[pbmserv] New game: Palago

[Cameron Browne <cameron.browne@btinternet.com>]

Dear Gamers,

A new game Palago has been added to the server. Palago is a tile 
placement game in which two players strive to form a closed group of 
their colour.

Official rules: http://www.cameronius.com/games/palago/

PBeM help page: http://www.gamerz.net/pbmserv/palago.html

Palago is best played via the graphical web interface:
http://www.gamerz.net/pbmserv/List.php?Palago

Palago has been added to the server in preparation for its official 
release later this year. Please try it out:

  palago challenge <you> camb
  palago challenge camb <you>

Cameron

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

Help for the Game of Palago

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

     palago challenge [-size=n] userid1 userid2

   starts a new game for two players.

   The -size parameter specifies the number of tiles (default 48).

  Introduction

   Palago is a tile-placement game in which players strive to form closed
   groups of their colour.

   Note: The game is much easier to see using the graphical web interface than
   the ASCII email version! http://www.gamerz.net/pbmserv/List.php?Palago

  Rules

   Two players, Light and Dark, share a common pool of 48 hexagonal bridge
   tiles. Each tile contains a white bridge and a blue bridge, and may be
   oriented in three ways such that the corner colours are the same for each
   rotation.
         .--oo          .--oo          .--oo
        o   oo\        /    oo        / ooo \
       ooo  oo )      oooo    )      oooo    )
        o   oo/        \ ooo /        \    oo
         `--oo          `--oo          `--oo

   Start: The game starts with a single tile in the middle of the playing area
   (this is the opening player's first tile).

   Play: Light places a single tile adjacent to the starting tile such that
   edge colours match, then players take turns placing two tiles per turn
   adjacent to at least one existing tile such that edge colours 
match. The two
   tiles played each turn must themselves be adjacent.

   Aim: The game is won by the player who forms a closed group of their colour
   containing at least one bridge. Only one tile need be played if that tile
   wins the game for either player.

   For example, the following figure shows a game won by Dark (o) who has
   enclosed a 'o' group containing one bridge. The closed Light group in the
   lower left contains no bridges so doesn't count.

                    .--oo
                   /    oo
              .--ooooo    `--oo
             / ooo   ooo   ooo \
        .--ooooo    .  ooooo    `--oo
       o   oo     oo    oo    oo   oo\
      ooo  oo .  ooooo    .  oooo  oo `--oo
       o   oo     oo ooo o   ooo   oo     oo
        )  ooooo    .  oooo  oo .  ooooo    )
       o   oo  ooo   ooo o   ooo   oo  ooo /
      ooo  oo .  ooooo    .  oooo  oo .--oo
       o   oo  ooo      oo    oo   oo/
        `--ooooo    .--ooooo    .--oo
             \    oo     \ ooo /
              `--oo       `--oo

   If a move forms winning groups for both players, then the mover loses. If
   the tiles run out before either player wins then the game is drawn.

Strategy and Tactics

   Palago is proving to be surprisingly deep in strategic terms. My rules page
   offers some initial advice, but this only hints at the complexity involved
   and we are constantly learning more about the game.

   In a nutshell, players must discover and become familiar with the 
key danger
   patterns, then nullify enemy threats each turn while developing their own
   position. In general, a player's position is stronger the more exposed tips
   they have. Beware of attacking prematurely as this will often lose unless
   the attack forces an imminent win!

   There is only one safe opening pair.

Hidden Options

   The rules for Palago described above are stable and optimal. However, the
   following hidden options are still available from the earlier testing phase
   if players are interested in experimenting.

   The -anywhere option specifies that the two tiles placed each turn need not
   be adjacent.
   The -largest_wins option specifies that owner of the largest 
group (counting
   bridges) wins when the tiles run out.
   The  -largest_loses  option  specifies that owner of the largest group
   (counting bridges) loses when the tiles run out.
   The -eat_enemy option specifies that a group eating n or more enemy groups
   wins.
   The -eat_size option specifies that eaten enemy groups must be of a certain
   size to count (counting bridges).
   The -must_contain option specifies that winning groups must 
contain at least
   one enemy subgroup.

  Syntax

   The move syntax is:

     palago move board# userid password a1
     palago move board# userid password a1,c12

  History

   Palago tiles and rules by Cameron Browne, copyright (c) Cyberite Ltd, 2008,
   under exclusive licence to Colour of Strategy Ltd.

   The Palago tile design is based on Mambo tiles simplified to a single
   colour, which in turn were a variation on hexagonal Truchet-like tiles.

   The name "Palago" was suggested by Mike McManaway (of Tantrix fame) in
   reference to the Palau islands, due to the similarity in shape 
between these
   South Pacific islands and the shapes that emerge during each 
game. Palago is
   being released by Mike's company Colour of Strategy Ltd.

   Graphical web interface: http://www.gamerz.net/pbmserv/List.php?Palago.

   Please   see   the   official   Palago   page   for  further  details:
   http://www.playpalago.com/.

   Cameron's original rules page: http://www.cameronius.com/games/Palago/.

   Implementation and Help file by Cameron Browne, July 2009.