Re: Is PP really that ZOG friendly?

["Clark D. Rodeffer" <cdrodeffer@...>]

[Massimo Biasotto wrote about ZOG limitations with respect to most 
piecepack games and suggested Thoth as a possible alternative for 
head-to-head network play.]

Wow! I just took a brief look at Thoth, and it looks like a really 
neat way to play games online. How long do you think it will be 
before there are piecepack graphic sets and .game files available? I 
haven't looked closely yet, but are there any help or documentation 
files I should read first to get started? Are there any plans to 
eventually add an AI to Thoth? Or perhaps an interface where roll-
your-own AIs might interact through Thoth? Where does a Thoth newbie 
begin?

As for ZOG and piecepack, I'll admit my main interest is in abstract 
games, so perhaps ZOG's limitations won't be too much of a problem 
for me. My ZOG-fu isn't nearly what it could or should be, but I note 
that piece stacking games are, in fact, possible within ZOG. (See for 
example, the excellent implementation of Emergo). Some ZOG authors 
have also implemented scoring mechanisms using either off-board dummy 
pieces (as you suggested) or some system using flags and attributes. 
So, at least in theory, several piecepack games (such as Alien City, 
Everest, Froggy Bottom, Pawns Crossing and The Penguin Game) should 
be ZOG-able. But I also agree that ZOG is the wrong tool for many 
piecepack games, especially games with a lot of hidden information, 
negotiation and/or dexterity elements, and anything involving 
continuous surfaces. Even so, I would also love to see a copy of your 
Easy Slider implementation. Would you consider posting it in the 
files area or even submitting it to the ZOG archive?

Incidentally, I recently submitted a brief review of the piecepack to 
<a target="new" href="http://www.abstractgamesmagazine.com";>Abstract 
Games Magazine</a>. If the editors decide to publish the review, it 
will likely appear in the autumn or winter issue. If you're at all 
interested in abstract games, this magazine is a must. There are some 
sample articles on their web site.

Clark Rodeffer