[pbmserv] New game: Lingo

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

Hi,

A simple new word game Lingo has been added to the server. It's a bit like 
a free-form version of Scramble (or Ghost) in which players add a letter to 
the board each turn and score points for words that they make along the way.

If words are made in more than one direction in a turn, then those word 
scores are multiplied. This leads to potentially huge scores, especially 
for the hexagonal version.

The examples in the help file explain the game at a glance: 
http://www.gamerz.net/pbmserv/lingo.html

Please challenge me to test it:

  lingo challenge yourname camb
  lingo challenge yourname camb -hex

Cameron

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Help for the Game of Lingo

  Introduction

   Welcome to the network Lingo server. The challenge command is
   described here. Other commands are the same as for all pbmserv games.

     lingo challenge [-pool=number] [-hex] [-small|-full] [-no_twos]
                     userid1 userid2 [.. userid4]

   starts a new game for between two and four players.

   The -pool parameter sets the size of the pool that players may play
   from each turn. The default pool size is 3 (valid values range from 1
   to 10).

   The -hex parameter specifies that the game is played with hexagonal
   tiles.

   The -small parameter specifies that a small set of 30 tiles is used
   (approximately one quarter of the Scramble set with blanks removed).

   The -full parameter specifies that a full set of 98 tiles is used
   (full Scramble set with blanks removed). If neither -small nor -full
   is specified then a default set of 49 tiles is used (approximately
   half of the Scramble set with blanks removed).

   The -no_twos parameter specifies that two-letter words are not to be
   used.

  Rules

   Players take turns selecting a tile from the pool, and placing it
   adjacent to at least one existing tile on the board. This may include
   stacking the tile on top of an existing tile. After the move, another
   tile is randomly selected from the remaining tile set to replenish the
   pool.

   Players then score points for words completed in each direction,
   according to the list of words defined in the server's Scramble
   dictionary.

   The score for each word is given by the total letter value for that
   word plus the length of the word. For instance, the word HAY would
   score a total of 12 pts since H=4 + A=1 + Y=4 + length=3.

   Only the highest scoring word in each direction is counted. If words
   are scored in more than one direction, then the scores are multiplied
   together (big scores!). Words may be spelt backwards.

   The game ends when the tiles run out.

  Examples

   The following example shows a game in its early stages. Fred has just
   played the letter I (capitalised) to complete the words IT and BIZ for
   a total of 68 pts.

          +---+ +---+ +---+
    Pool: | R | | Y | | T |   (41 remaining)
          +---+ +---+ +---+
    Vals:   1     4     1

          a   b   c   d

       1                 1
            +---+---+
       2    | z   s |    2
            +       +
       3    | I   t |    3
            +       +
       4    | b   w |    4
            +---+---+
       5                 5

          a   b   c   d

    fred made the words IT and BIZ for a total of 4 x 17 = 68 pts.

    fred's score is 68.
    ted's score is 0.

   The following example shows a game of hexagonal Lingo in action. Ted
   has just played D (capitalised) to form the words DIG, DOC and DYE for
   a total of 720 pts. It's not hard to make *huge* scores in the
   hexagonal version even with mediocre words.
            __   __   __
     Pool: /I \ /E \ /T \   (37 remaining)
           \__/ \__/ \__/
     Vals:   1    1    1

       a  b  c  d  e  f
     1                  1
     2          __      2
     3       __/e \     3
     4    __/y  __/     4
     5   /D    /   __   5
     6   \   i \__/w \  6
     7   /o  __ g  __/  7
     8   \  /  \__/     8
     9   /c \           9
    10   \__/           10
    11                  11
       a  b  c  d  e  f

    Ted made the words DIG, DOC and DYE for a total of 8 x 9 x 10 = 720 pts.

    Fred's score is 279.
    Ted's score is 720.

  Move Syntax

   The move syntax is:

     lingo move board# userid password a,c7
     lingo move board# userid password c7,a

   either of these commands will place the tile A at board coordinate C7.

  History

   Lingo was devised by Cameron Browne in 2005.

   The name "Lingo" refers to the fact that the game involves:
   - fragments of a language (like a lingo),
   - scoring lines of characters (like bingo),
   - a certain amount of randomness (like Ringo),
   and is a bit of a mongrel (like a dingo).

   Implementation and Help file by Cameron Browne, August 2005.