Kevin Pacey wrote on Mon, Nov 9, 2020 04:02 AM UTC:
Curiously an old ZoG value for a Snail, or W+fD (from DemiChess) gives it as worth about 0.81 of a chess knight on 8x8. If I understand the notation right (that is, fD is the single forward move of a D that can move or capture, or 1/4 of the possible movements of a D), one would think that an Alpaca (W+mD) would be valued as slightly higher than a Snail.
In any even, it may be worth thinking about that the Alpaca's mD component would allow the W part it is compounded with to reach a number of squares distance/path 3 cells away in only 2 moves (possibly permitting a W-like capture on that second turn, on a square 3 cells away in distance/path):
Curiously an old ZoG value for a Snail, or W+fD (from DemiChess) gives it as worth about 0.81 of a chess knight on 8x8. If I understand the notation right (that is, fD is the single forward move of a D that can move or capture, or 1/4 of the possible movements of a D), one would think that an Alpaca (W+mD) would be valued as slightly higher than a Snail.
In any even, it may be worth thinking about that the Alpaca's mD component would allow the W part it is compounded with to reach a number of squares distance/path 3 cells away in only 2 moves (possibly permitting a W-like capture on that second turn, on a square 3 cells away in distance/path):
https://www.chessvariants.com/piececlopedia.dir/whos-who-on-8x8.html