From: tuc@calico.cs.wisc.edu (Brian A. Cole)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: Mah Jong
Date: 6 Nov 92 15:44:29 GMT
Organization: U of Wisconsin Madison - Computer Sciences

In rec.games.board, Bach Frederic [tobac@ub-tky.ubspd.co.jp] writes:
] I am looking for any possible information regarding electronic versions
] of the game Mah Jong(g). This includes ; references of existing
] commercial programmes, shareware, downloadable sources of compiled
] programmes etc. Any hardware is considered : PC, Amiga, XT, AT, NEC,
] although my preference is with Workstation Unix (Sun Sparc 10). 

  The only one I know of is a version for the Nitendo Game Boy.  I picked
up the cartridge (actually a bootleg, but I could have got an authorized
one) when I was in Hong Kong last July.
  The problem (for me) is that all text is entirely in Japanese.  I don't
know a word of Japanese, so I can't figure out haw to play (and I don't
know which rule system is used).

  I too am looking for electronic versions of the game, especially
Macintosh or Unix/X, so please let me know what you find (or summarize
to rec.games.board).

A note of caution:  There is a solitaire game (called "xmahjongg" on my
                    system) available by anonymous ftp that I'm sure a
                    lot of people (at least in the U.S., where the real
                    game of mah jong is relatively unknown) will tell you
                    about.  This is _not_ mah jong, but really a simple
                    solitaire puzzle that just happens to use a set of
                    mah jong tiles.

]                                                        Any version of the
] game is accepted : Mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, although my preference
] is with the Japanese rules.

Ah.  Perhaps you can give _me_ some information.  What are the differences
between these versions af the game?  I have several books (all in English)
on the game, and they all contradict each other, especially with regards
to scoring.  I realize that no two regions play exactly the same way, but
I'd like to hear any broad sweeping generalizations you have to offer.  :-)

I notice that you didn't list the U.S. Mah Jong Players' Association (I think
that is what it is called) rules.  This is wise, this version of the game is
almost sacrilege to those of us familiar with the more authentic versions.
Among other things, the rules of this version change every year -- one has
to by a special card that lists the possible winning hands for that year.

] Any Mah Jong players out there ?

I am one.  I hope there are others.

] Mail the answers back directly, as I have included a lot of groups. Any
] body interested with the results also feel free to mail.

  I will also post this to rec.games.board, maybe some of the knowledgeable
who live there can clarify things a bit.

brian
-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~     _______    _____     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Brian A. Cole                 |_   _  |  |  ___|    Most people think disc golf
  tuc@cs.wisc.edu               | | | |__| |___     is a joke.    It is not.
  ...!uwvax!cs.wisc.edu!tuc     |_| |__________|    That gives us the element
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