How about a version where you can move as many (or as few) pieces as you want on any turn. Comments?

I made a request for Espionage variants without volcanoes on the feature request board, and in explaining why I was sent to this board.

Espionage isn't like any of the other games. Someone compared it to chinese chess; which doesn't resemble espionage at all. At espionage the pieces are hidden at the start and you can discover them with your recons. That's unlike any other game, that's what makes it special, what makes it espionage. Some people do like the volcanoes, they like a longer, defensive game. The best strategy at espionage is to hide behind the volcanoes and wait for the other to attack.

Without the volcanoes the game has more opportunities. It's more dynamic and you can develop an offensive playing style or a defensive one, but you're not forced into defense like with the volcanoes. I know this because I play the game at IYT, where the versions without the volcanoes are much more popular than the ones with. It's good to offer both options, I think.

this situation is a toughie to call. If your base is surrounded by bombs as well you can get/trap him... there are many variables to look at though.. 1. Does he know which piece is your 5? 2. Does he know that your sweepers are all gone? 3. is your base protected as well? If he does not know which piece is your 5 than you can trick him, also if he still thinks you ahve sweepers then he may run from your "?" pieces. id jsut put all my pieces as clsoe together and attack him. or split up to try and trick him. But basically if your opponent kept good notes he should be able to force the draw unless he blunders badly. just by running in circles. sweepers are too valueable to give away. I will always try to keep one even if it means giving up material advantage. Being Without one makes his bombs and 5s nearly invincible.

Ah, yes, I forgot about the vulcano's for a moment: he can just keep circling them.

AbigailII: I don't think I can, if he knows which piece is my 5 and that the others are no threat to him.

The player & I have already drawn that game, so there is no harm in speaking of it now.

I think you should be able to corner him - but it would be unfair to discuss an ongoing game.

pauloaguia: I know that. The question is, can that position be forced upon him?

Thad: If your opponent can't move he'll loose. It says so in the rules...

I have a game where my opponent has only a 5 left. His castle is surrounded by bombs. I have a 5, a 4, & a 3, but no minesweepers. Is it a draw? Or is there some way for me to corner him?

Hi. I would like to trade lessons in Small Espionage, which I don't understand, for lessons in chess - where I am an old master despite my stats here - or lessons in Tank Battle, where only Fencer and Whisper are able to beat me.
Also, I may have figured out at why women are better than us at Battleboats, something that's
puzzled me since the third grade.
Be good.

Thanks, Fencer.

Fencer, could you change the name of this DB to Espionage instead of Espionage, Small Espionage and Fast Espionage? Since the merger of several game DBs, the others (Pente for example) are now named after only the main game. I would like to see this one done that was too. ;-)

http://brainking.com/en/Tournaments?trg=8659&u=4398&trnst=0

Fencer,

On the set-up screen of each Espionage (and small & fast) board could the Load Position radio button be turned on by default, please.

awesome thanks....

and there is another one that im still waiting to get send back that has 2 pieces missing.

It's probably this one....
http://brainking.com/game/ShowGame?g=705057

I don't know what the game is... but you can always post a bug for Fencer to take a look at it.

well it let me submit a gmae whre two different pieces were not placed. and there were 6 empty spots instead of 4... ill find out once i get the return from my opponent.

Maybe you're just having picture problems. It seems there have been some problems lately. If on the place where they should be, your cursor turns into the hand, then there's something on that square even if it seems empty and you're not submiting a board with less pieces but a board where not all pieces are showing. A refresh may reveal those...

im trying to set up my pieces and they seem sto be missing. first i was missing a bomb(mine) then im missing my 3 and sapper. what is going on . it let me submit the gmae without having them on the board.

Today (3/14) is the last day to sign up for the March Madness Espionage Tournament. The tournament will start 3/15/05. Good Luck to all of the participants!

i currently have two games in teh waiting rooms now done like this. hopefully it worked.

Nothingness:
Click "New game"
Click "Other"
Click "Espionage"
Change the drop down box set with "100," to "1900"
Uncheck the "Include unrated players" box
Click "Continue."
Click "Send"

Im trying to set up espionage games. where i only want to face people of certain ratings. but it does not work for me. what am I doing wrong. for example i want to play a game of espionage against poeple with ratings of 1900 or higher. HOW EXACTLY DO I DO THIS!!!!? Ive tried it before and Unrated players still are able to challenge me. Could anyone give me a step by step tutorial of how this is done. I need to know each button click exactly how it is done. Dont just say go to this and click this... i need a thorough explaination.

reviewing the game is the only way to clarify the situation.

Backgammonfan28: This never happened to me...are you sure you attacked the 5 with your sapper and not a spy?

Backgammonfan28: yes the Sapper takes out mines and 5 generals. When the Sapper is the one who attacks the 5 general. If the 5 general attacks the Sapper then the 5 general wins. If you did attack a 5 general with a Sapper and lost the Sapper this is incorrect and you might wish to bring it to Fencers attention to be corrected.

I don't believe so. Sappers are also the only piece able to destroy mines correct?

Backgammonfan28: In a five-vs-sapper attack, the attacker wins. Are you getting sappers mixed up with spies? Just a guess.

I am confused about one area of this game. It says in the rules that a sapper if attacking a general the sapper wins, and if the general attacks the general wins, well I attacked a 5 with a sapper and my sapper was removed from the board. Isn't this an error? What does beat a 5 other than another 5?

Don't forget to sign up if you want to participate... So far we don't have the turnout I had expected. If there is a problem with the format of the tournament please feel free to express your concerns and I will do my best to accomodate everyone... Is the time limit too short? too long? etc. I am trying to get some friendly competition going aside from regular games. I think people try harder and the games are better when there is something on the line. We have 2 weeks to get this thing going let me know your thoughts...

http://brainking.com/game/Tournaments?trg=7575&trnst=0

Hercules - yes, 2700 is the maximum BKR.

BuilderQ is correct. That is the formula used here for computing BKRs. I translated it into Czech for Fencer so I know.

i think the max of bkr is 2700 ? (as i saw 4? players with a bkr for a five in line or line four)

I think BrainKing uses a less transparent rating system than that: http://math.bu.edu/people/mg/ratings/approx/approx.html

its not exactly zero ... but less than a whole point .. so you cant see it as the bkr you see is shown in whole points

in the FAQ section you can find an explanation of bkr

Here you can find more about the formula used

BUT ZERO !!! goodness.

Nothingness: thats because your rated so far above those players, tehrefore your obvisouly quite a good player, and so you don't take as many points or in your case none.

i meant for example.... i was rated 2100 in say espionage. i played 3 guys who were rated about 1500, 1200 and Unrated. after each of those wins i got ZEro ratings points. why is this?

Nothingness: play 1 more and you will have a rating

i jstu played 3 games and got nothing for my trouble! grrr.i shouldve gotten something. 2 of them were rated palyers/

Who's you Daddy???

Sorry! Couldn't resist...

money money money MONEY money!!!!

Pedro Martínez: ????

ROOK! ROOK! ROOK! ROOK! ROOK!

im in an elspionage tourney which is still in the process of be completed and looks like it is in no way going to be completed by march. bu ti will gladly enter the others.

BDilly: March Madness Espionage Tournament

Who is the best of the best??

I have created an Espionage tournament set to begin March 15 2005. It will consist of each Espionage variant and it will have a 3 day per move time limit. The goal is to get as many people to sign up as possible. If we can get enough people to play I am hoping we can guage who the better players are and crown a champ in each variant. If anyone wants to give any feedback please send me a message. May the best player win!!!

my bad thats what i meant....getting stratego mixed up with espionage/sabotage