Help For the Game Of Orion

Introduction

Welcome to the network Orion server. The Orion challenge command starts a new game between userid1 and userid2. Other commands are the same as for all pbmserv games.

    orion challenge [-clicks=number] [-game=gamename] userid1 userid2

The -clicks parameter overrides the default number of clicks per turn for the current game. This can be any number between 1 and 6.

The -game parameter specifies which Orion is to be played. The following games are currently supported: Hydra. The default game is Hydra if no game name is specified.

The Board

The Orion board is actually a game system on which a number of different games can be played. The board itself consists of twenty five overlapping rotors labelled 'a' to 'y'.
                       

       -----   -----   -----   -----   ----- 
     |  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  | 
     | ( a ) | ( b ) | ( c ) | ( d ) | ( e ) | 
     |  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  | 
       -----   -----   -----   -----   ----- 
     |  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  | 
     | ( f ) | ( g ) | ( h ) | ( i ) | ( j ) | 
     |  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  | 
       -----   -----   -----   -----   ----- 
     |  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  | 
     | ( k ) | ( l ) | ( m ) | ( n ) | ( o ) | 
     |  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  | 
       -----   -----   -----   -----   ----- 
     |  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  | 
     | ( p ) | ( q ) | ( r ) | ( s ) | ( t ) | 
     |  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  | 
       -----   -----   -----   -----   ----- 
     |  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  | 
     | ( u ) | ( v ) | ( w ) | ( x ) | ( y ) | 
     |  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  | 
       -----   -----   -----   -----   ----- 

Each rotor has four surrounding slots within its orbit. Each slot is an eye shape which may contain a single piece.

Clicking a rotor in 90 degreee increments in either the clockwise (+) or anticlockwise (-) directions will move any pieces within its orbit. For instance, the 'O' piece in the following example is shuffled from rotor 'a' to rotor 'b' by clicking 'a' once clockwise then clicking 'b' once anticlockwise. This move is denoted "a+b-".

                                                    
       OOOOO   -----           -----   -----           -----   ----- 
     |  .-.  |  .-.  |       X  .-.  O  .-.  |       X  .-.  |  .-.  | 
     | ( a ) | ( b ) |       X ( a ) O ( b ) |       X ( a ) | ( b ) | 
     |  `-`  |  `-`  |       X  `-`  O  `-`  |       X  `-`  |  `-`  | 
       XXXXX   -----           -----   -----           -----   OOOOO

General Rules

1. Once pieces are placed at their starting positions they may only be moved by turning the appropriate rotors.

2. Players may turn only those rotors whose orbits contains at least one of their pieces.

3. Players must continue to move the same piece throughout the duration of their move.

4. Players are not obliged to use their full number of clicks per turn, and may use fewer clicks or no clicks at all (pass).

5. Players may not make a move which simply reverses the opponent's last move. [Note: This check is not implemented yet.]

Standard Starting Sequence: Most Orion games allow several clicks per turn. However, in all cases the first turn consists of a one-click move, the second turn consists of a two-click move, etc... until the total number of clicks for that game is reached.

The Games

The following Orion games have been implemented.

1. Hydra

Each player starts with sixteen pieces set out as follows. Players have three clicks per turn after the standard starting sequence. 'X' moves first.

                                                    
       OOOOO   OOOOO   OOOOO   OOOOO   OOOOO 
     O  .-.  O  .-.  O  .-.  O  .-.  O  .-.  O 
     O ( a ) O ( b ) O ( c ) O ( d ) O ( e ) O 
     O  `-`  O  `-`  O  `-`  O  `-`  O  `-`  O
       OOOOO   OOOOO   OOOOO   OOOOO   OOOOO
     |  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  | 
     | ( f ) | ( g ) | ( h ) | ( i ) | ( j ) | 
     |  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  | 
       -----   -----   -----   -----   ----- 
     |  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  | 
     | ( k ) | ( l ) | ( m ) | ( n ) | ( o ) | 
     |  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  | 
       -----   -----   -----   -----   ----- 
     |  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  | 
     | ( p ) | ( q ) | ( r ) | ( s ) | ( t ) | 
     |  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  | 
       XXXXX   XXXXX   XXXXX   XXXXX   XXXXX 
     X  .-.  X  .-.  X  .-.  X  .-.  X  .-.  X 
     X ( u ) X ( v ) X ( w ) X ( x ) X ( y ) X 
     X  `-`  X  `-`  X  `-`  X  `-`  X  `-`  X
       XXXXX   XXXXX   XXXXX   XXXXX   XXXXX 

The first player to form a connected chain of their pieces between their edge of the board and the opposite edge wins the game. The following example shows a winning chain for 'X'.

                                                    
       -----   -----   -----   -----   ----- 
     |  .-.  |  .-.  X  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  | 
     | ( a ) | ( b ) X ( c ) | ( d ) | ( e ) | 
     |  `-`  |  `-`  X  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  | 
       -----   -----   XXXXX   -----   ----- 
     |  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  X  .-.  |  .-.  | 
     | ( f ) | ( g ) | ( h ) X ( i ) | ( j ) | 
     |  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  X  `-`  |  `-`  | 
       -----   -----   -----   XXXXX   ----- 
     |  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  X  .-.  | 
     | ( k ) | ( l ) | ( m ) | ( n ) X ( o ) | 
     |  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  X  `-`  | 
       -----   XXXXX   -----   XXXXX   ----- 
     |  .-.  X  .-.  X  .-.  X  .-.  |  .-.  | 
     | ( p ) X ( q ) X ( r ) X ( s ) | ( t ) | 
     |  `-`  X  `-`  X  `-`  X  `-`  |  `-`  | 
       -----   -----   XXXXX   -----   ----- 
     |  .-.  X  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  |  .-.  | 
     | ( u ) X ( v ) | ( w ) | ( x ) | ( y ) | 
     |  `-`  X  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  |  `-`  | 
       -----   -----   -----   -----   ----- 

Move Syntax

'X' moves first. The move syntax is:

    orion move board# userid password click[click][click]...

Where each click is of the form "rotor/direction", for example:

    orion move board# userid a+ (click rotor 'a' once cw)    
    orion move board# userid a+a+a+ (click rotor 'a' three times cw)
    orion move board# userid a+++ (click rotor 'a' three times cw)
    orion move board# userid b--c+ ('b' twice acw then 'c' once cw)

Players may also pass (moving one rotor + then - has the same effect):

    orion move board# userid password pass

Other commands are the same as for all pbmserv games.

History

Orion was invented in the 1970s. A scanned copy of the complete rules can be found at the Hasbro site: http://www.hasbro.com/common/instruct/Orion.PDF

The Unofficial Orion Home Page contains an interesting look at the game with some nice photographs and descriptions: http://www.ludism.org/orion/

Implementation and help file by Cameron Browne, December 2003.