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Joe Joyce wrote on Fri, May 29, 2009 09:14 AM UTC:
I guess that means you're looking for the long answer. [You asked for it!]

I see the knights as complex pieces already. In The ShortRange Project, I specifically looked at a range of knight-type pieces, including what I called the pony, a piece that first moves like a wazir or a ferz, then either stops or continues on as a lame knight, stepping outward this time as ferz or wazir, the opposite of the first move. Analogous to the lame knights [mao, moa, and moo], there are 3 ponies also, complementing the knight-wazir, the knight-ferz, and the knight-guard [centaur]. 

This is 9 knightlike pieces [not counting the plain old knight itself] all moving over the same few squares in the same ways with different movement rules. This is pretty much complex enough for me. I really do at least try to design very simple, straightforward, easy pieces and games. Once I got into longer than 2-square-ranged pieces, I did ignore the knight, keeping it for a range 2 piece. The nightrider is enough long range knight for me, and I don't favor that piece, even in Pocket Mutation. ;-) And I can't follow the moves of twisted nightrider pieces, like the rose. How do you calculate even 2-3 turns into the game with pieces like that?

Truthfully, I don't really ignore it, but rather use other pieces to simulate and supplant the knight, especially at longer ranges. In Lemurian, the knight was replaced with a bent DW piece, the hero. In Barroom, the knights exist as very weak skirmishers on that overpowered field where even the king can leap. But in that game, the other non-royal pieces all partake of the essence of the knight's move, and 2 of 3 can move to the knight's squares in 1 turn, with a clear path. Even a couple names of the other pieces, the flexible knight and the twisted knight [bent DW and AF 2-step riders] indicate this. 

Like I say, I see the knight as a compound piece, and I really tend strongly to build my complex pieces out of simple, straight-moving pieces, because the moves are easier to visualize - for me, anyhow. I like to keep things simple and easy. I have enough trouble making playable games with simple and easy. Complex is far more difficult. Lol, I do want to be able to play my games with people other than myself; how many people play even my simple games? I suppose if I stuck to knights and bishops, rooks and queens, and boards smaller than the table they're placed on, I'd get more players, but where's the fun in that?

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