Re: [piecepack] Re: Is PP really that ZOG friendly?

[Ron Hale-Evans <rwhe@...>]

On Mon, May 26, 2003 at 03:43:35PM +0200, Massimo Biasotto wrote:
> After subscribing this group and seeing Worden's graphics library, I had
> the same idea: adapt it to use in ZOG. Then, as an exercise in ZOG
> programming, I've implemented a zrf version of "Easy Slider". It wasn't
> difficult and the game works fine in ZOG, so I browsed *all* the over 60
> existing PP games in search of something more complex to implement.
> Well, I have now given up the idea, since I haven't found very few games
> "ZOG compatible", and none of them interesting to me.

Wow, Massimo, you implemented Easy Slider?  Thanks!  Would you please
upload it to the Files section, or at least email it to me?  I have
Zillions, and as co-designer of Easy Slider, I would like to give your
implementation a try.  Is it solitaire-only or does it support
multi-player play?  (Multi-player might be hard; the "real-time"
option would seem to be possible only by typing "DONE!" in the chat
window, but a version of Mike Schoessow's "Slide!" variant, in which
each player moves one tile per round, would seem to be possible.)

> These are the main points that in my opinion make difficult to implement
> PP games in ZOG (to be played against AI and without custom engines)
> 
> 1) Of course the "hidden information" problem. In some cases there are
> workarounds even for playing against AI.

I am a computer programmer, and I really don't understand what the
problem is with hidden information in games.  Computers are infinitely
flexible; if you don't want the computer to take into account the suit
of a coin (say), you tell it to examine the value only, and not the
suit.  What's the big deal?  Granted, I haven't done a lot of games
programming, but this problem seems to me to be trivial.

Ron H-E

-- 
       Ron Hale-Evans ... rwhe@... & rwhe@...
	 Center for Ludic Synergy, Seattle Cosmic Game Night,
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