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        Arimaa >> General Discussion >> Rule idea
        
(Message started by: FireBorn on Jun 10^th, 2011, 1:29pm)

Title: Rule idea
Post by FireBorn on Jun 10^th, 2011, 1:29pm

What if Arimaa opening setups were constrained such that your 8 rabbits have to be in the front row, like Chess. The back row can still be set up according to preference.

I think this would encourage more aggressive openings since development of major pieces becomes a priority.

It may also limit the advantage of Silver's ability to respond to Gold's setup, perhaps closer to equality?

Has anyone tried this? Perhaps in the early days of Arimaa? What's the gameplay like?

Title: Re: Rule idea
Post by robinz on Jun 10^th, 2011, 2:16pm

I haven't tried it, now, but I find it hard to imagine that games would be more aggressive given that neither side can move any piece other than rabbits to start with! (And advancing rabbits on a full board isn't aggressive, because there's never any hope of a goal until a whole wing gets more or less emptied of enemy defending pieces.) It would certainly encourage more rabbit pulling, but to my mind that isn't really aggressive, it's more something you do when you can afford the time to do so and don't see any more promising possibility in the position. But I'm hardly a strong player, so my thinking there could be some way off the real situation :)

EDIT: I should have added that I see little similarity in practice between rabbits in arimaa and pawns in chess - despite the fact that neither can move backwards and in both cases getting them to the opposite side of the board is virtually game-winning (absolutely so in the case of arimaa). Pawns in chess cannot be physically moved by enemy pieces, so they can serve long-term strategic functions without being forced to advance unless the opponent can come up with a strategic or tactical way of doing so, which usually takes some particular combination of circumstances.

Title: Re: Rule idea
Post by Fritzlein on Jun 10^th, 2011, 2:44pm

I suggest trying to find an opponent with whom you can try out this idea by agreement. It is quite hard to predict what sort of effect a rule change will have unless you playtest it. My fear (possibly unfounded) is that restricting the setup would make openings less varied, i.e. more uniform and memorized like chess openings.

Also, you refer to Silver's advantage as if it were well-established fact that needed addressing. I will take this as a cue to bring my research up to date. I keep saying that neither side has a demonstrable advantage, but everyone seems to believe that Silver does, so maybe reality has changed since the last time I measured it.

Title: Re: Rule idea
Post by robinz on Jun 10^th, 2011, 2:56pm

on 06/10/11 at 14:44:35, Fritzlein wrote:

I keep saying that neither side has a demonstrable advantage, but everyone seems to believe that Silver does...

Well, I believe gold has an advantage (although not a "demonstrable" one - I believe that it's of a similar magnitude to, or somewhat less than, that of white in chess, and white doesn't start to score significantly better than black in chess until you get to players of a standard far higher than anyone has yet reached at Arimaa).

I recognise that my opinion is not worth much, but it at least contradicts your assertion of "everyone" believeing Silver has an advantage (unless it was shorthand for "everyone who actually knows something about arimaa"
;D)

Title: Re: Rule idea
Post by FireBorn on Jun 10^th, 2011, 4:27pm

@Fritzlein, actually, I haven't played in a long time and I only thought Silver had the setup advantage cuz you said so in another thread!

@robinz, by "aggressive" i meant that defensive play won't be a good strategy here. Or, at least, to get into a defensive position requires many more moves now. Having vulnerable rabbits out front with no other defenses for the home traps means an opening game priority is to get your strong pieces out to defend your traps, at least, or attack your opponent's home traps if he does not respond quickly enough.

Having rabbits on only the 2nd row and forward might encourage swarming the center of the board in the middle game. It could be interesting or it could be drawish.

Title: Re: Rule idea
Post by Fritzlein on Jun 10^th, 2011, 11:30pm

on 06/10/11 at 16:27:22, FireBorn wrote:

@Fritzlein, actually, I haven't played in a long time and I only thought Silver had the setup advantage cuz you said so in another thread!

If I can lay claim to everything I have ever said, I am sure to be right, because I keep changing my mind. :) The one time I remember being vociferous about the Silver advantage was when I played against TheMob, and I was mocking their decision to play Gold. In the heat of trash talking, a man may say many things. :) But truly I found myself at times in the World Championship being relieved to draw Silver for an important game, whereas in the old days I always preferred Gold. I have these varying preferences in spite of statistics that tells me it doesn't matter.