From: Jeff Mallett CRUZIO COM> Date: 24 oct 1995 Subject: Re: Variants >>Maybe this person could also write a chinese-chess program that plays >>on squares and uses standard western chess symbols for the pieces? > >What is the point? Is playing on the points REALLY so hard to live with?? >As for the symbols, well, really... it shouldn't take more than a couple of >games, should it? > >Adam Atkinson (ghira mistral co uk / etlaman etlxdmx ericsson se) I won't defend the squares issue for Randal, but regarding the symbols: Yes, it doesn't take long to learn the symbols (two 15-min sessions to teach my 3-year-old the unpromoted Shogi pieces), however I think that it is still an unnecessary entry barrier to Westerners. Most people aren't "games" players like us and won't devote much time to the game, so anything that can be done to improve the learning curve is desirable. Ideally they should get hooked on the game-play their first couple games and lose because of a superior strategy, not lose because they can't remember which round piece is which. In this, a good game design is like an ergonomical user-interface to a computer program: the "how" of using it shouldn't interfere with its usefulness. Personally, I prefer to be "authentic" vis-a-vis Shogi and Xiang-Qi so I can play anywhere and because the cultural aspects interest me. But I want to teach my Western chess-playing friends how to play these games and I may only get one shot at interesting them. The best solution for me, given my desire to teach newbies, is to get two sets: an Oriental and a Westernized version. For software, one shouldn't have to incur such an expense. In all the chess software I've written I certainly make sure that squares are highlighted in such a way to help beginners learn the moves. I should point out that companies are now selling chess sets for beginners too. My wife is even selling a set through her "Discovery Toys" business. The pieces have simple intuitive diagrams on them that indicate how they move. Though designed to teach kids, I could easily imagine a Shogi player using one in Japan to teach his friends how to play Western chess! Now that the shoe's on the other foot, I'm not cringing at the chess blasphemy of it all; instead, I think that it helps spread the game and therefore is a "good" thing. Jeff ----------------------------------------------------- Jeff Mallett jeffm cruzio com Strategy Labs, Inc. Voice: (408) 338-6324 Fax: (408) 338-6325 -----------------------------------------------------