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1998-01-30
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LaserChess 98
The Rules
==============================================================================
This file is also available in HTML format, in the file rules.html.
It is highly recommended that you read that version, as it contains images
of the different game pieces.
==============================================================================
Welcome to LaserChess 98!
Game Objective
--------------
Like chess, the objective of LaserChess is to capture the opponent's king.
Game strategy focuses on setting up board positions which help you achieve
this goal. In LaserChess 98, the only way a king can be captured (killed) is
if it is shot by a beam. Therefore, you should focus on building up a board
position that will allow you to direct a laser beam at your opponent's king.
Gameplay Overview
-----------------
LaserChess 98 is a two-player game, in which turns alternate between players.
When it is your turn to move, there are essentially three things you can do:
Move a piece
Rotate a piece
Fire your laser
Rotating a piece and firing the laser only count as half of a turn each;
so, in any given turn, you may rotate two pieces; fire the laser twice;
rotate a piece and fire a laser; or, you may move a single piece.
When a laser is fired, it travels in a straight line until it either hits
a piece or goes off the board. When it hits a piece, it reacts differently
depending on the type of piece and its orientation. Beams can be deflected,
absorbed, reflected back, passed through, or they can simply blow up the piece
they hit. For the specific behavior of each piece, please see the section
on Game Pieces.
The Blue player goes first. Turns alternate between players until one of
the kings has been destroyed, or until the game has reached a stalemate.
Whoever is left with a king on the board is declared the winner; if both
kings are destroyed in the same turn, then the game is a draw. Stalemate
can also occur if both kings are still alive, but there are no lasers or
pawns (for piece promotion) left on the board.
You can read a more detailed description of the actual game controls in the
file rules.html (or rules.txt).
Game Pieces
-----------
This section describes each of the LaserChess 98 game pieces. Each piece
can be described by its legal moves, and by how it behaves when struck by
a laser beam.
When describing the legal moves for a piece, assume that the player's side
is on the bottom of the board; moving "up," for instance, means to move
toward the opponent.
A word about beam behavior: in general, refelctive surfaces are indicated by
a white surface. When beams strike these surfaces, they usually are deflected.
Pawn
Legal Moves
Pawns can move either up or down by one square. Each Pawn can move up by
two squares on its first move. Pawns cannot capture other pieces by
landing on them. Pawns can also be promoted; by advancing a pawn to your
opponent's end of the board, you are allowed to replace that pawn with a
piece of your choosing (except a king). You are presented with a piece
selection dialog box, in which you can select the piece to replace. When a
Pawn is promoted, the replacement piece is placed on the board in the same
rotation orientation as that Pawn had before it was promoted.
Beam Behavior
Pawns are triangles with one reflective side. When a beam strikes the
reflective side, it deflects at a 90-degree angle away from the reflective
side. If a beam hits either of the other two sides, the Pawn is destroyed.
A Pawn can also be destroyed if it is hit on its reflective side by a charged
beam.
Diagonal Mirror
Legal Moves
Diagonal Mirrors can move vertically or horizontally by any number of
squares, until they are blocked by another piece in that direction.
Diagonal Mirrors cannot capture other pieces by landing on them.
Beam Behavior
All sides of a diagonal mirror are reflective. When struck by a beam, it
deflects at a 90-degree angle away from the reflective side. A Diagonal
Mirror can be destroyed by hitting it with a charged beam.
Straight Mirror
Legal Moves
Straight Mirrors can move vertically or horizontally by any number of squares,
until they are blocked by another piece in that direction. Straight Mirrors
cannot capture other pieces by landing on them.
Beam Behavior
When struck by a beam perpendicular to its surface, a Straight Mirror
reflects it back toward its origin. The beam becomes "half-charged" and
turns orange when this occurs. (If a half-charged beam strikes another
Straight Mirror, it will bounce back red -- fully charged! More about
charged beams later...) When a beam strikes a Straight Mirror parallel to
its surface, it simply passes through to the next square. A Straight
Mirror can be destroyed by hitting it with a charged beam perpendicular
to its surface.
Beam Splitter
Legal Moves
Beam Splitters can move diagonally by any number of squares, until they
are blocked by another piece in that direction. Beam Splitters cannot
capture other pieces by landing on them.
Beam Behavior
When a Beam Splitter is struck on its tip by a beam, it splits it and
sends beams out both sides, perpendicular to the incoming beam. When
struck by a beam on any other side, the Beam Splitter gets destroyed.
(Note that if a beam is reflected back at a beam splitter from one of
its sides, it will get destroyed!) A Beam Splitter can also be destroyed
by hitting it with a charged beam on its tip.
Charger
Legal Moves
To put it simply, Chargers move like knights in chess. They move in
a 2-1 "L" pattern; for instance, they can move 2 squares left and one
square up, or 1 square left and 2 squares up, etc. Furthermore, Chargers
can jump over other pieces. Chargers can capture other pieces by landing
on them. However, they cannot capture a king by landing on it.
Beam Behavior
When a beam enters the chamber of a Charger from the back (the wider
opening), it gets fully charged and re-emitted out the front. Charged
beams can destroy any other piece, even if they are struck on reflective
surfaces. If a beam hits a Charger from any other direction, it gets
destroyed.
Blocker
Legal Moves
Blockers (a.k.a. Absorbers) also move like knights in chess, the same
as Chargers. However, Blockers can NOT capture pieces by landing on them.
A Blocker can not be rotated.
Beam Behavior
Blockers block all incoming beams except charged beams. When struck by a
charged beam, a blocker is destroyed.
Laser
Legal Moves
The Laser can move one square in any direction. It cannot capture a piece
by landing on it.
Beam Behavior - Firing
Lasers are the main offensive weapon in LaserChess 98. A player can fire
his Laser by double-clicking on it. When you fire the Laser, the beam
exits from the gold tip. When a beam is travelling around the board, it
doesn't matter who fired the beam; a beam which you fire may very well
destroy some of your pieces.
Beam Behavior - Incoming
When a beam hits a Laser from any direction, the Laser is destroyed.
(It is important to watch out for beams getting reflected back into your
own laser when you fire!)
King
Legal Moves
The King can move one square in any direction. It can capture a piece by
landing on it; however, it cannot capture another King. A King can not
be rotated.
Beam Behavior
When a beam hits a king from any direction, the King is destroyed and the
game is over.
Advanced Features
-----------------
Explosions Occur Incrementally
When a piece is struck by a beam and is going to explode, that explosion
happens in about the time it would have taken the beam to pass through two
squares. Once the piece has exploded, it is possible for other beams on
the board to pass through that square.
Hit counts prevent loops
If you encounter the unfortunate situation of a laser loop (this actually
is possible if one of the pieces in a cycle of mirrors gets destroyed),
then don't despair! Each reflective s