JaoTI, the Jao Test Interface.
In order to begin, first find one of the various play pages that works for your browser. The index page of the play-site details how to find one that works. Retrieve the index page and follow the directions. From here on, it is assumed that you are looking at the load screen as shown in this screenshot.
Enter your handle in the bottom right box. This box is used to chat with other players during the game and control play, such as saying "hearts" after playing an 8 in Crazy Eights, which directs the game to allow only hearts as a legal play after you. More than one person can use the same handle. The game keeps track of clients with a number based on the order in which they initiate contact with the server. At some point, users which want to reserve a handle with their game preferences and essentially have a permanent account may be able to do so.
Assuming all is well, the message of the day appears and the game client asks you if you would like to join or create a game. If no other games have been created on the server yet, you will need to create one in order to play. Click "Create a Game". The client informs you that if you are running the game, certain responsibilities are pressed upon you, whether you like it or not. This page will describe what those resposibilities are and how to fulfill them.
A message now appears telling you in no uncertain terms that you must describe the game you are creating. This description will serve to inform other players as to the type of game and whether or not they may wish to join. It is important. One of the responsibilities of a good rulesmaster/moderator/games master is to write a brief, clear description of the game here.
After entering an appropriate description, you can now choose the game type. Only "Screw Your Neighbour" has been tested well enough for people to actually use. Choose it. This is a trick taking and bidding game similar to Bridge but most similar to Spades (without partners). The difference is that you cannot bid to make the bidding come out even. Read more about Screw Your Neighbour in the card games section.
A message should now appear in the chat window that the game has been successfully created. You should now wait for people to request to join the game. It is intended that clients can be allowed to watch, join or any combination of the two (including not allowing them anything at all). Currently, if the moderator allows a client to both watch and join the client will automatically join on behalf of the user. Additional options may be added in later releases. When a client attempts to join, a dialog appears to the moderator with a red band indicating that the checkboxes are important. These control whether or not the client will be allowed to watch, join, both or neither. There is also a space to tell the client why if they are not allowed access. For the purposes of this guide, allow the client to watch and join. Select both checkboxes and click "OK".
Joining a Game
For users who are joining, not creating the game, a dialog is presented with the currently running games. Double-clicking on a moderator's handle in the listing on the left fills the middle area with information about the game, including the game description entered by the moderator. A "resurrect" option is included if your game client crashed while playing and you remember your play number (discussed below). If the moderator allows it, you will be resurrected back into the game with your score (if applicable), cards, etc. If you wish to be resurrected, type your play number in the box beside "Resurrect" and check the resurrect box before clicking "Go". There is also a "New Game" button across the top of this dialog. Once you leave a game the "Options" button becomes a "Create/Join Game" button which displays this dialog.
Each player is assigned a client ID based on the order in which they connected to the JaoServer. This ID is normally not displayed. Once a player enters a game, they are also assigned a "play number", which is displayed on the left hand side of the applet (for all players). If you become disconnected during the game and wish to re-enter the game as the same player, this is the number you use in the resurrect box (described above). When you restart your client and provide your handle, you must provide the same handle you gave before.
Once everyone has arrived, you will need to deal. Dealing is another responsibility of a moderator, and is available in the "Options" menu (see the button on the bottom left). Depending on the game, various options may appear to control the dealing. Screw Your Neighbour can be played with multiple decks, with jokers or without, and different numbers of cards are dealt as the game progresses. As such, all the dealing options are available when playing Screw Your Neighbour.
Once the dealing is complete, the game client asks you whether or not you would like to start the bidding. If you decline, the option becomes available in the "Options" menu. Once the dealing and bidding are complete, it is now time to begin play. You can leave the game by way of the "Options" menu, but if you are the moderator that means the game is now over. In time, the next player or a player of the moderator's choice will become the new moderator when the current moderator leaves, thus leaving the game intact. At present, the game client informs you that the game will end if there are more than two players in the game and asks you to confirm that you still want to leave the game.
At this point, take a look at the section on Screw Your Neighbour to figure out how to play the only (currently supported) game for Jao.
If you are a moderator for the current game, the "Moderator's Options" become available in the "Options" menu. Many of these options only apply to a Mao based game, and are thus unavailable for a game such as Screw Your Neighbour. Most of them are disabled and/or untested and are equally likely to perform some useful action as to fail in some amusing way. This is, after all, alpha software. Have fun. None of these options are necessary in the course of a standard game of Screw Your Neighbour.