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Comments by ultimatecoolster

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Shogi with Cannons. Missing description (9x9, Cells: 81) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
💡📝John Smith wrote on Sun, Dec 21, 2008 03:01 AM UTC:
Cannons do not promote.

[Subject Thread] [Add Response]
John Smith wrote on Sun, Dec 21, 2008 03:07 AM UTC:
Does anyone here like making a sound when they move a piece in Shogi or
Xiang Qi?

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John Smith wrote on Sun, Dec 21, 2008 06:04 AM UTC:
I think Capas should be given a viceroyal status, as an analogy with the
Queen. They should not be given a tacky design like a Knight on a Rook or
vice-versa.

Weak Combo Chess and Strong Combo Chess. Combining either the weakest or strongest elements of FIDE Chess, Shogi, and Xiang Qi. (9x10, Cells: 90) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
💡📝John Smith wrote on Sun, Dec 21, 2008 06:26 AM UTC:
If I didn't mistake your comment, I would say that I thoroughly agree. Fergus says himself that his Shatranji is a better game than Chessgi.

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John Smith wrote on Sun, Dec 21, 2008 03:20 PM UTC:
I suggest the name Baron or Duke for the BN, because I prefer the name Fool
for the B. As you may've guessed, I prefer the name Castle for Rook.

ChessVariants.zrf. 17 variants in 1 file.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
John Smith wrote on Sun, Dec 21, 2008 04:12 PM UTC:
Ha ha, I'm honoured to have my Fighting Chance in there, but I intended it to be used as a problem theme, not for a regular game. If anything it would be used for Xiang Qi or, maybe, Shogi. Since I don't have Zillions of Games, could you tell me how you programmed it? Does Zillions play well?

3FewShogi Chess. Like Chess but 3 Shogi per side. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
John Smith wrote on Sun, Dec 21, 2008 05:41 PM UTC:Good ★★★★
This is like Chess without those drawish endgames! The koma are a wee iffy, though. Why did you choose them?

ChessVariants.zrf. 17 variants in 1 file.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
John Smith wrote on Mon, Dec 22, 2008 12:19 AM UTC:
Loss-condition should be King capture, not checkmate. You should also implement win-condition of just King and blocked Pawns.

Minixiang. Xiang Qi's short-range pieces come into their own on a small board. (5x6, Cells: 30) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
John Smith wrote on Mon, Dec 22, 2008 04:56 AM UTC:
Umm, Charles, did you realize the new set-up is instant checkmate? You should move the Point forward one space, and move the Cannon to the Mao's file. I recommend making the Palace the 3 spaces near the Generals' corners and restricting the Elephant to its own side.

Five-Minute Poppy Shogi. Small shogi variant on a 4 by 5 board. (4x5, Cells: 20) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
John Smith wrote on Mon, Dec 22, 2008 05:45 AM UTC:Excellent ★★★★★
Note that there is no need for much backward movement as the pieces can be captured and repositioned. There is always at least one piece that can move backward. This game is different than simply a miniature version of Shogi, because the promotion is not as monotonous.

Countdown Omnipiece. Every piece moves once as every Chess piece! (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
💡📝John Smith wrote on Mon, Dec 22, 2008 06:21 AM UTC:
Game has now been redesigned.

Magic River. Xiang Qi pieces crossing the Magic River turn into their Western counterparts, and vice versa! (17x9, Cells: 77) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
💡📝John Smith wrote on Mon, Dec 22, 2008 06:43 AM UTC:
Game rules revised.

Reverse Symmetry. Missing description[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
John Smith wrote on Mon, Dec 22, 2008 07:09 AM UTC:Excellent ★★★★★
Reverse symmetry gives less of an advantage to the first or second player, while making the game more aggressive with Castling. It's also easier to remember openings when you switch sides.

Relative Lumberjack. Pieces move the same as other pieces in its file. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
💡📝John Smith wrote on Mon, Dec 22, 2008 07:20 AM UTC:
Thanks for programming these games, Zzo38 A. Black! You're a great help considering my computer dying, along with my Zillions of Games. By the way, are you Japanese?

Minixiang. Xiang Qi's short-range pieces come into their own on a small board. (5x6, Cells: 30) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
John Smith wrote on Mon, Dec 22, 2008 07:32 AM UTC:
You, know, Charles, you can skip review by entering your username instead of your real name.

Five Tigers. A Chinese Chess variant with unequal armies. (9x10, Cells: 90) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
John Smith wrote on Mon, Dec 22, 2008 07:51 AM UTC:
Aren't the Tigers too powerful? They have a quite fitting name, being that they are similar to the Lion.

Shogi Piece Graphics. Graphics of shogi pieces and symbols.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
John Smith wrote on Mon, Dec 22, 2008 08:13 AM UTC:
Historically, both had it. I think some lazy Japanese person just didn't do it on one of them because King General makes sense, too.

Microxiang. The principles of Microshogi applied to Xiang Qi. (4x6, Cells: 24) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
💡📝John Smith wrote on Tue, Dec 23, 2008 07:12 PM UTC:
Play with drops, then. By your logic, a Shogi variant needs to have a promotion zone.

Shogi Piece Graphics. Graphics of shogi pieces and symbols.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
John Smith wrote on Tue, Dec 23, 2008 07:20 PM UTC:
A Shogi instruction video, I think.

Proselyte Chess. Missing description (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
John Smith wrote on Wed, Dec 24, 2008 12:41 AM UTC:Excellent ★★★★★
omg this is so cool its likke benidict ultima!!!!

Microxiang. The principles of Microshogi applied to Xiang Qi. (4x6, Cells: 24) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
💡📝John Smith wrote on Wed, Dec 24, 2008 06:10 PM UTC:
Sorry, Charles. I was in a rush. I was indeed inspired by your Minixiang. Being that my computer is down and I can only use my mobile phone, could you do it?

💡📝John Smith wrote on Fri, Dec 26, 2008 08:34 AM UTC:
Bah, humbug! I've now changed the variant to be rid of this stuck Soldier problem. It, however, resembles Kyoto Shogi more than Microshogi now. Anyone for having demotions only upon captures? Charles: Nevermind my request. My computer is now functional and I have edited the page. Remember that to display your comments without review, enter your username in the appropriate field rather than your proper name. Your proper name will be displayed after verifying your comment, though it will not appear in the test.

💡📝John Smith wrote on Fri, Dec 26, 2008 08:46 AM UTC:
I do not, though I did before the death of my great Computron 4000. I would not like to have Zillions again for it distracts too much from possibly great ideas with its limitations and I'm not the best programmer. Possibly you or my main, tongue in cheek, programmer, Zzo38 A. Black, could program and playtest it for me. I am a bit fond of the pieces demoting upon capturing, as in Fergus Duniho's Metamorph Chess. From my experience, I would say that it would be very easily programmed, but not easily very well programmed, with proper piece values, which people like Mats Winther have tweaked in the prepackaged games to provide stronger play. Any thoughts on values? You may have seen that the Elephant, the weakest piece in Xiang Qi, is paired with the Chariot, the strongest piece in Xiang Qi, just by using Microshogi analogues. In fact, all pieces take their complement in value, with a bit of salt, as their alternate form. This seems a game that relies heavily on position rather than material, like some sort of Hyperxiang.

Prime Number Contest. Yes, just as the title says! I hope this is legal![All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
💡📝John Smith wrote on Fri, Dec 26, 2008 09:01 AM UTC:
Joe has informed me that he did not have a serious entry to the competition and it is thus now marked as such. The contest is now almost hermetically sealed and play will commence ASAP.

Piece Values[Subject Thread] [Add Response]
John Smith wrote on Fri, Dec 26, 2008 09:44 AM UTC:
Does anyone here think a Knight is just an Alibaba that happens not be
colourbound? ;) How would a Rook be strengthened by adding a Tripper's
move? How would a Bishop be strengthened by adding a Threeleaper's move?

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