Difference between revisions of "TicTactics"

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[[Image:TicTactics - WIN3 - Screenshot - Title.png|thumb|256x256px|Title screen.]]
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[[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.
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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.
  
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 boards, provided I got first move.  
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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.
  
All three of the games have a guaranteed victory strategy for the first player, but the 4x4x4 is so complex, few humans can memorize it, and, at any rate, the AI doesn't implement it.
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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==
I do not own this game, but I have beaten the expert AI on all boards, provided I get first move.
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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==
 
==Review==
* '''Overall:''' 1/10
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* '''Overall:''' 2/10
 
* '''Best Version:''' Windows 3
 
* '''Best Version:''' Windows 3
  
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===Bad===
 
===Bad===
 
* The game is media challenged. There's no music, sound effects, or interesting animation upon victory.
 
* The game is media challenged. There's no music, sound effects, or interesting animation upon victory.
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* The game doesn't scale to larger screen resolutions, even though it could have been made to do so fairly easily.
  
 
===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 must play the AI.
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* For some reason, the game doesn't even allow you to play against a human player. You're forced to play the AI.
  
==Screenshots==
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==Media==
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
TicTactics - WIN3 - Screenshot - 3x3.png|The traditional 3x3 board.
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TicTactics - WIN3 - Screenshot - 3x3.png|Traditional 3x3 board which will end in a cat's game.
TicTactics - WIN3 - Screenshot - 3x3x3.png|3x3x3 board.
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TicTactics - WIN3 - Screenshot - 3x3x3.png|Blue wins in this 3x3x3 game.
TicTactics - WIN3 - Screenshot - 4x4x4.png|4x4x4 board.
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TicTactics - WIN3 - Screenshot - 4x4x4.png|Red is in a strong position in this 4x4x4 game.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  

Revision as of 14:11, 10 May 2018

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 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.

Media

Links