Bob Greenwade wrote on Sat, Oct 14, 2023 02:05 PM UTC:
89. Blue Gecko. and 90. Purple Finch. While they make for a symmetrical pair on the board, these two strange pieces are so diverse in background that I couldn't even reasonably put them together in the same collection on Thingiverse.
The Blue Gecko is an invention of Adrian King, for his game Jupiter. It can move up to four spaces diagonally forward and to the right; two spaces directly backward or to the left; or one space directly forward, diagonally forward and to the left, or diagaonlly backward and to the right. (frB4lbW2flFbrFfW)
This, to be honest, is the most incomprehensible move combination I've seen to date -- which is part of why I'm drawn to it.
The blue gecko is an actual species of gecko, native to Tanzania (and critically endangered). I hadn't been aware of that before, so I simply named the piece Gecko at first, but there's room for other species of gecko -- though probably not on the same board.
(At first, I wasn't very happy with this design, but then every time I look at it I hear this London-accented voice trying to sell me auto insurance. I don't know how well that reference will play outside the USA, of course.)
Mr. King doesn't provide any symmetrical partner for the Blue Gecko, so I invented one myself: the Purple Finch. This piece, not unexpectedly, slides up to four spaces diagonally forward and to the left, or two spaces directly backward or to the right; or steps one space directly forward, forward and to the right, or backward and to the left. (flB4brW2frFblFfW)
I don't recall why I zeroed in on the purple finch for the name, especially since I found it before I realized that the gecko was legitimately blue by name. I wanted a different order of animal, and a bird seemed right.
Maybe it was the distinctive crest on the bird's face, coupled with its small size. (At least it isn't trying to sell me auto insurance; I don't even own a car!)
I could happily put one of each of these on any large chess board, with the Blue Gecko on the far left and the Purple Finch on the far right, on the row behind the Pawns.
89. Blue Gecko. and 90. Purple Finch. While they make for a symmetrical pair on the board, these two strange pieces are so diverse in background that I couldn't even reasonably put them together in the same collection on Thingiverse.
The Blue Gecko is an invention of Adrian King, for his game Jupiter. It can move up to four spaces diagonally forward and to the right; two spaces directly backward or to the left; or one space directly forward, diagonally forward and to the left, or diagaonlly backward and to the right. (frB4lbW2flFbrFfW)
This, to be honest, is the most incomprehensible move combination I've seen to date -- which is part of why I'm drawn to it.
The blue gecko is an actual species of gecko, native to Tanzania (and critically endangered). I hadn't been aware of that before, so I simply named the piece Gecko at first, but there's room for other species of gecko -- though probably not on the same board.
(At first, I wasn't very happy with this design, but then every time I look at it I hear this London-accented voice trying to sell me auto insurance. I don't know how well that reference will play outside the USA, of course.)
Mr. King doesn't provide any symmetrical partner for the Blue Gecko, so I invented one myself: the Purple Finch. This piece, not unexpectedly, slides up to four spaces diagonally forward and to the left, or two spaces directly backward or to the right; or steps one space directly forward, forward and to the right, or backward and to the left. (flB4brW2frFblFfW)
I don't recall why I zeroed in on the purple finch for the name, especially since I found it before I realized that the gecko was legitimately blue by name. I wanted a different order of animal, and a bird seemed right.
Maybe it was the distinctive crest on the bird's face, coupled with its small size. (At least it isn't trying to sell me auto insurance; I don't even own a car!)
I could happily put one of each of these on any large chess board, with the Blue Gecko on the far left and the Purple Finch on the far right, on the row behind the Pawns.