Uckers.

[andym]

Ok this isnt strictly SH related but it IS Naval.As some of you Kaleuns know if captured and interned in a POW camp,the Englander Pigdogs played a game called...."Uckers",its a form of Ludo but it has many nuances and mention Uckers to an old english matelot and they will go glassy eyed and slip into a different time zone.What i want to know is 2 things.


1.Would anyone be interested in playing Uckers online?(maybe a Subsim Ladder?)

At present there isnt anything like this but there is some work going on but has been so for a VERY long time.


2.Is there anyone out there that would be interested in writing/coding/programming the game for online play?



I must stress that the game will NEVER be used for finacial gain.I run a Royal Navy website and am getting hassled almost daily for an online version of Uckers,however only being a lowly Ex Medic i basically know how to turn a PC on and off and thats about it.If there are any guys that would like to make a lot of English matelots happy out there by helping can you PM or E mail me?MAny Thanks

[joegrundman]

If you could explain how it's played, that could help! And show a picture of the board. There are a couple of boardgame clients already available: "cyberboard" is one, and the newer and much superior "Vassal" is the other

[Jimbuna]

If you could explain how it's played, that could help! And show a picture of the board. There are a couple of boardgame clients already available: "cyberboard" is one, and the newer and much superior "Vassal" is the other

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=uckers&meta=

http://www.bigfootprint.co.uk/uckers/

[andym]

This is a game that was developed in the Royal Navy by Her Majesty's sailors, to help pass the off watch hours. In days gone by, before the Rum ration was brutally discontinued, matelots would play a game of Uckers and the losers at the next "Tot Time," would be obliged to offer to the winner, his whole Tot, halfers, gulpers or just simply sippers, depending what was agreed before the game began. In the time honoured tradition, the winner would very rarely accept the full tot but would take a token drink, as he would if offered halfers. Gulpers and sippers were always accepted with relish.

After 283 years, 31st July 1970 was the last day when rum was issued to British sailors and no doubt that since then some other form of reward for winning at Uckers has taken it's place.
Uckers is played on an ordinary common or garden LUDO board, using the normal LUDO counters and a die and some of the normal LUDO rules with a few very interesting additions and alterations.
Uckers is a game for either 2 or two teams of two players. With two players playing Uckers, each player takes two colours, these being in the opposite corners of the board. i.e. Green and Red or Blue and Yellow. With two teams playing, each team takes the opposite corners.
The modern LUDO board is ever so slightly different from the traditional board and it only makes a slight difference to the game. The modern board no longer has a relatively safe square situated in the corner between the entry to home and the exit from base. This square is now the exit from base. It's absence as a relatively safe haven should not make all that much difference to the tactics of the game but the traditionalists will, no doubt, view the change with mistrust and concern.
There is only a slight difference between the 2 player game and the 4 player game.
In the 4 player game, although the two players form a team they play independently of each other in so far as throwing the die, moving the counters and tactics is concerned. In all other respects they are a team and are considered as one player. Confused? A team member throws the die for his own counters and decides which of his own counters to move but if he lands on a square occupied by one of his partner's counters, he does NOT send his partner back to his base but stays on that square and forms a MIXI-BLOB.
In the 2 player game, a player can choose which of his two colours he wishes to move AFTER throwing the die. If one of his counters lands on the square occupied by his other colour, it does not send that counter back home, but forms a MIXI- BLOB.
When a player throws a six, he is allowed another throw. If that player throws another six he can throw again and so on.
A player must move one his counters or challenge, after throwing a six and BEFORE throwing again. A multiple throw can only be used for one particular counter. If a player throws a six and moves a particular counter all subsequent throws in that sequence, must apply to that counter, unless he throws a six and decides to challenge. The challenge can apply to a different counter. Thus a player throws a six and moves a counter, he throws again and it is another six, he can opt to challenge and forgo any further counter moves. If a player throws a six and challenges and his next throw is not a six, he cannot then opt to move a counter for that second throw; the challenge has failed.
If a player cannot move the full number shown by the die, he must move a counter which CAN move the full number. If no such counter is available the turn is lost, there are no bounce backs.
The die is thrown by each player and the highest throw starts. If more than one player throws the same highest throw, they throw again.
A player must throw a six to leave base.
A player must throw the exact score to get HOME. There are no bounce backs.
A player may not advise his partner how to play a move, but a player may ask his partner for advice on how to play a particular move. If he does ask his partner, he MUST abide by his partner's decision, regardless of the potential outcome. Partners must not consult each other on how a move shall be played.
If a player has two or more counters of the same colour on the same square, it forms and is called a BLOB. No one may pass a BLOB except a player's partner or a player's other colour. A player's partner or other colour can land on a BLOB but that changes it to a MIXI-BLOB.
An opponent cannot land on a BLOB except after a successful challenge.
If a player lands on a square already occupied by the opposition's single counter, the opposition is sent back to base. If a player lands on a square already occupied by a counter, or counters of his other colour or his partner, the occupying counters are NOT sent back to base, but a MIXI-BLOB is formed.
If a player lands on a square already occupied by his opponents MIXI-BLOB, all the MIXI-BLOB counters are sent back to base.
When a player has a BLOB on the board and the opponent lands on the square immediately behind, at the next turn, the opponent can challenge the BLOB. A challenge is made by throwing consecutively, a six to challenge, and one six for every counter forming the BLOB. If successful, the challenger's counter occupies the square and the BLOB is sent back to base. An opponents BLOB can challenge another BLOB but if successful only ONE counter moves forward.
A MIXI-BLOB CANNOT CHALLENGE.
If a player throws a six and decides to challenge he says, "Once at you." If his second throw is also a six he says, "Twice at you" and so on until, either the challenge fails (and all the throws are lost) or the challenge succeeds and he says, "Get 'em off."
A player does not need to declare a challenge until he has thrown the die. E.g. A player may have one counter behind a BLOB and other counters elsewhere on the board. If that player throws a six he can select whether to challenge or not and if not, he moves another counter.
Tactics, skill and luck all play a part in UCKERS and the positioning of a BLOB is crucial if it is to increase a player's chances of winning. It is even more crucial not to get a MIXI-BLOB immediately behind a BLOB because a MIXI-BLOB can do nothing except wait for the BLOB to move.
If, as often happens to the less skilful or inexperienced player, a player or team find that they have a MIXI-BLOB containing ALL their counters immediately behind a BLOB, they can do nothing more than sit back and watch. Because they cannot move or even challenge. The MIXI-BLOB team may forgo their turns at throwing the die, until such times as they can move. However, they can if they wish, continue to take their turn at throwing the die even though they cannot use the throw. It does keep the throwing hand IN and keeps the die HOT. Some people, however, consider it bad luck to throw and not be able to use that throw, as they could be using up sixes that they could have been throwing had they been able to move.
An additional rule which can be used, is to "save" sixes. That is, if a player throws a six he can save that six by noting it on a piece of paper, for use at a later time. If a player "saves" a six the subsequent throws are lost, therefore only one six per turn can be saved.
A player can use any or all of his "saved" sixes at any time providing that they are used BEFORE a throw takes place and only apply to one particular counter. A player can use one or more of his saved sixes on a particular counter but the subsequent throw must also be used for that counter or lost or challenged with. A "saved" six CANNOT be used to challenge with, nor can it form part of the sequence of challenging sixes. Once a player has thrown the die, he cannot then opt to use a saved six. Saved sixes cannot be carried from one game to the next, unless the players agree to do so.