New variant: I need your help!

Hey, all!

This is the latest installment in my series of variants. (I think this is my 5th.)

The pieces, powers and rules have been created.

With those in place, however, I'm now looking for test runners. 

Please let me know if you're interested in helping me develop this game.

It will be fun and exciting, both the variant itself and our collaborative efforts into enhancing the game!

=)

Post update - September 9, 2020

Version 2b of Dragon Chess: Game of Conquer (Chengfulohng Kei) is now posted - 

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-variants/new-variant-i-need-your-help?page=7#comment-52490828 

Shore, I will help a little

(This is  version 2a of Dragon Chess: Game of Conquer and is outdated; Version 2b is posted on page 7.)

(This is  version 2a and is outdated; Version 2b is posted on page 7.)

(This is  version 2a and is outdated; Version 2b is posted on page 7.)

(This is  version 2a and is outdated; Version 2b is posted on page 7.)

Looks like a game I would be interested in.

Eggs should take longer to hatch than 1 turn, especially since they're so easy to get. Maybe 3 turns, and you have to enter the enemy palace to get one.

Haha It's funny you mention that, Dax00. That was the original rule: 3 turns before hatch. (Then, I entertained the idea of coin-flip to hatch. That idea was discarded. lol)

However, I had a hard time keeping the 3-turn rule: it isn't always easy to keep track of, especially when players are focused on tactics and strategy. And then, when an egg is an egg for as long as 3 turns, they're highly likely going to be captured within that period, significantly reducing the chances of players being able to enjoy Dragons in the game.

What do you think about this: what if I pushed the "cross line" back two ranks, so that white would have to cross into ranks 10-14 and black to cross into ranks 1-5? Do you think that would be more challenging?

Highly likely to get captured? I don't think so. Since a player can drop the egg anywhere inside their own kingdom, naturally eggs get dropped into very safe areas. Pushing back 2 ranks to get an egg is good enough, probably.

Ah, that's true. And, after all, it's the responsibility of the player to provide a safe kind of environment for their eggs to thrive.

Tell you what. Since an egg is promoted to Dragon pending the player's following turn, that technically would be two turns before 'hatching'. So, I think I'll keep that rule. And then, I'll update +Egg rule where white has to cross ranks 10-14, and black has to cross ranks 1-5 in order to gain a new Egg in their "inventory"; instead of the original Kingdom-cross condition.

How does that sound? =)

Added - Also, I found a few typos and misexplanations within the guide. I'm going to be updating the whole thing in less than 1 1/2 hours. Ranks 10 and 5 will be called "Palace Ranks", in order to describe that condition for Egg-addition.

It's better, although I still think 3 turns is ideal. Or 2 turns, but make hatching a move by itself.

Another idea... Instead of the number of dragons dictating their level, let a player choose how long to wait for their egg to hatch. The longer they wait, the stronger their dragon becomes. Example: 2 turns for level 1, 4 turns for level 2, 6 turns for level 3, 8 turns for level 4.

That's not a bad idea. 

But, if we're deploying the choice method to bring a Dragon onto the board,  "hatching" is no longer a promotion, by technical chess terminology. (A pawn's promotion to Queen/Knight/Bishop/Rook is mandatory and occurs immediately pending the end of his move into the final rank.) Rather, it would be considered a transformation, just like a Chengfulohng pawn has the option to be transformed into the powerpiece originated on the rank where said-transformation is to occur.

If terminology is an issue; which I assume it's not =D =P

2-4-6-8 turns sounds interesting.

So, I'll be updating my guide. We can try your proposals. 

But, as a rule of courtesy, players must now notate at the bottom of their diagrams how many turns have passed. (And, in real life, were this to be a real board game, I would utilize flip-pages or counters to indicate turns passed.)

The instructions guide has been updated to reflect the changes that you (Dax00) and I have made.

Have a gander.

sounds interesting

Lol Thank you Red-5_Star-fighter a.k.a. 1e4_0-1. =P

Dax00, would you be willing to test-run a game with me, with these updated (and re-updated) rules of the Dragon?

(I did update them again to fit your original proposition: hatching egg counts as 1 move; this would be more check-friendly, as I quickly learned.)

Sure, I'll play a test game. But first one clarification.

• How can the king move? Its diagram and description contradict each other

By the way, I'll probably be less confused if you use Chinese characters for the pieces.

Ah, you know what that was? I copied and pasted the Guardian-Scholar's instructions and placed it as the King's, for the convenience of not having to type the whole sentence over again; all I had to do was change the word diagonal to orthogonal. Apparently, I changed it in the microsoft word guide and not the Printscreen photo of it. So, in the document=, it says orthogonal, while the picture of it here kept the outdated diagonal. =P

With that stupid and unnecessary piece of post-cluttering humor aside, I answer your question:

The rules for the King is 1-step orthogonally, staying within the Palace for all times.

Let me correct this typo here ^^^.

Also, I'm very flattered you feel better using the original Chinese board and pieces, rather than the western transfiguration of it! 

However, if we're going to play with the Chinese board, it would behoove both of us to have access to Adobe Photoshop; because it will be difficult to move pieces and redraw the diagonal lines over and over again. With Photoshop, however, we have image "layering". We can just move the layers around on the lines of the board image.

edit - Statement on rule of King has been corrected:

https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/images_users/tiny_mce/BattleChessGN18/phproYWGJ.png

Normally, one person is in charge of posting boards for a game. I don't require so many updates, maybe every 2 or 3 moves. Since you already have the arrangement set up, I figured you could post a diagram along with your moves whenever needed. If that's too much of a hassle, the Western board isn't that much of a bother.

Okay. In that case, it's fine that we use the Chinese board. I don't mind erasing and redrawing all those lines. I was just afraid that you might. On the other hand, if I'm only the one posting the diagram, then the Chinese board without Photoshop is no problem.

I'll be back to start our game in a few hours. I have to run errands right now.

By the way, Black or White for you? =)