bruce@tcom.stc.co.uk (Bruce Munro) (03/19/91)
Some time ago, someone posted an article to rec.games.programmer, saying that they were working on an update to xconq, the X11 based wargame. Being something of an addict I was excited by this news, but haven't heard anything since. The release I have is 5.1, sent out by the original author Stan Shebs, who seems to have disappeared from the face of the earth unfortunately. Someone sent a 5.3 version, but this did very strange things with the map and I haven't been able to get it to function. Has anyone got a newer release of xconq, or pointers to the person who's now working on the new release? I'd be really grateful to hear from anyone who can help, don't send the source straight away though, let me know and I'll get in touch with the closest. Thanks in advance, -- Bruce Munro. <bruce@tcom.stc.co.uk> || ...!mcsun!ukc!stc!bruce STC Telecommunications, Oakleigh Rd South, London N11 1HB. Phone : +44 81 945 2174 or +44 81 945 4000 x2174 "There are no strangers, only friends we don't recognise" - Hank Wangford
jik@athena.mit.edu (Jonathan I. Kamens) (03/20/91)
\begin{another-plug-for-archie}
I telnet'ed to "quiche.cs.mcgill.ca", logged in as "archie" with no
password, and then typed "set search subcase", "set sortby time" and then
"prog xconq".
If you don't have telnet access, you can query archie by sending mail to
"archie@quiche.cs.mcgill.ca"; in this case, the body of your message would
contain "prog xconq".
\end{another-plug-for-archie}
There appears to be a version 5.4 of xconq. Here are two anonymous ftp
sites that have it:
Host File
----------------------------------- ---------------------------------
paul.rutgers.edu /pub/xconq/xconq5.4.1-19-91.tar.Z
faui43.informatik.uni-erlangen.de /cyber/games/xconq5.4.tar
--
Jonathan Kamens USnail:
MIT Project Athena 11 Ashford Terrace
jik@Athena.MIT.EDU Allston, MA 02134
Office: 617-253-8085 Home: 617-782-0710cisneros@cs.ucf.edu (Jaime Cisneros) (03/28/91)
To whomever could help on this,
I am working on a program called NEUTRON. This is a game that is played on
a 5x5 board, with 5 black pieces, 5 white pieces, and a neutron piece. The
original setup is as follows:
----------------------------------------------
| B | B | B | B | B |
----------------------------------------------
| | | | | |
----------------------------------------------
| | | N | | |
----------------------------------------------
| | | | | |
----------------------------------------------
| W | W | W | W | W |
----------------------------------------------
where B is a black piece,
W is a white piece, and
N is the neutron piece.
The rules of the game are as follows:
1. White moves first.
2. If white moves first, then neutron is not moved,
else
move neutron,
move your piece.
3. If player cannot move the NEUTRON, or his own piece, he loses the game.
If the NEUTRON is moved by the player A, or his opponent, to player A's
home row, player A wins the match, regardless of who moved the NEUTRON.
So, you can win the game in one of three ways:
a) Make sure your opponent cannot move the neutron.
b) Make sure your opponent cannot move his own piece.
c) Move the NEUTRON to you home row.
d) For you opponent to move the NEUTRON to you home row.
4. Each piece (including the NEUTRON) moves like the "Queen" in chess. A
move is, however, constrained by the following requirements:
Once a player decides on the direction for moving a piece (including the
NEUTRON), the player has to move the piece in that direction as far as
the piece can go (without jumping over another piece). So, compared to
moving the "Queen" in chess, a player does not have the option of moving
a piece by one square, two squares, etc.
By now, your question must be: so what about this whole thing? Well, here
comes that thing. I would like someone who knows about this game to help me
make my program very efficient by giving me hints to write a good evaluation
function. If you already have a good one, please make the effort, and send it
to me, I will be thankful forever.
Jaime Cisneros
E-mail: cisneros@cs.ucf.edu