Comments by GregoryStrong

This is a very interesting game. I look forward to playing it in GCT #2.

Below is a list of mobility values for all the pieces in Pocket Mutation, as well as a few Chess-With-Different-Armies pieces at the bottom for comparison. The 'average mobility' column is a Betza Mobility Calculation with a magic number of 0.7. This is probably the best estimation of the value of the piece. The second column is the average number of checks this piece delivers on an empty board without being counter-attacked. The third column is the average number of different 'directions' in which this piece attacks. The fourth column is the average number of squares attacked on an empty board.

Very nice! The author has done an excellent job of defining a Fischer randomization system for Capablanca's Chess (actually this piece mix goes back to the 1600s with D. Pietro Carrera -- see Carrera's Chess.) It is obvious to me that the design has been carefully considered from both a game-designer's perspective and a software developer's perspective.

I'm not sure I like the idea of renaming the pieces, though. There are already too many different names for these pieces, and I think the goal should be to standardize the names, and I believe Capablanca's names of Archbishop and Chancellor are probably the best choices.

Elephant (shogi Silver General):
Average Mobility: 3.94
Average Safe Checks: 0.00
Average Directions Attacked: 3.94
Average Squares Attacked: 3.94

Great Elephant:
Average Mobility: 6.94
Average Safe Checks: 3.00
Average Directions Attacked: 6.94
Average Squares Attacked: 6.94

War Elephant:
Average Mobility: 11.17
Average Safe Checks: 14.00
Average Directions Attacked: 5.75
Average Squares Attacked: 17.50

Mammoth:
Average Mobility: 11.06
Average Safe Checks: 13.34
Average Directions Attacked: 5.03
Average Squares Attacked: 18.38

Sorry I can't generate numbers for the Tiger; there are still many pieces
that ChessV can't yet support (in this case the Slip-riders, but in
general, any piece which changes direction during a move, like the Mao,
cannot yet be implemented.)

Fischer Random Chess has the 960 legal starting positions numbered, and has
the details on how to find a position from it's number, and how to find
the number based on the position.  Capablanca Random Chess could benefit
from such a system.  Besides making it easier to identify starting
positions, it would also solve Fergus' present dilema.  If a position can
be determined from a position number, all that would be required is
generation a random number in the valid range.

For a good description of how FRC identifies positions by number, see:
http://frcec.tripod.com/fischerrandomchessstartingpositions/

This is an interesting looking game.  I would have considered adding a
couple more knights in place of two of those gold generals ...  I am
concerned that the amount of power on the board will ruin the charm of
Shogi.  On the other hand, however, with so much power and
captured-pieces-in-hand, the game is sure to be a blood bath, and that
will give this game an excitement factor and charm all of it's own.

Here is the URL to a game courier preset which should play this game
correctly (should anyone be interested):

http://play.chessvariants.org/pbm/play.php?game%3DGrand+Shogi%26settings%3DMotif-CSS

Crap.  I see no word whatsoever on the website about airing on BBC America.
 *sigh*   Oh well, at least there's E-mule...

Looking back, I noticed that I had not rated this game, so I now correct
this oversight with an 'Excellent' rating for my personal favorite
variant.

I hope that Ralph re-emerges soon, because I am concerned that his
inventions might become overlooked without his continued input.  But I
will continue to do what I can to promote CWDA, though, such as voting for
it's inclusion in Game Courier tournaments, and providing the best
possible CWDA support to ChessV, for analysis of different army match-ups.
 Sometime in the not-too-distant future I will provide a great deal of
information here on what I have learned from computer analysis of the
major CWDA armies.

Regarding the Pawn promotion rule:  I would recommend a change to this
rule.  The current rule says a pawn may promote to any piece in either
army at the start of the game.  Here's the problem:  What about the
match-up of Nutty Knights vs. Nutty Knights?  Since no piece in that
entire army may move backward faster than one square at a time, even if a
pawn promotes to a (very powerful) Colonel, it still probably can't move
back into the frey quickly enough, seriously decreasing the value of pawn
promotion.  I would suggest the alternate rule:  A pawn may promote to any
piece (other than Pawn or King) in the player's army at the start of the
game, or in the standard Orthodox Chess army (Fabulous FIDEs).  This
always provides the option of promotion to Queen.

To anyone interested in seeing the first episode of the new Doctor Who:
It is easy available on file sharing utilities (probably stolen by a BBC
Wales employee.)  I won't say anything specific about it, so as not to
spoil it; I will only say that the characterization of new Doctor will not
disappoint! And his companion is just about as georgous as possible.  Also,
the video quality of this avi release is outstanding!  'Rose' is the
episode title.

If the counsellor and counsellor's pawns both move forward two, I assume
that the Kings did face each other; otherwise White's councellor's pawn
would promptly be taken.

Oh, boy ... I see the ChessV implementation of this game will require
several changes.  Bleh.

Yes, I also think recognition of Shatranj should suffice.

Also, based on feedback received here and in e-mail, Chaturanga support
will be removed from ChessV, since not only are the rules unclear, but the
present implementation is really just Shatranj with rotational symmetry and
lousy pawn-promotion rules.  But, I will probably add support for the other
historical games described in Murray's text if they are described here, or
if I can find a copy in a local library.