'Wedges' are awful. They make the the pieces look more alike than different, and take up valuable space that could have been used to express the difference. Distinguishing sides by color is infinitely superior than distinguishing sides by orientation, as the brain is hard-wired to recognize it by parallel processing. There really is no significant difference between playing with traditional kanji pieces and playing with wedge-like pieces with other inscriptions, for a game with so few piece types as Shogi; they equally suck, for the same reason. But due to the rules of Shogi and physical limitations they are a necessary evil for over-the-board play.
If we would prpose to orthodox Chess players that they should draw wedges around the pieces in their diagrams, they would laugh themselves silly, and think we are insane. And there is no real difference between Chess diagrams and Shogi diagrams; the purpose is exactly the same.
'Wedges' are awful. They make the the pieces look more alike than different, and take up valuable space that could have been used to express the difference. Distinguishing sides by color is infinitely superior than distinguishing sides by orientation, as the brain is hard-wired to recognize it by parallel processing. There really is no significant difference between playing with traditional kanji pieces and playing with wedge-like pieces with other inscriptions, for a game with so few piece types as Shogi; they equally suck, for the same reason. But due to the rules of Shogi and physical limitations they are a necessary evil for over-the-board play.
If we would prpose to orthodox Chess players that they should draw wedges around the pieces in their diagrams, they would laugh themselves silly, and think we are insane. And there is no real difference between Chess diagrams and Shogi diagrams; the purpose is exactly the same.