Richard's Play-By-eMail (PBeM) Server Monthly Posting

From: rrognlie@netcom.com (Richard Rognlie)

Date: Wed, 07 Sep 1994 11:34:03 +0000

A generic Play-By-eMail Server has been set up at pbmserv@netcom.com.  It
currently supports two games, Trax and TwixT, with others to be added in
the future.

To get more information send mail to pbmserv@netcom.com with 'help' as the
subject line.

Games Currently Supported

Trax ((c) David Smith)

Trax is a game played with square tiles.  Each tile is identical
    to all other tiles, one side has a white line connecting opposite
    edges and a black line connecting the other edges, and the other
    side has a white line connecting 2 adjacent edges and a black line
    connecting the other edges.

The object of the game is to create a loop of your color while
    preventing your opponent from doing the same.  An alternate winning
    condition is to create a line extending from one edge of the board
    to the opposite edge of the board when the board is at least 8
    tiles wide (or tall).

TwixT ((c) Avalon Hill)

On a 24x24 board, players take turns placing pegs of their color
    on the board.  Any time a peg is placed a "knight's move" from
    another peg of the same color, a strut is placed, connecting them.
    A strut can not cross over (through) another strut.  The object is
    to connect your sides of the board while preventing your opponent
    from doing the same.

Games that will be supported in the near future...

Abalone      (Fall '94)

On a hexagonal board (radius 5) two to six players have armies of
    marbles.  Players take turns "pushing" 1, 2 or 3 linearly connected
    marbles, attempting to push their opponents' marbles off the board.

Terrace      (Fall '94)

On a terraced 8x8 board, 2 to 4 players take turns attempting to
    either capture their opponents' key pieces or moving their own key
    piece to the opposite low corner.  The board is terraced so that two
    opposite corners are low (level 1), and two corners are high (level
    8).  Unusual movement and capture rules make this game interesting.

C++ Robots   (Fall '94)

An ongoing "King of the Hill" (KotH) tournament in which players
    use the C++ language to create a control program for a robot.  Your
    robot then fights each of the other robots "on the hill".  If you
    do well enough, your robot will "make the hill", bumping the lowest
    robot from the hill.

Robots have the ability to scan for opponents, fire a cannon, move,
    and determine current position and status.

Conceptually based on C-Robots written for the IBM PC by Tom Pointdexter.

Nuclear War/Escalation/Proliferation (Winter '95)

Humorous card game in which players attempt to blow up their opponents
    while staying alive themselves.  Unfortunately, like the real thing,
    there are time when nobody wins...

--
  /\/\/\  | Richard Rognlie / Sr. Computer Analyst / PRC Inc. / McLean, VA
 /  \ \ \ | E-Mail: rrognlie@netcom.com *or* rognlie_richard@prc.com
 \  / / / | Phone:  (Home) (703) 361-4764   (Office) (703) 556-2458
  \/\/\/  |                                 (Fax)    (703) 556-1174