Nemoroth Notation
A Way to Represent Nemoroth Board Positions
By John Lawson
Introduction
While preparing for a game of Nemoroth to be played via email, I developed a way to represent the board position with an ASCII diagram. Because the number of things going on in Nemoroth can be complex, I considered the use of a diagram as a supplement to the customary move list to be advisable. It would allow players to identify misunderstandings and errors in position immediately, and thereby avoid spoiling the game. I assume you have read Ralph Betza's Nemoroth page.
There are two major challenges to any attempt to diagram a Nemoroth position. The first is ichor. Not only the presence of ichor on a square needs to be recorded, but the state of its evaporation. The other is multiple occupancy squares.
Mobile piece symbols
Alabaster
B - Basilisk
G - Ghast
L - Leaf Pile
A - Go Away
W - Wounded Fiend
H - Human
Z - Zombie
Obsidian
b - Basilisk
g - Ghast
l - Leaf Pile
a - Go Away
w - Wounded Fiend
h - Human
z - Zombie
Immobile piece symbols
M Mummy
Alabaster
pB - Petrified Basilisk
pG - Petrified Ghast
pL - Petrified Leaf Pile
pA - Petrified Go Away
pW - Petrified Wounded Fiend
pH - Petrified Human
Obsidian
pb - Petrified Basilisk
pg - Petrified Ghast
pl - Petrified Leaf Pile
pa - Petrified Go Away
pw - Petrified Wounded Fiend
ph - Petrified Human
Square types
Empty squares - no special notation needed
Ghastly squares - determined relative to Ghasts current position, no special notation needed
Basilisk squares - determined relative to Basilisks current position, no special notation needed
Multiple occupancy squares - occupants are listed on the first two lines of the diagram square. There is room for six in each square of the diagram.
Ichorous squares - are denoted by an "I" in the lower left corner, followed by the number of plies remaining until ichor evaporates. In play, when a Wounded Fiend moves, the player moving puts "I 10" in the appropriate squares. Each turn, the player on move decrements the number by 1 until it reaches 0 and the ichor has evaporated. This amounts to 10 plies or 5 moves.
Example -
+------+ | M wpb| |pH | | I 6 | +------+
This square contains:
Mummy
Obsidian Wounded Fiend
Petrified Obsidian Basilisk
Petrified Alabaster Human
Ichor that will evaporate in six plies (three turns)
Notating moves
This is done the normal way, except indicate petrification by Basilisk, engulfment by Leaf Pile, or destruction by Zombie like captures. When a Go Away pushes pieces, just list the moves as if the pieces had moved voluntarily. Also indicate any petrification, engulfment, or destruction as a result of the push. Thus, the Nemoroth gamelet would be scored:- Bd3:c2,e2 Gb6
- Be5:d7,f7 ? Gd4(p) !
(Moussambani, in a comment to the Nemoroth page suggests a scheme with these differences:
"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"
- Bd3=pHc2,pHe2 ; Gb6 2. Be5=pHd7,pHf7? ; Gd4=pGd4++d2! 0-1.
Note I [Moussambani] used a semi-colon to separate Alabaster and Obsidian moves, because I think commas will be common in this game and it adds clarity."
This is also excellent, and may be most useful for recorded games, rather than
the communication of moves during a game in progress.)
Starting Position
a b c d e f g h
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| | | | | | | | |
8 | w | a | l | g | b | l | a | w | 8
| | | | | | | | |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| | | | | | | | |
7 | h | h | h | h | h | h | h | h | 7
| | | | | | | | |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| | | | | | | | |
6 | | | | | | | | | 6
| | | | | | | | |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| | | | | | | | |
5 | | | | | | | | | 5
| | | | | | | | |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| | | | | | | | |
4 | | | | | | | | | 4
| | | | | | | | |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| | | | | | | | |
3 | | | | | | | | | 3
| | | | | | | | |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| | | | | | | | |
2 | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | 2
| | | | | | | | |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| | | | | | | | |
1 | W | A | L | G | B | L | A | W | 1
| | | | | | | | |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
a b c d e f g h
Ending position of gamelet
a b c d e f g h
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| | | | | | | | |
8 | w | a | l | | b | l | a | w | 8
| | | | | | | | |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| | | | | | | | |
7 | h | h | h | ph | h | ph | h | h | 7
| | | | | | | | |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| | | | | | | | |
6 | | | | | | | | | 6
| | | | | | | | |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| | | | | | | | |
5 | | | | | B | | | | 5
| | | | | | | | |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| | | | | | | | |
4 | | | | pg | | | | | 4
| | | | | | | | |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| | | | | | | | |
3 | | | | | | | | | 3
| | | | | | | | |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| | | | | | | | |
2 | H | H | pH | H | pH | H | H | H | 2
| | | | | | | | |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| | | | | | | | |
1 | W | A | L | G | | L | A | W | 1
| | | | | | | | |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
a b c d e f g h
Crucial position of Azgaroth's puzzle
The solution of Azgaroths puzzle becomes clear with this diagram:
a b c d e f g h
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| | | | | | | | |
8 | | | | | | | | | 8
| I 4 | I 4 | I 4 | I 4 | I 4 | I 4 | I 4 | I 6 |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| | | | | | | | |
7 | | W | | | | | | | 7
| I 2 | | | | | | | I 6 |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| | | | | | | | |
6 | | | | | | | | | 6
| I 2 | I 10 | | | | | | I 6 |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| | | | | | | | |
5 | | | | | | | | | 5
| I 2 | I 10 | | | | | | I 6 |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| | | | | | | | |
4 | | | | | | | | | 4
| I 2 | I 10 | | | | | | I 6 |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| | | | | | | | |
3 | | | | | | | | | 3
| I 2 | I 10 | | | | | | I 6 |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| | | | | | | | |
2 | | | | | | | | | 2
| I 2 | I 10 | | | | | | I 6 |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| | | | | | | | |
1 | | | | | | | | | 1
| I 2 | I 10 | I 8 | I 8 | I 8 | I 8 | I 8 | I 8 |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
a b c d e f g h
Playing over the board
I also gave some thought to playing over the board, since I personally do not like to study a position on a diagram. I came up with this approach:
- I use a chess set small enough to fit four pieces in one square.
- I just lay petrified pieces on their sides.
- I use strips from an old roll of gauze to wrap pieces that have been mummified. (Just for ambiance; I also considered substituting cotton balls.)
- I use poker chips to track ichor. When a Wounded Fiend moves, ten poker chips are placed on each of the newly ichorous squares. At the end of each subsequent half turn, one chip is removed from every square containing ichor, until they are gone, at which point the ichor has evaporated.
Written by John Lawson
WWW page created: May 11th, 2002.