Associative Duel Play [5.0]

Duel is a unique two-player game mode in Concentration - the Memory Games. You can play it against a friend or against a computer opponent. The deck is split and the game is quite unlike traditional flip over.

Previously associative play was disabled when the user selected duel mode. With the new associative card sets it really makes sense to play a duel with custom associations enabled. So, it will be an option in the 5.0 release. We used the Pounce and Wag card sets to create the following demo screen shot.

Associative Play in Duel Mode (Concentration - the Memory Games 5.0)

Associative Duel Play • 5.0 Enables Associative Play in Duel Mode

Since the deck is split, Player 1 (upper half) plays with the "Pounce and Wag (Wag)" while Player 2 (lower half) with the "Pounce and Wag (Pounce)" card set. In this game mode the sets' respective card backs are used as well.

Note

At the moment neither Concentration - the Memory Games 5.0 nor the Pounce and Wag card set pack is available. That's why this post is categorized under Feature Preview.

Associative Card Sets Feature Preview »

Associative Card Sets [5.0]

There's always been something called Associative Play in Concentration - the Memory Games (well, to be more precise it was introduced in version 3.0), it allowed the player to match card images to their related descriptions.

With the upcoming 5.0 release the concept of the associative card sets will be extended. Let me give you a glimpse of this new feature. I'll use a "work in progress" card set, Pounce and Wag to demonstrate what this is all about.

In previous releases, when you used a card set that came with subtitle tool tips (small textual descriptions of the card face images) Associative play became available. If you wanted to match card faces to descriptions, you just checked the proper check-box in the Options / Game Type.

Associative Play in Concentration - the Memory Games 4.1Image Association Enabled in Concentration - the Memory Games 5.0An Associative Card Set in Concentration - the Memory Games 5.0

Associative Play • 5.0 Introduces Image Associations

For version 5.0 with the introduction of image associations your options and the configuration interface have been extended. When image association is enabled for card sets in an installed card set pack, a small yellow bubble image is overlaid on the card set icon (you can also check this property in the card set property list). Also, the name of the card set, displayed in the Card type combo always uses the "Pack name (Set name)" format for associative sets.

Associative Options in Concentration - the Memory Games 5.0Simple Association in Concentration - the Memory Games 5.0Custom Association in Concentration - the Memory Games 5.0

Associative Play • 5.0 Simple and Custom Associations

In version 5.0 you'll find a new node in the Option tree: Associative Play. Select No associative play to match identical card images. By choosing the Simple association option you can play the exact same text-based association as in previous versions of the game. In this case the values of the Custom association combo boxes are set and they are disabled. (Note that this option is not available when the selected card set has no subtitle tool tips.) Nothing really new so far...

But when you select the Customize association option these combo boxes become enabled and you're free to select any combination. In this example you see that only the "Pounce and Wag (Pounce)" set has subtitle tool tips, so description matching is only available for that set (marked by the " (text)" suffix). You have several options:

  1. Pounce + Pounce • Same as the No associative play option.
  2. Pounce + Pounce (text) • Same as the Simple association option.
  3. Pounce (text) + Pounce • Almost exactly the same as option 2.
  4. Pounce (text) + Pounce (text) • A strange combination to match descriptions to descriptions.

The really cool option is the penultimate one:

  1. Pounce + Wag • This is the option this post is about. You can match images of Pounce to images of Wag. See next screen shot.
  2. Pounce (text) + Wag • Yes, you can play with the descriptions of one set and the images of another one. Sounds strange, but since the card faces are related, card descriptions are, too.
Associative Play in Concentration - the Memory Games 5.0

Image Associations • An Example of an Associative Pair in 5.0

This type of association exercises different parts of your brain than identical image matching does.

More "Extreme" Configurations

The choices are endless... If you play a game in which a Pair consists of let's say: Three identical cards, then you might configure the gameplay to match Pounce + Wag + Pounce (text), that is: an image to an associative image to an associative text.

If an associative card set pack contains more card sets, it's even possible to match three or four related images (when playing with the three is a pair or four is a pair options.). Imagine a card set with euro coin tails and various other associative sets with the euro coin head images of the respective member countries.

And to leave the best for last, associative play will also be available for sound sets. Matching images of household utensils to the sounds they make seems to be fun.

Final Note

At the moment neither Concentration - the Memory Games 5.0 nor the Pounce and Wag card set pack is available. That's why this post is categorized under Feature Preview.

Update on Associative Card Sets and Duel Mode »

Galleus Goes Web2.0

Does this really make sense? I'm not sure, but anyways, this is the first post of the Galleus Blog (which is officially called Concentration - the Memory Games Blog). I'd like to tell you, in a few words, what this is all about.

As you can read in the small intro in the sidebar, this blog will have several functions.

Card Sets and News

There will be more card sets coming up, there's some already compiled but not yet published, so stay tuned.

  • Anytime we publish a card set on the Galleus Home Site we'll create a post here about the ins and outs of the fresh card set.
  • You can subscribe to all our blog posts, all the comments your fellow users leave here, or if you're not interested but in the card set releases, you can subscribe to the separate card set feed.
  • If you don't have a feed reader you can subscribe to the blog posts by email as well. We'll send you an email whenever an update is made.

New Releases, New Features

One of the reasons we start this blog is that a new release of Concentration - the Memory Games is currently under development.

  • Even though you can find every major feature described on the feature pages, we would like to look into more details about new features on the blog. We might explain some minor features here, too.
  • When a release is coming up, we plan to release some sneak previews about the work-in-progress features here.

Feedback, Why Your Voice is Important

This blog creates an open space for you to share your opinion. Many of you have sent us feature requests, card set theme requests, questions about future plans. Though, as before, every email will be answered (the response sometimes ends up in your spam folder, though), you might want to leave comments to be discussed here as well.

  • If you comment on card set that is being released, your feedback might improve the quality or usefulness of future card sets.
  • Your thoughts about upcoming features might lead to a richer user experience.
  • Creating polls is a great way for us to decide what features are popular and what features are pointless or not-welcome by our user base.

So, in brief: this blog will be here to serve as a peephole and a public memory about Concentration - the Memory Games. Take care and have fun!

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