Help for the Game of Hextol


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

  hextol challenge [-pool_size=number] [-min_pips=number] [-max_pips=number] userid1 userid2

starts a new game for two players.

The -pool_size parameter specifies how many tiles each player has in their pool (default 7).
The -min_pips parameter specifies the minimum number of pips on any face (default 0).
The -max_pips parameter specifies the maximum number of pips on any face (default 6).

Introduction

Hextol is a game played with hextiles in which players score points by enclosing territory.

Rules

Hextol is played with a complete set of 28 "double six" hextiles (hexagonal dominos) each showing a unique pip pair in the range 0 to 6.

Start: All tiles start off face down in the boneyard (unused tile set). Players take turns drawing a tile until a double is drawn, and this becomes the first tile played. Players each then draw their own pool of 7 tiles, which the opponent can see.

Play: Each turn, the current player must place one of their tiles adjacent to at least one existing tile such that any adjacent tiles match in pip count. If the player cannot move, they must draw tiles from the boneyard until they are able to move (no passing). After the move, the player draws a tile from the boneyard to replace the tile just played.

Scoring: Players score points for enclosing territory with their move, equal to the total number of pips around the enclosing perimeter. For example, the mover scores 36 pts in the following example.

                     _____                                         _____        
/ \ / \
_____/ o o \ _____/ o o \_____
/ / / / \
_____/ ooo _____/ _____/ ooo _____/ o o \
/ \ /____/ / \ /____/\ /
/ ooo \_____/ / ooo \_____/ \ \ /
/\ /____/ /\ /____/ \/ o o \
\ \ / ---------> \ \ / / \
\/ \ \/ \ /\ o o /
/ ooo \ _____ / ooo \ 36 pts \ \_____/
/\ / / o o \ /\ / \/ o o \
\ \_____/ _____/ \ \ \_____/ _____/ \
\/ \ / o o o o / \/ \ / o o o o /
/ ooo \_____/ o o _____/ / ooo \_____/ o o _____/
/\ o o \ o o /____/ /\ o o \ o o /____/
\ \_____ o o \_____/ \ \_____ o o \_____/
\/____/\ o o /____/ \/____/\ o o /____/
\ \_____/ \ \_____/
\/____/ \/____/

Players can play inside closed areas to create smaller closed areas; it is therefore possible to close more than one area with a single move.

Aim: The game ends when neither player has any move, typically when the tiles run out. The player with the highest score wins.

Syntax

The move syntax is:

hextol move board# userid password 24:7,9
  - Place the 24 tile at positions 7 and 9.

History

Hextiles and Hextol rules by Cameron Browne and copyright (c) Cyberite Ltd, 2008.

The name Hextol is derived from "Hextiles with holes".

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

Official Hextiles page: http://www.cameronius.com/games/hextiles/

Implementation and Help file by Cameron Browne, November 2008.