Other games on FICGS

  

Other games on FICGS ?


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Thibault de Vassal    (2006-09-06)
Other games on FICGS ?

Hello to all.

Just wondering... after Chess, Chess 960, Go and Big Chess (soon available, as the graphical interface works better now) what other games you'd like to see here in the future ?

FICGS is firstly a correspondence chess server, without any doubt, but that's great to see chess players discovering Go game this way.

I have been told about Chinese Chess (Xiangqi), Shogi, Blokus.. Maybe not Draughts, as it is a solved game now.

Any ideas ?


Dinesh De Silva    (2006-09-06 18:24:47)
Re:

I think if there's enough positive feedback about inclusion of such games, you could go ahead and expand the website in the near future.


Ulrich Imbeck    (2006-09-07 00:02:00)
Backgammon!?

Games without luck should be prefered. It's very good that you support Go.


Mladen Jankovic    (2006-09-07 17:26:38)
Seen Shogi, sounds interesting

I've seen Shogi before, but i didn't play more than few moves. Shogi is actualy a family of variants, board sizes range from 4*5, to 36*36. I had a program once that handled a number of variants (I probably still have it somewhere). I read something about the Chinese Chess, it sounds interesting, the computers have not realy mastered it yet, and it seems somewhat slower than the regular Chess. I'm not realy sure how one can play corespondence Backgammon (I prefer Tavli).


Lionel Vidal    (2006-09-08 16:46:26)
Draughts is not solved!

Just a minor correction: draughts (that is the international version) is not solved at all! The best computers fight on par with the very best humans now and will probably crush all human beings in a few years... maybe just like chess :-( but that does not mean the game (neither chess!) is solved!
Checkers is another related game where the best computers (like chinook) have been crushing all humans for some years now... but even that does not mean it is solved in any game theory meaning.
Note that I do not mean that draughts or checkers should be included here :-)



Lionel Vidal    (2006-09-08 16:58:11)
ChuShogi would get my vote.

ChuShogi is by far my favorite chess-like game: as deep as Go strategically, more profound than chess tactically (at least on par with big chess) and great fun to play. Like Go a very elaborate handicap system does exist.
Its main drawback is that, just like go, you have to invest some time to learn it to fully appreciate the game: chess, xianqi or even shogi are maybe more immediately grasped by beginners while in ChuShogi or in Go, it may take a few games (or more likely many games) before you realise what you should strive to do or not to do, and what that &#@@# game is all about :-)


Thibault de Vassal    (2006-09-08 17:10:06)
Draughts / Checkers

Hi Lionel.

Thanks to correct me !

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draughts

That's right, Chinook is english draghts (8x8 board) world champion, but the international draughts on 10x10 is not solved yet.


Don Groves    (2006-09-09 08:30:21)
Second vote for Backgammon

Like Chess and Go, Backgammon is an ancient game. Also it is a game with an element of chance but one where strategy and tactics can overcome bad luck.


Lionel Vidal    (2006-09-09 10:40:13)
arimaa ?!

Arimaa may be a good choice too: it may be played on a chessboard, it is deep, fun and invented precisely to make any computer ridiculous :-) (Just like with Go and ChuShogi it is a very satisfying ego-boost-experience to feel vastly superior once in a while to even the best silicon brains :-))
And another point is that I don't know any site where you could play correpondence arimaa with a server. (whereas you can play Go or Chusogi at pbem server for instance... with even a graphical interface but not as comfortable as FICGS!)
Oh but wait... if you add a game, you'll have to change the name FICGS ? :-)


Thibault de Vassal    (2006-09-09 13:21:38)
Backgammon, Arimaa

I'll have to think about that.. That's a pity there's a chance factor in this interesting game. I know chess grandmasters who are very good Backgammon players.

About Arimaa, that's a really strange game... But not very attractive IMO :/ .. That's amazing to see that the developper of "Bomb" is the one who created "Many faces of Go"...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arimaa


Lionel Vidal    (2006-09-09 16:39:44)
Correspondence backgammon?

Where would be the fun? I mean, a program like Jellyfish could give me in a few hours by simulation the best move in a probability sense without any effort. Of course I can still play aginst the odds, but what would be the point to play inferior moves in the long run? (of course you can play, say in a casino, knowing you will loose in the long run and still have fun (I don't but that's only me), but in a strategic game?)
Compare to chess: an engine, say Fritz, can give what its evaluation function marks as the best move... but I can still play another one, because I see a better plan, or because I set up an ending I know I will draw (or win :-)... in short the proposed move may not be the best one, and I still have to make a choice... In other words, I may still have the illusion I have a chance :-)
The cases where Jellyfish will not give the *tried* and *validated* best moves are very rare with today computers... so where would be the fun being a button-man or being crushed in the long run by such one?


Mladen Jankovic    (2006-09-09 18:55:51)
Jellyfish?

Does it also work for all of Tavli?


Lionel Vidal    (2006-09-09 23:08:00)
Tavli

Is tavli the greek version of backgammon? I am not sure of the specific rules of that variant and I do not think Jellyfish could play it but I may be wrong.
BTW I find real time backgammon (by server or not) a great fun to play!


Mladen Jankovic    (2006-09-11 14:15:22)
Tavli

Tavli is actualy three games. One of them is nearly identical to Backgammon (that would be Portes). The other two are Plakoto (my favourite) and Fevga (that's one primitive game).


Dinesh De Silva    (2006-09-11 14:23:17)
Re:

Only board games are considered?!? What about some other stuff..... like Bridge (cards) or solving tough riddles (riddles championship)?! Just an idea, of course.


Thibault de Vassal    (2006-09-11 14:40:57)
Chance & casino games

Hi Dinesh.

Problem is FICGS shouldn't become a casino.. (with stud poker, blackjack, roulette or whatever chancy game like this :)) It's legally difficult already to organize tournaments with prizes for "mental sports"... Adding confusion may create some problems.


Dinesh De Silva    (2006-09-11 15:12:08)
Re:

Yes, that's true. Then it might be a situation like "GOING WHERE NO PERSON HAS GONE BEFORE" ("star trek"king). Haha!