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My recent Comments under 'Sissa' and 'Rose' pursue theme of multiple-pathway pieces, including Falcon, Sissa, Rose and Half-Rose so far. Jetan here has several pieces that move to a given square in more than one way: Thoat, Dwar, Flyer or Odwar, and Chief or Chieftain.
Six of eight Jetan piece-types have multiple paths in both sets of rules in 'Chessmen of Mars', text and appendix, giving latter precedence as Burroughs' intended revision. In appendix Warrior moves two squares orthogonally with 90-degree change of direction allowed. So, Warrior's two-path squares are the diagonally adjacent ones, 'Ferz squares'. A second piece, Padwar moves two diagonal in any combination of directions. Therefore, when Padwar 'turns' 90 degrees, it is going to a two-path square. To CV researchers, Padwar multiple-, that is two-, path squares are 'Dabbabah squares'. Notice that Warrior's one-path squares and Padwar's two-way squares are the very same Dabbabah squares. Both types of arrival squares, one-way and two-way, can be blocked, but it takes at least two pieces (of either colour) so a two-way one. These are two of the six multiple-pathers in Jetan.
One possible drawback to playing any CV with a wagering system based on putting a price on each piece is that it seems it would make the game more materialistic. One of the endearing features of Chess is that its focus on the Kings makes spectacular sacrifices for the sake of achieving checkmate worthwhile. But if the point of the game is to end with the greatest value of pieces still on the board, I think this aspect will be lost. A player who hopes to win would play conservatively, trying to keep his own pieces on the board rather than let their value fall into the hands of his opponent, while a player who fears losing would try to make exchanges, thereby reducing the value of the ultimate prize for the winner. For whatever it's worth, I proposed a variant called 'Contract Jetan' in a letter to a 2001 issue of Abstract Games magazine, which went about like this: In Contract Jetan, a player could propose in mid-game some rule change that would make it more difficult for his opponent to win, accompanied by a 'proffer' of some tokens that would be added to the ante if the opponent accepts the dare. Such a proposal would probably be made by the player in a weaker position. For example, 'You must win in the next 15 moves or forfeit,' or 'My Thoat can only be captured by your Warrior', etc. If the opponent accepts the rule change, the proffer is added to the ante and the rule change is in effect. If the opponent refuses, then the player who offered it has the option of 'buying out the contract' as follows: from the proffer he removes a number of tokens equal to the excess of value of the other player's army over his own, plus his own Chief's value, and gives that to his opponent; then he adds the rest of the proffer to the ante, and rotates the board half a turn. Then they play on, but having reversed their roles, and with the proposed rule change in effect. This variant is played in an unpublished work that ERB left unfinished, 'Corporate Lawyers of Mars.'
read the appendix of chessmen of mars as a strict text and the game plays great-pieces move how many he says and no less-you DO need all twenty pieces to start the game-thoats cant jump-combination movement is not so complicated, three spaces orthogonally north, south, east, west, or any combination of directions on a checkered board these should be easily found. please just try it stricly FROM the appendix and you will see the problem is people playing it like chess and not like jetan the two are as differing as earth and mars in actuality. play it by the book and write if you come upon a problem that cant be drawn back to gameplay/philosophical difficulties-you'll be pleasantly rewarded!:)
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