Ratings & Comments

OK, I haven't yet played the game but I have some more questions about
compulsion (Hey, I like to bend the rules to see if they broke, a good
thing to do before final publication). The question revolves around pieces
that are compelled to move, and after moving they are still compelled, this
is legal (vg Alabaster Human on d3, Obsidian Ghast on d4. d3 is compelled,
but can flee to c3 or c4 and it's still compelled. Then to the b-file to
save itself. This is legal and I have no question about that). So the rule
I derive here is that a compelled move does not need to remove compulsion.
OK, Now add an Alabaster Ghast on b3 to the previous board (which
stalemates the Human) and an Alabaster Go Away on e2 (compelled by the
Obsidian Ghast). Alabaster can make his human go to c3 by screaming GO
AWAY! this is recorded as a saving move because it goes further away of the
Obsidian Ghast. It's not moving of it's own accord so it's legal that it
approaches his own Ghast. the Human can now move to b5 fleeing both Ghasts
and compulsion would be removed, and the Go Away has several flight squares
(this term is hugely adequate here). I see this new scenario is also legal
and reinforces the rule that a compelled move (or a saving move) does not
need to remove compulsion.
OK, with this in mind I present this new situation. Alabaster Go Away on b2
(this is a new board, the Ghasts are gone). Alabaster has a compelled piece
on b3 which is Ichorous. b4 is also Ichorous. Screaming is a saving move?
My logic says yes. Now remove the Ichor on the board, and make b3 a
multiple-ocupation square. Screaming now sends both pieces on b3 to b4
which becomes multiple-ocupation. Is this a saving move? I know it sounds
weird, but looking at the previous examples it should be!

And now some lighter comments: I first found a little weird that the Go
Away was the only piece who lost its Ability when petrified, but now I find
it a nice balancing act, as the Go Away is the richest piece, you don't
want it petrified. I don't know wether this was thought to happen or just
turned out that way. Granted, Human loses his Ability to promote, but I
consider this is not an innate Ability, just one that the Powers that Be
grant brave humans who reach the end zone. Now it makes me wonder what
happens if a Human moves to a Basilisk square in the last rank. Do the
Powers that Be reward his journey and make him a Zombie or would They be
very disapointed by this fumble entering the end zone and leave him a
statue? (to keep this football analogy I've now noticed I started, it's
only necessary that the ball [ie the Human] breaks the goal line plane [ie
the line separating 7th and 8th rank] when in possession [ie alive, not
petrified] for a touchdown [ie a Zombie] to be scored.) So football rules,
say that it's a Zombie, but this is not football. Zombie or Statue? and if
a Human is pushed onto an ichorous square in the last rank, is it an Alive
Zombie (Book of Oxymorons, #427) or a Self-Destruction?

I also thought of a notation. I put it on a new comment because it's a
totally different subject and the previous comment was getting long.

This system will be easy to learn because it's algebraic notation. (Go
Away's initial is A, since G is taken by the Ghast). a prefixed p means
'petrified'. pB is a petrified Basilisk and so on. A move that causes
compulsion is marked +, and a stalemating move is ++; some explanation can
come after that A move that causes some changes to a piece is explained
after an =, and x means 'engulfs' (note that only Lx is legal). For a
Zombie destroying something I'd use *, for example Z*d7. (This is the only
new symbol). A Go Away that screams is recorded as moving to its own square
(and possibly an = preceding the effects). The fool's mate you show in the
document would be scored this way.

1. Bd3=pHc2,pHe2 ; Gb6 2. Be5=pHd7,pHf7? ; Gd4=pGd4++d2! 0-1

Note I used a semi-colon to separate Alabaster and Obsidian moves, because
I think commas will be common in this game and it adds clarity. Any
thoughts?