Talk:M.U.L.E.

The following section "Training Game" did not fit into the restructured article, anymore, that's why it is saved here:

Training game (Beginner)

1. Choose character
Decide for a Bonzoid

The computer shows 4 colours in succession. The player that presses the fire button first gets this one during the game. After you have decided for a colour, choose your character. Draw the joystick into the direction of the desired character and it will appear in the middle, below that a short description of the character will be shown. Press the fire button to finalize your choice or look at another character. After that the computer will show the colours that are left for the other players and so on.

2. Game overview (Status Summary)
You and all the other players start with $1000 money and $300 in food and energy (Goods)

3. Land grant (Land Grant)
Choose a parcel at the river

The land grant is your opportunity to get a free parcel in every round. When the moving square is placed over the desired parcel, press fire. The parcel will now be shown in your colour.

4. Deciding about production
Decide to produce food on your river parcel.

Your parcel will flash as soon as it is your turn. Now you need to decide what should be produced there. Mountains are best to mine Smithore, river land is especially suited for growing food and on flat land energy should be produced.

5. Equip your M.U.L.E
Equip one of your M.U.L.E to produce food (M.U.L.E. in the town to upper right).

When you press the fire button the town zooms in. Go into the Corral, take a M.U.L.E. and bring it to the outfitting shop. If the time bar (right) has run down, your move will end, no matter what you do at that moment.

6. Install your M.U.L.E.
Now you are ready to install your M.U.L.E.

To install a M.U.L.E. just lead it out of the town onto your parcel. Press the fire button when your character is over the house. If you miss it you will hear a beep. Try it once again. As soon as your M.U.L.E. is installed it turns into a production symbol. Your parcel is now ready to produce food, energy or smithore.

7. Catch the Wampus
You have some time left. Catch the Wampus ?

The Wampus lives in caves in the mountains. When he opens his door, his bell rings and a small light flashes. If you catch him, he will pay you for his freedom. To catch the Wampus you need to be out of the town without a M.U.L.E. When you see his light then touch him. Good luck!

8. The pub
As soon as you enter the pub you automatically win money. But with this you also end your move. The more time is left, the more money you will get.

9. Random occurrences
You cannot rely on random occurrences as earthquakes, acid rain or pest attacks, but they happen.

10. Production
Your river parcel now produces 5 units of food

The production is done automatically, you only see it. Each small square that appears on the left side of your parcel represents one unit.

11. The local store (Store)
There is a store in the game that is taken over by the computer. During the auctions it will buy and sell food, energy and ores. It starts with 16 units food, 16 units energy and withour ores. After the start the stock will depend on what the players buy and sell.

12. Player status
Now you have a surplus of food

Per round 3 auctions will be held, each one for ores, food and energy. Each auction starts with the display of your status for each resource. A bar shows by growing and shrinking how high the starting value was, how much you have used, how much has gone bad abd how much has been produced in the last move. A line shows you if you have a deficit or a surplus for the next round (except for ores, these are not critical for survival). Finally you get shown how much of each product can be found in the shop.

13. Register as buyer/seller
Register as seller in the food auction

Move the joystick forwards or backwards to register as seller or buyer. You can change the registration as often as you like until the time for registration has run out (time bar). You should sell if you have a surplus (your character automatically jumps into seller position) and buy if you have a deficit.

14. The auction starts
You are a seller and you lower your price to 40$ per unit

The auction starts with the sellers on the top and the buyers on the bottom. Now the unit line shows the number of units that is traded by the corresponding player, not the units that he owns. Sellers go down to lower the selling price, buyers go up to raise their bid. Lines show the highest bid and the lowest price of all four players. Now all four players act simultaneously until the time bar has run out.

15. Settle the transaction
You make the deal

When the buying line and selling line meet, the buyer and seller start to flash and the transaction starts, always one unit at a time. The money of the buyer diminishes the money of the seller increases and the trading units of seller and buyer rise. Every player can end the transaction at any time by moving his character away from the line. Otherwise the transaction will go on until the seller has no units any more or the buyer has spent all his money.

16. Game overview (Status Summary)
After the first move you have lost a bit

The game overview shows your points (the net value) after each round. Don't be annoyed if you find yourself on the last place. The player who trails back gets some benefits. E.g., if you and another player try to get the same parcel in a land grant you will receive it. And if you and another player try to buy or sell for the same price you will make the deal.

17. Shifting of M.U.L.E.s
Later in the game you can shift M.U.L.E.s that you have already installed into another parcel or equip it for another type of production. To shift a M.U.L.E. go with or without a M.U.L.E to your parcel. When you press the fire button the M.U.L.E. that you lead (if you lead one) will be installed and the previously installed will now follow you. You can now install it on another parcel or newly equip it (in the town). If you have no use for it, then lead it to the Corral, you will get back $100 for it.

Now you are ready for the "Beginner" level of M.U.L.E. The game in this mode has 6 rounds. The one that has the highest net value (total) at the end is the winner.