HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: ksdavis@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Karleenus Schwartz Davis)
Subject: Re: New game: Think Small
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 05:02:57 GMT

nik@scs.leeds.ac.uk (Nik Silver) writes...
>>     (1) Think of any whole number greater than or equal to 1.

dwr2560@zeus.tamu.edu (RING, DAVID WAYNE) writes:
>| Just so everybody knows, I sent the number 4.

hollasch@kpc.com (Steve Hollasch) writes:
>    I've sent the numbers 1-78 (before I stopped to try to think of a better
>way to flood e-mail messages).  Because of rule #4, I've disqualified
>myself, but because of rule #2, nobody else can use these numbers.
>
>    I suggest we get together to do some organized flooding to see who
>wins.

Well, you should consider the disk space of your recipient.  Not Nice.
In the absence of flooding, what would be your thoughts on a strategy
for this game?  Do I send 1, with the hope that no one else does?  Do
I send 4, sabotaging David's effort, but also wasting my own, or do I
try to grab a number out of thin air and hope?  This was KILLING me
for at least, oh, 2 minutes.  I gave up. Now that you've sufficiently
made the receiver unhappy, perhaps, I don't want to add my mail
message to the rest, but the concept of the game still gets to me.

-sz
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: flee@cs.psu.edu (Felix Lee)
Subject: Re: Eleusis, and _New Rules for Classic Games_
	<pquince.721508467@blacks> <BxKyF7.4xw@cs.psu.edu>
	<If0Wab600Vp583dn4f@andrew.cmu.edu>
	<BAS.92Nov13101126@carlo.phys.uva.nl>
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 19:57:06 GMT

Well, I found the "New Eleusis" article in _Penrose Tiles to Trapdoor
Ciphers_, and they're the same as the rules described in _New Rules_,
so it seems that 1976 was the last revision of the game.  (The "New
Eleusis" article was probably originally printed in 1977.)
--
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: tjdonald@neumann.uwaterloo.ca (Toby Donaldson)
Subject: The Biggest Number Game
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 16:17:48 GMT

Here's a game I used to play with my little brother. We'd each write a number 
down on a piece of paper, and whoever wrote down the biggest number was the 
winner. 

So, inspired by the Mornington Crescent game, I propose the following rules
for "The Biggest Number Game" (as my brother calls it).


 Players: 2 or more

 Rules:

   1. Each person writes down a number on a piece of paper, and then everyone
      shows their number. The winner is the person who has written down the 
      greatest number.

   2. Number must be specified exactly. That means you can't write down something
      like "My number is equal to the total number of electrons in the observable
      universe".

   3. You must use notation that all players understand. In other words, if
      someone uses the term "googleplex" and another player has not heard it
      before, then that person using the term is disqualified. Also, all players
      must be able to recognize what number you've specified just by looking at
      what you've written down on the paper - no verbal explanations are allowed.
      
   4. You must be able to specify your number on one side of one sheet of paper.


This is sort of an open ended version of the games "Flaunt" and "Undercut" that
Douglas Hofstadter talks about in "Metmagical Themas". Like Mornington Crescent,
you probably need more psychology than skill to be good at this game (if you ever
actually play it!).

Toby
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: mbrockma@bank.ecn.purdue.edu (Matt Brockman)
Subject: Re: What???
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 17:39:56 GMT

In article <BxMF76.H4@comp.vuw.ac.nz> James.Cone@comp.vuw.ac.nz (James Cone) writes:
>
>In article <1dpa4fINN2dv@network.ucsd.edu>, jwp@chem.ucsd.edu (John Pierce) writes:
>|> scottie@sequent.com (Scott Thurston) writes:
>|> 
>|>  > And then, we could form rec.games.surreal, ....
>|> 
>|> 1.  Elephant & Castle
>|> 
>
>2.  Crown and Mouse

3.  Cheese & Jewel


===============================================================================
Matt Brockman                                           mbrockma@ecn.purdue.edu
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    "While a llama may produce some of the world's finest of wools, prized
        around the world, their breath, on the other hand, could only 
            be prized somewhere in the far reaches of llama hell."
===============================================================================
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: Jim.Buddenhagen@launchpad.unc.edu (Jim Buddenhagen)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Hex on PC
Date: 13 Nov 92 19:27:35 GMT
Organization: University of North Carolina Extended Bulletin Board Service

Is there a DOS (or Windows) vesion of HEX (the 11 by 11 board game played
on a hexagonl grid) available?  If not, any other computerized HEX game?
--
   The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
     North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
        Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
           internet:  laUNChpad.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80
From: torbenm@diku.dk (Torben AEgidius Mogensen)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Re: E-mail Hnefatafl
Date: 13 Nov 92 15:01:13 GMT
Organization: Department of Computer Science, U of Copenhagen

nwbernst@unix.amherst.edu (Neil Bernstein) writes:

>: -------------
>: ....O  ..O..
>: ..OKT  ..OKT		nope -- the king must be surrounded on the four
>: ...O.  ...O.		compass directions.  The top O should move directly
>: 			above him to win.

Can the throne be usd to capture the king? I thought that, since he is
able to move through it, he is not limited by it as other pieces and
can thus "escape" that way.

	Torben Mogensen (torbenm@diku.dk)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: tgee@alfred.carleton.ca (Travis Gee)
Subject: Re: What???
Organization: Carleton University
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 03:20:43 GMT

In <1992Nov9.223226.5300@dvorak.amd.com> jeffs@dvorak.amd.com (Jeff Sobotka) writes:

>...is this newsgroup supposed to be about???

>(Is there anybody out there???)

I have no idea.  It has an interesting name, though.  Perhaps in view
of the absence of a FAQ, we could postulate that it should at least
cover the kinds of games that can be played in the abstract (i.e.,
without a board.  Here's one I used to play in high school:

Everybody knows the rules of tic-tac-toe. So, assign a number to each
of the squares thus:

   1    |    2    |    3
--------+---------+---------
   4    |    5    |    6
--------+---------+---------
   7    |    8    |    9

Each player picks a number to claim the square represented by that
number. The other player does the same, until one wins. Thus, two
people may be seen at the back of a bus, engaging in the following
conversation:

P1  One.
P2   Two.
P1  Five.
P2   Nine.
P1  Seven.
P2   Oh, shit!  Three, I suppose.
P1  Four!! Go again?

Conventionally, use of the fingers as a memory aid is frowned upon.
For the advanced player, 3-D tic-tac-toe is an option, using a 3x3x3
cube with the same rules.  4-D tic-tac-toe has been invented, but
never played. It is a *truly* abstract game (-:

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((
Travis Gee ()  tgee@ccs.carleton.ca     ()
           ()  tgee@acadvm1.uottawa.ca  ()        ()()()()
           ()                           ()              ()
           ()                           ()()()()()()()()() 
...and this above all: never try to convince a statistician
by quoting statistics.
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract,alt.shenanigans
From: bmarcum@world.std.com (Bill Marcum)
Subject: Re: TRY THIS
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 05:41:29 GMT

In article <9NOV199223195668@utarlg.uta.edu> c059vin@utarlg.uta.edu (Daniel Vincent) writes:
>Hey netters,
>	you could probably try this. all u need is a small cassette player(the
>one that uses the smallest type cassete).
>	Record the following message using a friends voice "Yeah that is the 
>one. Are you in it. Get out as fast as you can"
>	Next step get into a crowded elavator and 1/2 way thru talk into your
>talk into your machine asking if that was the elevator cabin and then switch on
>the player.
>	U could see the response of the people in the elevator..
>	Good luck
>Daniel Vincent.

This seems more appropriate for alt.shenanigans than rec.games.abstract.

Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: jcarl@jabba.ess.harris.com (Joe Carl Jr.)
Subject: Re: anybody know this game?
Organization: Harris Corporation - ISD
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 16:54:07 GMT

In <BxIBAI.J2D@nic.umass.edu> s9874203@titan.ucc.umass.edu (s9874203) writes:

>This game goes like this:

>***
>*****
>*******

>There are 15 stones total in three rows. You and your opponent take some
>stones in turn. The stones you can take each time must be adjacent and
>in the same row or column, e.g.

>*** or

>*
>*
>*

>but not
>*
> *
>  *

>You can take as many stones as you can in one turn.

>The person who take the last stone wins/loses. 

>What is a good strategy?

I believe if you count how many stones are remaining in each pile
there is an proper number to be left behind such that the other player
is always at a disadvantage.

Take for instance the losing move below

*

The player to go next lost

Just before this move was one of the following

**    or  **   or   ***   or ****
*
*

If you are in this postition then you are already the winner
You can keep working backwards until you reach the starting position 
-- 
-----

Joe Carl Jr.                  "If you ever drop your watch
jcarl@jabba.ess.harris.com     in a pool of molten lava,
From: mjd@saul.cis.upenn.edu ("[*] The One True Cross")
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Re: Tic-Tac-Toe
Date: 11 Nov 92 01:33:45 GMT
Organization: Eaters of Wisdom
In-reply-to: blom@husc15.harvard.edu's message of 10 Nov 92 21:28:26 GMT

In article <1992Nov10.162826.17312@husc15.harvard.edu> blom@husc15.harvard.edu writes:
>   [2,2,infinity,5+] is a first-player win.

Wrong.  n-in-a-row with two players on an infinite two-dimesional board
is a draw for n>6.  I think that for n=6 the answer is not known.

Reference: _Winning Ways: For Your Mathematical Plays_, vol. 2,
Berlecamp, Conway, Guy. Academic Press.

The form of the proof is: Pair up the squares into pairs so that every
possible winning line contains at least one pair.  (It is not obvious
that you can do this, of course.)  Then the draw strategy for the second
player is: Whenever the first player places an X in one element of a
pair, the second player places an O in the other.
	
--

                And for to se, and eek for to be seye
Mark-Jason Dominus 	  			    mjd@central.cis.upenn.edu 
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: neilb@scs.leeds.ac.uk (Neil Bowers)
Subject: Re: Awari Strategies
Originator: neilb@csparc2
Organization: The University of Leeds, School of Computer Studies
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 17:13:58 GMT

In article <BxIAJq.IJF@nic.umass.edu> s9874203@titan.ucc.umass.edu (s9874203) writes:
>someone else said:
>>
>>P.S.  I'm trying to write a semi-intelligent computer opponent
>
>There is already a Russian program called koolah or something like that
>in ftp site ftp.ulowell.edu. The directory is pub/Msdos/Games/Misc.

This will hopefully be one of the functions of r.g.a --- finding out about
freely available opponents for (obscure) games.  If you know of any
other mancala programs, please mail details to me, and I'll summarise.

In time a list of computer opponents for `abstract' games will be created.

Neil

PS When referring to other people's articles, please trim down quoted
   material, only including pertient material.
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: amitp@owlnet.rice.edu (Amit J Patel)
Subject: Re: Awari Strategies
Reply-To: amitp@owlnet.rice.edu
Organization: Rice University
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 13:31:57 GMT

In article <BxIDM1.I2G@sci.kun.nl>, caspar@sci.kun.nl (Caspar Terheggen) writes:
|> 
|> >        3 3 3 3 3 3
|> >      0             0
|> >        3 3 3 3 3 3
|> 
|> >I've seen some opening moves such as:
|> 
|> >        3 3 3 3 3 3
|> >      0             1 
|> >        3 3 3 0 4 4 
|> >              ^
|> 
|> Different rules?!  With your opening move my board would look like
|> 
|>          3 3 3 3 3 4
|>        0             0
|>          3 3 3 0 4 4
|> 

Oops --- I wasn't aware of other (similar) games like this.  I most
recently played this on Quest For Glory III, so those rules are the
ones I was using: 

When you drop beans, you include the cups on the end as part of your
move; if your last bean falls into your kalaha (?), you get one extra
move.  (You can't keep getting moves -- you get at most one extra.)

|> >Plus with the free move:
|> 
|> >        3 3 3 0 3 3
|> >      0             5
|> >        0 4 4 0 4 4
|> >        ^
|> 

Here is the 'capture' move; if your last bean falls in an empty cup,
you get your bean and the beans in the cup opposite the one you landed
in (even if the one you landed in was on the opponent's side), and put
them into your kalaha (?).


Sorry if I'm fuzzy on rules --- it's been a while since I played.  :)


		Amit

-- 
/\\ Amit J Patel, amitp@owlnet.rice.edu
\\/ I think I'm at Rice University 
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: urban@sideshow.jpl.nasa.gov (Michael Urban)
Subject: Re: World Othello Championships
Reply-To: urban@sideshow.jpl.nasa.gov (Michael Urban)
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 17:32:03 GMT

In article <baljeual.721581460@uther> baljeual@uther.calvin.edu (Alan Baljeu) writes:
>keith@cco.caltech.edu (Keith Allan Schneider) writes:
>
>>Has Othello been "solved" by a computer?  That is, is the game simple
>>enough that a computer can always play the "perfect" move?
>>Or, it not, can a computer beat any human opponent at this game?
>I don't know how good computers have gotten at this game, but Othello is not
>yet solved.

No, but they can look very deeply into the endgame.  Back in the
PDP-11 Version 6 Unix days, I wrote a Reversi program that looked
ahead through the entire (shrinking) endgame tree when there were (I
think) eight vacant squares remaining.  Modern CPUs, and more
sophisticated programming than I was doing, could probably improve
this considerably.  I would hate to play against a computer that knew
the entire game tree with twenty moves left...

	Mike
	Mike Urban

	urban@cobra.jpl.nasa.gov

Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: akessler@bernard.ma.utexas.edu (Adam Kessler)
Subject: Re: USENET-NOMIC
Organization: University of Texas at Austin Mathematics
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 19:30:20 GMT

>Please move this game, and others like it, off USENET and into a mail server.
>It's hardly justifiable propagating to thousands of machines what
>Incidentally, you could surely reduce the volume by mailing only

I disagree with all the criticism I have received on the USENET-NOMIC.
Since no one is playing anymore I take it that I am a minority.
According to the rules of the game, the game cannot be played in any other
way than the rules of the game state. It is, collectively, your loss.

Adam


Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: nwbernst@unix.amherst.edu (Neil Bernstein)
Subject: Re: E-mail Hnefatafl
Organization: Amherst College
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 05:53:28 GMT

Okay, sorry, guess I wasn't clear enough.  A capture must be made on two 
*opposite* sides (duh -- why couldn't I have had the brains to say that?)
Here are the *only* legal captures:

		  X
	XOX    or O
		  X
  
Melvin H. Nicholson YBH (nicholso@pioneer.arc.nasa.gov) wrote:
: Are these captures or not?
: 
: 
: ....X  ..X..
: ..OX.  ..OX.		nope -- not on opposite sides (mea culpa)
: .....  .....    
: 
: -------------
: ....X  ..X..
: ..O..  ..O..		only this is a capture -- on *opposite* sides
: ..X..  ..X..		(mea maxima culpa!)
: -------------
: ....O  ..O..
: ..OKT  ..OKT		nope -- the king must be surrounded on the four
: ...O.  ...O.		compass directions.  The top O should move directly
: 			above him to win.
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: lmathews@lonestar.utsa.edu (Leanthony R. Mathews)
Subject: Re: What???
Organization: University of Texas at San Antonio
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 05:19:35 GMT

Abstract games?  hmmmm.
Maybe this group is giving abstract ideas for future games. Yea
Thats the ticket!
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: gjm11@cus.cam.ac.uk (G.J. McCaughan)
Subject: Re: What???
Organization: U of Cambridge, England
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 00:46:59 GMT

In article <1992Nov10.215010.14516@news.mentorg.com>, bcannard@hppcb36.mentorg.com (The Human Mi-Go) writes:
> 
> In article <1992Nov10.041838.25876@infodev.cam.ac.uk>, gjm11@cus.cam.ac.uk (G.J. McCaughan) writes:
> |> Actually, three-dimensional tic-tac-toe is an easy first-player win,
> |> with the following strategy:
> |>   1. Play your first move in the centre.
> |>   2. There are three 3x3 "planes" through the centre; your opponent's
> |>      first move cannot lie on all of them.
> 
> You're using the wrong size board, you need 4x4x4 for an interesting game
> of 3d tictactoe.

I was replying to a post that was referring specifically to the 3x3x3 case.

-- 
Gareth McCaughan     Dept. of Pure Mathematics & Mathematical Statistics,
gjm11@cus.cam.ac.uk  Cambridge University, England.    [Research student]
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: gulla@Lise.Unit.NO (Anders H}kon Gulla)
Subject: Re: New Topic
Organization: Norwegian Institute of Technology
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 92 04:18:40 GMT

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

Yes!

Here in Trondheim we sometimes play a RPG called 'IMPRO' (short for
improvisation).  You start out with a die (you need it once).  The player
who throws the lowes number is the GM.  Then you start playing.  The players,
the GM and others normaly don't agree on where they are.  This including
time, space, world etc.  Players normaly have whatever they want, but the 
GM always have something better (if he wants).
The game works all rigth, but demands people who are not shy :-)

-- 
"Mane, simul atque expergefactus es, Pu" dixit postermo Porcellus,
"quid est primum, quod tecum dicis?"
"Quid mihi in ientaculum paratur? Tu autem quid dicis o Porcelle?"
"Dico: Scire avco, quid magni momenti bodie accidat," dixit Porcellus.
Pu meditabundus adnuit. "Est idem," dixit.
ex Winnie ille Pu.
AH! Gulla
gulla@lise.unit.no
From: keith@cco.caltech.edu (Keith Allan Schneider)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Re: World Othello Championships
Date: 11 Nov 1992 21:40:03 GMT
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
NNTP-Posting-Host: punisher.caltech.edu

cmspring@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu (Colin Springer) writes:

>The World Othello Championships took place last week, Wednesday November 4th
>until Saturday November 7th.  After a 13-round Swiss tournament, four
>players continued on to the semi-finals.  David Shaman of Great Britain
>and Marc Tastet of France advanced to the Finals, and Tastet beat Shaman
>2-0 in the best of 3 match.

>This is only the third time a non-Japanese has won the World Championships!

>The team competition was won by Great Britain.

>I'll post more results and game transcripts when I get them (unless someone
>else is able to post them first).

>Congratulations to Marc and all the participants!

Has Othello been "solved" by a computer?  That is, is the game simple
enough that a computer can always play the "perfect" move?
Or, it not, can a computer beat any human opponent at this game?
Anyone know anything about this?

keith@caltech.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: baljeual@uther.calvin.edu (Alan Baljeu)
Subject: Re: Game of Nomic Beginning
Organization: Calvin College
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 23:59:34 GMT

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
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: royd@ERE.UMontreal.CA (Roy Daniel)
Subject: Chess in non-euclidian space 
Organization: Universite de Montreal
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 16:15:35 GMT

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.

We can also eassily imagine a chess game where the space is in fact hyperbolic.
(the game is endless, put still ends at a point).

What about also playing a game with a floating chessboard? (i.e.) everytime a 
piece gets out of the board, you move the board underneath to include the piece
AND the other pieces still at play) 

The possibilities are quite infinite, and quite abstract.

For my part, I am currently working on a 4D chess. Any other ideas?

Daniel Roy
Physics Dept.
From: moore@src.bae.co.uk (Chris Moore)
Newsgroups: rec.games.xtank.programmer
Subject: Xtank
Date: 9 Nov 92 21:53:39 GMT
Article-I.D.: sun19.9211092153.AA27968
To: xtank@eng.umd.edu


gray@cs.wmich.edu (Curtis Gray) said:

> My name is Curt Gray. I don't have to tell you have you have done an
> incredible job on Xtank and I would like to commend you on it. I would
> like to attempt the impossible. I want to port Xtank to the PC. 286+ of
> course. In order to do this there are, of course, some portibility
> concerns to be addressed. Rather than jump right in and attempt something
> that could very well be impossible, I am coming to you for advice. If you
> can help me, please send mail. If you can help alot, please send LOTS of
> email *grin*. Rather than bore you with a much longer note, i will simply
> wait for your reply. Thanx!

This might be a lot easier if the PC is running UNIX, and preferably X
windows... :-)

(I can only help a little, so I sent a LITTLE email *grin*).

Chris.
Newsgroups: rec.games.xtank.programmer
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 92 18:03:30 EST
From: gray@cs.wmich.edu (Curtis Gray)
To: xtank@eng.umd.edu
Subject: Xtank
Cc: aahz@eng.umd.edu, lidl@eng.umd.edu, stripes@eng.umd.edu


Hi guys,

My name is Curt Gray. I don't have to tell you have you have done an incredible 
job on Xtank and I would like to commend you on it. I would like to attempt the
impossible. I want to port Xtank to the PC. 286+ of course. In order to do this 
there are, of course, some portibility concerns to be addressed. Rather than
jump right in and attempt something that could very well be impossible, I am
coming to you for advice. If you can help me, please send mail. If you can help
alot, please send LOTS of email *grin*. Rather than bore you with a much longer
note, i will simply wait for your reply. Thanx!

Curt
gray@cs.wmich.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.xtank.programmer