Lame Red Elk Mount

[Senior Tactician]

So, I captured two Red Elk Mounts, and decided to give one each to two of my emissaries.  One of my emissaries has reported that his mount is in good health, and he may indeed travel 10 units.  The other, however, has reported that his mount must have a bad leg (I get an error from the entry system telling me this emissary may only travel 7 units)  I will report after the turn runs as to whether his movement is actually prevented in-game.

[Strylian]

So, I captured two Red Elk Mounts, and decided to give one each to two of my emissaries.  One of my emissaries has reported that his mount is in good health, and he may indeed travel 10 units.  The other, however, has reported that his mount must have a bad leg (I get an error from the entry system telling me this emissary may only travel 7 units)  I will report after the turn runs as to whether his movement is actually prevented in-game.

I have gotten that same error in the past and the em did still move.

[Acererak]

So, I captured two Red Elk Mounts, and decided to give one each to two of my emissaries.  One of my emissaries has reported that his mount is in good health, and he may indeed travel 10 units.  The other, however, has reported that his mount must have a bad leg (I get an error from the entry system telling me this emissary may only travel 7 units)  I will report after the turn runs as to whether his movement is actually prevented in-game.

I have gotten that same error in the past and the em did still move.

Me too. It works it just doesn't think it will.

[Ry Vor]

So, I captured two Red Elk Mounts, and decided to give one each to two of my emissaries.  One of my emissaries has reported that his mount is in good health, and he may indeed travel 10 units.  The other, however, has reported that his mount must have a bad leg (I get an error from the entry system telling me this emissary may only travel 7 units)  I will report after the turn runs as to whether his movement is actually prevented in-game.

I have gotten that same error in the past and the em did still move.

Me too. It works it just doesn't think it will.

You can imagine the complexity in the thousands of possibilities in Alamaze turns.  I am reminded about games that have lasted for a long time (from Rick Loomis, for example), that have as few as four things you can do.   To cover every eventuality in Alamaze is a pretty big request.  Mike has covered 99% for sure, but every nuance cannot be conceived, just as I as designer cannot predict every possible exploit.  I know though that my answer is not going to be offering a game with four possible orders, like Star Web.

[uncledarkseid]

So, I captured two Red Elk Mounts, and decided to give one each to two of my emissaries.  One of my emissaries has reported that his mount is in good health, and he may indeed travel 10 units.  The other, however, has reported that his mount must have a bad leg (I get an error from the entry system telling me this emissary may only travel 7 units)  I will report after the turn runs as to whether his movement is actually prevented in-game.

I have gotten that same error in the past and the em did still move.

Me too. It works it just doesn't think it will.

You can imagine the complexity in the thousands of possibilities in Alamaze turns.  I am reminded about games that have lasted for a long time (from Rick Loomis, for example), that have as few as four things you can do.   To cover every eventuality in Alamaze is a pretty big request.  Mike has covered 99% for sure, but every nuance cannot be conceived, just as I as designer cannot predict every possible exploit.  I know though that my answer is not going to be offering a game with four possible orders, like Star Web.

Is star web really old?  It sounds like something i tried along time ago
My mom was in her attic recently and brought me over my old Dragon mags.  The only one not in there from that year was the one Alamaze was featured in.  Pretty sure my friend Mike had it, but it was a bit disappointing.

[Pine Needle]

9 times out of 10 the error messages are right and involve something I didn’t consider, eg reinforcements received in inactive brigade no longer available for future actions. 1 out of 10- like this same red elk error, I can’t figure it out.

[Ry Vor]

So, I captured two Red Elk Mounts, and decided to give one each to two of my emissaries.  One of my emissaries has reported that his mount is in good health, and he may indeed travel 10 units.  The other, however, has reported that his mount must have a bad leg (I get an error from the entry system telling me this emissary may only travel 7 units)  I will report after the turn runs as to whether his movement is actually prevented in-game.

I have gotten that same error in the past and the em did still move.

Me too. It works it just doesn't think it will.

You can imagine the complexity in the thousands of possibilities in Alamaze turns.  I am reminded about games that have lasted for a long time (from Rick Loomis, for example), that have as few as four things you can do.   To cover every eventuality in Alamaze is a pretty big request.  Mike has covered 99% for sure, but every nuance cannot be conceived, just as I as designer cannot predict every possible exploit.  I know though that my answer is not going to be offering a game with four possible orders, like Star Web.

Is star web really old?  It sounds like something i tried along time ago
My mom was in her attic recently and brought me over my old Dragon mags.  The only one not in there from that year was the one Alamaze was featured in.  Pretty sure my friend Mike had it, but it was a bit disappointing.

From what I understand, Star Web may have been the first PBM game. 

Next let me say I acknowledge the recently departed Rick Loomis is the Father of PBM, and by that I mean thoughtful strategy games.  Of course, chess is the standard.  So you have to be better than chess, or at least, more entertaining.  Chess grew up in a time before the technology we have at our disposal existed.  Now the demands on the designer are higher.

[Senior Tactician]

Chess has been king for a couple of centuries now and isn't going anywhere.  I was one of those worried that computers would kill chess, but its only made it better.  Players, and the play, is at a level higher than ever and while no one could ever hope to beat a computer anymore, the computers are teaching players things we could never hope to learn on our own.  The intricacies of chess are truly astounding.

Some of you may have heard of googles AI alpha zero.  One of, if not the first AI to learn chess.  While the algorithms of most chess engines are written by humans, Alpha Zero was only taught the rules of chess.  Within 4 hours of playing itself, it played at grandmaster strength and is now on par with even the most powerful human-built chess engines.

Alpha-zero doesn't play anymore, but google has built a new version specifically for chess, Leela chess zero.  You can download her software and play against her.  Every game she plays helps make her stronger.

As for human chess, the 2020 candidates match was unfortunately postponed due to the virus.  I watch coverage of the games by a you-tuber called "agadmator" check him out.  With the new chess engines analyzing the games, we can really start to understand the brilliancy of older players like Morphy, Fischer, Capablanca, Tal.  Fun stuff.

[Ry Vor]

Chess has been king for a couple of centuries now and isn't going anywhere.  I was one of those worried that computers would kill chess, but its only made it better.  Players, and the play, is at a level higher than ever and while no one could ever hope to beat a computer anymore, the computers are teaching players things we could never hope to learn on our own.  The intricacies of chess are truly astounding.

Some of you may have heard of googles AI alpha zero.  One of, if not the first AI to learn chess.  While the algorithms of most chess engines are written by humans, Alpha Zero was only taught the rules of chess.  Within 4 hours of playing itself, it played at grandmaster strength and is now on par with even the most powerful human-built chess engines.

Alpha-zero doesn't play anymore, but google has built a new version specifically for chess, Leela chess zero.  You can download her software and play against her.  Every game she plays helps make her stronger.

As for human chess, the 2020 candidates match was unfortunately postponed due to the virus.  I watch coverage of the games by a you-tuber called "agadmator" check him out.  With the new chess engines analyzing the games, we can really start to understand the brilliancy of older players like Morphy, Fischer, Capablanca, Tal.  Fun stuff.

I had so many different and flattering things about this post in mind, but then I thought, we should go back to Alamaze.  That's sort of our thing.

[Senior Tactician]

Yes lets get this new game going shall we