Difference between revisions of "TicTactics"

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[[Image:TicTactics - WIN3 - Screenshot - 4x4x4.png|thumb|256x256px|TicTactics.]]
 
[[Image:TicTactics - WIN3 - Screenshot - 4x4x4.png|thumb|256x256px|TicTactics.]]
  
'''''TicTactics''''' is a tic-tac-toe game developed by [[Robert Donner]] and published by [[Microsoft]] in their [[Microsoft Entertainment Pack For Windows]] for [[Windows 3]] in 1990. In addition to traditional 3x3 tic-tac-toe, the game includes 3x3x3 and 4x4x4 boards and three varying levels of AI.
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'''''TicTactics''''' is a tic-tac-toe game developed by [[Robert Donner]] and published by [[Microsoft]] in their ''[[Microsoft Entertainment Pack For Windows]]'' for [[Windows 3]] in 1990. In addition to traditional 3x3 tic-tac-toe, the game includes 3x3x3 and 4x4x4 boards and three varying levels of AI.
  
The expert level AI will always win or tie on a 3x3 or 3x3x3 game if it goes first, and, while a 4x4x4 game has been mathematically solved, the AI doesn't employ the algorithm, so you can still win if you're the second player.
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The expert level AI will always win or ties on a 3x3 or 3x3x3 game if it goes first, and, while a 4x4x4 game was mathematically solved prior to the release of the game, the AI doesn't employ the algorithm, so you can still win if you're the second player.
  
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==Personal==
 
This was pre-loaded on my family's Packard Bell 386SX computer, and I played it a little in 1991. At 11-years-old, I could always beat or tie the AI in the 3x3 mode at any difficulty, but I was rarely able to beat the AI on 3x3x3 or 4x4x4, even on beginner difficulty, so I didn't play it much. Years later, in 2018, I tried again and was finally able to beat the AI on expert mode on the 3x3x3 board with first move, and the 4x4x4 board even with second move.
 
This was pre-loaded on my family's Packard Bell 386SX computer, and I played it a little in 1991. At 11-years-old, I could always beat or tie the AI in the 3x3 mode at any difficulty, but I was rarely able to beat the AI on 3x3x3 or 4x4x4, even on beginner difficulty, so I didn't play it much. Years later, in 2018, I tried again and was finally able to beat the AI on expert mode on the 3x3x3 board with first move, and the 4x4x4 board even with second move.
  
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==Review==
 
==Review==
* '''Overall:''' 2/10
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{{Video Game Review|2|5|2|1|4|Windows 3}}
* '''Best Version:''' Windows 3
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{{Spoilers}}
  
 
===Good===
 
===Good===
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===Ugly===
 
===Ugly===
* There's just not much to do with the game. You can play tic-tac-toe, and that's it.
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* There's just not much to do with the game. You can play three versions of tic-tac-toe, and that's it.
* For some reason, the game doesn't even allow you to play against a human player. You're forced to play the AI.
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* The game is lacking some obvious features. For example, you can't play against a human player, and are instead forced to play the AI. You also can't choose your color.
  
 
==Media==
 
==Media==
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==Links==
 
==Links==
* [http://www.mobygames.com/game/win3x/microsoft-entertainment-pack-for-windows mobygames.com/game/win3x/microsoft-entertainment-pack-for-windows] - MobyGames (Entertainment Pack).
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{{Link|MobyGames|http://www.mobygames.com/game/win3x/microsoft-entertainment-pack-for-windows}}
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Entertainment_Pack en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Entertainment_Pack] - Wikipedia (Entertainment Pack).
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{{Link|Wikipedia|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Entertainment_Pack}}
* [https://tcrf.net/TicTactics tcrf.net/TicTactics] - The Cutting Room Floor.
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{{Link|TCRF|https://tcrf.net/TicTactics}}
  
  
 
[[Category: Games]]
 
[[Category: Games]]
 
[[Category: Video Games]]
 
[[Category: Video Games]]
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[[Category: 1990 Video Games]]
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[[Category: Video Game Prime Order - Strategy, Adventure, Action]]
 
[[Category: Windows Games]]
 
[[Category: Windows Games]]
 
[[Category: Windows 3 Games]]
 
[[Category: Windows 3 Games]]

Revision as of 15:24, 6 April 2020

TicTactics.

TicTactics is a tic-tac-toe game developed by Robert Donner and published by Microsoft in their Microsoft Entertainment Pack For Windows for Windows 3 in 1990. In addition to traditional 3x3 tic-tac-toe, the game includes 3x3x3 and 4x4x4 boards and three varying levels of AI.

The expert level AI will always win or ties on a 3x3 or 3x3x3 game if it goes first, and, while a 4x4x4 game was mathematically solved prior to the release of the game, the AI doesn't employ the algorithm, so you can still win if you're the second player.

Personal

This was pre-loaded on my family's Packard Bell 386SX computer, and I played it a little in 1991. At 11-years-old, I could always beat or tie the AI in the 3x3 mode at any difficulty, but I was rarely able to beat the AI on 3x3x3 or 4x4x4, even on beginner difficulty, so I didn't play it much. Years later, in 2018, I tried again and was finally able to beat the AI on expert mode on the 3x3x3 board with first move, and the 4x4x4 board even with second move.

Status

I do not own this game, but I have beaten the expert AI on all boards with first move, and the 4x4x4 with second move.

Review

Video Game Review Icon - Enjoyment.png Video Game Review Icon - Control.png Video Game Review Icon - Appearance.png Video Game Review Icon - Sound.png Video Game Review Icon - Replayability.png
2 5 2 1 4

Best Version: Windows 3

— This section contains spoilers! —

Good

  • The game nicely implements the rules of three tic-tac-toe boards.
  • The AI features three levels of difficulty.
  • The graphics are quite nice for such a simple game.

Bad

  • The game is media challenged. There's no music, sound effects, or interesting animation upon victory.
  • The game doesn't scale to larger screen resolutions, even though it could have been made to do so fairly easily.

Ugly

  • There's just not much to do with the game. You can play three versions of tic-tac-toe, and that's it.
  • The game is lacking some obvious features. For example, you can't play against a human player, and are instead forced to play the AI. You also can't choose your color.

Media

Links

Link-MobyGames.png  Link-Wikipedia.png  Link-TCRF.png