- -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- -- -
Chess Clock aka Game Clock PSP 1.0
Contact: mk2k(at)mk2k(dot)net
Visit  : www.mk2k.net
- -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- -- -

Chess Clock aka Game Clock PSP 1.0 is an Analogue Chess/Game Clock Simulation
for the Playstation Portable. It is written in C++ using the JGE++ Engine by
Dr. Watson and Chipmunk Game Physics library by Slembcke.

- -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- -- -
II   Features
- -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- -- -
- Two connected clocks
- Each clock containing:
  - a big clock pointer
  - a small clock pointer
  - a flag
  - a star-shaped wheel for activity indication
- 2D physics simulation on the flags
- The pointers are rotating by an estimated angle velocity, so this app does
  NOT feature the most accurate clocks on the planet (it may vary by some
  seconds per hour)

- -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- -- -
II   Installation
- -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- -- -

This software comes as Release for 3.xx Custom Firmwares. Copy the content of
the MSROOT directory to your root of your Memory Stick.

- -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- -- -
III  Controls
- -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- -- -

Left Shoulder Button : Activate and start the right clock, stop the left clock
Right Shoulder Button: Activate and start the left clock, stop the right clock
D-Pad Down           : Stop both clocks
D-Pad Left           : Rewind the currently active clock, if no clock is active
                       both clocks get rewound at the same time (keep D-Pad
                       Left pressed for increased speed)
D-Pad Left           : Fast-Forward the currently active clock, if no clock is
                       active both clocks get fast-forwarded at the same time
                       (keep D-Pad Right pressed for increased speed)
Triangle Button      : Screenshot
                       
The star-shaped wheel indicates the following:

Wheel stands still             : The current clock is stopped and inactive
Wheel spinning Counterclockwise: The current clock is active and running in
                                 realtime
Wheel spinning Clockwise (twice the speed): The current clock is being rewound
                                            or fast-forwarded

- -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- -- -
IV   A Chess Clock, what now? - How to use this app.
- -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- -- -

IV.1 Use the app for playing chess

Playing chess with a game clock has been established since 1861 where sand
clocks were used back then. In 1866 a match was played where the referee used
stop watches. In 1883 a mechanical game clock was introduced which contained
two separated clocks, each being activated/deactivated by a movable bar. In
1899 H. D. B. Mejer proposed the use of a small flag which falls when the
player's time runs out. So this app here uses the ideas of chess enthusiasts
more than 100 years ago ;) In the 1980's digital clocks were developed, maybe
Chess Clock aka Game Clock PSP will feature digital game clock's special
abilities in the future!

Ok, back to playing chess. You can play different variants on chess with a game
clock. The default setting is:
- Everyone's time runs out at exactly 6 o'clock
  -> the app's default setting is 6 o'clock, so to setup a time for each player
     you just have to rewind the clock (from starting the app, both clocks can
     be rewound exactly at the same time by pressing D-Pad Left, stop the
     process by pressing D-Pad Down)
- Everyone's time is run out, when the flag falls
  -> rewind both clocks far enough to the left first, so that the flags are
     "in front" if the big clock pointers (the pointers need to lift the flag
     up when entering the last minutes). You can then fast-forward both clocks
     to the setting you like, if needed (this applies if you want to give each
     player only a small amount of minutes)

The standard use is:
- On start of the match, the opposite player of the one doing the first move
  presses the Shoulder Button on the PSP facing his side to start the first
  player's clock.
- When a player finishes his move, he presses the Shoulder Button on the PSP
  facing his side, this stops his own clock and immediately starts the
  opponent's one. In chess tournaments the hand which actually does the move
  is the same hand which triggers the Shoulder Button after that.

The Variants for Chess are:

IV.1.1 Sudden Death

Sudden Death is a simple time system where each player gets a fixed amount of
time for the whole match. Usual amounts are 45 or 30 minutes for a standard
match. can play a Blitz Chess / Speed Chess is usually played with 5 minutes
for each player.

Sorry to say, but it seems that's it for our Analogue Clock simulation
regarding chess. Other variants are better implemented on a Digital Clock
simulation (maybe I'm working on that one someday).

IV.2 Use the app for playing Poker Tournaments

In Poker Tournaments the Blinds are raised after a certain amount of time. No
problem for our Game Clock simulation. Rewind one of the clocks or even both
to the time setting of your likes and let it go until the flag falls, then the
Blinds will be raised, the clock gets rewound and so on :)

IV.3 Use the app as a Stop Watch

The clock pointers of the simulation aren't exactly accurate, so you should not
measure events where seconds count. But you can use the app for cooking an egg
without being worried ;)

- -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- -- -
V    Greets and Thanks
- -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- -- -

Big Thanks go to
- the guys at ps2dev.org for the inoffical PSP SDK
- Tyranid for PSPLinkUSB
- Dr. Watson for JGE++
- Slembcke for Chipmunk Game Physics

Big Shouts go to
- everyone at #psp-programming on freenode
- Kojote at pdroms.de
- Greg at psp-hacks.com
- Shoesy and the whole crew at pspsource.de
- Zerlh of BrainWank

- -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- -- -
VI   Backlog
- -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- -- -
1.0  Initial Release
     - analogue simulation working as expected

- -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- -- -
VII  EOF
- -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- -- -