HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: nicholso@pioneer.arc.nasa.gov (Melvin H. Nicholson YBH)
Subject: Re: A new game?
Organization: NASA Ames Res. Ctr. Mtn Vw CA 94035
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 01:57:34 GMT

In article <1993Jan25.175510.26117@dbased.nuo.dec.com> tomj@kibo.enet.dec.com (Tom Jaskiewicz) writes:
>
>boll@CS.ColoState.EDU (dave boll) describes a new game:
>>    The board: A MxN rectangle of dots.         
>>    The play : Players alternate making moves, last one able to move wins
>>    A move: A move in this game consists of drawing a straight line 
>>       connecting two (previously untouched) dots. The line may not cross
>>       any previously drawn line, nor can it pass thru one dot on the way
>>       to another. Each dot can have at most one line touching it.
>..
>>  Anyway, has anyone ever heard of a game like this? Thoughts?
>
>and wms@ssd.intel.com (William Shubert) writes:
>]With this game
>]it's pretty clear immediately that player 1 can win on any MxN board if M
>]or N is even:
>]
>]+   +   +   +
>]       /
>]+   + / +   +
>]     /
>]+   +   +   +
>]
>]From here, any move that player 2 makes can be "mirrored" by player 1; player
>]2 MUST run out of moves first.
>
>On MxN boards with both M and N odd there is a 180 degree rotational symmetry
>around the central point.  Player 2 wins by maintaining the symmetry:
>
>+   +   +   +---+   +   +
>       /
>+   + / +   +   +   +---+
>     /  |
>+   +   +   #   +   +   +
>                |  /
>+---+   +   +   + / +   +
>                 /
>+   +   +---+   +   +   +

Bzzt.  Sorry, but this won't work.  Consider that any line which touches
the the center point cannot be follow by the 180 rotation (which also
must touch the center point.  The 1st player win for even-even and
even-odd and odd-even boards does hold, however.

(Note that each node has a maximal usage of one)

Mel

Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: boll@CS.ColoState.EDU (dave boll)
Subject: A new game?
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 16:55:45 GMT
Organization: Colorado State University, Computer Science Department


  There I was, there I was, there I was
  Scribbling around with pen and paper, when I sort of came up with a 
  new (to me) game. It has some of the flavour of sprouts, and I haven't
  analyzed it much yet, but here it is:

    The board: A MxN rectangle of dots.         
    The play : Players alternate making moves, last one able to move wins
    A move: A move in this game consists of drawing a straight line 
       connecting two (previously untouched) dots. The line may not cross
       any previously drawn line, nor can it pass thru one dot on the way
       to another. Each dot can have at most one line touching it.

  The 3x3 game is trivial, and at 4x4 it starts to get a bit interesting. I
  think it would become playable 6x6 and up.  

  My (limited) analysis: Like sprouts, you know the maximum length of the
    game will be INT(MN/2) moves. Also like sprouts, you know you've 
    decreased the length of the game by one move if certain conditions
    hold. For this game, you've decreased the length of the game by 1 
    move every time you divide the board in two pieces, such that there
    are an odd number of untouched dots in each piece. (I guess you actually
    decrease it by 2 moves if M or N are even....)

  Anyway, has anyone ever heard of a game like this? Thoughts?
-- 
     ------------------------------------------------------------
     Dave Boll  boll@handel.cs.colostate.edu
                "The speed of time is 1 second per second"
     ------------------------------------------------------------
From: tomj@kibo.enet.dec.com (Tom Jaskiewicz)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Re: A new game?
Date: 25 Jan 93 17:55:10 GMT
Reply-To: tomj@kibo.enet.dec.com (Tom Jaskiewicz)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation


boll@CS.ColoState.EDU (dave boll) describes a new game:
>    The board: A MxN rectangle of dots.         
>    The play : Players alternate making moves, last one able to move wins
>    A move: A move in this game consists of drawing a straight line 
>       connecting two (previously untouched) dots. The line may not cross
>       any previously drawn line, nor can it pass thru one dot on the way
>       to another. Each dot can have at most one line touching it.
..
>  Anyway, has anyone ever heard of a game like this? Thoughts?

and wms@ssd.intel.com (William Shubert) writes:
]With this game
]it's pretty clear immediately that player 1 can win on any MxN board if M
]or N is even:
]
]+   +   +   +
]       /
]+   + / +   +
]     /
]+   +   +   +
]
]From here, any move that player 2 makes can be "mirrored" by player 1; player
]2 MUST run out of moves first.

On MxN boards with both M and N odd there is a 180 degree rotational symmetry
around the central point.  Player 2 wins by maintaining the symmetry:

+   +   +   +---+   +   +
       /
+   + / +   +   +   +---+
     /  |
+   +   +   #   +   +   +
                |  /
+---+   +   +   + / +   +
                 /
+   +   +---+   +   +   +
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: wms@ssd.intel.com (William Shubert)
Subject: Re: A new game?
Organization: Supercomputer Systems Division (SSD), Intel
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 19:27:33 GMT

boll@CS.ColoState.EDU (dave boll) describes a new game:
>    The board: A MxN rectangle of dots.         
>    The play : Players alternate making moves, last one able to move wins
>    A move: A move in this game consists of drawing a straight line 
>       connecting two (previously untouched) dots. The line may not cross
>       any previously drawn line, nor can it pass thru one dot on the way
>       to another. Each dot can have at most one line touching it.
...
>  Anyway, has anyone ever heard of a game like this? Thoughts?

   Someone descibed a similar game about a month or two ago.  With this game
it's pretty clear immediately that player 1 can win on any MxN board if M
or N is even:

+   +   +   +
       /
+   + / +   +
     /
+   +   +   +

From here, any move that player 2 makes can be "mirrored" by player 1; player
2 MUST run out of moves first.  Is there a similar easy winning strategy on
oddxodd boards?
				-Bill (wms@ssd.intel.com)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: asdfghjk@maths.tcd.ie (Nicholas Gray)
Subject: Twixt (for the last time)
Organization: Dept. of Maths, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 15:52:19 GMT

Unbelievable as it may seem, less than a week after some generous person posted
the rules for Twixt specifically for me, I managed to erase them accidentally.
Therefore I can only beg them to please post them again and I will be eternally
gratefull and will never, ever bother them again.

Nick
From: ck832@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Stephen Leary)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Re: Xiangqi
Date: 24 Jan 1993 03:14:53 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: ck832@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Stephen Leary)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu


In a previous article, engp2063@nusunix1.nus.sg (NG CHEE MUN SIDNEY) says:

>It would be interesting if those from European / American  Xiangqi
>clubs could post some xiangqi games to this group for our analysis and
>discussion.
>
>I am curious to know the level of Xiangqi at any of these clubs.
>
>
I think as long as xiangqi enthusiasts divide their posts between
rec.games.chess and rec.games.abstract, the interest in this game
amongst Europeans and Americans will remain at a minimal level.
I for one don't usually read this newsgroup and I'm sure other chess
players who might be interested in xiangqi don't either. Posting
to rec.games.chess doesn't exactly solve the problem either.

If the idea is to increase interest in this game amongst
westerners, or to find out "the level" of xiangqi at clubs or
amongst individuals in countries throughout the world, the
solutions are obvious:

1. Creation of rec.games.xiangqi

2. Creation of the International Xiangqi Server (just like
   chess and go have)

If there can be a newsgroup on tiddlywinks, that proves there is
enough interest for a group on xiangqi. As long as info is posted
to other newsgroups, no one is going to care much, and you're
likely to lose a lot of people in the process.

I don't claim to speak for a club. Just one xiangqi enthusiast's
opinion. Dissenting views welcome.

Stephen Leary
leary@alm.admin.usfca.edu
   
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: benjie@hip-hop.uucp (Benjie Chen)
Subject: test
Organization: Hip-Hop BBS, Sunnyvale, CA (408-773-0768)
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 19:51:10 GMT
Distribution: World

test

Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: boll@CS.ColoState.EDU (dave boll)
Subject: Re: A new game?
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 14:41:48 GMT
Organization: Colorado State University, Computer Science Department

In article <1993Jan24.131401.19745@husc15.harvard.edu> blom@husc15.harvard.edu writes:
>In article <C19spy.3q2@SSD.intel.com>, wms@ssd.intel.com (William Shubert) writes:
>> boll@CS.ColoState.EDU (dave boll) describes a new game:
>>>    The board: A MxN rectangle of dots.         
>>>    The play : Players alternate making moves, last one able to move wins
>>>    A move: A move in this game consists of drawing a straight line 
>>>       connecting two (previously untouched) dots. The line may not cross
>>>       any previously drawn line, nor can it pass thru one dot on the way
>>>       to another. Each dot can have at most one line touching it.
>> ...
>>    Someone descibed a similar game about a month or two ago.  With this game
>> it's pretty clear immediately that player 1 can win on any MxN board if M
>> or N is even:
>> 
>> +   +   +   +
>>        /
>> +   + / +   +
>>      /
>> +   +   +   +
>> 
>> From here, any move that player 2 makes can be "mirrored" by player 1; player
>> 2 MUST run out of moves first.  Is there a similar easy winning strategy on
>> oddxodd boards?
>
>On boards with odd sides with no common factor, you can connect a line between
>two corners with the same effect.
>
   Not with the rules I originally proposed: The lines must be straight, and
   they must touch only two dots.
-- 
     ------------------------------------------------------------
     Dave Boll  boll@handel.cs.colostate.edu
                "The speed of time is 1 second per second"
     ------------------------------------------------------------
From: torbenm@diku.dk (Torben AEgidius Mogensen)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Re: LIFE
Date: 27 Jan 93 12:18:23 GMT
Organization: Department of Computer Science, U of Copenhagen

fkschmid@cip.informatik.uni-erlangen.de (Frank Schmidt) writes:

>I just wrote a coloured LIFE-program. It works the following:
>Two (or more) groups of cells are put randomly in a 100x100 board,
>where left and right side and upper and lower side are connected.
>Each group has (in the beginning) its own colour.

>Then LIFE is running normally, regardless of the colours, but
>every "newborn" cell gets a colour depending on the three
>neighboring cells (its "parents"):

> - if all parent cells have the same colour, the child gets it, too

> - if e.g. one parent cell is blue and another is red, the child is white

> - if one or two cells are e.g. red and the other(s) is/are white,
>   the child will be red

I once wrote a two-colour life using just plain majority rules for the
colouring of new cells: the dominant colour from the 3 neighbours
becomes the new colour. Since there are two colurs and three
neighbours there will always be a unique dominant colour. If you start
with a random initial configuration (with random colours for every
life cell) you fairly quickly get separated areas of different
colours. It is, however, possible to make e.g. gliders that remain of
composite colour throughout. An alternative rule that will not cause
separated areas is to make the new colour the opposite of what the
above rules say. So three identical neighbours spawns a new cell of
the opposite colour, and a mixed neighbourhood spawns a new cell in
the minority colour. I haven't done much testing of this idea, so I
can't tell you what the global behaviour is.

With three colours there may be three different neighbours, so there
is no "fair" choice for the new colour. If there are four different
colours one can say that when there are three different neighbours,
then the new cell gets the fourth colour (that is, the colour not
present among the neighbours). I expect these rules to cause
clustering like the first rules I described, as (I think) will any
rules where majority causes a new cell of the dominant colour. I have
no results about gliders etc. remaining composite with all four
colours, but since any configuration having only two colours will
behave like the two-colour rules above, gliders retaining at least two
different colours exist.

With more than four colours we again have the question about what to
do when the three neighbours are different. I have no elegant solution
to this problem.

	Torben Mogensen (torben@diku.dk)
From: torbenm@diku.dk (Torben AEgidius Mogensen)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Re: A new game?
Date: 25 Jan 93 11:18:18 GMT
Organization: Department of Computer Science, U of Copenhagen

blom@husc15.harvard.edu writes:

>In article <C19spy.3q2@SSD.intel.com>, wms@ssd.intel.com (William Shubert) writes:
>> boll@CS.ColoState.EDU (dave boll) describes a new game:
>>>    The board: A MxN rectangle of dots.         
>>>    The play : Players alternate making moves, last one able to move wins
>>>    A move: A move in this game consists of drawing a straight line 
>>>       connecting two (previously untouched) dots. The line may not cross
>>>       any previously drawn line, nor can it pass thru one dot on the way
>>>       to another. Each dot can have at most one line touching it.
>> ...
>>>  Anyway, has anyone ever heard of a game like this? Thoughts?
>> 
>>    Someone descibed a similar game about a month or two ago.  With this game
>> it's pretty clear immediately that player 1 can win on any MxN board if M
>> or N is even:
>> 
>> +   +   +   +
>>        /
>> +   + / +   +
>>      /
>> +   +   +   +
>> 
>> From here, any move that player 2 makes can be "mirrored" by player 1; player
>> 2 MUST run out of moves first.  Is there a similar easy winning strategy on
>> oddxodd boards?

>On boards with odd sides with no common factor, you can connect a line between
>two corners with the same effect.

One could change the rules so the last to make a move loses (like in
some versions of NIM). I can't off-hand think of an easy winning
strategy in this case. However, it may be that (like in NIM) you can
make a small variant in the endgame of a strategy that works in the
last-move-wins case.

	Torben Mogensen (torbenm@diku.dk)
From: nicholso@pioneer.arc.nasa.gov (Melvin H. Nicholson YBH)
Subject: Re: A new game?
Organization: NASA Ames Res. Ctr. Mtn Vw CA 94035
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 19:33:57 GMT

boll@CS.ColoState.EDU (dave boll) writes:
>blom@husc15.harvard.edu writes:
>>wms@ssd.intel.com (William Shubert) writes:
>>> boll@CS.ColoState.EDU (dave boll) describes a new game:
>>>>    The board: A MxN rectangle of dots.         
>>>>    The play : Players alternate making moves, last one able to move wins
>>>>    A move: A move in this game consists of drawing a straight line 
>>>>       connecting two (previously untouched) dots. The line may not cross
>>>>       any previously drawn line, nor can it pass thru one dot on the way
>>>>       to another. Each dot can have at most one line touching it.
>>> ...
>>>    Someone descibed a similar game about a month or two ago.  With this game
>>> it's pretty clear immediately that player 1 can win on any MxN board if M
>>> or N is even:
>>> 
>>> +   +   +   +
>>>        /
>>> +   + / +   +
>>>      /
>>> +   +   +   +
>>> 
>>> From here, any move that player 2 makes can be "mirrored" by player 1; player
>>> 2 MUST run out of moves first.  Is there a similar easy winning strategy on
>>> oddxodd boards?
>>
>>On boards with odd sides with no common factor, you can connect a line between
>>two corners with the same effect.
>>
>   Not with the rules I originally proposed: The lines must be straight, and
>   they must touch only two dots.

I think he was claiming that on a board where M and N are odd and lack a
common factor, a line from corner to corner (as a last move) would
not cross any intermdiate dots (assuming opposite corners, of course).

I haven't checked that thoroughly, but it sounds correct.

Mel


Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: nicholso@pioneer.arc.nasa.gov (Melvin H. Nicholson YBH)
Subject: Re: A new game?
Organization: NASA Ames Res. Ctr. Mtn Vw CA 94035
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 01:53:39 GMT

nicholso@pioneer.arc.nasa.gov (Melvin H. Nicholson YBH) writes:
>boll@CS.ColoState.EDU (dave boll) writes:
>>blom@husc15.harvard.edu writes:
>>>wms@ssd.intel.com (William Shubert) writes:
>>>> boll@CS.ColoState.EDU (dave boll) describes a new game:
>>>>>    The board: A MxN rectangle of dots.         
>>>>>    The play : Players alternate making moves, last one able to move wins
>>>>>    A move: A move in this game consists of drawing a straight line 
>>>>>       connecting two (previously untouched) dots. The line may not cross
>>>>>       any previously drawn line, nor can it pass thru one dot on the way
>>>>>       to another. Each dot can have at most one line touching it.
>>>> ...
>>>>    Someone descibed a similar game about a month or two ago.  With this game
>>>> it's pretty clear immediately that player 1 can win on any MxN board if M
>>>> or N is even:
>>>> 
>>>> +   +   +   +
>>>>        /
>>>> +   + / +   +
>>>>      /
>>>> +   +   +   +
>>>> 
>>>> From here, any move that player 2 makes can be "mirrored" by player 1; player
>>>> 2 MUST run out of moves first.  Is there a similar easy winning strategy on
>>>> oddxodd boards?
>>>
>>>On boards with odd sides with no common factor, you can connect a line between
>>>two corners with the same effect.
>>>
>>   Not with the rules I originally proposed: The lines must be straight, and
>>   they must touch only two dots.
>
>I think he was claiming that on a board where M and N are odd and lack a
>common factor, a line from corner to corner (as a last move) would
>not cross any intermdiate dots (assuming opposite corners, of course).
>
>I haven't checked that thoroughly, but it sounds correct.
>
Whups.  I had the M and N mis-defined in my mind as the number of boxes
instead of the number points.  It is quite *in*correct for odd board, as
there will be a cetral point which the diagonal must cross.

Mel
>
From: wbdst+@pitt.edu (William B Dwinnell)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Looking for books on games
Date: 24 Jan 93 03:43:02 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh


Anybody have recommendations on books on games in general?
Newsgroups: rec.games.xtank.programmer
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 93 12:01:51 -0600
From: Reagen Ward <ward@hydra.cche.olemiss.edu>
To: xtank@eng.umd.edu
Subject: xtank probs

SGi Crimson
IRIX 4.0.5
X11R4 with SGi mods (GL)
vendor cc
xtank v. 1.3f

Well, it don't compile.
I get interesting errors, like:

ccom: Error: /usr/include/math.h, line 287: redeclaration of srand48
      extern void       srand48(long);
      -------------------------------^

and warnings like:

ccom: Warning: /usr/include/math.h, line 276: function random now has prototype;   a) earlier declaration did not or   b) function was called before declaration or definition
      extern long       random(void);
      ------------------------------^

among many others.

Anyhow, I was curious, 'cause i thought sgi was supported?
Perhaps I'm doin' somethin' wrong.

Got any ideas?
Thanks,
Reagen B. Ward
Newsgroups: rec.games.xtank.play,rec.games.xtank.programmer
From: lis@mfltd.co.uk (Linus Surguy)
Subject: Suitable starter sites
Organization: Micro Focus Ltd., Newbury, UK
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 13:28:58 GMT

From: lis@mfltd.co.uk (Linus Surguy)
Newsgroups: rec.games.xtank
Subject: Starter sites.
Followup-To: 
Distribution: world
Organization: Micro Focus Ltd., Newbury, UK
Keywords: 

Can anyone recommend a site where I can get all the info about XTank from,
with source etc if needed? (Please quote numeric address as I dont have
a name server)

**This is a personal message, not one from Micro Focus **

Xref: sparky rec.games.xtank.play:323 rec.games.xtank.programmer:684
Newsgroups: rec.games.xtank.play,rec.games.xtank.programmer
Subject: Re: Suitable starter site
From: cvadrgct@vmsb.is.csupomona.edu
Date: 26 Jan 93 12:03:11 PST
Organization: California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Nntp-Posting-User: cvadrgct

In article <1993Jan26.132858.7867@mfltd.co.uk>, lis@mfltd.co.uk (Linus Surguy) writes:
> Can anyone recommend a site where I can get all the info about XTank from,
> with source etc if needed? (Please quote numeric address as I dont have
> a name server)

Well, just a week ago the FAQ were here. I don't know how the messages get
deleted on the news system here, but r.g.xtank always has about 1-2 messages.

In any case, I'll post this so if anyone else is looking for this info, 
maybe it'll stay here until someone posts the FAQ again.

You can find Xtank v1.3f at:

Mojo.eng.umd.edu (129.2.90.15)
in the /pub/xtank directory

or (apairently) at:

azathoth.sura.net (128.167.254.184)
/pub/xtank

I think there is a binary (for sun4, I think) in the /pub/xtank/pre-compiled
directory of this site.

There is a bunch of other stuff you might need to compile it depending on your
system, but I'll let you read the FAQ for yourself, which should be located at
one of these sites.

If any of this info is faulty - Don't blame me.. I ain't perfect.

Kevin
From: sg2r+@andrew.cmu.edu (Scott Parks Gourley)
Newsgroups: rec.games.netrek
Subject: Another scum wannabe
Date: 21 Jan 93 23:39:14 GMT
Article-I.D.: andrew.cfLw32O00Vor4MsmFS
Organization: Senior, Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

Server: paradise.declab.usu.edu, port 2592 (New server)
Last checked at 00:41:58 (4 minutes ago).

There are 8 people playing here.

  Type Rank       Name              Login
F1 DD  Ensign     Twink             brandon@petersboro
F5 DD  Ensign     guest             brandon@petersboro
Fh BB  Ensign     M5                Robot@Nowhere
Fi BB  Ensign     M5                Robot@Nowhere
R0 CA  Ensign     Lynx              brandon@petersboro
R2 DD  Ensign     guest             brandon@petersboro
R3 DD  Ensign     guest             brandon@petersboro
Kj BB  Ensign     Guardian          Robot@Nowhere


CAUGHT!!!!!!!!!

-Mike
Admiral chi
Organization: Sponsored account, School Of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.games.netrek
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 02:31:39 -0500 
From: Sean Christopher Simmons <ss72+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Real Name(s)?
Distribution: world

Excerpts from netnews.rec.games.netrek: 20-Jan-93 Real Name(s)? Dan
Hua@garnet.berkeley. (217)

> Hey folks!  Is ZZNewguy now christopher simmons?
> Also  is sunscreamer felix gallo or felix ortony?  I wish
> I have two names to use too, one for scumming and the other
> for.... more ulterior motoves..


	I've been borrowing accounts for entirely too long.  I am, as I was
before, Hugh Moore.

ZZnew guy