H. G. Muller wrote on Tue, Oct 24, 2017 08:14 PM UTC:
Option capture-by-overtake: The fact that capturing pieces passed over by a cat or star cat is optional will require specification of how these moves are annotated in game scores, and some very-customized UI for any computer interface.
This is not that hard. The usual method for the locust capture is to put the 'to-click' on the victim. The UI would know that this is a locust victim, save the square coordinates as locust square rather than to-square, and continue waiting for the to-click. In the case that both a normal capture and a locust capture of the same victim is possible, the UI should assume locust capture when that victim is clicked, and then change that to normal capture (invalidating the locust square) when the victim is also clicked as to-square. (I.e. the normal capture is considered a two-leg move with a null move as second leg.) This is the most natural way, which people expect. ShogiVar works that way for Lion moves, and I now do that in WinBoard to (as well as in the interactive diagram).
Of course in the case of the Star Cat it is a bit more complex, as there can be up to two locust squares.
The way it works for applying move highlights is that for moves that can be made to completion, only the first capture on the way that was not yet entered by a mouse click gets highlighted (in red if it is the final destination, in cyan if it is a locust victim). Moves the initial part of which does not match the already entered squares are not generated at all. So for the Lion, as soon as you click it, the K squares occupied by opponents would get highlighted in cyan, NAD squares occupied by opponents in red, and empty KNAD squares in yellow. Clicking the red or yellow squares would define the move as a normal one. Clicking the cyan squares would define the first leg as the locust capture, and then highlight the surrounding squares, which are the possible end points of all moves with that first leg, in red/yellow, and the locust victim itself in red.
Most intuitive move notation is to explicitly mention any locust victim that is not implied by the move, in addition to the to-square. Like Lxe4-e3 or Lxe4xd5.
This is not that hard. The usual method for the locust capture is to put the 'to-click' on the victim. The UI would know that this is a locust victim, save the square coordinates as locust square rather than to-square, and continue waiting for the to-click. In the case that both a normal capture and a locust capture of the same victim is possible, the UI should assume locust capture when that victim is clicked, and then change that to normal capture (invalidating the locust square) when the victim is also clicked as to-square. (I.e. the normal capture is considered a two-leg move with a null move as second leg.) This is the most natural way, which people expect. ShogiVar works that way for Lion moves, and I now do that in WinBoard to (as well as in the interactive diagram).
Of course in the case of the Star Cat it is a bit more complex, as there can be up to two locust squares.
The way it works for applying move highlights is that for moves that can be made to completion, only the first capture on the way that was not yet entered by a mouse click gets highlighted (in red if it is the final destination, in cyan if it is a locust victim). Moves the initial part of which does not match the already entered squares are not generated at all. So for the Lion, as soon as you click it, the K squares occupied by opponents would get highlighted in cyan, NAD squares occupied by opponents in red, and empty KNAD squares in yellow. Clicking the red or yellow squares would define the move as a normal one. Clicking the cyan squares would define the first leg as the locust capture, and then highlight the surrounding squares, which are the possible end points of all moves with that first leg, in red/yellow, and the locust victim itself in red.
Most intuitive move notation is to explicitly mention any locust victim that is not implied by the move, in addition to the to-square. Like Lxe4-e3 or Lxe4xd5.