Zillions of Games Rules Files
RoboRally Boards
Chess Variants
The following items are rule sets and supporting graphics files for Zillions of Games - a clever
piece of software which will play most strategy games... if you tell it the rules! There are a
few things it can't handle well (stacking springs to mind), but all in all, a very versatile
program, and certainly a brilliant idea. If you want to play these games, you'll need a copy of
Zillions of Games first.
Incidentally, while I think I'm a pretty good programmer, I have no illusions about my ability as an artist, so if anyone wants to re-do the graphics for these games, I'll be happy to use them.
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Octi is a simple but deep abstract game designed by Donald Green. You'll find my review of Octi here. You can also see more about Octi at http://www.octi.net/. Anyway, you need to download the following file to play Octi:
Octi.ZIP (last updated 16th July 2000) Once you have downloaded the .zip file, unzip it, then double-click on octi.zrf or octi for kids.zrf to play the games. octi for kids.zrf is a stripped down version which is easier for kids and computers to play; octi-zrf is a fuller implementation, but features a weaker AI as a result. Octi is a registered trademark, and appears here with the permssion of the inventor. |
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Hexi is an Octi variant played on a hexagonal board. See Octi above for more details. Hexi.ZIP (last updated 15th July 2000) Once you have downloaded the .zip file, unzip it, then double-click on hexi.zrf or hexi for kids.zrf to play the games. Again, commments for Octi apply. Octi is a registered trademark, and appears here with the permssion of the inventor. |
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Terrace is an elegant abstract played on a 3D board, best known for its many appearances in Star Trek: Next Generation. You'll find more information about Terrace at http://www.terracegames.com/. Anyway, to play Terrace, you just need the one file:
Terrace.zip (last updated 25th April 2000)
Once you have downloaded the .zip files, unzip them into a single directory, then double-click on terrace.zrf to play the games. The program supports 6x6 and 8x8 boards, with the faster variants described in the rules, and another variant I found in one of the Terrace newsletters. |
| Quantum Chess |
Quantum Chess is a chess variant of my own devising. Follow the link for more details. To play Quantum Chess, just copy the file below to the same directory that contains the Zillions chess rules file. QuantumChess.zrf (last updated 23rd June 2000)
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Gro: Battle for the Petri Dish by Greg Turner manages to combine elements of Life and Go into an unusual and original strategy game. Rules and examples may be found at: http://home.swbell.net/cmcedit/ig/. Download and unzip the following file to play:
Gro.zip (last updated 27th June 2000)
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Take The Brain Also known as "Smess", "Ninnie's Chess", and "All the King's men", this is a simplified version of chess. Like chess, the idea is to mate the opponent's king. In this case, however, pieces either move one space or an unlimited number of spaces in a straight line - with the square they are standing on determining their direction of movement. Download and unzip the following file to play:
TTB.zip (last updated 13th June 2000)
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RoboRally (Richard Garfield, Wizards of the Coast) is one of my all-time favourite games. A lot of people
seem to be put off by the game, usually quoting long downtimes between turns (waiting for the slowest
player to move) and lack of interaction as the reasons. Both of these complaints are easily addressed.
Here's how:
1. Play with an egg-timer. As soon as 2 players have finished their programming, start the timer.
Anyone who does not finish their program when the timer runs out gets random cards. I recommend between
30s and 1 minute for the timer.
2. Play with one board and about 4 checkpoints. Arrange the checkpoints so that the paths cross, and you will
ensure plenty of interaction!
I have written reviews of RoboRally and the first expansion set, Armed & Dangerous for Games, Games, Games magazine.
Available here for download is "The Ice Rink" - a board for experienced programmers which introduces the robots to the concept of inertia! Frightening, but fun.
Graphics by Matthew Webber, design by Stephen Tavener.
I (Stephen) have devised a few chess variants over the past few years. I'll let you decide for yourselves how playable these are. In each case, normal chess rules apply except where stated.
Definition: A piece is "observed" if it is attacked by an enemy piece or defended by a friendly piece.
Definition: An empty space is "observed" if any piece can capture to that space under the standard rules of chess.
Play standard chess, but instead of a standard move, a player may quantum tunnel any of their pieces to any space on the board, so long as the piece is not observed, and the destination space is not observed.
NOTES: This is a sneaky variant - for the first half of the game, players tend to play a fairly normal game of chess, but as the board starts to empty, you suddenly find pawns quantum tunnelling to the 7th rank, and other such horrors.
Each turn, a player offers N moves. All moves must follow on from one or more of the moves the opponent offered on the previous turn.
Example (N=4)
c4 d4 e4 e3 (White 1)
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+----------+ +---------+
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d5 e5 d5 e5 (Black 1)
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+----------+ | |
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| +---------+ |
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dxe5 Qf3 Qh5 Qf3 (White 2)
... and so it goes.
NOTES: I tried playing this once by correspondence, with N=8; it works, but was a little too slow for postal play, and a pain in the neck setting all the boards up!
You can e-mail Stephen at stephen@scat.demon.co.uk