Coordinates

[Galdian]

I would like to ask for some kind of board coordinates - as I play few simulatenous turn-based games of Circle of Life, it's hard for me to follow my opponent's moves without coordinates. Would be great to have similar coordinates as in Blooms

[RicardoRix]

....and highlighting the last move made too

also have a nagging doubt in my mind that the 20 score is too high. The board becomes very full, and even though your 18-8 in the lead feel like it's the person with 8 points that has all the opportunities and power and there are very few spaces to move for the 18 point leader.

[VinceS]

You can turn on coordinates and last move highlighting in the settings of the game (in the top right corner)

[headkace]

also have a nagging doubt in my mind that the 20 score is too high. The board becomes very full, and even though your 18-8 in the lead feel like it's the person with 8 points that has all the opportunities ....

I've noticed that as well. That is, taking a big lead gives a lot of opportunities to the laggard. I'm not convinced yet that it is a problem, though. Many games have sorts of built in "leveling" mechanics. Keeps it interesting. And, let me point out, in a more even match, you're never going to be ahead 18-8!! So, for an even match it's not ever an issue. ... I need to play a lot more games before I can judge this question better.

[sprockitz]

In game score doesn't matter. You aren't 'winning' just because the current captured pieces total is 18-8. It's all about position. If at 18-8 you have no way to capture two more while your opponent has a path to 12 more then you are in a losing position. Using score to make yourself think you are winning or losing is tricking yourself.

[RicardoRix]

In game score doesn't matter. You aren't 'winning' just because the current captured pieces total is 18-8. It's all about position. If at 18-8 you have no way to capture two more while your opponent has a path to 12 more then you are in a losing position. Using score to make yourself think you are winning or losing is tricking yourself.

Possibly, but only if the 8 point player played to get into this position, which I feel is not the case - it's just how the table has turned out after being outplayed by the 18 point player.

To get to 18-8 points lead you have needed to play well, it doesn't seem like you're rewarded with a dominant position.

So what would be best, go for a 'slightly in the lead' position knowing you will have more opportunities? This middle game meandering sounds very atypical of what would be considered a fight or die tense game, and instead getting to kinda mutual zugzwang battle?
If it's a 16 point goal or perhaps a bigger board then it definitely will be a fight or die situation which is how most people would view and play an abstract game like this the first few games.

Oddly (or perhaps not) blooms plays a bit like this with a mutual passing of the 2nd stone towards the end, but the game goes into this situation still with the benefit of the player in the lead up until this change of pace.

Is this a discussion worthy of a separate thread?

[Galdian]

You can turn on coordinates and last move highlighting in the settings of the game (in the top right corner)

Oh, thanks!

[Evilpotatoe]

par VinceS » 22 octobre 2019, 14:52
You can turn on coordinates and last move highlighting in the settings of the game (in the top right corner)

Thanks ! I'd never have the idea to look there


Btw, @devs : having this as options makes sense, but why not display last move by default, rather than hide it ?

Also, for both options, unless it's hard to implement, you might consider putting visible buttons on the game interface (e.g. in the upper right corner of the board) to toggle the option.

And for cuteness sake (because the board, with its chain and pieces looks gorgeous to me), I'd also replace the coordinates, by either letters/numbers on the left/upper-right of lines and "columns", or tooltips.

[El Poopo]

Reasons both the coordinates and the last-move-highlighting default to off:

1) I'm a minimalist to a fault: this is the main reason coordinates are off. the board feels calmer to me that way.

2) This is a testing ground for responses to the game to help me to decide whether to publish it physically. When you play in meatspace, you don't get last move highlighting, so I want to have players who aren't using it here, so I can better assess their reaction to the game as they would experience it in meatspace.

3) This is speculative, but: for a game like this, the location of the last move doesn't fundamentally matter. There's only the truth of the position. I've wondered if omitting last move highlighting may, in the long run, help players improve at the game more quickly.

[T72on1]

Very fun game !

One question though: the coordinates, they confuse me. I mean, it's not clear to me where row A starts, and column zero. Anyone can enlighten me?

Edit: nvm, already found it by turning on coordinates in the options, silly of me.