[pbmserv] New game: Trinim

[Cameron Browne <cameronb@optusnet.com.au>]

Hi,

A new game Trinim has been added to the server. This is an elegant 
combinatorial game by Joan Josep in the style of Nim.

Cameron

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Help For the Game Of Trinim

Introduction

   Welcome to the network Trinim server. The rules of Trinim are given
   below. The challenge command is described here. Other commands are the
   same for all pbmserv games.

     trinim challenge [-size=number] userid1 userid2 [userid3]

   Start a new game between userid1 and userid2 (and optionally userid3).

   The -size parameter sets the board size. This must be a number in the
   range 3..20 such that the total number of cells on the resulting board
   is divisible by 3.

Rules

   The board is randomly filled with an equal number of red, green and
   blue pieces.

       1-  b
      2-  b b
     3-  b g r
    4-  g r g g
   5-  r b g r r
        \ \ \ \ \
         A B C D E

         R   G   B   Score
         ~   ~   ~   ~~~~~
Fred     0   0   0     0
Ted      0   0   0     0

   Players take turns grabbing either a single piece or a contiguous line
   of pieces from the board.

   The game ends when there are no pieces left on the board. Players count
   the number of colours for which they've grabbed an even number of
   pieces, and the winner is the player with the highest count.

   For instance, the following game has been won by Fred, who has grabbed
   an even number of red pieces and an even number of green pieces. Ted
   has only grabbed an even number of blue pieces.

       1-  .
      2-  . .
     3-  . . .
    4-  . . . .
   5-  . . . . .
        \ \ \ \ \
         A B C D E

         R   G   B   Score
         ~   ~   ~   ~~~~~
Fred     4   0   1     2
Ted      1   5   4     1

   If more than one player has the best count (possible in the
   three-player version) then the game is drawn. The counts of resigned
   players are ignored.

Syntax

   The move syntax is:
   trinim move <board#> <username> <password> C3
   -- Grab the piece at C3.

   trinim move <board#> <username> <password> D4-D2
   -- Grab the continuous line of pieces from D4 to D2.

References and History

   Trinim rules by Joan Josep.

   Implementation and help file by Cameron Browne, April 2005.