HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: rjones@dsd.es.com (Ray Jones - Perp)
Subject: Xtrek (Was Re: New Topic)
Reply-To: rjones@dsd.es.com
Organization: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corp.
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 92 20:46:57 GMT

In article <1992Nov10.055833.20116@ncsu.edu>, bjbisset@eos.ncsu.edu (BILLY JOE BISSETTE) writes:
>PS: this group may be recieving less net traffic than alt.xtrek,
which is about 
>a game that is hardly played anymore(I've only seen it in a couple of
archives, 
>kept for the fond memories)

[Carriage Returns are your friends.  Use them more often.]

alt.games.xtrek has moved to rec.games.netrek.  It's played by
(on the order of) thousands of people per day.

-- 
                                          rjones@dsd.es.com
From: tdunn@ecst.csuchico.edu (Tim Dunn)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Re: Othello Puzzle for MSDOS Windows
Date: 12 Nov 92 18:39:42 GMT
Article-I.D.: charnel.1du8deINN3ue
Organization: California State University, Chico
NNTP-Posting-Host: hairball.ecst.csuchico.edu

In article <LZT8A6O@math.fu-berlin.de> guckes@math.fu-berlin.de (Sven Guckes) writes:
>Well, WINDOWS ships with an Othello called "reversi".
>It has four levels of difficulty.
>It is possible to win ALL 64 pieces at the first three levels.
>What are the moves ?

It's possible to do it on the last level as well.  As for the moves, I dunno,
I play when I see it.

Is it me, or is the Expert level quite a ways less competent than the Master
level?  
-- 
Next to being shot at and missed, nothing is really quite as satisfying
as an income tax refund.
		-- F. J. Raymond
From: hship@sw.stratus.com (Howard Ship)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Re: Abalone.
Keywords: abalone new game
Date: 11 Nov 92 18:41:27 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc.
NNTP-Posting-Host: teton.sw.stratus.com

Two observations about abalone:

First, it stalemates easily.  It needs a rule like go's "ko" rule.

Second, it can be picked up cheap at Toys-R-Us.  Mine was $6.

-- 
"I can't believe I had the Anti!"
Howard_Ship@vos.stratus.com
From: boutell@isis.cshl.org (Tom Boutell)
Subject: Re: Game of Nomic Beginning
Organization: Cold Spring Harbor Labs
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 02:32:21 GMT

In article <baljeual.721439974@uther> baljeual@uther.calvin.edu (Alan Baljeu) writes:
>neilb@scs.leeds.ac.uk (Neil Bowers) writes:
>
>>In article <BxIC7E.D6n@phage.cshl.org> boutell@isis.cshl.org (Tom Boutell) writes:
>>>I propose a game of Nomic, to be carried out by email. 
>I'm no authority on the matter, but I would think that once mail is mentioned,
>the post should be sent to rec.games.pbm

I don't see why. Everybody here has been in on the Nomic discussion.
Zillions of people have responded wanting to play (already had to
close the game to newcomers, astonishingly). On rec.games.pbm,
I would probably just have heard "what's Nomic?"

-T

-- 
Tom Boutell, boutell@cshl.org

Clausthaler is the best non - alcoholic beer in the known universe.
From: mjensen@cs.utexas.edu (Marc S. Jensen)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Re: Game (NOMIC)
Date: 10 Nov 1992 10:46:52 -0600
Organization: U Texas Dept of Computer Sciences, Austin TX
NNTP-Posting-Host: grit.cs.utexas.edu
Summary: Request for more information

Greetings!


In article <1992Nov10.051709.14175@news.acns.nwu.edu> jcc@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Jeremy Caplan) writes:
>There is a totally awesome game invented by Douglass Hofstadter called
>NOMIC where the game consists of making the rules for the game itself..
>
>Can be VERY amusing...


Sounds like a unique concept...  How does one play?  

-marc

Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: kvermill@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Karl E Vermillion)
Subject: Rules for Mancala-type games
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Sat, 14 Nov 1992 02:26:31 GMT


Complete rules for Mancala and several varients can be found in
_Board and Table Games from Many Civilizations_, by R. C. Bell.
The publisher is Dover Publications, and the ISBN is 0-486-23855-5.
While not all of the games listed are "abstract" in the sense defined
by the charter of this group, it's a lovely book to while away a rainy
day.

Enjoy...

Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: pschwrtz@lynx.cs.washington.edu (Paul Schwartz)
Subject: Re: What???
Organization: Computer Science & Engineering Dept., Univ. of Washington, Seattle
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 92 09:08:24 GMT

Andrew Richard Conway (arc@leland.Stanford.EDU) wrote:
: RE. n dimensional tic tac toe.
: 
: If you play n dimensional tic tac toe on a (n+1)^n board, there is
: not ab obvious forst player winns strategy.
: 
: thus 3-D tic-tac-toe is in a 4*4*4 board, as is commonly available.
: 
: I have playted 6*6*6*6*6 tic tac toe once, but never after, since
: it takes too long to draw the board an paper napkins can't hold that
: many boards anyway...
: 
: 
: 						Andrew.
: 
	I was hopping that playing tic_tac _toe in n dimensions was playing
it in n dimensions not just a larger board in three dimensions.  Ah well.
Paul

--
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Paul Schwartz       pschwrtz@lynx.cs.washington.edu


Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: cmspring@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu (Colin Springer)
Subject: Othello
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 03:35:04 GMT

I'm an avid Othello player, and would be interested to hear from any
other fans of the game out there.  Is there an interest, for example,
in seeing Othello puzzles, annotated game transcripts, and the like?
How much do people on the net know about the game?  My experience in
the past has been that most people know very little about proper play,
which involves primarily mobility optimization rather than control of key
squares, such as edges.  Would anyone be interested in a sporadic
series of posts covering basic Othello strategy and tactics?  I'd be
more than willing to contribute anything I can to this group, given
enough interest.

Would anybody who knows the basics be interested in a postal match?
Perhaps if there's enough interest, we could set up a postal tournament?
Or perhaps somebody with enough skills could put together an Othello
server similar to the existing Chess and Go servers?

How about computer Othello programs?  Everybody and their pet chimp seems
to have written one, but the quality varies widely.  Are people interested
in discussing programming techniques and computer-specific strategies?
This group could be the ideal forum.

I'll be interested to hear people's responses to these questions.  Hopefully
those of us with an interest in the game will finally have a newsgroup
in which to discuss it, much like rec.games.chess and rec.games.go for
those games.

Colin Springer

==========================

  Othello Puzzle #1:

   . o o o . x . .
   . . o x o x . .
   . x x o x o x .
   x x x x x x x .
   x x x x o x o o
   x x o o x o o .
   x . x o o x . .
   . x x x x x x . 

White (o) to play and win decisively ...

Where would YOU go?
From: boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
Subject: Re: [Spoiler] Leather goddesses - help!
Date: 6 Nov 92 09:41:38 -0600
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <1992Nov4.222700.14888@nevada.edu>, dalton@nevada.edu (William
   Turlough Cat) writes:
> I've been playing LGOP for a while, and I always get stuck in the same places.
> ??s:
> Do you always die after going through the power plant?

   Yes, you do.

> How do you get to the headlight when you're in Cleveland?

   You don't.  You have to send someone down to get it, but you're too heavy. 
Of course, you always have someone along with you, don't you? :)

> How do you get change so you can buy the exit?

   You have to donate the coin you find to a worthy cause, in order to get
change.  Full details below.

   In order to get by the power plant, you have to get the boat by the plant
without you being in it at the time.

   There is a black disk located in the harem/palace area somewhere (I
believe) that will always take you to inside the boat.  Find this disk first. 
Then, once you know where this disk is, return to the boat, start the motor
(from outside the boat!), and detach it from the dock (you can press the
buttons from outside the boat).

   Wait a while.. the boat will be going down the canal and past the power
plant.  Then, return to the black disk, and use it.  You will appear in the
boat, which has already gone past the power plant.

   From that point on, you will be able to solve the coin problem, and get
something else you need as well.

> !??s
> Arrrrgh!
> beiad aka William Turlough Cat

   Enjoy!

                                        John "Nightwind" Boelter

--
*******************************************************************************
* John Boelter        a.k.a. Nightwind            boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu *
* Organizational Manager and contact person for everything and then some.     *
*******************************************************************************
* Real programmers never work 9 to 5.  If  *            <Definitions>         *
* any real programmers are around at 9am,  * Endless Loop:  See Loop, Endless *
* it's because they were up all night.     * Loop, Endless:  See Endless Loop *
*                -Rune Huseby-             *           -Radio Shack Manual-   *
*******************************************************************************
From: bjbisset@eos.ncsu.edu (BILLY JOE BISSETTE)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Re: New Topic
Date: 10 Nov 92 05:58:33 GMT
Article-I.D.: ncsu.1992Nov10.055833.20116
Reply-To: bjbisset@eos.ncsu.edu (BILLY JOE BISSETTE)
Organization: Raise A Great Old One Foundation
Originator: bjbisset@c00009-118dan.eos.ncsu.edu


In article <1992Nov10.051058.15154@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>, npalmer@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Nicholas P Palmer) writes:
|>New Topic New Topic
|>
|>You know, Maybe it's about conceptual role playing games, or playing
|>darts on pieces of modern art?
|>
|>In any case.  Have any of ya'll played
|>conceptual type games of any sorts?
|>(Not like Amber, no dice..)
|>We're talking no paper, no dice, just a GM and some people starting
|>a story and interacting and seeing what's what???
|>
|>Nik
|>
 While I'll admit these games can be fun with a good GM, there isn't much to say
about them.  No real rules discussion, or talks about skill % versus a level
system, no real meat.

PS: this group may be recieving less net traffic than alt.xtrek, which is about
a game that is hardly played anymore(I've only seen it in a couple of archives,
kept for the fond memories)
-- 
----------bill the insane cultist, bjbisset@eos.ncsu.edu
Please make a donation to the "Raise a Great Old One" Foundation.
Everyone chant with me:  Ph-nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!
                         Ph-nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!
From: mjd@saul.cis.upenn.edu ("[*] The One True Cross")
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Politics Game
Date: 10 Nov 92 17:37:32 GMT
Organization: Eaters of Wisdom


A friend of mine told me about a Politics Game which sounds exciting.

---

Everyone starts with a certain amount of money.  There is a big pot of
money which represents `nature', which yields up natural resources.

Each turn, nature antes $1 per player into a kitty.  

The players take turns bidding on the money in th kitty.

Highest bid gets the kitty, but *every* player has to pay nature the
amount of their highest bid, whether they get the kitty or not.

After one hour, everyone stops playing and counts their money.

---

    The thing you *don't* want to do is get involved in a bidding war,
because hten everyone loses.  If the kitty has $10 in it, and I bid $9,
the guy who bid $8 is going to be upset---if he lets me have the pot, I
have a profit of $1 and he has a loss of $8.  So perhaps he can cut his
losses by bidding $10.  Then if I let him have the pot he still breaks
even.  But that would give me a loss of $9.  So perhaps I can cut my
losses by bidding $11; then if I get the pot I lose only $1 instead of
$9.  You see where this is going; what a disaster.

    So clearly the best thing to do is agree with everyone that first
everyone will let one player will get the pot for $1, and then everyone
will let another player get the whole pot for $1, and so on.
Cooperation is much more productive and everyone wins.

    Unfortunately, as the clock starts to run down, someone will realize
they are going to get shorted, and that they can sabotage the
cooperation and get the pot for themselves by bidding higher on the last
pot.  They may even be able to argue the other players into going along
with them.

    But now you know this, you realize that there is a substantial
advantage in being the first betrayer...

--

                And for to se, and eek for to be seye
Mark-Jason Dominus 	  			    mjd@central.cis.upenn.edu 
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: wchang@phage.cshl.org (William Chang in Marr Lab - CSHL)
Subject: Re: Abalone.
Summary: Alternative Rules
Keywords: abalone new game
Organization: Cold Spring Harbor Lab, Long Is New York
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 16:51:45 GMT

In article <1drk4nINNd6q@transfer.stratus.com> hship@sw.stratus.com (Howard Ship) writes:
>Two observations about abalone:
>
>First, it stalemates easily.  It needs a rule like go's "ko" rule.

I tried the game for just an evening, and decided to make up my own rules
that seemed (to me) more natural and exciting.  Should the given rules
be "sacred" in a new game like this?

-- Bill Chang (wchang@cshl.org)
From: dbh@doc.ic.ac.uk (Denis Howe)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Re: Nomic World Game 2:A Brief Summary
Date: 13 Nov 92 12:59:03
Organization: Computing Department, Imperial College, London, UK
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: wombat.doc.ic.ac.uk
In-reply-to: gardner@cs.monash.edu.au's message of Fri, 13 Nov 1992 00:41:06 GMT

In article <gardner.721615266@bruce.cs.monash.edu.au>
gardner@cs.monash.edu.au wrote:

>it was spectacularly broken by Lindrum's attempts at a constitutional
>coup d'etat.

Could you elaborate on this please?
--
Denis Howe <dbh@doc.ic.ac.uk>
So Biggs, you're the idiot who bought all these IBM PCs.  You're fired!
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: boutell@isis.cshl.org (Tom Boutell)
Subject: "Usenet Nomic" on News: Bad Idea.
Organization: Cold Spring Harbor Labs
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 18:55:53 GMT

Think this over: the volume of postings will be incredible and, as you have
yourself pointed out, redundant, and will likely stifle all other
conversations in rec.games.abstract. This is a really, *really* Bad
Thing (tm). If you want to play net.nomic, email is definitely the
proper forum.

-- 
Tom Boutell, boutell@cshl.org

Clausthaler is the best non - alcoholic beer in the known universe.
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: howesb@monashee.sfu.ca (Charles Howes)
Subject: Re: Chess in non-euclidian space 
Organization: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 20:10:30 GMT

In article <1992Nov11.161535.20791@cc.umontreal.ca> royd@ERE.UMontreal.CA (Roy Daniel) writes:
>Here's a series of chess games that are very abstract: non-euclidian chess.
>
>Take, for example, a game of chess where the right and left sides, and the up
> and sides touch each other. It would be like playing chess on a sphere.

Whoops, nope, that would be a doughnut...

A sphere is when the left and right sides touch, and you can go from any
square on the top edge to any other square on the top edge; same for the
bottom edge.
From: bdsm@fermat.WPI.EDU (Billy Don McConnell)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Re: What???
Date: 10 Nov 92 01:51:16 GMT
Article-I.D.: bigboote.1dn4ikINN94q
Distribution: world
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
NNTP-Posting-Host: fermat.wpi.edu
Originator: bdsm@fermat.WPI.EDU


In article <lfu3daINN6if@cash.cs.utexas.edu>, jadair@cs.utexas.edu 
(John S. Adair) writes:
|> In article <1992Nov9.223226.5300> 
Jeff Sobotka@dvorak.amd.com writes

|> >(Is there anybody out there???)
|> Yes, there are others asking What...

You know, if you think about it, maybe we're playing the game already!
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: ry32@rz.uni-karlsruhe.de (Vieser Christian (Gernert))
Subject: Re: Abalone.
Keywords: abalone new game
Organization: University of Karlsruhe, Germany
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 16:56:25 GMT

In article <1992Nov11.103847.2400@panix.com>, rpowers@panix.com (Richard Powers) writes:
|> Anyone here ever played Abalone? 
|> 
...
...
|> Abalone does exist as a marketed product, and can be bought for about $30
|> (last time I looked).
|> 

Think, I've seen an shareware-Abalone for MS-Windows on some 
(german??) ftp-site. It's for one or two players and the computer oppenent
has several levels to play against.
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: cmspring@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu (Colin Springer)
Subject: Othello Puzzle #2
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 01:19:28 GMT


Due to the interest in Othello Puzzle #1, I've decided to make it a
semi-regular feature.  In future I'll include a coordinate system, to
make analysis easier.  White is well ahead in the position no matter
what, but I think b2 is the most decisive win (perhaps somebody with
a computer will want to check this assertion).  To recall, the
proposition was:

 Othello Puzzle #1:

  a b c d e f g h
1 . o o o . x . .
2 . . o x o x . .
3 . x x o x o x .
4 x x x x x x x .
5 x x x x o x o o
6 x x o o x o o .
7 x . x o o x . .
8 . x x x x x x . 

After a move to b2, black is helpless.  In fact, his best response might be
to play g7 immediately, at least ensuring access to the a1 corner, and
the top edge.  With almost no real options, black will collapse and white
will end up with most of the rest of the board.

Puzzle #2 is considerably more difficult, so be patient and play out
sequences to make sure you don't miss anything.  Again, it's white to
play and win decisively.  I should add the disclaimer that there may
well be several moves which lead to equally clear wins.  If so, I'd be
happy to discuss others people might come up with!  These positions are
from actual games, and in actual games there is rarely one "best" move,
rather several similar moves.  I have tried to stick to positions in which
the line I've thought of is devastating, but it might not be unique ...
Have fun with it!

Colin

Othello Puzzle #2:

  a b c d e f g h
1 . o o o o o o .
2 o . o o o o . .
3 o o x o o o . .
4 o o o o x o . x
5 o o o o x x x .
6 o o x x x x . .
7 . . x . . . . .
8 . . . . . . . . 

White (o) to play and win decisively ... where would YOU play??

Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: ratava@maths.tcd.ie (Michael McCarthy)
Subject: Re: What???
Organization: Dept. of Maths, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 15:57:24 GMT

positron@engin.umich.edu (Jonathan Scott Haas) writes:

>In article <1992Nov10.092846.23254@daimi.aau.dk> elascurn@daimi.aau.dk (Lars R{der Clausen) writes:
>>
>>Three-on-a-row in a 3^x space is rather easy to prove things about. That game
>>has (as far as playing something on a sheet of paper during lessons) long
>>been dead for me. 4-on-a-row in 2-d space is a bit more fun, but I seem to
>>have proved the the starter wins. How about 5-on-a-row? How about 3-player
>>4-on-a-row? Has anyone tried to prove who wins there?
>>

>Simple proof that any sort of tic-tac-toe game is either a draw or a win
>for the first player:
[Deleted]

What about 3 player tic-tac-toe ? or 4-player ?
From: tdunn@ecst.csuchico.edu (Tim Dunn)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Re: What [is this newsgroup about]???
Date: 10 Nov 1992 01:45:51 GMT
Organization: California State University, Chico
NNTP-Posting-Host: hairball.ecst.csuchico.edu

Jeff Sobotka writes:
>[What] is this newsgroup supposed to be about???

Hmm, a request for the FAQ already....  Does anyone have a copy of the
charter handy?  No?  I'll try to go off from memory, so this is worth
the paper it's printed on... and I'm using a terminal.

Rec.games.abstract is for games of pure strategy which have no existing
newsgroup.  Pure strategy implies no hidden knowledge and no element of
chance.  Thus, by way of example, Othello and Pente are two that satisfy
both criteria.  Chess and Go do as well, but they have existing groups.

Btw, I speak only for myself, and if I'm in error, don't say I didn't 
warn you...

-- 
The geographical center of Boston is in Roxbury.  Due north of the
center we find the South End.  This is not to be confused with South
Boston which lies directly east from the South End.  North of the South
End is East Boston and southwest of East Boston is the North End.
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: davidal@comm.mot.com (UK702 DavidAlexander)
Subject: Re: Mornington Crescent
Organization: Motorola Land Mobile Products Sector
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 22:19:33 GMT

Now this may sound a bit bizarre and I may be remembering something that didn't happen but :-

I seem to remember that a number of years ago (c.1988 I think) 'The Micro User' magazine published a listing (in BBC BASIC) of a program to play 'Mornington Crescent'. Unfortunately my back issues are 500 miles away. Can anyone confirm or deny this statement?

TTFN
DA

P.S. If you enjoy 'Mornington Crescent' try playing 'Top Trumps' with a mixed deck of invisible cards? 
==========================================================================
Internet : davidal@comm.mot.com  = X400-gateway : CDA004                 =
@mail : David Alexander          = Daytime telephone : +44 (0)276-413340 =
        Channel Tunnel Software  = Evening telephone : +44 (0)276-24249  =
        Motorola Ltd.            =========================================
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        Camberley (ZUK20)        = It prevents moderation from acquiring =
        Surrey GU15 3QG          = the deadening effect of habit.        =
        United Kingdom           =           - W Somerset Maugham -      =
==========================================================================
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: neilb@scs.leeds.ac.uk (Neil Bowers)
Subject: Re: Mornington Crescent
Originator: neilb@csparc2
Organization: The University of Leeds, School of Computer Studies
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 12:21:37 GMT

dbh@doc.ic.ac.uk (Denis Howe) writes:
>This is a special example of the general class of games where one or
>more players don't know the rules, like the "Chairmain Mao" card game
>(which I think was also described in Scientific American with the name
>of "Elusis").

The game is Eleusis, invented by Abbott in '56, and first described by
Gardner in Scientific American, #200, 1959, pp160-164.
The game was subsequently modified by Abbott (in '77), and called New Eleusis.

I have papers describing this game, but hopefully someone else will
have stuff online.  If not I'll scan the rules and post them.

Neil
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: mjd@saul.cis.upenn.edu ("[*] Fan of the Efts")
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Re: Mornington Crescent
Date: 12 Nov 92 17:00:54 GMT
	<1992Nov10.203229.19889@random.ccs.northeastern.edu>
Organization: Eaters of Wisdom
In-reply-to: nik@scs.leeds.ac.uk's message of 10 Nov 92 20:32:29 GMT


    Just FYI, I played Mornington Crescent with Tom Fontaine yesterday,
to show some other people how it was done, and I won.  I named
Mornington Crescent right before Tom was about to.

    Joke or not, it's a workable game of pure psychology and bluffing.

--

                And for to se, and eek for to be seye
Mark-Jason Dominus 	  			    mjd@central.cis.upenn.edu 

Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract