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Re: [pbmserv-dev] M50 notation


So what David and I would like to see is a notation where the numbers don't change. For all of these boardless hex tile games I offer what I will call M50 notation.

Sounds like a good solution.

1) The plane is divided into a hex grid, with each cell known by a letter and number as in Hex.
2) The location of the first tile is M50. Letter and number go up and down from there.
3) If the board grows past A, the next row is ZZ, and continue YY, XX, etc.
4) If the board grows past Z, the next row is AA, and continue BB, CC, etc.
5) If both (3) and (4) occur in the same game, that's okay. That would be at least 28 hexes wide. How often does a game get 28 hexes wide?

I don't think games 28 hexes wide are a concern, this has has never happened in an actual to my knowledge (only for some contrived and very large solitaire puzzle shapes). It's likely that games will exceed 13 tiles left or right of the starting tile M50, so the double characters should get a bit of use.

Alternatively, have the starting point at a50, then columns to the right increase b50, c50, d50... and columns to the left decrease zz50, yy50, xx50...
In the unlikely event that column z50 is exceeded to the right, just add another two characters to continue rigthward aaa50, bbb50, ccc50...
Similarly, if column aa50 is exceeded to the left add another two characters to continue leftward zzzz50, yyyy50, xxxx50...

Just canonicalize the first move as B2. You will miss some duplicated positions, but not many. I think the rules should just require this as the first move. There's no need to have four different variations of that move, and the other 14 starts have been solved.

That would save having to make the initial move but would mean that every game starts in the same rotation. So if a player plays the game a lot on this server then they might be at a disadvantage if they play a physical game against an opponent who plays the starting position in a different rotation - they're strategy will be turned topsy turvy! The ability to start in different rotations isn't a bad thing.

Cameron