I do have two questions:

why does the "back/return" button built into Android does not exit the app? Only hitting the home button will exit the app. I've tried this on both my tablet and my phone with the same lack of result.

Also, any thought to allowing the built in Android "menu" button to pull up the in game menu?

Both are on my list. I just haven't learned how to access those buttons yet.

(Android)
Not sure if this one is on your list, but it's on my request list:

Allow screen rotation of 180 degrees. This is a bigger issue on my phone than on my tablet, as my charge cable plugs into the side that has to face down based on your app's forced screen orientation.

Liking the app so far. Getting me ready to hit the Chicken this weekend.

Great suggestion on the auto rotation. Did not realize it wasn't working, but I have it working now. Will be in the next release later today.

Play logic question, and this may be more to play styles differing, so I can see it both ways, but wasn't what I was expecting.


I'd post a pic, but remote storage is blocked at work, so I'll have to describe the scenario.


I'm dealt 4 doubles, 6/6, 5/5, 4/4, 0/0. I plunged to my partner.

Now, admittedly after seeing his hand, he had a pretty crappy hand, but that happens sometimes. His setup:

0/2, 2/4, 0/6, 4/5, 3/4, 1/2, 2/3

So he's sitting on 4 2's, but nothing higher than a 2/4, leaving 3 trumps above his.

He's also sitting on 3 4's that, while fewer in number, are a little better than the 2's.

If I'm him and my partner just plunged to me, I already know he's sitting on 4 doubles, and it's *very* likely that the 6/6, 5/5, 4/4 may be in the mix. With that in mind, if I'm playing his hand, I lead with my low 4/2 and go from there.

Instead he lead with the 2/3 and we were immediately set.

As I said, it may be play style that it comes down to on the expectation placed in someone's hand that calls splash/plunge, so feel free to opine that direction. I just wanted to float it out there.

Good to know. I am a a novice when it comes to splash/plunge strategy.

Where is the cutoff in your mind? Should your partner always go with 4-6s if they don't have a solid hand?

I would say it's a good place to start, and would definitely weigh heavier in the calculations on what to call as trumps when dealt a less than stellar hand. That's not to say that if he only had 1 "4", that he should have gone with it. For however much that helps with your logic calculations.

Others are free to chime in here, however, everyone I've played with will typically have at least 2 out of those 3 doubles when they call splash/plunge.

If you're plunging when bidding 1st or 2nd, it's a gamble you're taking that your partner even has a hand.

If your partner plunges, you know they have four or more doubles. That doesn't help at all if you can barely put 4 dominoes together. If you don't have a double to the suit you're fat in, you just have to guess one of the doubles your partner has. You also have to assume your partner has either 1 or 2 trumps total, so the rest are hostile.

The better trumps in those situations is to either call "follow me" knowing your partner has doubles, or doubles trump. Then throw a boot at your partner and make sure they only plunge on 3rd or 4th bid next time.


I never play it because I feel plunge is simply a drunken abomination of the game (and there really is no such thing as splash, but that's another story).

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I never play it because I feel plunge is simply a drunken abomination of the game...

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Then my code is working perfectly.

I've seen some bad partner plays in plunge also. As an example, I called plunge and my partner called blanks as trump. Fortunately I have 0-2 and 0-6, so I caught the second trick, which also pulled out the rest of the trumps except for 0-4 in his hand. I proceeded to play out my 4 doubles (since I plunged he knows I have 4 doubles), and I had a 6-1 that might have walked, but didn't matter because he had the last trump.

Well, he trumped my 3rd double, then proceeded to punt back to me with a 4-2 (4-4 was already played) and we lost when the other team played 4-3. This has happened a few times to me in splash/plunge, partner trumping in when he should know I have doubles left to lead.

I could chalk it up to him thinking he can win the rest of the tricks, but in most cases he doesn't even have winners left. As in the above example, the 4-2 couldn't even be considered a winner because the 4-3 was still out.

I wonder if that's just a bad marked bid move in general. I plan on going back to look at that code today to see what's going on. I've also seen the opponents apparently playing for count, which really doesn't make sense.

Just had a weird hand...

Fry won bid with 31 with 4's as trumps.

Two hands left to go and, 5:5 (I have it) and 5:0 (Fry has it) left on the table, with only one trump (4:2) left. Fry has both 5:0 and 4:2 trump. My team only has 3 and Fry/Phillip have 22. I lead and play a 3:0 (knowing that if I lead with a 5:5, he likely will trump it, stupid play because he actually had the 5:0, so we would have won). Phillip plays 2:1, Jay plays 3:3 and for some reason Fry plays his trump, 4:2. Next and final hand, he actually has the 5:0 and leads with it, I have 5:5 and win the hand and set him.

I'm guessing there is something in the AI that says to NEVER give away count, when in this case, he should have given me his 5:0, to win the next hand holding the 5:5. Not sure how you can fix that.

That's a pretty good example for me to scratch my head with. Better to lose 5 than lose 15.

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Good to know. I am a a novice when it comes to splash/plunge strategy.

Where is the cutoff in your mind? Should your partner always go with 4-6s if they don't have a solid hand?

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i think you should also play it to the play style option you have. Aggressive players might do it with one of the top three, but conservative would need all of the top three and maybe another. Or something like that. Another situation is depending on what your partners bid is. Sometimes I will overbid with splash if my partner goes 34 or higher. Also, depending on where we are on match point about to lose, I'm more likely to do it if my opponent has as easy 30 or 31 bid and I don't want to give it to them that easily, and the extra mark really doesn't mean anything at that point.

Great game PJF. I've wasted an untold amount of time at work with this.

Feature request: Is there any possibility of adding a back button after setting trumps but before playing the first hand? I've accidentally hit the wrong trump several times.

I recently got your android version, but I don't see an option to bid nello. I have adjusted the options and saved them but I still never see it when bidding

I recently got your android version, but I don't see an option to bid nello. I have adjusted the options and saved them but I still never see it when bidding

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I recently got your android version, but I don't see an option to bid nello. I have adjusted the options and saved them but I still never see it when bidding

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It shows up once you've bid 1 or 2 Marks. When the trumps pop up it's at the very top. Right now you can do follow me or doubles as a suit of their own.

Staying up way to late tonight, but I am currently uploading a beta for the iphone/ipad.

This pretty much puts the iphone code where the android is...

1: House rules menu. You can now choose to play straight 42, nello on forced bids only, nello at any time, and Splash/Plunge
2: The computer can now bid Nello (still working on letting the computer bid Plunge
3: Various changes to the AI
4: You can now pick your own tiles during single player mode. Just swipe your finger over the tiles you want...Actually, the Android doesn't have this yet.
5: You can now disable picking through the bid/trump picker and only submit bids/trumps using the button.
6: 84+ play now correctly stacks the tiles on the right of the screen.

Without searching the 30+ pages, any plans for moon?

I've already reserved the name in itunes. I'm guessing it could very well be my next major project.

Alrighty. 42 for the iphone has been released by apple. It is now more in line with the android version and from now on, I expect to be able to update both apps concurrently.

Version 2.1 includes:

1: iOS7 compatibility
2: A house rules menu (found in the options menu) that lets you customize which rules you would like to play with. For multilayer, the house rules are whatever rules the host is currently using.
3: Splash and Plunge!
4: New bid/trump picking option that forces you to press the header button instead of using the wheel. This should help reduce accidental submissions.
5: Added some error handling for multiplayer connectivity
6: For single player, you can now pick your own tiles.
7: Fixed bug preventing music from playing in the background
8: Updated About menu.
9: Many AI changes with more to follow in the future.
10: Bids 84 and up will now alternately stack on the right instead of allowing the user to see all the tiles played.

PJF, I posted some screenshots of weird plays to the Android thread, did you see those?
I had a weird play yesterday without a screenshot on Android. I bid with sixes. The sixes were stacked against me. I had three: 6-6, 6-4, and a low 6. I lead the 6-6 and win, then lead the low 6 trying to draw out the 6-5. Unluckily Fry had the rest of the sixes, so he played a higher 6, but not 6-5. His next play was a double three that I was able to trump with my 6-4. He knew he had 6-5, and I had 6-4, and those were only two trumps left. He should have lead the 6-5 to get my 10 points and set me. Fry's setting is even aggressive.

I did. I've just had...well, let's just say personal issues that trump coding in general.

Whoops. Accidentally forgot allocate memory for an array, which lead to some seriously bad plays on all parties. I think I've fixed it, and am uploading it now. I'm wondering if that was the same issue in the Android app...

Should be ready in 3-4 days.

Well, I just submitted an expedited review request from apple and actually got it. I guess I made the situation dire enough sounding to get their attention.

Yeah, I've been noticing some weird plays as well. My partner keeps dumping the 6-4.

Thanks for fixing PJF!

I don't care how long an app has been in the beta testing process, the first couple of days are stressful as heck for me.

I actually had a beta tester inform me of an odd move the same day Apple started reviewing it and I'd been looking at it since then, but never could figure it out until about 1am last night.

Jay is a terrible player btw

Jay is just as terrible as the other two since they all have the same code.

Well then it must be me

Phillip won the bid. Calls 3s as trumps. I have 3-3 and win first hand. Next hand I play the 5-5 and Phillip gives me the 6-4.

I'm sure Jay sloughing the 64 isn't helping your case at the moment.

[This message has been edited by Philip j fry (edited 10/18/2013 3:20p).]

Funny. I'm honestly surprised this glitch isn't causing the app to crash. I literally made them mentally challenged with this release.


They are suppose to look at their opponents guess arrays (possible tiles they hold) to make an array of playable tiles. Since I didn't allocate the array correctly, not only are they looking at empty arrays, they are building empty playable tile arrays. How it doesn't give you a blue screen of death is shocking.

[This message has been edited by Philip j fry (edited 10/18/2013 3:26p).]

Those AI did not learn 42 from me!!