game set-up "move piece"\r
          routines.\r
\r
        - Changed the 'Add Pieces' set-up routines so that ALL pieces are\r
          available to be added.\r
\r
        - Made a number of small cosmetic changes to the graphics.\r
\r
        - Finally dropped the label "Beta". (Not because there are no more\r
          bugs (there are plenty), but because the program has been around\r
          for too long to get away with using that particular excuse\r
          for its shortcomings)\r
\r
          \r
Version 1.3 Introduced the variants Whale Shogi and Micro/Poppy Shogi, and\r
fixed several minor bugs (such as correcting the move of the Heavenly\r
Tetrarchs in Tenjiku, and improving the Take Back Move routines).\r
This Version also included provision for saving board positions as text.\r
 \r
Version 1.2.1a fixed a couple of minor bugs. Most notably problems with \r
graphics in Wa on certain machines & a fatal promotion bug for one of the\r
pieces in Maka-Dai-Dai, and an incorrect move in one of the pieces in Wa.  \r
\r
Version 1.2.1 fixed a bug (introduced in version 1.2) that caused graphics\r
problems on some systems when the program was run in 256 colour mode.\r
\r
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Version 1.2 contained several bugfixes/changes from Version 1.1.\r
\r
The changes included:\r
\r
        - another variant (Mini-Shogi) was added.       \r
\r
        - the capacity to rotate the board was added.   \r
\r
        - minor errors in interpretation of the ranging piece moves in \r
          Tenjiku were fixed.\r
\r
        - bugs causing problems with the move of the Lion and Fire Demon in\r
          in Tenjiku were fixed.\r
\r
        - errors with move of the Emperor in Maka-Dai-Dai and Tai Shogi were\r
          addressed.\r
\r
        - alternative moves for the Lion Hawk in Tenjiku and the Teaching \r
          King in Maka-Dai-Dai and Tai Shogi were added.        \r
\r
        - several other minor cosmetic changes were made.\r
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        \r
Version 1.1 contained a number of amendments from Version 1.0 and was\r
released in April 1996.\r
\r
The changes included:\r
\r
        - errors in the initial set-up for Middle Shogi were fixed.\r
        \r
        - errors in recognizing the end of the game when Crown Princes and\r
          Kings/Emperors are in play in the larger variants were fixed.\r
\r
        - 2 more variants (Heian Shogi and Little Shogi) were added to the\r
          program.\r
\r
        - a new improved opening screen (with load game options) was\r
          included.\r
\r
        - The game clocks could be turned on and off.\r
\r
        - A number of other small bugs were fixed and cosmetic changes made.\r
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Version 1.0 was released in January 1996.\r
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