Comments by SamTrenholme
Would it be helpful for me to whip up a Zillions rule file for this game (and all of the variants we have mentioned) to get a feel for how it plays?
- Sam |
I have, via a combination of going through my own backups and getting a few files from the Web archive, managed to recover all but four of the missing Zillions' games which were lost during the big move last year.
The four games that are still missing are: I have added a link to the recovered file in the comments section for all 26 other missing files.If anyone has copies of these still-missing files, let me know by replying to this comment. - Sam |
Larry,
There's a pretty good chance that some chessvariants.org editor has this file somewhere on a backup tape. It's also possible some other reader of the site has a download on their hard disk. I'd wait a while before resorting to re-writing the .zrf file. - Sam |
I only rate a game poor if the game's rules do not adequately describe how to play the game in question. Sometimes, someone has a half-baked idea for a variant, and they don't take the time or energy to even fully describe the variant, much less make a Zillions ZRF or Game Courier preset for the variant. If a game is fully fleshed out, or has a Zillions rule file, or even a game courier preset, I will plain simply not rate the game poor.
If I think there is an issue with the mechanics of a fully described game, I will discuss my issue in an unrated game comment. This gives me an opportunity to discuss whether my concern is really a legitimate concern with other chessvariant.org editors and the game's inventor. I will usually suggest how I would fix the game when bringing up the concern. As just one example, I feel Hex chess may have problems. The consensus, however, is that these are probably not legitimate concerns. Speaking of Game Courier, could someone please index my game courier preset for my take on Carrera chess. - Sam |
Here is some information I have on the value of the Carrera pieces which I came up with when designing my own Carrera-esque opening setup:
Here is a table of four different derived values for the pieces, obtained from three different chess variant playing computer programs and one other source.- Sam
Piece ChessV SMIRF Zillions Aberg Pawn 1.000 1.000 1.000 1.000 Knight 2.500 3.056 2.362 3.000 Bishop 3.250 3.690 2.859 3.300 Rook 4.700 5.604 4.262 5.000 Queen 8.750 9.558 7.060 9.000 Archbishop 6.500 6.838 5.127 6.800 Marshall 8.250 8.832 6.659 8.700 The ChessV numbers were obtained by looking at the source code for ChessV. The SMIRF values, derived by Reinhard Scharnagl for his SMIRF chess computer program, were obtained from this web page. The Zillions of Games' values were obtained by looking at the values of pieces by right-clicking on them after loading a fresh Schoolbook zrf file, and before moving any pieces. Aberg's figures come from right here on the variants server.
All four agree on the following:
The verdict is still out on some other exchanges:
- A bishop is about a half-pawn more valuable than a knight.
- Two knights are worth more than a rook.
- An archbishop is worth more than two knights.
- A marshall is worth more than an archbishop.
- A queen is worth more than a marshall.
- Two rooks are worth more than a queen.
- A marshall is worth more than a rook and knight.
- A marshall is worth more than two bishops.
- A rook and knight are worth more than an archbishop.
- A rook and bishop vs. a queen.
- A rook and bishop vs. a marshall.
- A bishop and knight vs. an archbishop.
- Two bishops vs. an archbishop (Two bishops are probably worth more).
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