Introduction

Welcome to Hangman---the classic word-guessing challenge, now playable over your modem connection.

There is something magical about playing a game against a computer. The machine never tires, never gives hints, and always plays fair. Since the earliest days of computing, word games have been a favorite pastime for programmers and users alike. Hangman---the classic pencil-and-paper game where players guess letters to reveal a hidden word---translates beautifully to the computer terminal. What once required two players and a piece of paper now works perfectly over a modem connection, with the computer as your tireless opponent.

Hangman brings this timeless game to your EC-TTY terminal through the Emulator.ca Systems network. The rules are familiar: guess letters one at a time to uncover the secret word before the hangman figure is completed. But here, every word comes from the world of computing---a fitting tribute to the machines that make this game possible.

What begins as a simple diversion often becomes addictive. "Just one more game," you tell yourself at 2 AM, staring at _ _ _ _ O R _ and knowing you have only two guesses left. Is it NETWORK? KEYWORD? The tension builds with each letter. This is the timeless appeal of Hangman: it is simple enough for anyone, yet challenging enough to keep you coming back.

Challenge yourself against a vocabulary of technical terms, and see how well you know the language of computers.

Dial 555-0602 from your EC-TTY terminal for instant access. Compatible with EC-MDM modems at 300, 1200, and 2400 baud.

Quick Start

Ready to play? Here is all you need to know:

Dial 555-0602 from the EC-TTY main menu
The game begins automatically---you will see the gallows and blank spaces for the secret word
Type any letter (A-Z) and press ENTER to guess
Correct letters appear in the word; wrong letters add to the hangman figure
Guess the complete word before six wrong guesses to win
After each game, press Y to play again or N to disconnect

Guess the word! You have 6 wrong guesses.

  +---+
  |   |
      |
      |
      |
      |
---------

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

Guess a letter: _

Start with common letters like E, A, I, R, S, and T for the best results.

Rules of the Game

The rules of Hangman are straightforward:

A secret word is chosen at random by the computer
The word is displayed as a series of blank spaces ( _ )
Guess one letter at a time by typing it and pressing ENTER
Correct guesses reveal the letter's position(s) in the word
Wrong guesses add a body part to the gallows
You have 6 wrong guesses before the game ends
Complete the word before running out of guesses to win

Once a letter is guessed, it cannot be guessed again. The system will remind you if you attempt to repeat a guess.

How to Play

Starting a Game

Upon connecting to 555-0602, the game begins automatically. You will see the welcome banner, the empty gallows, and the secret word displayed as blanks:

╔════════════════════════════════════════╗
║           HANGMAN GAME                 ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════╝

Guess the word! You have 6 wrong guesses.

  +---+
  |   |
      |
      |
      |
      |
---------

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

Wrong: (none)
Remaining: 6/6

Guess a letter: _

Making a Guess

Type a single letter (A-Z) and press ENTER to submit your guess. The game accepts both uppercase and lowercase letters.

Correcting Mistakes

Press BACKSPACE or DEL to erase your typed letter before pressing ENTER.

After the Game

When the game ends (win or lose), you will be prompted:

Another round? (Y/N): _

Press Y to play again with a new word, or N to disconnect and return to your local system.

The Gallows Display

As you make incorrect guesses, the hangman figure is progressively drawn. Here are all seven states of the gallows:

Stage 0 - Empty Gallows (Start)

  +---+
  |   |
      |
      |
      |
      |
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Stage 1 - Head (1 wrong guess)

  +---+
  |   |
  O   |
      |
      |
      |
---------

Stage 2 - Body (2 wrong guesses)

  +---+
  |   |
  O   |
  |   |
      |
      |
---------

Stage 3 - Left Arm (3 wrong guesses)

  +---+
  |   |
  O   |
 /|   |
      |
      |
---------

Stage 4 - Right Arm (4 wrong guesses)

  +---+
  |   |
  O   |
 /|\  |
      |
      |
---------

Stage 5 - Left Leg (5 wrong guesses)

  +---+
  |   |
  O   |
 /|\  |
 /    |
      |
---------

Stage 6 - Right Leg (GAME OVER)

  +---+
  |   |
  O   |
 /|\  |
 / \  |
      |
---------

When you see both legs, the game is over and the secret word will be revealed.

The gallows display serves two purposes: it shows how many guesses remain, and it adds dramatic tension to each wrong guess. Watch the figure grow with each mistake, and feel the pressure mount as you approach the final stage.

Word Categories

All words in the Hangman database are related to computers and technology. This themed vocabulary includes:

Category	Example Words	Tip
Hardware	COMPUTER, MODEM, TERMINAL	Often 6-8 letters; look for -ER endings
Networking	NETWORK, INTERNET, BANDWIDTH	Watch for NET- prefix
Programming	ALGORITHM, PROGRAMMER, DATABASE	Longer words; many have double letters
BBS Culture	BULLETIN, HACKER, ARCHIVE	Remember your BBS vocabulary
General Tech	RETRO, SYSTEM	Common words you use every day

All words are computing terms familiar to BBS users and system operators.

Scoring

Hangman is a game of survival, not points. Your performance is measured by:

Metric	Description
Remaining Guesses	Displayed as X/6 during gameplay
Wrong Letters	Listed below the word display
Victory	Complete the word before 6 wrong guesses
Defeat	6 wrong guesses = game over

CODE_FENCE_0

This player has made 3 wrong guesses (X, Q, Z) and has 3 chances left.

Strategy Tips

Maximize your chances of victory with these time-tested strategies:

1. Start with Common Vowels

Begin with E, A, and I. These letters appear frequently in English words and will quickly reveal the word's structure.

2. Common Consonants Next

After vowels, try R, S, T, L, and N. These are among the most common consonants in the English language.

3. Think in Computing Terms

Remember: all words are computer-related. If you see _ O _ E _, think MODEM before you think MONEY.

4. Count the Letters

The number of blanks tells you the word length. Use this to narrow down possibilities:

5 letters: MODEM, RETRO
6 letters: SYSTEM, HACKER
7 letters: NETWORK, ARCHIVE
8 letters: COMPUTER, TERMINAL, INTERNET, DATABASE, BULLETIN, FIREWALL
9+ letters: ALGORITHM, BANDWIDTH, PROGRAMMER

5. Avoid Rare Letters

Save letters like Q, X, Z, and J for desperate situations. They rarely appear in the word list.

The letter E appears in almost every word in the database. Start there.

The Optimal Opening Sequence

If you want to maximize your chances, research suggests this order for your first five guesses:

E -- The most common letter in English
A -- Second most common vowel
R -- Most common consonant after T
I -- Reveals word structure
T -- Extremely common in technical words

With these five letters, you will have uncovered the structure of most words in the database, leaving you with a fighting chance to deduce the answer.

Reading the Blanks

The pattern of revealed letters tells you a lot:

_ _ _ _ E _ -- Probably ends in -ER or -ED
_ O _ _ _ _ E _ -- COMPUTER? CONNECTED?
_ _ _ _ O R _ -- Likely ends in -WORK (NETWORK)
_ A _ A _ A _ E -- DATABASE (the doubled A is a giveaway)

Command Reference

Command	Description
A-Z	Enter a letter guess (case insensitive)
ENTER	Submit your letter guess
BACKSPACE	Delete typed letter before submitting
Y	Play another round (at game over prompt)
N	Disconnect and exit (at game over prompt)

Appendix A: Quick Reference Card

+---------------------------------------------------------------+
|                   HANGMAN QUICK REFERENCE                  |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
|  DIAL: 555-0602                                               |
|                                                               |
|  OBJECTIVE: Guess the word before 6 wrong guesses             |
|                                                               |
|  CONTROLS:                                                    |
|    A-Z + ENTER  = Guess a letter                              |
|    BACKSPACE    = Delete typed letter                         |
|    Y            = Play another round                          |
|    N            = Disconnect and exit                         |
|                                                               |
|  BEST FIRST GUESSES: E, A, I, R, S, T, L, N                   |
|                                                               |
|  WORD CATEGORIES: All words are computing terms               |
|                                                               |
|  WRONG GUESSES:  1=Head  2=Body  3=L.Arm  4=R.Arm             |
|                  5=L.Leg  6=R.Leg (GAME OVER)                 |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+

Appendix B: Troubleshooting

Problem: No response after typing a letter

The game expects a single letter followed by ENTER. Make sure you are pressing ENTER after typing your guess. If your terminal is configured for local echo, you may see each letter twice---this is normal.

Problem: Game says letter was already guessed

Each letter can only be guessed once per round. The "Wrong:" line shows all incorrect guesses; correct guesses appear in the word itself. Choose a different letter.

Problem: Connection drops during game

This typically indicates line noise or modem timeout. Redial 555-0602 to start a new game. Your progress cannot be restored after a disconnection.

Problem: Strange characters appear on screen

Verify your terminal is set to 8N1 (8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit) and that your baud rate matches the connection speed. Hangman supports 300, 1200, and 2400 baud.

Problem: Game does not start after connecting

Wait a few seconds for the welcome banner. If the ? prompt does not appear, press ENTER once. If there is still no response, disconnect and redial.

Appendix C: Glossary

Baud - The speed of your modem connection, measured in signal changes per second. Higher baud rates mean faster gameplay.

BBS (Bulletin Board System) - A computer system that users dial into for messaging, file downloads, and online games like Hangman.

Gallows - The ASCII art structure displayed during gameplay; body parts are added with each wrong guess.

Modem - The device that connects your terminal to the telephone line, enabling dial-up access to Hangman.

Terminal - Your computer or dedicated terminal device used to display the game and accept your input.

Where to Go From Here

Hangman is a simple game, but it rewards pattern recognition and vocabulary. As you play more, you will start to recognise common letter patterns in computing terms. That underscore pattern with E's in certain positions? Probably TERMINAL. Seven letters starting with NET? Almost certainly NETWORK.

Keep track of which words appear---when you encounter a new one, you will have learned something about computing history along the way.