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Topic: Wikibook (Read 3346 times) |
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Adanac
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Arimaa player #892
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Re: Wikibook
« Reply #15 on: Aug 1st, 2006, 3:43pm » |
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on Aug 1st, 2006, 8:55am, Adanac wrote:Okay, once I catch up on all my postal games and play a few of our 45s tournament games, I'll try to devote a couple of hours per day to the Wikibook.
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Fortunately it was a quiet day at the office and I was able to create some rough drafts for the past several hours  One thing I've noticed is that placing the chapters in a logical order is more difficult than I would have thought. For example, this morning I had suggested Opening Theory (with a section on the Setup) as Chapter 6 and Positional Theory for Attacking as Chapter 7, which seems like a more natural order than vice versa. However, I'm finding it very difficult to explain WHY the camel should be setup in the middle and why the horses should be setup on the b and g files without first having a chapter on ideal piece placement for attack & defence  I guess I'll move Attacking Theory up to chapter 6, even though it's a strange order.
It's a similar situation to chess where many authors recommend learning endgame theory, then middlegame theory, then opening theory in that order. Arimaa endgame theory isn't as important as chess endgame theory, but I do believe we should explain some middlegame ideas before the opening theory here.
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jdb
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Re: Wikibook
« Reply #16 on: Aug 1st, 2006, 6:32pm » |
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Excellent presentation, Adanac.
Maybe somewhere around chapter 5 (ish) a section on how to win a won position might be appropriate. (Like how to win KR vs K in chess) Something showing how to convert a big material advantage into a goal. Perhaps the biggest material advantage would be the opponent lost his elephant. (Or maybe start with a full camel advantage) The section could show how to take control of both enemy traps and why this leads to a win. Maybe then some of the middle game ideas would be easier to explain.
Personally, I think the camel hostage situation is a very good place to start for explaining strategy. It directly shows how the hostage holder gets the dominant piece on the rest of the board. (Advanced defences like flooding might be deferred to a later time)
Just My 2 Cents
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Fritzlein
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Re: Wikibook
« Reply #17 on: Aug 1st, 2006, 7:11pm » |
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on Aug 1st, 2006, 3:43pm, Adanac wrote:| Fortunately it was a quiet day at the office and I was able to create some rough drafts for the past several hours |
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Awesome. I can't wait to see them.
Quote:| One thing I've noticed is that placing the chapters in a logical order is more difficult than I would have thought. |
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I think the chess analogy of putting opening theory last is very sensible. However, I differ from chess instructors who would put endgame first. In my mind a study of tactics is most useful to chess beginners, and that leads nicely into elementary strategy.
Whoever is putting in the time clearly gets to decide on the structure, so do whatever works for you, Adanac. My imagined outline would be this:
1 Overview
2 Playing The Game
3 Introduction to Tactics
4 Introduction to Strategy
5 Relative Value of Pieces
6 Advanced Tactics
7 Midgame Strategy in various positions
7A Camel hostage
7B Horse Frame
7C Camel holding horse hostage
7D Multiple contested traps
8 Goal Attack and Defense
9 Endgame Strategy
10 General Opening theory
10A Lone Elephant attack
10B Elephant-Horse attack
10C Dual trap attack
Incidentally, I started the Advanced Tactics page with a position that is apparently too advanced for me to analyze! I can't decide if Silver can get an elephant blockade (or similar tangible advantage) or not. 
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obiwan
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Re: Wikibook
« Reply #18 on: Aug 6th, 2006, 11:13pm » |
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on Aug 1st, 2006, 7:11pm, Fritzlein wrote:
Awesome. I can't wait to see them.
I think the chess analogy of putting opening theory last is very sensible. However, I differ from chess instructors who would put endgame first. In my mind a study of tactics is most useful to chess beginners, and that leads nicely into elementary strategy.
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I've taken a look at the wikibook and like it very much. I would like to suggest adding smaller section for beginners. I might even be better qualified to do a "for dummies" section.
I found that the stuff there was "at my level and beyond" and gave me a lot to improve my game - but I can already beat bots with fairly good reliability. I'm thinking a section to help people get to be at least as strong as the bots could help.
To go along with the chess analogy, the way I learned was to first get a material advantage and then to use it. So start with forks, pins, and discovered check (getting material advantage) and then move on to the basic KQ vs K, KR vs K, KP+minor vs K endgames (using material advantage).
The arimaa parallels might be fork, frame, and hostage (getting material advantage) and then taking control of an enemy trap and sending a rabbit through after the opposition scatters (using material advantage).
I'm thinking something brief and a little lower level than what is there right now which helps them get to the point where they can appreciate the other stuff.
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Fritzlein
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Re: Wikibook
« Reply #19 on: Aug 7th, 2006, 4:11pm » |
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on Aug 6th, 2006, 11:13pm, obiwan wrote:| The arimaa parallels might be fork, frame, and hostage (getting material advantage) and then taking control of an enemy trap and sending a rabbit through after the opposition scatters (using material advantage). |
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Ah, it would make an excellent page to show how an E+H+R attack can be used to convert a material advantage. Given that humans generally defend such an attack with an elephant, prolonging the game, I had forgotten how effective this can be against computers who don't bring an elephant to defend. Or maybe I should say "never knew" rather than "had forgotten", because it has always been my style to win material and use that extra material to win even more material, rather than using it to make a goal threat.
Perhaps a successful E+H+R goal attack position could lead off a general goal attack chapter.
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