[net.sources.games] help with noughts and crosses

roland@ttds.UUCP (Roland Karlsson) (11/08/85)

Ooops.

It seams like i have distributed my noughts and crosses game to parts of
the world that is not familiar with it.  Therefore i will send you this
small posting with instructions.

The instructions are easy.  You have x (cross) and the computer have
o (nought).  The goal is to get 5 (or more) diagonally, horizontally or
vertically. For help (on move input formats etc.) just type help. Some
of the commands are for debugging only. Test them and i don't think there
will be any problems to see which.

The secret of winning this game is to get a double threat.  That is, a
threat to win in more than one direction.

	    . . . . . . . . . . . . .
	    . . . . . . . . . . . . .
	    . . . . . . . . . . . . .
	    o x x x . d . . . . . . .
	    . . . . . . . . . . . . .
	    . . . . . . . x . . . . .
	    . . . . . . . . x . . . .
	    . . . . . . . . . . . . .
	    . . . . . . . . . . . . .
	    . . . . . . . . . . . . .

In the above diagram have x a double threat in the position marked with a d.

Try to make moves that permits you to make a double threat in the next move.

An other secret is initiative. Don't let your opponent grab initiative
permanently. (S)he will then have an easy win.

Don't use your fours (o x x x 4 . . ) to early.  They shall be used to make
double threats.

The program will always make a double threat if there is one and you don't
have a better threat. It will never miss that you have a single or a double
threat. Soo.. to win you HAVE to think some moves ahead.

It is a great advantage to start the game.

I don't know of any books in English that describes the game. There are some
in Swedish and lots in Japanese. The name of the game in Japanese is Renju
and it is slightly different.

	Hope this will help you.

==============================================================================
		Have a nice day wishes:
		Roland Karlsson  (roland@ttds)
		Dpt. of Telecomm. & Computer Systems
		Royal Institute of Technology
		S-100 44 Stockholm
		SWEDEN
==============================================================================

33500911@sdcc13.UUCP (33500911) (11/13/85)

In article <1051@ttds.UUCP> roland@ttds.UUCP (Roland Karlsson) writes:
>Ooops.
>
>It seams like i have distributed my noughts and crosses game to parts of
>the world that is not familiar with it.  Therefore i will send you this
>small posting with instructions.

The game (as marketed in the U.S.) is called Pente.  There are toooo
many books on the subject.   It is a classic game.

--
					- Jim Hayes
                                          sdcsvax!33500911@sdcc13

"Jynnon tonyx all around said Zaphod."

jacek@mungunni.OZ (Jacek Gibert) (11/26/85)

In article <1051@ttds.UUCP> roland@ttds.UUCP (Roland Karlsson) writes:

>Ooops.
>
>It seams like i have distributed my noughts and crosses game to parts of
>the world that is not familiar with it.  Therefore i will send you this
>small posting with instructions.

Surely he doesn't mean that only Japanesse know how to play this game -
I bet his program tries harder when it plays against Japanese...

			  luff on defence (it lost in 10 moves)

  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0  18o 21x  0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0  17x  0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0  19x 15x 12o  0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   9x 13x 14o 11x  0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   3x  6o  5x  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0  20o 10o  1x  2o 16o  0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   7x  0   4o  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   8o  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 

			  luff on attack (it lost in 14 moves)

  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0  28x  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0  21o  0  24x  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0  20x 25o 13o 17o  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0  23o 22x 18x 14x  6x 15o  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0  26x  0   0  16x 10x  1o  4x  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0  27o  0   0   0   0  19o  2x  3o  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   9o 12x 11o  5o  0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   7o  0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   8x  0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 
  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0 

Jacek Gibert
Department of Computer Science,
University of Melbourne,
Parkville, 3052,
AUSTRALIA
-------
UUCP:	{seismo,ukc,ubc-vision}!munnari!jacek
ARPA:	munnari!jacek@seismo.ARPA
CSNET:	jacek@munnari.oz