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Stigia

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rpcarnell
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Joined: 12/31/1969

Stigia is a game I invented years ago. I went as far as copyrighting it, even though the name sounds like it's been done before. I'm not sure.

Here is the address: http://carnellgames.bravehost.com/REDSEC.HTM

I submitted the game to a webpage that reviews games, and I got ignored.

Can anyone please review this game? It may be too much to ask, but I want to be sure that it is good enough for me to waste time in it. Perhaps this is the wrong board to ask, but I need to know.

JeffK
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Joined: 12/31/1969
Stigia

Well, the first thing you need to do is clarify which pieces are Mortals and which are Charons, because your instructions are conflicted on this. First you say each player has 4 Mortals and six Charons, but then your diagram shows 6 Mortals and 4 Charons. You then say Mortals cannot be on red squares, but your diagrams show 4 of each players Mortals starting on red squares.

So at first I though it was a simple labeling error in the beginning (i.e. you reversed the names in the very beginning), but you then when you give an example of a "push" killing a Mortal, it is indeed the piece you originally identified as a Mortal being killed. And then when you describe how a Charon moves, you show a piece that looks like neither your original Mortal or Charon! Finally, when you show how a Mortal moves, you show the piece that you originally identified as a Charon.

The game sounds like it might be interesting, but you need to work out these labelling issues. At this point, I honestly don't know which is which.

Jeff K.

rpcarnell
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Joined: 12/31/1969
Stigia

My goodness!!!!

I loaded an old file on the page, and now I can't find the new corrected version.

Thanks for your help, and you are right.

Hedge-o-Matic
Hedge-o-Matic's picture
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Joined: 07/30/2008
Stigia

I've always seen it written as "Stygia", but I've never seen a game by that name. Sort of strange, since it's such a good name.

As to your rules, I also noticed that in your description of the Charon, you have the following statements:

"Your pieces can pass over any of the Charons. If a Charon is occupying a red square, your Mortal can pass over it."

and then:

"Your Opponent's pieces cannot pass over any of your Charons. They can block them. "

I'm guessing you meant for this to mean that a player's own pieces can pass over each other, but a player can only pass over another mortal, and not an opposing Charon, which is in direct contradition to your later descriptions of mortals.

Your implementation of the Ko rule (i.e. not being able to push a player into the same square twice in a row) still allows players to take back the moves of their opponents. Mortal A pushes Mortal B, who, according to your current rules, can push Mortal A right back, but can't be pushed in the same way in response. Is this correct? If so, a mortal piece would ony be able to decisively push another mortal by pushing them into a red square. Is this your intention?

Lastly, you've got strategy hints sprinkled at random throughout the rules. My advice would be to gather these hints and tips together, and present them all at once in a section dedicated to that. When reading about the basic movement, players won't be in the proper mindset to absorb tactical niceties, and when looking for tips on good play, players won't want to wade through the basic rules to sift these pointers out.

I think this is an abstract with some potential, but you need to review your written rules, and then re-release them.

TrekNoid
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Joined: 10/02/2009
Stigia

Honestly, I'd rename the game... or some components at least...

You've got Mortals, Charons and Stigia as your main names, which will immediately draw images of Charon, the lord of the underworld, providing passage to mortals through Stygia.

The reason your name hurts you is because there was only *one* Charon, not multiple ones... and you spell Stigia differently from Stygia...

It was enough of a distraction to me to hurt the game overall... Which I actually think has potential to be a decent game.

The rules were hard to understand, and often self-contradicting... so I tried to figure out what you meant, and generalize a game from it.

I equate the red squares to pits of fire.... The round pieces, I equate to ferryboats... and then mortals are the people trying to cross from one side to the other... In fact, artwork suggesting these components wouldn't be bad.

Using those equatings... I figure your rules are basically:

1.) Mortals cannot cross the pits of fire unless they're in one of their own ferryboats.

2.) The ferryboats can be used to push a mortal, but not other ferryboats.

3.) Mortals can push other mortals

One question pops into mind: can I push one of my own mortals with another of my mortals, or my own ferryboat? That's not really clear.

Trek

rpcarnell
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Joined: 12/31/1969
Stigia

Explaining stuff has never been one of my abilities. :(

But you got the idea right.

Thanks for your help.

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