[pbmserv] Broadcast from camb via PBM Server

[pbmserv@gamerz.net]

Dear Gamers,

A new game Vasco has been added to the server. 
Players place triangular tiles in an effort to 
complete a closed path of their colour.

Official rules: http://www.cameronius.com/games/vasco/
Gamerz.net help page: http://www.gamerz.net/pbmserv/vasco.html
Gamerz.net web UI: http://www.gamerz.net/pbmserv/List.php?Vasco

Please try it out!

vasco challenge <you> camb
vasco challenge camb <you>

Cameron

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Help for the Game of Vasco

    Welcome to the network Vasco server. The challenge command is described
    here. Other commands are the same as for all pbmserv games.

      vasco challenge [-size=n] userid1 userid2

    Starts a new game for two players.

    The -size option specifies the avaiilable number of tiles (default 54).

   Introduction

    Vasco is a tile placement game of path completion for two players.

   Rules

    Equipment: Two players, O and X, share a common pool of 54 triangular Vasco
    tiles. Each side of each tile has an 'o' arc joining two edges and an 'x'
    arc joining two edges; the section where the 
two arcs overlap is marked '*'.

        +            +
       / \          / \
      oo xx        xx oo
     /  *  \      /  *  \
    +---*---+    +---*---+
      Front         Back

    Each tile side therefore has a different coloured path end on each edge:
    'o', 'x' and '*'.

    Start: Red places a tile of their choice in the middle of the playing area
    to start the game.

    Play: Players then take turns adding a tile of their choice such that all
    tiles form single connected group and all path ends exactly match position
    and colour with their neighbours after the 
move. The following example shows
    an opening move by O (left) and a typical reply by X (right).

        +                  +---*---+
       / \                / \  *  /
      oo xx              oo xxx oo
     /  *  \            /  *  \ /
    +---*---+          +---*---+

    Auto Moves: It is allowed to place tiles corner-to-corner with existing
    tiles provided that at least one of the acute gaps thus created can be
    filled by forced placements. Tiles are automatically placed at any position
    at which only one possible tile rotation can be placed.

    The following example shows a move c that 
creates two acute gaps at d and {e
    + f}, resulting in those positions being filled with the appropriate tile
    sides in the appropriate rotations (right).

        +---*---+           +---*---+                 +---*---+
       / \  *  /           / \  *  /                 / \  *  / \
      oo xxx oo           oo xxx oo d               oo xxx ooo xx
     /  *  \ /           /  *  \ /                 /  *  \ /  *  \
    +---*---+           +---*---+---*---+         +---*---+---*---+
                                 \  *  /           \  *  / \  *  /
                            e  f  oocxx             oo xxx ooo xx
                                   \ /               \ /  *  \ /
                                    +                 +---*---+

    The fact that tile d is a forced move is obvious. The fact that the two
    tiles filling e and f are also forced is less obvious, but should become
    clear when you consider that no other pair of tiles can be placed there.

    This example demonstrates a general rule of thumb: Any gap with an acute
    angle enclosed by two sides of different colour constites a forced move;
    one tile for gaps of 60° and two tiles for gaps of 120°.

    In no event may a tile be placed to create any point enclosed by two path
    ends of the same colour, as such a point would be unplayable. The following
    example shows an illegal tile placement.

        +       +
       / \     / \
      oo xx   xx oo <---- illegal placement
     /  *  \ /  *  \
    +---*---+---*---+

    Aim: A player wins by completing a closed 
loop of their colour, of any size.
    O and X paths pass continuously through sections of overlap *.

        +---o---+
       / \  o  / \
      oo xxxx*** oo
     /  *  \ /  x  \
    +---*---+---x---+    A game won by X.
     \  *  / \  x  / \
      oo xxx ooo *** oo
       \ /  *  \ /  x  \
        +---*---+---x---+
         \  *  / \  x  /
          oo xxxx*** oo
           \ /  o  \ /
            +---o---+

    If a move completes closed loops for both players then the owner of the
    longest closed loop loses, else the game is a draw if tied for length.

    If the tiles run out before either player completes a closed loop then the
    owner of the longest path loses, else the 
game is a draw if tied for length.

   Notes

    While learning the game, players may 
accidentally make illegal moves such as
    that shown above. It is sporting to let such players take the offending
    tile(s) back and make a different move. Advanced players, however, may wish
    to enforce a less forgiving rule that a player making an illegal move must
    remove the offending tile(s) and lose their turn.

    The default number of tiles is 54 as this number allows all tiles to be
    placed within a hexagonal shape according to the formula f(n) = 6*n*n.

    Three-Player Version: Vasco might work with a third arc (green?) per tile
    side, or it might not.

   Syntax

    vasco move <game#> <userid> <passwd> 
d3            Play tile rotation 'd' at
    position 3.

   History

    Vasco rules by Cameron Browne and copyright © Cyberite Ltd 2008.

    The name "Vasco" refers to the fact that the networks of paths that form as
    games progress resemble textbook diagrams of the human vascular system (if
    the paths are red and blue).

    It's a little known falsehood that the famous Portuguese explorer Vasco da
    Gama (meaning literally "Vasco the Gamer") was so named due to his penchant
    for whiling away long hours at sea with 
countless games of Vasco. The extent
    of his nautical achievements may even be due to how badly he played it,
    losing most evening's rum rations to his pet 
monkey Archibald which left him
    nothing to do but study navigational charts while his drunken shipmates
    caroused into the night [reference to be invented].

    More details are available at the official Vasco page.

    Implementation and Help file by Cameron Browne, June 2008.