Welcome to the network Akron server. The rules of Akron are given below. The Akron challenge command is described here. Other commands are the same for all pbmserv games.
akron challenge [-size=number] [-pieces=number] [-compact] [-nodelay] userid1 userid2
Start a new game between userid1 and userid2
The -size parameter sets the size of the nxn board. The legal range is n=3..16 with 9x9 being the default size.
The -pieces parameter sets the number of marbles with which each player starts the game. The legal range is n..1,000 for an nxn board, with the default being nxn/2 (i.e. 40 for a 9x9 board).
The -compact parameter specifies a compact display format, allowing larger boards to fit within a standard text window.
The -nodelay option specifies that the game ends as soon as a player achieves a winning connection, even in the middle of their move. The default behaviour is to win only if the connection still exists after the opponent's replying move.
Akron is a 3D connection game in which players strive to connect their sides of the board with marbles of their colour. Vert attempts to connect the top and bottom of the board while Horz attempts to connect the left and right sides. Players can stack marbles on top of each other to step over enemy blocks.
Two pieces are connected if they are (i) orthogonally (squarely) adjacent on the same level, or (ii) one rests directly upon the other from the level above. If a connection crosses over an opponent's connection at any point, then the uppermost connection prevails; the lower connection is cut until the upper one is removed (over/under rule).
A connection wins the game only if it still exists after the opponent's next move. This enourages longer and closer games.
The following example shows an 8x8 game won by Vert.
___ ___ / \ / \
( V ) = Vertical piece ( ) = Horizontal piece
\___/ \___/ +-------------------------------------------------------+
| \ A B C D E F G H / |
| +--------------------___--------------------------+ |
| | / \ | |
|8 | . . . ( V ) . . . . | 8|
| | ___ ___ ___ \___/ ___ | |
| | / \ / \ / \ / \_/ \ | |
|7 |( | | | V/ \V ) . . . | 7|
| | \___/ \___/ \___/ \_( V )_/ | |
| | / \ / \_/ \___/ \ | |
|6 | . ( V | / \_/ \ ) . . . | 6|
| | \___/ \_( / \V )_/ ___ | |
| | / \_( V )_/ \_/ \ | |
|5 | . . ( V/ \___/ \V/ \ ) . . | 5|
| | \_( V | | )_/ | |
| | / \___/ \___/ \___/ \ | |
|4 | . . ( / \ / \V | ) . . | 4|
| | \_( V | )_/ \___/ ___ ___ | |
| | / \___/ \___/ \_/ \ / \ / \ | |
|3 | . . ( V | V/ \V/ \ | | )| 3|
| | ___ ___ \___/ \_( V | V )_/ \___/ \___/ | |
| | / \ / \ / \ / \___/ \___/ \ / \ | |
|2 |( | | V | V/ \ / \V ) . ( )| 2|
| | \___/ \___/ \___/ \_( | V )_/ ___ \___/ | |
| | / \ / \ / \ / \___/ \___/ \ / \ / \ | |
|1 |( V | | | | V | | | V )| 1|
| | \___/ \___/ \___/ \___/ \___/ \___/ \___/ \___/ | |
| +-------------------------------------------------+ |
| / A B C D E F G H \ |
+-------------------------------------------------------+
Each turn the current player may either add or move.one of their pieces.
A piece can be added from the player's pile (if not empty) directly to any empty board point.
Alternatively, a piece already on the board can be moved to any valid empty point that touches a piece connected to it. A point is valid if it is empty and either (i) on the board surface, or (ii) supported by a flat stable square of four touching pieces. This is the only way to promote a piece to higher levels.
The destination point must be valid before, during and after the move. Marbles that drop during the move cannot be used as support pieces that turn.
A piece that directly supports more than one piece on the level above cannot be moved.
For example, the Horz piece a in the following example has five valid moves (labelled 1..5).
. . . . . . . .
___
/ \
. . 1 . ( V ) . . .
___ ___ \___/ ___
/ \ / \ / \ / \
. 2 ( | a | | V ) . .
\___/ \___/ \___/4\___/
/ \ / \_/ \_/ \
. . ( V | / \ / \ ) 3 .
\___/ \_( | )_/
/ \___/5\___/ \
. . . ( V/ \_/ \V ) . .
\_( V | V |_/
/ \___/ \___/ \
. . . ( | b | ) . .
\___/ \___/ \___/
. . . . . . . .
Notice that each of these moves are to points that are:
Piece b is not connected to a due to the over/under rule. The overpassing V connection cuts all paths between a and b. In fact b cannot move at all; it directly supports two pieces on the level above so is pinned until at least one of these pieces is moved.
If the piece being moved supports a piece on the level directly above, then that piece drops down to fill the gap. This may cause a cascade of dropping pieces if the dropping piece in turn supports a piece above it, etc.
For example, moving the piece e in the following example causes a
cascade of two pieces. You can dislodge and drop opponent's pieces in this
way.
. . . . . . . . . . .
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
/ \_/ \_/ \ / \_/ \_/ \ / \
. ( / \_/ \ ) . . ( / \_/ \ | e ) .
\_( / \ )_/ \_( | )_/ \___/
/ \_( V )_/ \ / \___/ \___/ \
. ( / \___/ \ ) . -----> . ( / \ / \ ) . .
\_( | V )_/ \_( | V )_/
/ \___/ \___/ \ / \___/ \___/ \
. ( | | e ) . . ( | | V ) . .
\___/ \___/ \___/ \___/ \___/ \___/
. . . . . . . . . . .
Vert move first. Moves are specified in the usual format "akron move board# userid password action" where action is one of:
swap Horz may swap directions to steal Vert's opening move (move 2 only).
F6 Add a piece from the player's pile to empty board point F6.
A2-D3' Move the existing piece at A2 to valid empty point D3'.
D3' is an interstiial point referenced by its upper
left coordinate (D3) and denoted by an apostrophe.
Akron rules copyright (c) 2002 Cameron Browne.
More details about Akron including the complete official rules can be found at the Akron site: http://members.optusnet.com.au/cyberite/akron/akron-1.htm
A detailed discussion including basic strategy and history can be found in the article "Akron: Connections in a higher dimension", Abstract Games Magazine, Issue 14, Summer 2003.
Implementation and help file by Cameron Browne, May 2003.
Thanks to Paul van Wamelen for providing the superb Akron graphical viewer for PBeM games: current Akron games