Bob Greenwade wrote on Wed, Mar 27, 2024 02:50 PM UTC:
253. Windmill. I'm a little surprised that I haven't listed this piece sooner. Likely the fact that it has a Piececlopedia article, and that it's hard to write out as XBetza (or, at least, seemed that way to me), had something to do with it, but those things didn't stop me from listing the Friend at #43.
For those unfamiliar with it, the Windmill moves in a circle (well, actually a square) around an adjacent piece. It cannot move away from that piece, change pieces it's moving around on the same move, or move without an adjacent piece. (pabs(abpabq)5K)
(My thanks to HaruN Y for working out the XBetza code!)
The (abpabq) part of the XBetza is limited to 5 repeats because 7 would represent a "null move" (moving to land right back on the starting square; this is usually discouraged, not to mention awkward in most computer systems) and 6 would represent moving to an adjacent space that could more easily be reached with a single move in the other direction. If a null move is to be permitted, then the number can be increased to 7.
I can imagine several possible variations on this, such as one that can switch centerpieces once or twice in a single move, or one that circles at a two-square radius. Those, I'm pretty sure, would be incredibly difficult to do in XBetza.
The model, I think, came out pretty well, even if it does look less like a real windmill than a mockup at a miniature golf course.
253. Windmill. I'm a little surprised that I haven't listed this piece sooner. Likely the fact that it has a Piececlopedia article, and that it's hard to write out as XBetza (or, at least, seemed that way to me), had something to do with it, but those things didn't stop me from listing the Friend at #43.
For those unfamiliar with it, the Windmill moves in a circle (well, actually a square) around an adjacent piece. It cannot move away from that piece, change pieces it's moving around on the same move, or move without an adjacent piece. (pabs(abpabq)5K)
(My thanks to HaruN Y for working out the XBetza code!)
The (abpabq) part of the XBetza is limited to 5 repeats because 7 would represent a "null move" (moving to land right back on the starting square; this is usually discouraged, not to mention awkward in most computer systems) and 6 would represent moving to an adjacent space that could more easily be reached with a single move in the other direction. If a null move is to be permitted, then the number can be increased to 7.
I can imagine several possible variations on this, such as one that can switch centerpieces once or twice in a single move, or one that circles at a two-square radius. Those, I'm pretty sure, would be incredibly difficult to do in XBetza.
The model, I think, came out pretty well, even if it does look less like a real windmill than a mockup at a miniature golf course.