Saturday, July 09, 2005
SUDOCRITTERS -- The Game

Well, as you can see, I couldn't resist attempting to design a SUDOKU-based game. Here are the rules and stuff --
SUDOCRITTERS -- The Game
For three players
The AIM: For each player, the aim is to fill rows, columns or 3x3 boxes with complete sets of critters. The player who places the final critter in a row/column/box claims it as his/her own.
The RULES: (revised since yesterday)Players take turns to place ONE critter at a time. Placements must conform to the standard rules of SUDOKU -- i.e., there can be only one of each critter per row/column/box. Once a critter is placed, it cannot be moved or removed. There is no restriction on placements that may block FUTURE valid placements -- i.e., players are not required to play in such a way that the whole board can be correctly filled up. However at the time of each placement, it MUST be valid. Players do not have the option of skipping a turn, even if it means making a disadvantageous move.
WINNING: The player with the most rows/columns/boxes is the winner. Given that the game will very likely be blocked by invalid moves, I am guessing that the typical game will end in deadlock, with no winner. Therefore it's to the advantage of all players NOT to block the board with placements that will lead to deadlock -- but not necessarily to the advantage of the individual player.
THE METHOD (for this blog-version) I moved first*, followed by PRAMOD and MINAL, who have very kindly agreed to play along. In theory, anyone can join in the game, by leaving moves in COMMENTS (NOT as e-mail, pls!) which I will incorporate on the board and post here from time to time -- I'm planning to do this a couple of times a day -- but in practice, it's very likely that Pramod and Minal will be the only players. I will only incorporate those moves which follow the 1-2-3 pattern -- i.e., if someone posts a move out of turn, I will not incorporate it.
At this moment, it makes sense to me if the three of us continue our moves in rotation, through COMMENTS without waiting for me to upload the changed board each time. This way, the game will go quicker (after all, we have 81 potential squares to fill up!!) We can keep track of the game on our own stored versions -- then I can upload the day's moves all together at, say, midnight IST (New Delhi).
So is this clear? I will include moves based on those which get posted to COMMENTS here. I will place my own moves every third time. I will only change the board at the end of the day.
And ... please, anyone, correct me if I make incorrect placements on the board!
The moves so far:
MARGINALIEN: FLAMINGO (9) to 3C; CAMEL (6) to 4G; CAT (3) to 7D
PRAMOD: PENGUIN (1) to E5.
MINAL: LOBSTER/SCORPIO (7) to H8
MARGINALIEN: RACCOON (8) to 9C
PRAMOD: LOBSTER/SCORPIO (7) 1I
July 12th
MINAL: SWAN (5) to 6A
MARGINALIEN: GOAT (2) to 2E
PRAMOD: RACCOON (8) to 2B
July 13th
MINAL: GAZELLE (4) to 4F
MARGINALIEN: GAZELLE (4) to 5H
July 14th
PRAMOD: FLAMINGO (9) to 6G; LOBSTER/SCORPIO(7) to 4A; CAMEL(6) to 9F
MINAL: LOBSTER/SCORPIO(7) to 5G; PENGUIN (1) to A9; GOAT (2) to B5
MARGINALIEN: CAT(3): 1E; CAT(3): 5I; CAT(3): 9G
PRAMOD: RACCOON(8) to 5A; FLAMINGO (1) to 1F
July 15th
MINAL: FLAMINGO (9) to 4B; PENGUIN (1) to 8D; CAT (3) to 6F
MARGINALIEN: CAMEL(6) to 5C; FLAMINGO(9) to 5D; SWAN (5) to 5F
PRAMOD: GAZELLE (4) - 6B; PENGUIN (1) - 6C; CAT (3) - 4C
July 18th
MINAL: PENGUIN (1) to 3B; SWAN (5) to 2H; LOBSTER/SCORPIO (7)to 7E
MARGINALIEN: LOBSTER/SCORPIO(7) to 3D; CAMEL(6) to 3E; GOAT(2) to 9I
PRAMOD: GAZELLE(4) to 7A; FLAMINGO (9) to 9H; PENGUIN (1): 7G
July 19th
MINAL: LOBSTER/SCORPIO (7) to 2C; LOBSTER/SCORPIO(7) to 9B; GAZELLE (4) to 9E
MARGINALIEN: SWAN(5) to 9D; FLAMINGO(9) to 2I; RACCOON (8) to 8I
PRAMOD: FLAMINGO (9) to 8E; GOAT(2) to 8F; RACCOON (8) to 7F
July 20th
MINAL: CAMEL(6) to 1B; SWAN (5) to 7B; CAT(3) to 8B
MARGINALIEN:GOAT(2) to 7C; RACCOON(8) to 6F; GOAT to 4H
PRAMOD: RACCOON(8) to 6E; SWAN (5)to 4I; CAMEL(6) to 8A
JULY 22ndMINAL: GOAT(2) to 3G; CAMEL(6) to 7H; GAZELLE(4) to 8G
JULY 23rd
MARGINALIEN: CAMEL (6) to 8A; RACCOON (8) to 1G
... at long last, I have updated the board with the next few moves! Sorry, sorry, sorry.
AUG 8th: Pramod:
GOAT(2) to 6D
GOAT(2) to 1A
GAZELLE (4) to 1C -- Pramod gets 8 pts for column C
Aug 10th: Minal:
CAT (3) to 2A -- Minal gets 8 pts for box
CAT (3) to 3H
GAZELLE (4) to 3I -- Minal gets 7 pts for box.
*I made three opening moves, just to start the game off.
Also, for the sake of completeness, the names of the critters are:
1= PENGUIN; 2=GOAT; 3=CAT; 4=GAZELLE; 5=SWAN; 6=CAMEL; 7=LOBSTER/SCORPIO; 8=RACCOON; 9=FLAMINGO.
Let me make a move on this online game - Penguin E5.
Why dont you give each of the animals a number too - for those of us who are more comfy with numbers than pictures ;-)
Regarding the font sizes, just take a look at the following two screenshots. This is same on my mac and on the pc (tried using firefox, safari and ie; these screenshots are from firefox on a mac)
http://www.pramod.ch/marginalien.tiff
Here you can see the current size and the previous one - you can see why I was complaining..:-)
http://www.pramod.ch/marginalien_2.tiff
Perhaps you might want to try and change the template...
Really sorry for not replying over the weekend, hope you got my mail.
Anyway I'm in, I would not mind B/C/D ...as long as I play;-)
My move:No.7:Scorpio H8
I'll dig into the template whenever next I upload a revised board.
Meanwhile, it occurred to me last night that this version of the game feels a bit like a multi-player model of TIC-TAC-TOE.
Indeed, a multi-player tic-tac-toe but actually this will be much more fun in the sense that this will be rather long and it will actually get quite interesting after the first few blocks are filled in!
But I wonder what would be the solution to make this a solvable puzzle in all situations - I am sure that there should be some simple logic that can be added to the rules to make that happen. Hope that comes out during this online game here :-)
1) The objective is pretty simple - the player with the max. no. of full lines (columns, rows or squares) wins. The game can be drawn - if it is not solvable.
2) This is more challenging (and well, I like this more perhaps too) - all moves need to lead to a solvable puzzle and the winner again is the person with the maximum number of full lines.
This second version not just involves ability to solve the puzzle but also one need to know how to make one. challenging isn't it?
Jasmine, the critter pix are from MS WORDS font MINI PICS LI'L CRITTERS -- I just happened to try them out while looking for symbols to substitute for numbers! Aren't they cute? The rest are really good too. I discovered, BTW, that there's a difference between the selection you get with Win 98 and Windows XP. This set is from XP.
Anonymous, I haven't gone to your link -- but I'm guessing that it'll be a version of the game here? In case you're trying to warn me that this game's been reproduced elsewhere, well thanks, but you know ... it's on the web, with no fences around it. I expected it to travel.
My move 8 B2.
Some additional rules to make it fun as a board game. We could have 2 dices one with numbers 1 to 9 and another with number 1 to 3 and rest blank. Once you throw the dice - you get a number and then you have to place that number. If you get an invalid number - bad luck - next player plays (this will be more and more towards the end!)
And if you finish a line (row, column or a box) you get one point and you get another chance to throw the dice.
Meanwhile, Minal, your turn -- don't wait, pls, for me to upload the altered board. I believe we can easily manage about two cycles of turns per day (if not more) given that P is 12 hrs behind IST (right, P?) and Minal logs on during the day, whereas I am a night-bird.
About alternative rules, Pramod -- you might like to consider a twelve-sided die (you can get them in specialist game-shops, as they are used in D&D and other role-playing-type games) with three numbers alotted to specialized functions. About your earlier comment, re making the game conform to the puzzle's rules, it could be a variation. There are so many possibilities for variations: (1) playing three moves in each turn would make for a faster game (2) assigning three numbers/critters exclusively to each player would make for excitement (3) assigning points (4) permitting changes in placements AND assigning penalties for placements which can be proven to be invalid in the long run.
However, for the fledgling game in progress here, I would request that we keep it simple! Time enough for variations in the future.
MARGINALIEN: GAZELLE (4) to 5H
Chandigarh J -- you're right, not as challenging as a double acrostic -- almost nothing is as challenging as one of them! I love 'em -- but they do take an awful long time to complete (for me, anyway). The great joy of SUDOKU is that it's relatively quick. And, like you say, an added benefit is the eye-exercise they provide ... 72,000 entries under board games, huh? Well, great! We'll add our tiny mite to the crowd.
~J
Sorry, ~J! No doubt there are thousands of good little authors who update conscientiously and look after the needs of their loyal flock by the consistently high standards of literature and thoughtfulness at their blogs. Alas, I am not one of them! Adieu, adieu.
And so to post my moves: MARGINALIEN: 3(CAT): 1E; 3(CAT): 5I; 3(CAT): 9G
Just read your review of Ira Pande's Diddi. I don't know whether it is typo or an overzealous sub-editor, Shivani’s name was Gaura Pant and not Gauri. This, along with the tone of the review left me wondering whether you actually bothered to read the book. Also, was browsing your archives and stumbled onto this quasi-review of ‘Agra Bazaar’ and though I could understand your lack of familiarity with the language and your ‘oohing’ about the Muslim aesthetics (WTF?), what is unpardonable is that you do not mention Nazir Akabarabadi anywhere. Even, somebody vaguely familiar with Hindi-Urdu syntax would have been able to realize that the play describes the life and times of the iconoclast poet. It is like, somebody taking ‘Getting There’ to be just another piece of chick-lit and taking the protagonist to be a fictional character.
About "Agra Bazaar", I watched it with as much noncomprehension as if I'd been wearing head-phones -- that's not a justification for being ignorant about it, of course, but ... there it is, I was.
And so ... to the game at hand -- your move, Minal. And as you can see, you're in luck!
http://www.fasco-csc.com/works/crimson/crimson_e.php
If you do get out of the room, let mme know maybe I will come back to look at your series of boxes.
Cheers
z
So u and pramod are both off the mark! That gets me in trouble:-(
SO here are mine now:
1(Penguin)@3B
5(Swan)@ 2H
7(Scorpio)@7E
4: 7A
9: 9H
1: 7G
This is becoming rather interesting.... its actually more challenging than std. sudoku - I need to make sure both of you dont get scores...ha ha ha
And come to think of it - there arent any more possible moves leading to a score....
Any way in the spirit of the game - my three moves:
8: 6E
5: 4I
6: 8A
Minal and Pramod -- shall we continue playing till no more moves can be made? I can suggest another way to assign points: NINE points plus a bonus ONE for a correctly completed row/column/box; thereafter, points for placing the final valid piece in any rows/columns/boxes based on the existing elements pieces in there -- i.e. if Minal places the final valid piece in a row of 8, she gets EIGHT points; if that piece also happens to be the final valid piece in a box of 6, she gets FOURTEEN points in all for that turn. It'll be a bit complicated but it'll make it worthwhile and interesting to play to the bitter end!
My moves here:
2@3G
6@7H
4@8G
Manjula am not clear about the rules you mentioned in you lastcomment, there seriously aren't any legitimate moves left now!!
Right now enjoying some refreshingly cool Zurich weather - sun is shining too.
And no, it's not your turn, it's MY turn and I've been playing hookie from the web coz I'm also about to travel -- to Madras, however -- so INTO the heat.
I will upload Minal's moves and if I can face it, will compute the points based on my suggestion of three messages ago. If what she says is true, this game is over ...
JULY 22nd
MINAL: GOAT(2) to 3G; CAMEL(6) to 7H; GAZELLE(4) to 8G -- 16 points (one row, one block)
JULY 23rd
MARGINALIEN: CAMEL (6) to 8A; RACCOON (8) to 1G -- 24 pts (one row, one block, one column)
This is based on the idea that whoever places the last valid piece in a row/column/block picks up the number of points relevant to the number of pieces in each row/column/block that can now no longer accept any more valid pieces.
I have not added the points from the earlier correctly filled row/column/blocks. And it goes without saying that if we had played the game from the outset with the view that these further points could have been won, we may have collected even more points.
BTW, I played only two moves coz I lost a move through my incorrect notation during my last turn.
Pramod had already got that move in place before 6@8A, so you'll have to rethink your moves again or we'll take one frm u and continue frm there. Your call:-)
Delhi then Madras, I suggest you stop over in Mumbai and enjoy the rains. It's pouring hard and roads are a mess, but the weather couldn't be more wonderful:-)
Manjula & Pramod,
I have the latest updated board on my comp will upload the image, but I don't have the icons only nos.!
Let me know
How did you survive the floods in Bombay, Minal? I got SMSs all through last night, with grisly stories of being stuck in waist-high floods!!
Don't ask about the ordeal, I must say after listening to various account from my dear family and friends, i must say i was lucky.
I've just gained my internet connection will keep posting more, just posted my account. You can visit my blog to read it:
http://grangergab.blogspot.com
I'm proud of them, yes and what you said was right hope this is a lesson for the "authorities" to look carefully into environment planning and building the cities infrastructure.
Are there any more valid moves left? I felt it was complete!
By the way, about Mumbaites, while they are really a great group of go getters, they also perhaps are the most apathic people in the world. How else could they be so happy with one of the most hopeless cities (in terms of infrastructure) in the world!!
But to return to the topic THIS post, i.e., SUDOCRITTERS, yes, there ARE valid moves left, Pramod. Remember -- you don't have to bother with completing a row/column/box -- it's enough to be the one to place the last valid piece in any r/c/b in order to collect points. I suspect it's between you and Minal tho'! There won't be any left for me, *sigh*.
How can I run away from the truth? Sigh!!!It's an amazing city, amazing public transport system, amazing people, with amazing spirit! But not an amazing infrastructure!
Pramod is right, and I won't get back at him about it!
However passionate I'm about this place I cannot lie!:-)
Pramod we are waiting for you to get going on the game!!!
2 - 6D
2 - 1A
4 - 1C
Am flying out of CH day after; will be in Dubai for few days and then in Kerala. If Mumbai clears up - will be going there for a days end of Aug.
Visited your city Mumbai too Minal and then was in Blore - I guess Mumbai beats Blore anyday - even after the Floods. :-)
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