connect 4 new board size

[Timo-Schwach]

Hi

Connect 4 is a solved game on the 6x7 board.

There are programs for 6x7 which can show you the best move.

Would be great if we can play on 7x7 or 8x8, so cheaters will have no chance to cheat anymore...

What do you think?

[compte obelète]

Hi

Connect 4 is a solved game on the 6x7 board.

There are programs for 6x7 which can show you the best move.

Would be great if we can play on 7x7 or 8x8, so cheaters will have no chance to cheat anymore...

What do you think?

hum, why not having 8x11?

[ypaul]

That sounds like an odd choice. Why 8x11?

[ufm]

hum, why not having 8x11?

Overly complex and unpopular compared to 7x7 or 8x8.

Hi

Connect 4 is a solved game on the 6x7 board.

There are programs for 6x7 which can show you the best move.

Would be great if we can play on 7x7 or 8x8, so cheaters will have no chance to cheat anymore...

What do you think?

7x7 and 8x8 are also solved. 7x7 leads to draw and second player wins in 8x8, both assuming perfect plays.
However no solver is available readily for those board sizes. It will suffice.

[ypaul]

I’ve been playing the 9x9 on LittleGolem and I’ve been loving it so far. If there’s going to be a size for competitive games, I’d vote for the 9x9. I quite like having an odd number of columns. It feels like a character of the game that I don’t want to see go away.

And yeah, people cheating using computer analysis is going to be a never-ending issue, but the 7x6 solver is probably a bit too readily available.

[ViolentSilence]

If you're worried about the game being solved, why not move on to a game like Go-Moku or Connect 6 where the board laying flat significantly changes the options? The rules that solve Connect 4 are scalable aren't they?

The more interesting question is if Connect 4 is public domain by this point - a lot of games on here have limits placed upon them by the licensee, It came up in discussions about colour blind measures that not all publishers are willing to let the implementations use different colours. The board size might be fixed by the licence.

[wps0816]

I suggest that BGA offer a variant of the 6x7 connect four game that is a fair game. A vaiant would remove the red advantage and make it a game of skill rather than who's red.

I propose this variant --

The first player cannot select column 4 on the first move. This removes red's advantage and makes it a fair game.
I've worked aout the math and it is a fair game.

Also gets rid of cheaters since there is no solver for this variant.
The outcome of the game is now based on skill alone.

It would be easy for BGA to implement. They just need to hear from enough players.

[compte obelète]

I suggest that BGA offer a variant of the 6x7 connect four game that is a fair game. A vaiant would remove the red advantage and make it a game of skill rather than who's red.

I propose this variant --

The first player cannot select column 4 on the first move. This removes red's advantage and makes it a fair game.
I've worked aout the math and it is a fair game.

Also gets rid of cheaters since there is no solver for this variant.
The outcome of the game is now based on skill alone.

It would be easy for BGA to implement. They just need to hear from enough players.

that is a nice idea!

[Timo-Schwach]

I suggest that BGA offer a variant of the 6x7 connect four game that is a fair game. A vaiant would remove the red advantage and make it a game of skill rather than who's red.

I propose this variant --

The first player cannot select column 4 on the first move. This removes red's advantage and makes it a fair game.
I've worked aout the math and it is a fair game.

Also gets rid of cheaters since there is no solver for this variant.
The outcome of the game is now based on skill alone.

It would be easy for BGA to implement. They just need to hear from enough players.

sounds great

would be nice to have both games the old and the new one here on boardgamearena.com

Would be possible that your idea on 6x7 leads to draw every time (between good players)

but your idea on 9x9 and middle column is not allowed for first player would be very interesting

[ypaul]

I suggest that BGA offer a variant of the 6x7 connect four game that is a fair game. A vaiant would remove the red advantage and make it a game of skill rather than who's red.

I propose this variant --

The first player cannot select column 4 on the first move. This removes red's advantage and makes it a fair game.
I've worked aout the math and it is a fair game.

Also gets rid of cheaters since there is no solver for this variant.
The outcome of the game is now based on skill alone.

It would be easy for BGA to implement. They just need to hear from enough players.

I’m not sure what you mean by there is no solver for this variant. This one is pretty well known:

https://connect4.gamesolver.org/

The game is fully solved from any position. If someone was cheating, making them change their first move wouldn’t stop them from getting a perfect game,even if the perfect game ends up being a draw.