THe Game of the Generals PDF

Preview

Summary

the game of the generals notes lectures...

Description

he Game of the Generals, also called GG or GOG is one of the most played games in our country. This game is considered as an important educational tool as it develops students’ mental capabilities on how to solve problems and how to think positively. Game of the Generals as it is most fondly called, or simply The Generals or Salpakan (its native name) , is an educational war game invented in the Philippines by Sofronio H. Pasola Jr. in 1970. The duration of playing the game ranges from twenty to thirty minutes. It can also be played by two payers, each controlling an army, and a neutral arbiter to decide the results of "challenges" between opposing playing pieces. Just like the playing cards, they have their identities hidden from the opponent. The game stimulates armies at war trying to outflank and outmaneuver each other. As in actual warfare, the game allows only one side’s plan to succeed. There are certain strategies and tactics that allow both sides the chances of securing a better idea of the other’s plan as the game progresses. In hopes to make a false impression to where the flag is, players speak with others during matches. Before proceeding on the main objectives of the game, let us first take a look on how it all started. February 28, 1973. On this day, the Game of the Generals was officially introduced to the public. The educational board game was invented by a Filipino named Sofronio Pasola, Jr.

An Excerpt from THE GAME OF THE GENERALS STORY by Ronnie Pasola

(No other board game has caught the fancy of Filipinos the same way the Game of the Generals did. In a short span since its public introduction in 1973, millions have played this award-winning Philippine invention. No less than 2,500 GG clubs have now been formed and the game has been introduced in 33 other countries. We recall the humble beginnings of the game) Conceived and born out of two devastating floods, mistaken as subversive material, frowned upon by the country's chess lords and snubbed by the All-Filipino Sports Awards, the Game of the Generals has quixotically survived. I invented it August of 1967 in Barrio Palanan, Makati, while Greater Manila was choking through a big flood. Stranded with programmed leisure in my hands, I was deep in the study of chess having just won a tournament the week passed when I thought about the game. The idea first floated by and then lingered, longing for action. Why not something different from chess? Why not a new game patterned after modern-day combat? Something everybody could identify with? After all, chess is of ancient origin - hardly relevant to battle tactics of today. My father chanced into my room as I was cutting out cartolina soldiers, marking them with

ranks of generals, middle officers and privates and pushing them around on a chessboard. "I am inventing a game," I said with the proud intonation of one at the verge of discovery. Quizzically, quietly he left. As I worked onto the third day, I had sadly succeeded in putting together a mere variation of chess. The fourth day was still one of frustration. With the movements and starting formation I had developed, the pieces may well have been pawns, rooks and bishops. Two days later was D-day. Calling on the systems used in mahjong and card games, I tried setting up the pieces so that they were unseen by the enemy. It was a drastic departure from chess, followed still by another - this time taking off from the way generals prefer to fight. This meant allowing a player the free hand at deploying his forces, in contrast to the chess method of forcing a player to start from one single formation. Then came the tedious process of finalization. Experimentation . . . Try out games with my father . . . flanking movements . . . guerilla tactics . . . territorial coverage's . . . All these brought in the balance and hierarchy of soldiers, the number of playing squares on the board and the various ways of winning games. Iwo Jima with its victorious marines provided the heroic angle for ending a game - the symbolic raising of the flag signaling the capture of enemy territory. James Bond and Mata Hari reminded me to put in a pair of spies, with the introduction of the arbiter between two players securing their cloak-and-dagger maneuvers. Finally, the movie "Night of the Generals" wrapped it up inspiring the dramatic touch needed for a name. Thus, the Game of the Generals was born, conceived from a smorgasbord of events, principles and people. Except for a few games with friends at Philippine Advertising Counselors where I was then employed, the game generally hibernated for five years until another devastating flood, circa 1972, flushed it out. Actually it was pushed into the public eye by enterprising journalist Iking Gonzales. He insisted on writing the GG story as his contribution to the Times Journal's maiden issue. It was with reluctance that I allowed details of the game to be released for fear of impressions, martial law having just been declared the month before. Nevertheless, with the birth of the Times Journal on October 21, 1972, the country woke up to the Game of the Generals. Gonzales wrote: "although the pieces stand for military personages, the game - which is a cross between chess and cards is as thrilling as it is educational for both young and old. "In chess you use cold logic. Here in the new game your move sometimes defies logic. Putting in all the details of a battle plan on the board sharpens your memory and psychological insight. The rules of the game can be understood in less time than it takes to learn chess." "It is safe to say that the Kings and his court will have their hands full against the Generals and his men in the near future." by Ronnie Pasola

Pasola was actually inspired by his son, Ronnie, to create the game. They first tried playing the new creation on a chessboard. But unlike in chess, the pieces of the Game of the Generals were not arranged in any particular order. During their experimental game, however, Ronnie felt something was missing. He wanted to put more impact on the game. That’s when he remembered the James Bond movies and Mata Hari. He then suggested to his father that Spies should be added into the game pieces. They also decided that the pieces should be kept hidden from the opposing players while at play, just like it is in the card games. In 1980, Ideal released The Generals Electronic Strategy Game. The rules and piece ranks are the same as above, except that the "Spies" are "Agents", and an "electronic arbiter" "determines" which piece wins in a confrontation; neither player sees his opponent's pieces. The plastic pieces have selected notches on their bases, which depress certain indentations in the "electronic arbiter's" twin slots. The lights flash and a short musical phrase plays before a light labeled "battle winner" is illuminated. The losing piece is removed from the board, while the winning piece is place back on the board. If the flag is placed in the "electronic arbiter", it plays "Taps" after the initial musical phrase. Unlike the original version of the game, if a player's flag reaches the back row in The Generals Electronic Strategy Game, that player wins, even if an opposing piece occupies an adjacent square on the back row. Unlike the somewhat similar game of Stratego, Generals does not have any bombs, nor miners to defuse them, nor scouts to zip several spaces across the board in one move. Nor does Generals have any immovable pieces (both the flag and the bombs in Stratego are stationary). In addition, unlike Stratego, which features two "lakes" in the middle of the board, all the squares on the board are accessible. Also, each player has two Agents, while in Stratego, it only has one Spy.

THE INTRODUCTION OF THE GAME OF THE GENERALS

Since it’s a bit too long to utter Game of the Generals all the time, the name has been shortened to GOG, GG, or simply The Generals. In Filipino, the game has been called salpakan from then on. Salpakan literally means “clash” in English. It simulates armies at war, where the opposing players try to outflank, mislead and overpower the other. The entry of The Generals into the gaming arena was initially met with wariness. Avid chess players and advocates thought Pasola was trying to supplant or denigrate their favorite game. However, after observing the mechanics of the game, they realized GG was not the same as chess, at all. Not long after its introduction, many Filipinos came to love the Game of the Generals. It even came to a point that it outsold chess. However, at the dawn of the electronic games, young Filipinos got more focused on playing in front of a screen. Many of whom are not even aware that such a board

game exists. With this being said, Pasola is bent on (re)introducing this fun activity to the present generation. In its three years, three million Filipinos tried the game. It has been introduced to 33 other countries. It has inspired the formation of more than 2,500 GG Clubs and, with its success, cause a rash of 28 other new Filipino game inventions GG is the only board game to have outsold Chess at local bookstores and supermarkets. It also holds the distinction of being the most outstanding invention in the general category of the Inventor’s week competition organized by the Philippines’ National Science Development Board.

Today, it also holds the distinction of being the only electronic board game in the world. The invention of the Electronic Arbiter, which replaces the third person or arbiter in a match, also won the award for the 3rd Most Outstanding Electronic Invention of the Year in the 1978 Philippine Inventor’s Festival. It has been manufactured under license in the United States and other licensing agreements are still in the works. It is with a mixed feeling of historical pride and hope that GG pioneers look back to these achievements. Said one rabid fan: “To have been with it from the start is priceless. . . we now dream of a World Game of the Generals Championship series. .” (Originally in THE TIMES JOURNAL issue of April 21, 1976)

OBJECTIVE OF THE GAME To eliminate or capture the Flag of the opponent is the main objective of the game of the generals. It can also be to maneuver one's Flag to the far edge of the board (the opposing back rank), following series of conditions. If the Flag is challenged, it will be eliminated by any opposing piece. It includes the opposing and challenging Flag. The player loses the game if his/her flag is eliminated by a challenge. The Flag that challenges the opponent's Flag wins the challenge and thus also wins the game. The Flag has to survive one more turn as it reaches the opponent’s back rank without being challenged before it can declare victory. The Flag wins the game immediately if it reaches the opposing back rank and there is no adjacent opposing piece that can challenge it. If a Flag reaches the opposing back rank directly adjacent to an opposing piece, and that piece does not challenge the Flag immediately on the opponent's subsequent turn, then that Flag wins the game. Any player may reveal his Flag at any time and for any reason; play can then continue; most often, a player reveals his Flag after it has already secured victory at the opposing back rank.

Most games end in a victory for one of the players. One player may have lost so many pieces or his pieces are impractically positioned on the board that he feels he can no longer win the game so he decides to resign. However, any player may propose a draw at any time; the opponent can either decline, so play continues, or agree, and thus the game ends in a tie. At the end of a match, whether as a draw or as a victory for one player, it is courteous but not required to allow the opposing player a view of the surviving pieces before they are taken off the board, as well as of the eliminated pieces.

COMPETITION RULES IN PLAYING GAME OF THE GENERALS  

All games shall be conducted under GGF competition and playing rules. WHO CAN COMPETE -Only officially registered may compete.



SCHEDULE a.) Games start per time schedule set or if revised, per time schedule announced by the tournament director. It will be the player's responsibility to note down any changes in schedule. POSTPONEMENTS DELAY b.) The tournament committee shall not allow any postponements or delays for whatever reason. Entry into a GG tournament means that the player is willing to adjust his time to the play schedule.



GRACE PERIOD Players who are not in their respective tables by official starting time shall be given a grace period of 30 minutes. Players who are not seated at their assigned tables at the end of the grace period automatically lose by default even if their opponents wish to play or waive the penalty of default.



NO STEPPING OUT Players present at the tournament site are required to enter the official tournament playing area as announced by the tournament director. Unreasonable delay will be penalized with a deduction of one point from the player's score. Once inside the tournament area, no player will be allowed to step out unless with the express permission of the tournament director and the player's opponent.



5-MINUTES FOR PIECES . A player shall be given 5 minutes to arrange his pieces from the time both he and his opponent are present.



COMPLETE

a.) A player is said to have made a move upon release of a piece on an adjoining square. b.) A player is required to move the piece he has touched. In cases where the player touches several pieces, he must move the first piece he has touched provided it shall not constitute an illegal move. 

TIME LIMIT PER MOVE A player is allowed a maximum of 2 minutes per move. A player over-stepping this limit three times, automatically loses the game by technicality. The arbiter is under no obligation to warn the player of the approaching time limit.



EXPOSURE OF FLAG A player may expose his own Flag at his own risk.



EXPOSURE OF PIECES 1. a) Exposing one's own piece(s) either intentionally or unintentionally causes the player to lose his next move. (This means that if it is his next move.) 2. b. )A pl ay erwho causest he exposur e ofpi ecesei t heri nt ent i onal l yor uni nt ent i onal l yaut omat i cal l ycausest heoffendi ngpl ayert ol oset hegame. 3. c)Theexposur eofpi ece( s)causedbynat ur e,e. g.wi nd,f al l i ngobj ect s, et c.shal lmeant heaut omat i cl osest hemat chbyt echni cal l y .



REMOVAL OF PIECES No player is allowed to remove his opponent's piece(s) from the board. A player who removes his opponent's piece(s), intentionally or unintentionally, automatically loses the match by technically.



30-MOVE RULE If no challenge is made after 30 complete moves from the start of the game, the player with more pieces past the mid-point of the board wins the match. if no piece has gone beyond the mid-point, or if there is an equal number of pieces beyond the midpoint, the game is automatically declared a draw.



5-MOVE PERPETUAL A 5-move perpetual position results in a drawn game. This happens when an attacked piece, which faces immediate challenge, move 5 consecutive move by the same attacking piece.



16-MOVE PERPETUAL A player position results in a drawn game. This happens when an attacked piece, which faces immediate challenge, moves 16 consecutive times through more than 2 squares in order to avoid being challenged on the next, move by the same attacking piece.



DRAW FOR RESPECT

Games have deliberately drawn "out of respect" will only be allowed between two players of equal rank or title. Should two players agree to draw for respect, both must play at least 10 complete moves and sign the record slip as having both agreed to draw for respect. 

COLLUSION Players found guilty of obvious or surreptitious collusion with each other shall be banned from further participation in the tournament and future tournaments. Collusion includes signals, deliberately losing a game for the purpose of helping the other player move up in standings, or any other similar form of dishonesty.



ARBITER'S DECISION IS FINAL As a general rule the arbiter's decision is final and carries a heavier weight protests regarding an arbiter's mistake must be brought immediately to the attention of the tournament director. Confirmation of the arbiter's mistake shall mean the automatic replay of the game. No protest, however, will be entertained if the game concerned has already been concluded.



APPEALS AND FINAL Appeals and protests other than those regarding an arbiter's mistake must be referred to the Tournament Committee in writing within 24 hours of the questioned incident and submitted to the Tournament Director.



TOURNAMENT The tournament director shall have absolute DIRECTOR authority over the conduct of the tournament. He may change or modify rules, in consultation with the Tournament Committee, whenever necessary to preserve the integrity of the event. His decision is final.



ADJUDICATION The time limit per game will be 2 ½ hours, 1 ½ hours or one hour depending on the Tournament Director's discretion. Games not finished after the period specified may be terminated and decided by adjudication or settled by the Tournament Director accordingly. The arbiter and Tournament Director are under no obligation to warn the players of the approaching time limit.

EQUIPMENT IN PLAYING THE GAME OF THE GENERALS The game is played on a rectangular board with 72 plain squares arranged in 8 ranks and 9 files. The 21 pieces are placed in various locations within the nearest three rows to each player's home side (a total of 27 squares). A player can consider the half of the board nearest him to be "friendly territory" while the other side's half is the "enemy territory," though this is not an actual requirement of the game. The two

middle rows (fourth rank from each player's edge of the board) are initially empty at the start of the game and represent "no man's land" or "unconquered territory" that the contending pieces can occupy or leave vacant, depending on each player's strategy. Although not specifically marked, each player's side of the board can be grouped into three amorphous battle zones: these zones are the left flank, the center, and the right flank, but the boundaries are variable or may be considered psychological in nature. Unlike chess or its variants, there is no predetermined layout for the pieces, allowing each player to place the pieces in different squares to his advantage or according to his strategy. The allocation of spaces (6 vacant squares) is important for the tactical movement of the individual pieces in the first three ranks, because a piece that has friendly pieces in front, behind, and on each side is effectively immobilized until a space opens up on these adjacent squares. There is also no predetermined order of play. The players can decide who goes first; afterward, the players take their turns alternately. Each player can move only one piece per turn. All pieces have the same move: one square forward, backward, or sideways, as long as it is not blocked by the board's edge or by another friendly piece. A piece cannot move into a square already occupied by a friendly piece.

PIECES AND THEIR FUNCTIONS IN GAME OF THE GENERALS The player's set of pieces represent 21 soldiers (combatants) with a hierarchy of ranks and functions. A higher-ranking piece (usually the officers) will eliminate any lower-ranking piece, with the exception of the 2 Spies, which eliminate all pieces except the 6 Privates. Apart from the Flag (the Philippine Flag ) and the Spy (a pair of prying eyes), the rank insignia of the pieces used in the game are those used in the Philippine Army. The playing pieces are identical-sized plastic or metal flat rectangles that...