Difference between revisions of "TicTactics"
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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. | 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. | ||
| − | 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 and 4x4x4 | + | 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== | ==Status== | ||
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==Review== | ==Review== | ||
| − | * '''Overall:''' | + | * '''Overall:''' 2/10 |
* '''Best Version:''' Windows 3 | * '''Best Version:''' Windows 3 | ||
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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. | * There's just not much to do with the game. You can play tic-tac-toe, and that's it. | ||
| − | * For some reason, the game doesn't even allow you to play against a human player. You | + | * For some reason, the game doesn't even allow you to play against a human player. You're forced to play the AI. |
==Screenshots== | ==Screenshots== | ||
Revision as of 12:32, 20 February 2018
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.
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
- Overall: 2/10
- Best Version: Windows 3
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 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.
Screenshots
Traditional 3x3 board which will end in a cat's game.
Blue wins in this 3x3x3 game.
Red is in a strong position in this 4x4x4 game.
Links
- mobygames.com/game/win3x/microsoft-entertainment-pack-for-windows - MobyGames (Entertainment Pack).
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Entertainment_Pack - Wikipedia (Entertainment Pack).
