[pbmserv] New Game: Chaos

[Richard Rognlie <rrognlie@gamerz.net>]

Gentle Gamers,

A new game Chaos has been added to the server. It's a hexagonal
piece-jumping game in which enemy pieces are flipped rather than captured.

I suspect that the name has something to do with the fact that any
pieces flipped mid-move affect the following jumps that move, which
can make moves hard to plan even on this small board.

Cameron

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Help For the Game Of Chaos

Introduction

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

         chaos challenge userid1 userid2

     Starts a new game between userid1 and userid2.

Intro

     Chaos is a hexagonal piece-jumping game in which enemy pieces are flipped
     rather than captured.

Rules

     The board is set up as follows. O moves first.

                     1 2 3
                    / / / 4
                         / 5
             a-   o o o   /
            b-   o o o o
           c-   . . . . .
            d-   x x x x
             e-   x x x

     Each turn, the current player must move one of their pieces in a 
sequence of
     jumps. Each jump must be over a solid line of pieces of the same 
colour (no
     empty spaces) but subsequent jumps may be in different 
directions. Any enemy
     pieces jumped over are immediately flipped to the mover's 
colour, which may
     affect following jumps on the same move.

     The piece being moved may return to its starting position, but each move
     must change the board state.

     No Repeat Rule: Players may not repeat a jump or play the reverse of any
     jump made within a move.

     Outer Circle Rule: Any move that ends on an outer cell must flip at least
     one enemy piece.

     Aim: If a player has no valid moves on their turn, then the opponent wins.
     The losing player must make a "pass" move to end the game.

Syntax

     O moves first. The move syntax is:

         chaos move board# userid password a2-c2-c5

     This would move the O piece at a2 to c2 and then to c5. All landing points
     within a move must be specified.

         chaos move board# userid password pass

     Players should pass to end the game when they have no moves.

History

     Chaos was invented by Alan Tonisson.

     Implementation and help file by Cameron Browne, Dec 2009.