Re: [pbmserv] Re: Conway

[Mark Hartwell <hartwell@copper.net>]

Cameron Browne wrote:

> hartwell wrote:
>
> > I'm wondering if it would be too much to implement a (werewolf -alias 
> > like) choice for user ID.
> >
> > So rather than hartwell and dzander playing as A and B ... hartwell 
> > could be H and dzander could be D.  or any other letter he wanted to 
> > use.
>
>
> I couldn't see any mention of an alias command in the Werewolf help, 
> but presume that you mean a command such as "-alias=H" that you issue 
> during the game, not during the initial challenge, and which is 
> refused if that letter is already taken?

sort of ... werewolf doesn't use a challenge.  the game is created (by a 
single player who is allowed to set the options) then it is joined by 
the players who want to play.  (it might make sense to allow this in 
other multi-player games, perhaps conway, perhaps risque) 

this is subject: werewolf join GAMNUM USERID USERPASS [USERALIAS]

most of the games have a silly theme like "what's for lunch?" or "places 
you'd rather be" and people sign up with an alias like "leftovers" or 
"hawaii"

the other thing about alias in werewolf is, it keeps a game  from 
running into the next game.  towards the beginning, we had issues of 
"last game, so-and-so started a bandwaggon against me, so i'm voting to 
lynch him"  so alias keeps that from happening to an extent.

depending on the options, there will be a minimum number of players, 
after that is met, the person who created the game starts it, the roles 
are assigned and the game begins.


> It should be straightforward but I'd hesitate to do so, since Conway 
> is sequential in nature. For multi-player games it's actually good to 
> have piece labels in consecutive alphabetical order so you can plan 
> your moves knowing immediately who will move next.
i hadn't thought of that.  but most multi-player games have that issue.  
so long as the order of play is listed at the top, and the aliases make 
sense, it might not be a problem.

some letters might be a problem though ... capital I can look a bit like 
lower case l (actually i gues the confusion is between 1 and l)

how does the order work now?  is it randomly assigned, or does it have 
to do with the order the names were in on the challenge command?


hartwell