Show HN: Play a pen-and-paper game that is almost unknown in the US and Europe • Hacker News Board

Re: Show HN: Play a pen-and-paper game that is almost unknown in the US and Europe

#51

Post by curryberto » Fri, Dec 01, 2023, 4:01 AM UTC

kstenerud wrote: post #46

I don't get it. What is the purpose of a "wall" unit? If you just want to fill up a grid, why do you need more than one kind of unit? Is the wall just decorative? It doesn't seem to affect anything at all.

a wall can't be destroyed but can attack like a unit, but it must have reinforcements from another unit behind your lines. So the strategy is to prevent your enemies from being able to make walls by placing your units strategically, and if they do make walls to interrupt their supply lines so they can't attack anymore.

Re: Show HN: Play a pen-and-paper game that is almost unknown in the US and Europe

#52

Post by nonethewiser » Fri, Dec 01, 2023, 4:45 AM UTC

gus_massa wrote: post #3

I had to play a few games to understand the rules, but I'm wining most games. How good is the bot? It's strange that you can make a few moves in each turn. With 1 move the strategy is too easy. Which is the standard lenght of the turns?

The bot plays perfect paper-tactics. You are a savant.

Re: Show HN: Play a pen-and-paper game that is almost unknown in the US and Europe

#53

Post by rkagerer » Fri, Dec 01, 2023, 4:59 AM UTC

I didn't realize at first you get three moves per turn (by default). I kept wondering what trick the bot used to build multiple walls at once.

Re: Show HN: Play a pen-and-paper game that is almost unknown in the US and Europe

#54

Post by dmichulke » Fri, Dec 01, 2023, 5:48 AM UTC

dudul wrote: post #44

Source for calling it "almost unknown"? I'm from Europe and this game is totally known. I had a university project to program one in C. The bot especially was fun to implement.

> Source for calling it "almost unknown"?

I see what you did there!

Re: Show HN: Play a pen-and-paper game that is almost unknown in the US and Europe

#55

Post by pmontra » Fri, Dec 01, 2023, 7:58 AM UTC

I like that it has the concept of supply lines: a wall works (it can expand) only if supplied by a cross. I attempt to cut the opponent supply lines by looking for and suppressing every cross in contact with its walls but I have to protect my crosses.

Re: Show HN: Play a pen-and-paper game that is almost unknown in the US and Europe

#56

Post by adzm » Fri, Dec 01, 2023, 7:59 AM UTC

johngalt wrote: post #13

Karliss wrote: post #12

How would you typically mark the walls when playing with pen and paper?

Draw a square around the X or O.

Or just shade it lightly

Re: Show HN: Play a pen-and-paper game that is almost unknown in the US and Europe

#57

Post by leowwwa » Fri, Dec 01, 2023, 8:27 AM UTC

Kharacternyk wrote: post #6

gus_massa wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It's mainly useful to help understand the rules, as in your case. I agree. [spoiler alert] I tried with 2 or 3 moves per turn. My strategy was to advace in diagonal to have a lot of space in tha back, and keep some distance from the oponent. When it advances, I wall the pieces. If it doesn't advance I fill my backshard space. With 2 or 3 it's humanly learnable in 10 minutes. I imagine that 7 moves would be much ore…

Your strategy is definitely good — capturing territory to fill it later when advancing doesn't make sense is important. 7 moves are more complex, but much less so when playing against the bot. Your suggestion about making the bot eager to advance makes sense, thanks. Hope you'll play a few times against a human opponent in the future:)

[flagged]

Re: Show HN: Play a pen-and-paper game that is almost unknown in the US and Europe

#58

Post by Kharacternyk » Fri, Dec 01, 2023, 8:28 AM UTC

zibada wrote: post #36

The rules of the game are itself like a virus. Looks like everyone here played a slightly different variant. It mutated wildly across space and time. After I learned two different rule sets from two different sources, I went on and invented my own version. It became an instant hit in our class for many years to come. Basically: 1. the map is randomized, with some "islands" randomly drawn, separating the map into "lan…

We did play on an A5 as well! We called the variant "the Lord of the Rings", it was two players that played humans and elves versus one who played orcs. Only humans were allowed to move diagonally, elves could place walls over an empty space, and the orc player had more moves per turn and two bases.

Re: Show HN: Play a pen-and-paper game that is almost unknown in the US and Europe

#59

Post by Kharacternyk » Fri, Dec 01, 2023, 8:31 AM UTC

tianshuo wrote: post #47

Feature Request: A lot of people disconnect after some time, there should be some kind of countdown for auto-victory.

It should detect the browser window/tab being closed and automatically concede. You are right that there is no timeout, though.

Re: Show HN: Play a pen-and-paper game that is almost unknown in the US and Europe

#60

Post by Kharacternyk » Fri, Dec 01, 2023, 8:37 AM UTC

iammjm wrote: post #29

This is super fun. But: I am winning most of my games as green / if I am going first. I struggle otherwise, not having the initiative

Being second is beneficial at the end of the game — the first player will run out of the legal moves quicker, all other things being equal. I'm not sure it completely balances out the first player advantage, though.