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How about a game of Japanese Chess, i.e. Shogi? Now playing Shogi4 — Page 104

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N-8ij check

I was once…but now I’m not… Further: zyzzogeton

“It wasn’t the flood that destroyed the pantry…”

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R-11rs

I was once…but now I’m not… Further: zyzzogeton

“It wasn’t the flood that destroyed the pantry…”

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 (Edited)

Which pawn did you use for that? Also, what pieces do you have in hand? I've noted only three of them, but there should be four.

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B P P P

I was once…but now I’m not… Further: zyzzogeton

“It wasn’t the flood that destroyed the pantry…”

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Correct-o

I was once…but now I’m not… Further: zyzzogeton

“It wasn’t the flood that destroyed the pantry…”

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My apologies.  The pawn was from 10aa/ab.  And yes, with this capture, that makes for a fourth pawn to my stash that I may never find the opportunity to drop.

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When I first heard of this game, I imagined the advantage went to the lone player.  Since imbalance is unavoidable, it would seem that the point of creating such a three player game would be to reduce the tendency in such games to gang up on a third player.  It is supposed to encourage fair fights.  But I am quickly seeing that no amount of ingenuity on the lone player's part can compensate for the two player's teamed against him.

That said, I intend to finish the game.  My fight is hopeless, but I wish to point something out.  The game does not end when I lose.  Nay, but you two must fight it out.  I bring this up because it might affect your strategy, including how you choose to carve me up.  Indeed, it might even buy me time.  Yes, I admit that.  And I want you to finish the game after I am gone, as it will illustrate the difficulties of three player games.

But I want you guys to think of some way to better equalize this game.  Clearly even a powerful king is not enough.  I have a few ideas:

1. Allow up to two moves per turn, the king and a non-king piece or drop.

2. Give the king the lion power from Chu shogi, plus the illumination power, as opposed to the queen power.  In essence this gives the king two moves.

3. Allow the illumination power to capture pieces, even if they are protected, or perhaps protection only comes from the same team's pieces (i.e. your rooks couldn't protect each other from death by illumination).

4. Create perhaps more Pleasure Gardens, perhaps a total of three or four, with new Gardens at 10op, 7rs, and 10uv, or alternately 8op, 11rs, and 8uv.  The central one could be removed or remain.  Perhaps they would only serve their purpose (promotion for regular pieces and victory for the lone player's king) for the Pleasure Gardens furthest from that particular player, with the closest Garden only being an ordinary cell for each player.

You might think these rules sound a little too much in the loner's favor, but I don't believe so.  Consider that you have not only double the army that I have, but also double the moves, which really is the more potent advantage.  I can never counter two threats on the same turn, no matter how powerful my king.

I await your thoughts.

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I have considered that the main improvement necessary might be if the lone player were allowed a move after each of his opponents. We might try that in a future game and see where it might lead.

B-8wx

I was once…but now I’m not… Further: zyzzogeton

“It wasn’t the flood that destroyed the pantry…”

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For the majority of this game, I have thought that it would be more fair to you if you could illuminate protected pieces--perhaps just one at a time (I can't remember if multiple simultaneous illuminations are allowed).

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Post, you might be right.  However, there is one potential problem.  If I could capture your king in two strikes, and Ric couldn't do anything to save you in between, I could easily capture your king before you had the chance to move him.  The only way this could be fixed is by requiring that I cannot move the same piece twice consecutively, but then this turns the tables against me and is harder to keep track of.

I personally see two moves in the same turn perhaps the better option.  A good limitation would be requiring that one of those moves be the king and the other being some other piece or a drop.  That seems like it doesn't overly imbalance things.  The double move would be optional, and I could stick with a single if I desire.  To help keep it in balance, the first move would be limited to a single move, partly so I don't score a victory by Pleasure Garden on the first move.

The illumination without defense sounds cool, but as I thought about it after posting last, it seems a little too unfair.  Then I could easily fry so many pieces without fear and incorporate them into my army.  The limitation to one's own pieces defending them makes it better, but it still might be too much power for me.

Looking at my other suggestions, I don't think they are good enough or fair enough for you guys.  I am pretty convinced that suggestion 1 is best at this point.  Still I welcome further thoughts or recommendations, including more limits for me.

All this time I say "me" as if I'm destined to be the lone player every time, but if someone else wants to try it next round, I'm okay with it.

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I wonder if another thought might be to allow all of the lone player's pieces to begin promoted?

An alternate solution might involve allowing the King to teleport up to a given number of squares.

Or, perhaps a further alternate might be if the King were to be able to switch places with another piece of his choice should he be placed in check (but not in mate)?

I was once…but now I’m not… Further: zyzzogeton

“It wasn’t the flood that destroyed the pantry…”

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All good thoughts.  Must continue to ponder on all of this.

P-9rs+

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 (Edited)

Ric, take his pawn in the pleasure garden and I will remove the threat of the lance

I was once…but now I’m not… Further: zyzzogeton

“It wasn’t the flood that destroyed the pantry…”

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Always saving the best for yourself. ;)

Rx9rs

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I will be honest, it's been taking a while to get this game done.  If I know it's a fight worth fighting, I don't mind waiting a couple days between moves, but it's been pretty slow coordinating this.  Judging by how easily I am being dismembered, would you both consider ending early after all and trying with some modified rules?  Do you want me to resign (which I believe is permissible) and you can continue to duke it out from here?

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Certainly you may resign...there is no need to prolong the bloodshed...I too feel this game has reached its logical conclusion and have no real reason to battle Ric to the bitter end given that we have a truce to defend one another's lands into perpetuity...

As for playing with modified rules, I would enjoy such a challenge, but not for a few weeks as work is once again becoming fairly involved. Thank you for the game...! 

I was once…but now I’m not… Further: zyzzogeton

“It wasn’t the flood that destroyed the pantry…”

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While I am disappointed to leave yet another game of Kokusai Sannin unfinished (have we played even one game to the end?), the slow and painful end of the game can be imagined easily enough, and since I don't win, it isn't worth continuing. ;)

If you want to play another game, ender, I must warn you that we only have 18 days to finish it, as I shall be returning to Alberta not too long from now.

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Sorry Ric.  It's just that my time is often quite limited as well, and I'm interested in getting as much playing in as possible.  As I thought about it, though I felt bad depriving the game of a satisfactory ending, the fun was sucked out of it by such unbeatable odds, yet knowing that my part would likely drag on for days or weeks.

So I don't remember just how restricted you are when you get back to Alberta.  Are you completely unable to play?

Do you want to try Shogi4?  I'm sure we could finish a little game like that in less than 18 days.  If not, feel free to suggest something else.

Post, it's been a pleasure, you'll be missed, but I hope to see you around when work lightens up.

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Sure, let's give Shogi4 a go.

I'll be pretty busy during the last bit of July and the beginning of August, but after that I'll have time to play. I won't be homeschooling next year, so I'll have about the same amount of time I had this year.