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Introduction to Gondwana

Buy Gondwana  for $29.95

Before the tectonic plates of planet Earth began to move oceans and build mountains there was Gondwana.  It was an  ancient antediluvian content in a mist of forgotten time, eons before mankind.  It was  one land, when animals ruled the world. 

In this game 10 animals were selected to compete against (not kill) each other, and Valx apologizes if your favorite animal is not apart of this game Gonwana Version 1.

This is a two player game using one mouse and for recommended ages 8 to 88 for girls and boys, men and women. The play board jungle is divided into 112 plots of land (or squares) with a green sector and yellow sector each containing 40 squares where you release your animals during the setup of the game.   

Gondwana is a game of strategy and skill enhanced with a good memory and good luck.  Average time of play about 30 minutes for adults to an hour or more for children.  This game is more fun and easy to play once the rules and ranks and moves are understood.  It is a good idea to play a few practice games first.  Players will find Gondwana to be a bit like checkers, somewhat like chess, sorta like Stratego or Capture The Flag played by kids and adults around the world for centuries.  However, no skill or knowledge of the before mentioned games are needed to successfully play.

Written and created  solely byValx with big heart, and with one   purpose to bring serious attention to the critters of Earth, to help save all species from distinction and make our planet a better world for all animals and humans. Mankind exist on this wonderful world to be the caretakers of plants and animals, not to have dominion over them!

Gondwana terms, words, and rules of the Land.... with hints and tips too! 

Object of Game - Capture opponents crown before opponent capture yours.

Sector Animal Setup - Before the game starts the green and yellow players must release their animals into their sector on the 40 plots of land (the squares) where one animal occupies one square.  Usually the crown is laid first and then surrounded by snakes and animals to protect the crown from capture.   Animals are also laid out for a planned attack.  Of course, when the green player is in setup mode the yellow player should not be seated in front of the computer.   Have the player get a glass of water or use the restroom. Once you've played Gondwana it takes no more than a 2 minutes to load the sector.  Once green is finished green presses the Done button and the animals are hidden by the green grassy tops.  Yellow then presses the setup button to load the animals into the neutral zone where they are dragged and dropped into the yellow sector.  Yellow pushes the Done button and the yellow animals are hidden by the yellow golden tops.  Anyone press the start button to begin.

Animal Rank - 0 to 10 the lowest number  is the highest rank.  Lion with a rank of 1 can capture any animal rank 1 to 10.

Number Generator - the bar below the numbers 1 to 7 is pressed by player green or player yellow when it is their turn.  The random number is the number of squares that must be moved by player green or yellow.

Player's Turn - green always starts the game. The green light flashes to prompt the player to press the Number Generator bar.   After player is finished with their moves, player closes cage if a capture occurred, clicks on the big green or yellow light to the left or right of the Number Generator which begins the flash on the opposite side.

Move - a move is a run, hop or jump according to the Number Generated.  All animals are hidden at the start and become expose once you decide to move it in a turn.  When animal is hidden click once in the square to expose animal then click the animal and hold down left mouse button and drag the animal one square for each Number Generated then drop it (release mouse button) on the last number.  Once you've pressed mouse down you must move that animal the number of squares according to the number generated.  So count the squares first with eyes and mind or finger, before you select which animal to move during your turn.

Capture - occurs when an animal of the opponent's (green captures yellow- yellow captures green) lands on a square occupied and EXPOSED (unhidden) by a lower rank, on the last move according to the number generated.   This means if Number Generated was six and you select to move the Lion, it has to move five squares and on number six it captures the animal. When a Capture is made the winner's Capture button lights up and ,must be pressed along with closing the cage with the Cage button.  Player's do not need to press the Capture button before a Capture is executed.

Challenge - differs from a capture because in a capture you see and know who wins.before you make your move. A Challenge occurs after player has generated a number of moves, can optionally press the Challenge button of their color and can then capture or be captured by a hidden animal.  Say a 4 was generated and with your Tiger for example you think you can capture a hidden animal.  Move the Tiger 3 squares and on the fourth drop it on a hidden animal.  The chances are pretty good the Tiger would win and the player's cage will appear showing the captured animal and the Tiger would then occupy that fourth square.  However, if the Tiger Challenges a hidden snake, beagle or lion the Tiger would lose and the winner's cage would open. 

Equal Ranks - in a Capture or Challenge the player whose turn it is wins all ties.  It's yellow's turn and 5 is generated, and it just so happens the green Tiger is five squares away NSEW, the yellow Tiger captures the green Tiger.

Direction of a Move - NSEW and Diagonally - NSEW is a north south east west move like a rook would move in a chess game.  Diagonally is a corner to corner square move like bishops move in a chess game.  Animals have different ranks, special skills and direction of moves.  (Explained below)

E-Moves - an E-move is an EXTRA move or loss of turn obtained when an animal lands on a secret E-move square.  Secret squares are automatically selected randomly before each game begins.  An animal must land on a secret square on its last move for that square to be activated.  A E-move appears in a message box over Lake Upper instantly. The player can select to use the E-move at that time or save the E-move and use it any time during their turn, before or after a number was generated. 

Cage - a green holding cage and yellow holding cage keep the animals waiting for a chance to be rescued and return to the jungle.   Once a Capture occurs the green or yellow cage with 40 squares drops from the top of the screen with the captured animal in its holding bin.  Player must close the cage and turn off the Capture button before game resumes.

Rescue  - a Rescue  occurs in two ways.  First, like in checkers once a animal has journeyed from its sector green or yellow to the far end of the opponent's sector, by this we mean from yellow sector to column 1, or from green sector to column 12 a Rescue is made.  A player is allowed to remove any animal ranked below the animal's rank that made the journey from the cage and drag it anywhere inside their sector.  As an example a green rhino (rank 4) who lands into column 12 may rescue a rank 5,6,7,8,9,or ten. The green player will ask the yellow player to open the yellow cage.  The green player clicks on the animal of choice, holds down the left mouse button then drags it and drops it on any unoccupied square in their sector.  Second way a Rescue can occur is by landing on a secret square that contains a Rescue E-move. 

Save Game  - At any moment the Game is interrupted, and not completed you can click the save button and all animal positions are written to the  Save Game Gondwana database table.  You can exit the program and at any time in the future reload that game by clicking the Load Game Button. If by mistake the Gondwana program is shut off, or power goes out during play the game is saved in the Active Gondwana database table.  To reload it click the Reload Lost Game button BEFORE green or yellow setup happens.  Once a setup button is pushed the Active database table is erased and ready to record the new game. 

Optional Presets Animal Setup - 15 yellow and 15 green animal setup routines are programmed to automatically load the 39 animals and crown into the sector for you.  The green presets numbered 1 to 15 differ from the yellow and each have a animal name based on an offense and defense strategy developed over a period of time while Gondwana was in beta testing by our volunteer beta testers around the world.  You may also print a copy of your selected preset and keep it folded for review as the game plays on.  The presets load the animals, but do not give instructions on how, when and what animal should be moved on any certain turn.  This is sometimes obvious by the positions of the animals.

Animal Ranks , Moves, Capture

1 - Beagle - a beagle ranks -0- and can only be caged if it challenges and finds a snake.  It moves to squares in any directions according to the number generated and can capture only when it lands on an animal equal to the generated number.  Example - it's green's turn and green generates 4.   Beagle moves 3 and the 4th square is captured and caged.

1 - Lion - a lion ranks -1- and can only be caged by a beagle  -0- or on a challenge finds a snake.   It moves to squares in a diagonal direction only according to the number generated. 

1 - Tiger- a tiger ranks -2- and can only be caged by a beagle  -0- and lion -1- or on a challenge finds a snake.   It moves to squares in a north, south, east, west  direction only according to the number generated. It cannot move diagonally like the lion, and the lion cannot move NSEW.

2 - Elephants - a elephant ranks -3- and can only be caged by a beagle  -0- lion -1- or tiger -2- or on a challenge finds a snake.    It moves to squares in a NSEW direction only according to the number generated.   

2 - Rhinos - a rhino ranks -4- and can only be caged by a beagle  -0- lion -1- tiger -2- elephant -3- or on a challenge finds a snake.   It moves to squares in a diagonal direction only according to the number generated.

2 - Dinosaurs - a dino ranks -5- and can only be caged by a beagle  -0- lion -1- tiger -2- elephant -3- rhino -4- or on a challenge finds a snake.   It moves once and does not take a generated number, to squares like a chess knight  in any direction. Example 1 square N or S, 2 squares E or W, or 1 square E and W, 2 squares N or S.

3 - Polar Bears - bears rank -6- and can only be caged by a beagle  -0- lion -1- tiger -2- elephant -3- rhino -4- dino -5- or on a challenge finds a snake.    It moves to squares in a NSEW direction only according to the number generated

5 - Kangaroos - kangaroos rank -7- and is caged by any rank higher than 7 or on a challenge finds a snake.  1,2,3,4,5,6 in a number is less than 7, in Gonwana  0,1,2,3,4,5,6 ranking is higher than 7.  It moves to squares in a diagonally direction only according to the number generated.  Unlike all other animals it is like a checker and can move one square or jump over any animal yellow or green.  A jump is not apart of the number of squares to move.  Although, it's not like a checker that can capture more than one piece in a single turn. It only captures on the last number generated.

5 - Raccoons - raccoons rank -8- and is caged by any rank higher than 8 or on a challenge finds a snake.    It moves to squares in a diagonal direction or a NSEW direction according to the number generated.   But not both directions in a single turn.  Example if a 5 number is generated it can move 5 squares diagonally, or 5 squares NSEW.

7 - Eagles - eagles rank -9- and is caged by all animals expect the rabbit.  However, the eagles are the only animals that can capture a snake.  Eagles move like raccoons diagonally or NSEW according to the number generated.  Yet they can move  diagonally or NSEW in a single turn.

3 - White Rabbits - rabbits rank -10- and are captured by all other animals  and can only capture the opponents crown. What makes the rabbit special is it is immured to the snakes bite.  Meaning it can challenge snakes to expose snakes but is not caged.  All other animals except the eagles are captured and cage if they challenge a hidden snake.

7 - Cobra snakes - snakes have no rank and cannot move once you have set them in place to protect the crown. Snakes cage all animals on a challenge except the eagles who capture snakes and the rabbit that is immune. Snakes remain hidden until exposed by a challenge.  Snakes can be caged on a capture or a challenged.