Subject: Ackanomic Research Digest V2 #31
From: [email-masked] (Ackanomic Research Digest)
To: acka-research-digest

Ackanomic Research Digest   Saturday, April 5 1997   Volume 02 : Number 031

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Thu, 3 Apr 1997 22:12:26 -0800 (PST)
From: Brian Raiter <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Request

Could someone forward me a copy of the Tabulator's announcement of the
results of Proposal 1866? (acka-voting is not archived.)

breadbox

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 4 Apr 1997 00:58:02 -0600 (CST)
From: "Joseph W. DeVincentis" <devjoe>
Subject: Re: Acka: Request

breadbox wrote:
> Could someone forward me a copy of the Tabulator's announcement of the
> results of Proposal 1866? (acka-voting is not archived.)

Acka-voting *is* archived.  Anonymous FTP to wilma.che.utexas.edu,
cd to /acka/acka-voting-digest and in v02.n027 you will find the results
of P1866.

All the other digests are there too, in /acka/listname-digest/
but acka-finance-digest doesn't have anything in it, nor is there
anything in the directory where the messages-to-be-digested are
stored.  I need to check and see if this is because something is
not set up right or if just nobody has been using that list the
last two days.

/dev/joe
Postmaster

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 3 Apr 1997 22:59:00 -0800 (PST)
From: Brian Raiter <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Request

>> Could someone forward me a copy of the Tabulator's announcement of the
>> results of Proposal 1866? (acka-voting is not archived.)
> 
> Acka-voting *is* archived.  Anonymous FTP to wilma.che.utexas.edu,
> cd to /acka/acka-voting-digest and in v02.n027 you will find the results
> of P1866.
> 
> All the other digests are there too, in /acka/listname-digest/

My apologies to our fine Postmaster.

b

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 4 Apr 1997 11:58:32 +0300 (EET DST)
From: Uri Bruck <[email-masked]>
Subject: acka :RFC G&C Nabi Chess

{{[A chess variant which uses elemnts from standard chess, Chinese
Chess, and some pieces similar to PartyChess piece. I intend to propose it
as a G&C]}}

G&C - Nabi Chess

No. players - 2
Referees-none.

Equipment - 1 board. The board is a 10x10 grid. The columns are marked
with the letters a-j, the rows are marked with the integers 1-10.
The seperating line between rows 5 and 6 is called the Equator.

Playing pieces - there are two sets of playing pieces, identical in all
respects, except that one set is black and the other is white.
Each set is made up of the following pieces:

piece 		Quantity
- ------		--------
King   		1
Queen 		1
Bishop		2
Rook		2
Camel		2
Nabi		2
Archer		2
Jester		2
pawns		10

Initial Setup:
- ------------
White pieces:
King-f1
Queen-e1
Bishop-g1,d1
Nabi-h1,c1
Camel-b1,i1
Rook-a1,j1
Pawns - one pawn is placed on each square on the second row.

Black pieces:
King-f10
Queen-e10
Bishop-g10,d10
Nabi-h10,c10
Camel-b10,i10
Rook-a10,j10
Pawns- one pawn is placed on each square on the 9th row.

Rules:
1.The game starts once two players have notified the GamesMaster of eir
desire to play, and the GamesMaster has acknowledged.
One player controls all of the white pieces. The second player controls
all of the black pieces. The player playing white plays first. Players
alternate turns. Once a player has played eir turn, the other player has 3
days to play, if e fails to do so e forfeits and loses the game.

2. On eir turn a player may play using one of eir pieces. Each piece may
be played according to the legal move available to it, as described below.

King - Moves exactly 1 square in any direction

Queen - Moves any number squares in a straight line in any direction,
without skipping over any pieces. The Queen can cross the Equator only if
either its destination square or its current square are adjacent to the
Equator.

Rook - Moves either vertically or horizontally any numberof
squares, without skipping any other pieces.

Bishop -Moves in any diagonal directional,any number of squares, without
skipping any pieces.

Nabi - Has the following possible move:
	1. 2 squares in any diagonal direction, and then 1 square  either
	  horizontally or vertically, provided all the squares  it passes 
	  through are unoccupied.
        2. If a piece occupies a square adjacent to a Nabi,in either a
          horizonal or vertical direction , then the Nabi
	  to the next square in the same direction, provided that square 
	  is unoccupied. A Nabi may not capture using that move.

{{[Note that this is a bit different then the PartyChess il-Nabi. The move
  is shorter, and more suitable to a board this size. And the second type
  of is restricted to the v and h directions. This second type of move can 
  make for some interesting openings.]}}

Camel- moves 3 squares in either a horizontal or vertical direction, and
then 1 square in a perpendicular direction, skipping over any pieces which
occupy the intervening squares.

Archer - Moves n squares in either a horizontal or vertical
direction,where n =1,2,3,  and then moves n-3 squares in perpendicular
direction, provided all the squares it passes are unoccupied.
An Archer can't capture using this move.
An Archer can't cross the Equator.
An Archer can capture an opposing piece which is on the same row or column
as the Archer, up to three squares away, provided that all the intervening
squares are unoccupied, and the captured piece is the same side of the
Equator as the Archer.  
This capture is a distance capture,that is,  the Archer does not replace
the captured piece, but remains on the same square it occupied at the
begining of the turn.
Archers are not in the initial setup. An Archer may be placed at most once
on the board. The player playing white may place eir Archer on any
vacant square in row 1 row 2.  The player playing black may place eir
Archer on any vacant square in row 9 or row 10.
Placement is a turn

Jester - A jester may move two squres in any given direction, skipping any
pieces in intervening squares.
A Jester may not cross the Equator.
Jesters are not in the initial setup. A Jester may be placed at most once
on the board. The player playing white may place eir Jester on any
vacant square in row 1 row 2.  The player playing black may place eir
Jester on any vacant square in row 9 or row 10.
Placement is a turn

Pawns - A pawn moves one square forward. White pawns move such that the
row numbers increase, black pawns move such that the row numbers decrease.
A white pawn  on row two, or a black pawn on row 9 may move two squares
forward.  A pawn that has crossed the Equator can also move 1 square
horizontally.
A pawn can't any of the above moves.
A pawn can capture diagonally one square forward.

When a white pawn reaches row 10, or when a black pawn reaches row 1 it
immediately promotes to a different piece of the same color. The
player controling may choose among the following pieces:
Queen,Bishop,Rook,Nabi,Camel.

Niccolo Flychuck

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 4 Apr 1997 03:59:45 -0500 (EST)
From: [email-masked]
Subject: Re: RFC blueprints into a rule suite 

In a message dated 97-04-02 22:35:54 EST, you write:

> It is the Duty of the Inventor, not the Web-Harfer, to keep a record
>  of all Blueprints and their histories.

The only problem I see with this is that the rules contained in this rule
suite may suddenly be scattered across the plains like tumbleweeds in the
wind.  Would you object to language that specified that all blueprints would
be stored at one location?  Of course, that means one player would have to
make space available on their web site for other players to use.

Narf

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 4 Apr 1997 04:37:10 -0600 (CST)
From: "Joseph W. DeVincentis" <devjoe>
Subject: Acka: RFC G&C Viruses

This is nearly finished.  I have also written a python program which will
help me organize this if I am referee (but also for a sort of testing of
how well the rules work), but it should not be so complicated that a
referee can't run it without the program (but of course it's easier with
the program).

/dev/joe

 = = = = = =

RFC: Viruses (G&C Game)

Players: 2 to 20 (basically, any number)
Referees: 1

Description: Viruses is a multiplayer game based on John Conway's "game"
of Life.  The multiplayer aspect is grafted on by way of "viruses" --
each cell can either be clean or infected by any one player's virus;
when a new cell is born near infected cells of just one type, the new
cell is also infected.

Rules:
1. Getting Started
The Referee begins the game by choosing 20 different squares at random
on a grid of 10 by 10 squares (exception: if there are more than 10 players,
then the initial grid is made the smallest square shape such that the number
of squares is at least 10 times the number of players, and the number of
randomly chosen squares is 2 times the number of players) and assigning
each player an ASCII character besides '.' and '@' to be used to mark cells
infected with his virus.  The randomly chosen squares are initially filled
by clean cells (not infected by a virus), marked by '@'. All other squares
are empty, marked by '.'.  The referee also chooses a numbering system for
the rows and the columns, and should post this numbering system in some
reasonable format whenever he posts the grid.  After the adjustment
described in rule 2, this grid becomes the turn 0 state, and the referee
shall post this grid publicly to begin the first turn.

2. Active Area
Just after the initial random cells are placed on the grid, and after each
generation, the active area of the grid is reset to be the smallest
rectangle such that all the cells are contained in it and none of them lie
in the outermost two rings of squares.  (So, if there was a 2x2 block of
cells and no other cells, the active area would be a 6x6 area with the 2x2
block at the center.)  If there are no cells when the active area is to
be determined, a 2x2 block of clean cells is created and the active area
is a 6x6 block with those cells at the center.

3. Adjacency
Adjacent squares, for all the rules of this game, are any of the 8
squares which touch a square either along an edge or a corner.  An
adjacent cell is an adjacent square containing a cell.

4. Turns
Each turn lasts 3 days from the time the referee posted the state
of the grid before that turn, unless at some earlier time all players
have submitted the maximum number of valid moves they are allowed for
that turn, in which case the turn ends immediately.

Each turn except the first turn, each player may make one move from
the allowable types.  The first turn, each player may make three "Place"
or "Infect" moves.  All moves are made by private messages to the referee.
The referee shall not reveal any move to any player other than the one who
made it until the end of that turn.

5. Allowable Moves
The following types of moves are allowed:
 a. Place - a player may place one new cell infected with his virus in any
    empty square.
 b. Infect - a player may infect any clean cell with his virus.
 c. Step - a player may move a cell infected with his virus cells to any
    adjacent empty square.
 d. Destroy - a player may destroy a cell infected with his virus.
 e. Uninfect - a player may uninfect a cell infected with his virus
    (turning it into a clean cell).

In each case, the square(s) associated with a move must be given in
order to fully specify the move; these should be specified by column
and row according to the numbering system imposed by the referee.
Any move which does not specify square(s) in the active area meeting the
descriptions above or which is not of one of these types of moves is
invalid.  Two moves conflict if they attempt to step and/or place cells
into the same square or try to infect the same clean cell.

6. Resolving Moves
At the end of a turn, the referee examines all the submitted moves.
First, the referee removes from consideration all invalid moves.
Then, if any player(s) submitted too many moves, only the first one(s)
(up to the allowed limit) for each such player are kept.  
Then, the referee removes from consideration all moves which conflict
with one or more other remaining moves.  Finally, all the moves still
under consideration are applied to the current grid.
[This allows players to "change" their move only if they previously
submitted one which is invalid.]

7. Generations
After applying a set of moves, a generation occurs.  The grid is
altered according to these rules (both rules are applied simultaneously
to all appropriate squares in the grid):
 a. All cells which have 0, 1, or 4 or more adjacent cells are destroyed.
 b. A new cell is created in each empty square which has exactly 3
    adjacent cells.  If the adjacent cells are all clean, or there are
    adjacent cells infected by two or more different viruses, the new
    cell is clean.  Otherwise, it is infected with the one virus which
    infects one or more of the adjacent cells.

8. VirusPoints; Winning the Game of Viruses
After each generation, the player whose virus infects the most cells
scores one VirusPoint, but if there is a tie for most cells, no VirusPoint
is scored.  When a player has 10 VirusPoints he wins the game.  If only
one player remains in the game, that player wins the game.  If there is
ever a time when no player is left in the game, then one of the players
who was in the game the last time there were any players in the game is
chosen at random to be the winner of the game.

9. End-of-turn Information
After applying a set of moves and a generation to the grid, as well as
the size adjustment in rule 2, the referee shall post the current state
of the grid publicly, as well as the list of all valid moves submitted by
players for that turn (except those ignored because a player submitted too
many moves), indicating which ones were conflicting, and also the
adjustment in the size/position of the active area of the grid caused by
rule 2, and the scoring for the round and the total scores.

10. Joining or Leaving a Game in Progress
During the first ten turns, new players may join the game by publicly
announcing their intent, if they have not played in this instance of
Viruses before; each new player gets three Place or Infect moves in
his first turn instead of the usual one move.  If a player retires from
the game or leaves Ackanomic, while there still exist cells infected with
that player's virus, a new player may join and take that player's virus
as his own instead of the usual method of starting (but any new player
doing so gets only one move of any allowed type in his first turn).

If a player retires from the game or leaves Ackanomic and nobody takes
over his virus by the end of the turn after the one during which he
retired, all cells infected by his virus are uninfected just before the
moves are evaluated.

11. Genocide
When the grid is posted after turn 11 or a later turn, any player whose
virus infects no cells is eliminated from the game, unless this would
eliminate all the players.

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 4 Apr 1997 04:36:27 -0800 (PST)
From: Brian Raiter <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: RFC G&C Viruses

> RFC: Viruses (G&C Game)

I endorse this game.

breadbox

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 4 Apr 1997 15:43:17 +0300 (EET DST)
From: Uri Bruck <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: RFC G&C Viruses

On Fri, 4 Apr 1997, Brian Raiter wrote:

> > RFC: Viruses (G&C Game)
> 
> I endorse this game.
> 
> breadbox
> 
I like this too. I think this game is very suitable for the medium.
However, this is an RFC, not an actual proposal.
In fact, the GamesMaster office is vacant, and the President is in Gaol.

Niccolo Flychuck

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 4 Apr 1997 10:01:10 -0600 (CST)
From: Jason Orendorff <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: RFC blueprints into a rule suite

> > It is the Duty of the Inventor, not the Web-Harfer, to keep a record
> >  of all Blueprints and their histories.
> 
> The only problem I see with this is that the rules contained in this rule
> suite may suddenly be scattered across the plains like tumbleweeds in the
> wind.
	It's the Inventor's duty, not "the scientists' duty", so
they'll probably all end up in one place.

- -- Mohammed

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 04 Apr 1997 13:30:45 -0500
From: Malenkai <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka:  Proposal 1908

> Proposal 1908
> Bonus Votes are quite normal

> {{[There are sufficient checks on Bonus Votes without this added
> baggage, the fun value, or any value, of which, eludes me]}}

I don't think the intent of making bonus votes paranormal was to
provide checks on them, but to give the W-File Pair something to do,
as they have missed out on the action so far.  Perhaps the W-File
Pair's creator can comment on this.

In any case, if proposal 1885, "Veto Votes", is accepted (and I surely
hope it is, because they can add fun and diplomacy to the game), this
proposal (1908), will not have the intended effect.

Malenkai

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 4 Apr 1997 22:18:01 +0300 (EET DST)
From: Uri Bruck <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka:  Proposal 1908

On Fri, 4 Apr 1997, Malenkai wrote:

> > Proposal 1908
> > Bonus Votes are quite normal
> 
> > {{[There are sufficient checks on Bonus Votes without this added
> > baggage, the fun value, or any value, of which, eludes me]}}
> 
> I don't think the intent of making bonus votes paranormal was to
> provide checks on them, but to give the W-File Pair something to do,
> as they have missed out on the action so far.  Perhaps the W-File
> Pair's creator can comment on this.

Perhaps, but considering the pending CFJ, it appeared that this has
effectively neutered Bonus Votes, and is detrimental to the game.
> 
> In any case, if proposal 1885, "Veto Votes", is accepted (and I surely
> hope it is,because they can add fun and diplomacy to the game), this
> proposal (1908), will not have the intended effect.

If it is accepted I'll propose something that will.
Niccolo Flychuck

> 
> Malenkai
> 

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 4 Apr 1997 16:40:34 -0500 (EST)
From: [email-masked]
Subject: Re: RFC blueprints into a rule suite 

In a message dated 97-04-04 12:46:14 EST, you write:

> It's the Inventor's duty, not "the scientists' duty", so
>  they'll probably all end up in one place.

Ooops... heheheh

I read that to mean "the (generic) inventor" as opposed to "The Inventor".
 My silliness, please forgive.

Narf

------------------------------

End of Ackanomic Research Digest V2 #31
***************************************