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From: cisneros@cs.ucf.edu (Jaime Cisneros)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer,comp.sources.wanted
Subject: Re: Looking for xconq
Message-ID: <1991Mar27.215358.17036@osceola.cs.ucf.edu>
Date: 27 Mar 91 21:53:58 GMT
References: <1991Mar19.140012.7107@tcom.stc.co.uk> <1991Mar20.120540.25914@athena.mit.edu>
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Organization: University of Central Florida, Orlando
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To whomever could help on this,

   I am working on a program called NEUTRON.  This is a game that is played on
a 5x5 board, with 5 black pieces, 5 white pieces, and a neutron piece.  The
original setup is as follows:


             ----------------------------------------------
             |  B  |     B     |    B     |   B  |    B   |
             ----------------------------------------------
             |     |           |          |      |        |
             ----------------------------------------------
             |     |           |    N     |      |        |
             ----------------------------------------------
             |     |           |          |      |        |
             ----------------------------------------------
             |  W  |     W     |     W    |   W  |    W   |
             ----------------------------------------------

where B is a black piece,
      W is a white piece, and
      N is the neutron piece.

 
   The rules of the game are as follows:
    1. White moves first.
    2. If white moves first, then neutron is not moved,
       else
          move neutron,
          move your piece.

    3. If player cannot move the NEUTRON, or his own piece, he loses the game.
       If the NEUTRON is moved by the player A, or his opponent, to player A's
       home row, player A wins the match, regardless of who moved the NEUTRON.
       So, you can win the game in one of three ways:
        a) Make sure your opponent cannot move the neutron.
        b) Make sure your opponent cannot move his own piece.
        c) Move the NEUTRON to you home row.
        d) For you opponent to move the NEUTRON to you home row.

    4. Each piece (including the NEUTRON) moves like the "Queen" in chess.  A
       move is, however, constrained by the following requirements:
       Once a player decides on the direction for moving a piece (including the
       NEUTRON), the player has to move the piece in that direction as far as
       the piece can go (without jumping over another piece).  So, compared to
       moving the "Queen" in chess, a player does not have the option of moving
       a piece by one square, two squares, etc.



     By now, your question must be: so what about this whole thing?  Well, here
comes that thing.  I would like someone who knows about this game to help me
make my program very efficient by giving me hints to write a good evaluation
function.  If you already have a good one, please make the effort, and send it
to me, I will be thankful forever.


                      Jaime Cisneros
                      E-mail: cisneros@cs.ucf.edu