I wonder how many games use the "Pie Rule" for starting games, thus balancing out any advantage by going first?
I explore this concept with chess variants here: http://bit.ly/PIERULE
Going First: The Pie Rule
Mon, 11/19/2012 - 03:43
Mon, 11/19/2012 - 07:59
#1
I tried to walk that path
I tried to walk that path during a showdown, search dice pie in this forum to find out my implementation.
Ciao
Federico
Mon, 11/19/2012 - 11:36
#2
I have not seen the ”Pie
I have not seen the ”Pie Rule” used outside of combinatorial games. There are better ways of handling it in systems of more than 2 players. A good example is the switchback setup where each player gets to pick a starting position then the second placement is done in reverse order.
Mon, 11/19/2012 - 12:19
#3
I always preferred playing
I always preferred playing black in chess. It somewhat makes it easier to see the player coming rather than initiating the offensive.
Wed, 11/21/2012 - 17:46
#4
Personally I hate Pie rule,
Personally I hate Pie rule, as it punishes you for making a 'good' opening move, and discourages a sense of ownership/engagement in your position right off the bat. For games other than really abstract strategy games there should be better ways to manage first mover advantage like the switchback (powered up in Catan by being tied to initial resources on the backswing), first turn limits (no attacking is popular), or small penalties for first player (draw first/ play first in Magic).
The way a game starts is very important, both mechanically and aesthetically. It can be very hard to change a first impression, so using a weak setup mechanic can ruin a game for some players.
Thu, 11/22/2012 - 02:59
#5
Nice article
Nice analysis.
I think that Pie rule can be useful, but I feel it really damaging for the "suspension of disbelief", or simply for identification with your "alter ego" in game.
De facto, I agree with that:
The way a game starts is very important, both mechanically and aesthetically. It can be very hard to change a first impression, so using a weak setup mechanic can ruin a game for some players.
But, also, I can withstand it in very abstract games, and in games when mechanics widely exceed theme, even if I don't like this kind of game very much... I think I said something about theme\mechanics during an interview with Redomanet.com.br, which unfortunately is in portuguese (translation on demand, PM me).
