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Introduction

Welcome to the network Oddthello server. The rules of Oddthello are below. The commands are the same for all pbmserv games.

THE RULES TO THE GAME OF ODDTHELLO

Object of the Game

On a dynamic hexagonal lattice, two players play othello without a fixed board. And with 6 directions for tile flipping.

A Minute To Learn

Each player takes 32 discs and chooses one colour to use throughout the game.

The game is over when all 32 discs have been used by each player.

Black(Ohs) places two black('o') discs and White(Eks) places two white('x') discs as shown in Figure 1. The game always begins with this setup.

     A B C D
   1  . . . . 1
    2  . o o . 2
     3  . x x . 3
      4  . . . . 4
          A B C D

        Figure 1

A move consists of "outflanking" your opponent's disc(s), then flipping the outflanked disc(s) to your colour.

To outflank means to place a disc on the board so that your opponent's row (or rows) of disc(s) is bordered at each end by a disc of your colour. (A "row" may be made up of one or more discs).

Here's one example: White disc A was already in place on the board. The placement of white disc B outflanks the row of three black discs.

   x o o o x

White flips the outflanked discs and now the row looks like this:

   x x x x x 

Oddthello Rules

1. Black always moves first.
2. If on your turn you cannot outflank and flip at least one opposing disc, you lose.
3. A disc may outflank any number of discs in one or more rows in any number of directions at the same time - horizontally, vertically or diagonally. (A row is defined as one or more discs in a continuous straight line ). See Figures 2 and 3.

      
         A B C D E F G       A B C D E F G 
        1 . . . . . . .     1 . . . . . . .
         2 . o . . . o .     2 . o . . . o .
          3 . x . . x . .     3 . o . . o . .
           4 . x . x . . .     4 . o . o . . .
            5 . x x . . . .     5 . o o . . . .
             6 . o x o . . .     6 . o o o . . .
              7 . . . . . . .     7 . . . . . . .
                Figure 2            Figure 3
           Disc placed at B7
   

4. You may not skip over your own colour disc to outflank an opposing disc. (See Figure 4).

        A B C D E F G H
       1 . . . . . . . .
        2 x o x o o x . .
         3 . . . . . . . .
           Figure 4
       Disc at A2 only
      outflanks disc at
       B2.  No others.

5. Discs may only be outflanked as a direct result of a move and must fall in the direct line of the disc placed down. (See Figure 5 and 6).

        A B C D E F       A B C D E F
       1 . . . . . .     1 . . . . . .
        2 . x . . . .     2 . x . . . .
         3 . o . . . .     3 . x . . . .
          4 . o o o x .     4 . x o o x .
           5 . x . . . .     5 . x . . . .
            6 . . . . . .     6 . . . . . .
           Figure 5              Figure 6
      Disc placed at B2     Only flips B3-B4

6. All discs outflanked in any one move must be flipped, even if it is to the player's advantage not to flip them at all.
7. A player who flips a disc which should not have been turned may correct the mistake as long as the opponent has not made a subsequent move. If the opponent has already moved, it is too late to change and the disc(s) remain as is.
8. Once a disc is placed on a square, it can never be moved to another square later in the game.

NOTE: It is possible for a game to end before all 64 discs are placed.