RE: Dvonn ?

[Stephen Tavener <stephen.tavener@bbc.co.uk>]

I'd like to do DVONN for the server, subject to Kris Burm's approval.
With regards to initial placement of pieces; obviously, it's important, but
it doubles the length of the game.

I'd suggest a few different start-up modes, which can be selected by a flag:

-random: all pieces are dropped randomly; second player chooses what colour
he wants to play
-quickstart: players choose locations of the red pieces; then follow 1.
-manual: no random moves at all (default)

One of the most important factors in phase I (in my not-so-humble opinion)
is control of the edges of the board, so the random fill would allocate the
outside spaces equally first, then move inwards.

Giving the second player choice of colour seems reasonable; choose the best
side, but give up the advantage of the first move, ...

TTFN,





Stephen Tavener
DigiText Programmer, BBC News, New Media.

Xtn: 64727
Room 3225, Television Centre, Wood Lane, London. W12 7RJ
mailto:Stephen.Tavener@bbc.co.uk (Work)




-----Original Message-----
From: unic [mailto:unic@df.lth.se] 
Sent: 29 March 2002 20:46
To: PBeM Server mailing list
Subject: RE: Dvonn ?


On Fri, 29 Mar 2002, David Glaude wrote:

> Assuming one move per day, it could last for ever (=month) compare to 
> Zertz (a few non forced move).

Every game is not Zertz.  Nor do I see that as desirable... the opening
phase is only 49 moves - that is not very many.  Compare with a typical game
of Go or Abalone or Chess or many other games... and the second phase is a
maximum of 48 moves...

> That was the thing I wanted to improve by having an auto-random-play 
> for the middle of phase one.

I don't think a random-play for the phase one is desirable.  At least for
me, it seems to matter what one does in phase one, and I and the people I
play with are not entirely agreeing on what is good, so we play in different
ways during phase I.

I think reducing phase I to pure randomness would remove quite a bit of the
game.

/unic

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