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Garry, I have a working ZRF implementing all the rules as you have given them on the web page. Please send me the graphics files and I will finish the implementation. The Valkyrie swap is evaluated correctly when involving non-royal pieces, only the swap with a King is problematic. The bug is in the evaluation of win/loss/draw conditions within the consideration of the move: removing a royal piece temporarily to replace it elsewhere is deemed a loss, whereas after the move is executed and Zillions checks the conditions, it is handled correctly. In other words, during a swap move, Zillions mistakenly thinks the temporary disappearance of the King while it is being swapped to another square is permanent. In any case, the indirect capture target technique solves the problem. One question: is it legal to use the Valkyrie swap to make a null move? That is if a Valkyrie on c6 swaps the other Valkyrie at c9 back to c6, then you have made a move but the position on the board hasn't changed. In most CV's the answer is 'No', so I have coded accordingly: a Valkyrie cannot swap positions with the other Valkyrie and a King using a Valkyrie move connot swap positions with the other King. If you intend to allow null moves it is trivially simple to change the code to allow them.
Here is the 'Excellent' I thought I would be giving this fine game. Having seen it in action while coding the ZRF, I am quite convinced of the game's quality. The piece set is quite interesting and works well together. The Pawns are unusual but easy to learn to use. The Pawns are quite strong: I'd guess about halfway between a Ferz and a Knight (slightly closer to Ferz). The Forest Ox is the big gun of the board on both offense and defense. The Valkyrie is not quite as strong as the Forest Ox, but is much more powerful than a Queen: the swap move allows if easier developement (can swap with a Pawn in the opening setup) and more ways of escaping trouble, while still having all of a Queen's move and capture power. Rook and Bishop are minor pieces, with the Rook the stronger but with less gap between them than in FIDE Chess, since a Valkyrie swap can get the Bishop to the opposite color. The idea of the King's movement depending on the friendly pieces adjacent to it works quite well here and I'd love to see it used in other variants. Overall, a highly playable and enjoyable game.
I am glad to hear that Michael Nelson's ZRF coding for Odin's Rune Chess is going well. I am anxious to see the result. Thank you Michael, for undertaking the task. Michael wrote: is it legal to use the Valkyrie swap to make a null move? That is if a Valkyrie on c6 swaps the other Valkyrie at c9 back to c6, then you have made a move but the position on the board hasn't changed. Michael is correct to not allow a 'null-swap.' But also it is important to note that the 'move/relocate' aspect does not mean the relocated piece has to land on the start square of the Valkyrie [or King acting like a Valkyrie] it can be any square in that Valkrie piece's travel. Someone might then wonder, 'Couldn't the one Valkyrie relocate the other to a square other than its start square? Or the Valkyrie King relocate the other King in the same manner?' As for relocating the second Valkrie [to other than the 1st Valkyries' start square] this would be the same as if we simply moved the 1st Valkyrie to that relocate square, so it makes no sense to do such a swap. Technically that move would be allowed; but there is no point in it. Michael stated 'In most CV's the answer is 'No', so I have coded accordingly: a Valkyrie cannot swap positions with the other Valkyrie and a King using a Valkyrie move connot swap positions with the other King.' Yes, that is the correct assumption. But for other pieces note that it need not be a position exchange. The relocate square can be any through wich the Valkyrie traveled, plus its start square. Another issue may need pointed out. If one side cannot move, it is not a stalemate. The non-moving side simply losses. - gkg
An excellent and very enjoyable game! A couple of questions, though. Addendum item #2; I thought I understood what was being said here, until the sentence 'Because of this rule, of course, a King cannot do a 'move/relocate' function with the other King.' Why is this? If King #1 is adjacent to a Valkyrie, can it not make a move/relocate move like a Valkyrie? And if the other King is in-line, why can it not move/relocate that King? Also, I assume that the Forest Ox cannot use it's optional riffle capture to capture a friendly piece. Correct? Thanks!
This is to answer Greg Strong's good questions. Q1 ... a King cannot do a 'move/relocate' function with the other King.' Why is this? If King #1 is adjacent to a Valkyrie, can it not make a move/relocate move like a Valkyrie? And if the other King is in-line, why can it not move/relocate that King? A1: The answer is that these would result in meaningless or 'null' moves. For example. Imagine this set up on a certain file: Where '-' = space and 1 = King 1 and 2 = King 2 and V = Valkyrie. - - - - 2 - - - 1 V Here, if a King (next to a Valkyrie) could relocate the other, we could get: - - - - 1 - - - 2 V It is as if no move was made. Or, we could get - - - - 1 - 2 - - V But this is positionally the same as - - - - 2 - 1 - - V Inwhich we just moved King #1. Note that Mike Nelson deserves the credit for initially realizing the redundancy and null factors. He discovered this while working on the Odin's Rune Chess Zillions .zrf. I agreed 100% with his conclusions and his zrf rule implementations. Q2: I assume that the Forest Ox cannot use it's optional riffle capture to capture a friendly piece. Correct? A2: Yes. The Forest Ox only takes down the enemy, even when using its horns for the optional adjacent square capture factor. Note the the Odin's Runes Chess ZRF plays correctly by the rules so one can get a good feel for the game using that (if he or she has a registered copy of Zillions). Thanks for commenting.
I have just completed a non-enforcing pre-set for Odin's Rune Chess. It can be reached via the following link. The pieces retain the correct orientation for black and white when the board flips. This is important because the pawns move in their depicted vector pattern. /play/pbm/play.php?game%3DOdin%27s+Rune+Chess%26settings%3Dodin-runes
However, when king's move/relocate move is a null move it might be useful to get out from stalemate-but I cannot give an example. The game is really good!
Frank, thanks for the follow up comment. You write, 'My 'stalemate' means any other move is worse than null move. Can you prove that's impossible?' Answer: Moves can be worse than null moves - such as moving your last remaining King into a line of attack (legal in this game) and then losing your last King and the thus game. So, that a move can be worse than a null move is a fact. But, null-moves are illegal in this game, and that (and the fact that Kings are captured) is why we can't see a stalemate in Odin's Rune Chess.
(c) a vacant cell which is under the influence of a pawn or piece (a projected gated piece)
The Valkyrie moves as does a Queen, but can essentially capture one of its own pieces and then relocate that piece to any space that the Valkyrie had just traveled through. Of course, the relocated piece was already on the board... so this would not be conventional gating.
.. so this would not be conventional gating.
Yes, it would seem to be a combination of (c) and (e)
'(e) be teleported to another cell on the board (example: castling).'
George takes it further by stating, 'The Castling comparison is apt among the 'a' to 'e' definitions of 'Gating'.'
Of interest is George's follow up statement,
'Castling is now-necessary encumbrance, complication, accepted widely in majority of CVs as making better play.'
And that sentence belongs in a book.
A question on piece names. If this is Odin chess, a Norse god, why would there be a bishop piece, which is a Christian Also is the Rune art available in other than bitmap, to make a set at home? thanks
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