Welcome to the network Curio server. The challenge command is described here.
Other commands are
the same as for all pbmserv games.
curio challenge [-base=number] [-rows=number] [-cols=number] userid1
userid2
starts a new game for two players.
The -base parameter specifies the number of unique digits to play with (default 4).
The -rows parameter specifies the length of the board (default 5).
The -cols parameter specifies the width of the board (default 5).
Curio is a curious game for curious cats; players see one side of their pieces and only get to see the other side following capture.
Equipment: Two players, Light and Dark, each have ten pieces with two unique numbers on front and back in the range 1 to 4. Each player therefore has the following pieces: 11, 12, 13, 14, 22, 23, 24, 33, 34, 44.
Start: Players place their ten pieces on the two closest rows of the 5x5 board such that the largest number on each piece faces towards them. Each player then shuffles the opponent's pieces (piece placement and shuffling are done randomly on the server). The following example shows a typical board setup from the Light player's perspective.
,---, ,---, ,---, ,---, ,---,
+---+| +---+| +---+| +---+| +---+|
|:1:||--|:3:||--|:1:||--|:2:||--|:1:||--+
5 ,---,:|/,---,:|/,---,:|/,---,:|/,---,:|/ /
+---+|-++---+|-++---+|-++---+|-++---+|-+ / 5
|:2:||--|:1:||--|:2:||--|:4:||--|:3:||--+
4 /|:::|/ /|:::|/ /|:::|/ /|:::|/ /|:::|/ /
/ +---+ / +---+ / +---+ / +---+ / +---+ / 4
+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
3 ,---, ,---, ,---, ,---, ,---, /
+---+| +---+| +---+| +---+| +---+| / 3
| 4 ||--| 4 ||--| 2 ||--| 2 ||--| 3 ||--+
2 ,---, |/,---, |/,---, |/,---, |/,---, |/ /
+---+|-++---+|-++---+|-++---+|-++---+|-+ / 2
| 4 ||--| 4 ||--| 1 ||--| 3 ||--| 3 ||--+
1 /| |/ /| |/ /| |/ /| |/ /| |/ /
/ +---+ / +---+ / +---+ / +---+ / +---+ / 1
+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
a b c d e
Play: Players take turns moving one of their pieces in a straight unimpeded line, orthogonally or diagonally, a distance not exceeding the piece's visible number. The piece may land on an enemy piece of less or equal visible value to capture it by replacement, following which the capturing pieces is turned around.
For example, here is what the above board might look like after Light has moved the 2 piece at d2 to capture Dark's 1 piece at b4:
,---, ,---, ,---, ,---, ,---,
+---+| +---+| +---+| +---+| +---+|
|:1:||--|:3:||--|:1:||--|:2:||--|:1:||--+
5 ,---,:|/,---,:|/,---,:|/,---,:|/,---,:|/ /
+---+|-++---+|-++---+|-++---+|-++---+|-+ / 5
|:2:||--| 3 ||--|:2:||--|:4:||--|:3:||--+
4 /|:::|/ /| |/ /|:::|/ /|:::|/ /|:::|/ /
/ +---+ / +---+ / +---+ / +---+ / +---+ / 4
+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
3 ,---, ,---, ,---, / ,---, /
+---+| +---+| +---+| / +---+| / 3
| 4 ||--| 4 ||--| 2 ||--+------+| 3 ||--+
2 ,---, |/,---, |/,---, |/,---, ,---, |/ /
+---+|-++---+|-++---+|-++---+| +---+|-+ / 2
| 4 ||--| 4 ||--| 1 ||--| 3 ||--| 3 ||--+
1 /| |/ /| |/ /| |/ /| |/ /| |/ /
/ +---+ / +---+ / +---+ / +---+ / +---+ / 1
+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
a b c d e
Note that the 2 piece was turned around following the capture to reveal a 3 on the other side - both players now know that this is a 23 piece.
Aim: A player wins by capturing all of the opponent's royal pieces, which are those pieces containing the highest number 4.
If a situation develops in which no further captures are possible (e.g. each player only has one piece each left) then the game is drawn.
The fact that pieces are placed with the largest number facing the owner means that players can make some deductions about the opponent's pieces. For instance, if a player sees a 3 on an opponent's piece then they know that the piece's other number must be 3 or 4 (unless that piece has performed a capture). For this reason, physical sets would probably benefit from an arrow marked on top of each piece indicating the direction of largest/smallest number.
Initially move pieces less distance than their range limit in order to hide their true value from the opponent.
The -num_pieces parameter specifies the total number of pieces for each player (must be a multuiple of the base's triangular number).
The -turn option specifies that pieces turn on capture (default).
The -no_turn option specifies that pieces do not turn on capture.
The -limit option specifies that pieces can only move as far as their visible value (default ).
The -no_limit option specifies that pieces have no range limit.
The -face_large option specifies that pieces are placed with the largest number facing the player (default).
The -face_small option specifies that pieces are placed with the smallest number facing the player.
The -face_random option specifies that pieces are placed facing either way randomly.
The -capture_lt option specifies that pieces can capture enemy pieces of lesser visible value.
The -capture_le option specifies that pieces can capture enemy pieces of lesser or equal visible value (default).
The -capture_gt option specifies that pieces can capture enemy pieces of greater visible value.
The -capture_ge option specifies that pieces can capture enemy pieces of greater or equal visibly value.
The -capture_lt_total option specifies that pieces can capture enemy pieces of lesser total value counting all numbers.
The -capture_le_total option specifies that pieces can capture enemy pieces of lesser or equal total value counting all numbers.
The -capture_gt_total option specifies that pieces can capture enemy pieces of greater total value counting all numbers.
The -capture_ge_total option specifies that pieces can capture enemy pieces of greater or equal total value counting all numbers.
The -capture_any option specifies that piece can capture any enemy piece.
Move the piece at d2 to d4:
curio move board# userid password d2-b4
Curio rules by Stephen Tavener and Cameron Browne, copyright (c) Cyberite Ltd 2008.
Implementation and Help file by Cameron Browne, October 2008.