SARC is an open source project modeled after the classic playing cards game Spades. It is designed for one human player in cooperation with one computer player against two computer players, all on the same computer of course. Being more of a basic artificial intelligence project than a viable game, SARC's source code is available here to the internet public as well as on Source Forge with more depth and description, mainly for developers and bug hunters.
Have a suggestion, question, or comment? Perhaps you have found a bug to report? Great! Please forward your electronic message to apparatus@users.source_nospam_forge.net. **When sending email, remove the _nospam_ in my email address. This is to prevent unsolicited email.** Alternativly you could seek a carrier pigeon to delieve your kind words but I would not consider than a secure connection (if you use Source Forge you know what I mean ;-)
** Note: Any release prior to version 1.0 is incomplete and with known bugs. These versions are to be considered beta and should be used with caution. Versions are determined in the following manner: every increase in the left decimal represents a new version with enough changes and improvments to separate it from the previous version; every increase in the middle decimal represents a significant implementation (e.g. card dragging); every increase in the right decimal represents a minor implementation, change, or bug fix.
As of 2001.12.07 all binaries and source code files may be downloaded from SourceForge.
2001.12.07 - Created the first Windows port of Sarc, version 1.1. Changed some implementations to cross-platform.
2001.10.01 - Finished with the first version!
2001.09.22 - For all intended purposed in version one, the AI is complete. Gameplay has also been implemented. Scoring still needs to be implemented before the release of v1.0.
2001.08.31 - A few major as well as some minor bug fixes. Correct card dropping implemented. Decided to release only source code without binary until significant changes developments occur.
2001.08.24 - Changed the layout of the bid and score output. Named the computer players after three chipmunks. Drew location for card deposit. Allowed mouse to drag card from point clicked.
2001.08.22 - Implemented card dragging. Fixed debris bug and changed to manual mouse control after bidding gui.
2001.08.21 - Fixed the double digit bid bug that was crashing allegro. Turns out that I defined char str2[2]; so a double digit bid plus the null terminator overflowed the string.
2001.08.20 - Fixed bidding bug that prevented aces and kings from being counted at certain times. Added the bidding interface for the human player as a starting point of the GUI.
2001.08.19 - Added a cute graphic to represent the computer player. Optimized the code for size by 121 KB.
** Note: Bugs that have been fixed are checked with an X.
2001.09.16 - [X] AI does not trump at times and does not follow suit when spades led.
2001.08.31 - [X] Cards streak when moved rapidly.
2001.08.24 - [X] Uncovered cards do not change their second x coordinate after the card in front has been moved.
2001.08.22 - [X] Mouse and small portion of card leaves debris on screen when dragged.
2001.08.20 - [X] SARC crashes if a bid of 11 or 12 is selected by the human. Sometimes crashes on other bids as well.
I would like to sincerely thank the following people for all their hard work and many hours spent helping with SARC:
Michael Abreu for his continued ideas, bug tracking, and council.
Shawn Hargreaves and the entire Allegro team for create such a wonderful graphical library
All the DJGPP developers for writing one of the finest C++ compilers available
Everyone on EFnet in #allegro for their continued assistance
Source Forge for hosting my project
Anyone else that I have sadly, but not intentionally, forgotten.