What is it? How do I play?
Cintos is a board game originally developed for Mac OS X by a guy named John Haney. It's a game not unlike chess: much simpler, actually, but still strategy intensive. The board is an 8x8 grid home to 16 pieces. Each of the two or four players controls an equal part of the board and an equal number of the pieces. (See the graphics below for the board setup.) Players take turns moving pieces forward, backward, left, or right. Every move triggers a battle in which players have the opportunity to capture each other's pieces. The object of the game is to capture all of the pieces.
The outcome of a battle is determined by three things: numbers, territory, and initiative—in that order. The battlefield, the area considered during a battle, is the square to which a piece is moved and the eight surrounding squares. There are five possible outcomes.
Victory by Numbers: If one player has more pieces on the battlefield than any other, that player captures all of the other players' pieces there.
Victory by Territory: If there is a tie and all of the pieces on the battlefield are on the territory of one of the tied players, that player captures all of the other players' pieces there.
Victory by Initiative: If there is a tie and all of the pieces on the battlefield are on the territory of a player not involved in the tie but the moving player is one of the tied players, the moving player captures all of the pieces there.
Tie by Initiative: If there is a tie and all of the pieces on the battlefield are on the territory of a player not involved in the tie and the moving player is not one of the tied players, the tie stands.
Tie by Territory: If there is a tie and the pieces on the battlefield are spread across multiple players' territories, the tie stands.
When a piece is captured, it changes color and comes under the captor's control, to be used like any other of his pieces. If you capture the last of a player's pieces, that player is eliminated and you also capture his territory. When territory is captured, it changes color and comes under the captor's control.
If you're having trouble understanding the rules, check out John Haney's pages for Cintos rules and detailed examples. Mac users might benefit from downloading the original game and trying it out.
Here's how everything works in the map. Use your Corsair to cast Disruption Web on a Medic to select a piece (that Medic will turn into a Marine to mark the piece you've selected) and then on a Ghost to select a possible move. If you change your mind after selecting a piece, cast Disruption Web anywhere to reset your selection. Your Corsair's energy will be enabled continuously during your turn, so you can key the second cast before the first one executes. Use other players' turns to reposition your Corsair so you don't waste time on it during your own turn. Sound effects and text messages accompany various actions to make sure you know what's going on.
Hopefully player territories are pretty intuitive. The dirt/grass pattern is red territory in the upper left and blue territory in the lowerright. The mud/high dirt pattern is yellow territory in the upper right and green territory in the lower left. I made it checkerboard instead of solid to make it easier to discern individual squares.
A fascinating element of the strategy is alternating focus on offense and defense, which is only really apparent in four player games. Fighting on your own territory is advantageous because you can successfully attack without maintaining numerical superiority on the battlefield. Aggressive assault on neutral territory is also advantageous because, again, you can capture your opponent's pieces without numerical superiority. With the few pieces in the game split among so many players and the board being so small, the differences are immense.
Downloads & Changelog
Planned features in future versions
- Add proper mission briefing.
- Choice between two or four player game.
- For two player games, vertical and diagonal territories.
- For four player games, team play.
- Two boards for two simultaneous games!
- Companion mod to replace terrain graphics with solid, outlined colors.
Version 1.5 currently in progress
Version 1.4 released on 11/27/2009
- Converted to four player game.
- Smaller board and pieces fit entirely on the screen.
- Updated sound effects and notifications.
- Redesigned triggers, speeding up the counting system.
- Observer slots...just in case this gets really popular.
- Cut out mission briefing, pending updates.
- Download this version, 52.93 KB.
Version 1.3 released on 11/13/2009
- Added mission briefing and mission objectives.
- Consolidated team colors.
- Sound and text message notifications now work for both players, not just the active one.
- Fixed an end-game glitch where victory/defeat would be declared before one player technically controlled all the pieces.
- Pared down the triggers, making them simpler and more efficient.
- Download this version, 46.75 KB.
Version 1.2 released on 11/10/2009
- Redesigned terrain and triggers from scratch.
- Switched to Disruption Web selection system.
- Improved sound effects and text message notifications.
- No mission briefing, mission objectives, or observer slots.
- Download this version, 46.9 KB.
Version 1.1 released on 05/02/2007
- Revised mission briefing, added turn start notification, added reset function, opened observer slots.
- Download this version, 53.83 KB.
Version 1.0 released on 04/29/2007
- Two players, large board and pieces, horizontal territories, Mind Control selection system.
Screenshots & Examples - from Version 1.2
Every time you move, although you have the opportunity to capture enemy pieces, you also risk having your pieces captured.
Flanking is a fundamental strategy. Because you have to move a piece to trigger a battle, a clump of pieces stuck against each other and unable to maneuver is not very useful.
The defensive advantage cannot be overemphasized. Even a few pieces, skillfully maneuvered on friendly territory, can turn the tide of battle.
This is the same game that was in the previous screenshots. Once again, the defensive advantage is key.
Testing & Feedback
You can never find all the bugs on your own and it's especially difficult to test a multiplayer map by yourself. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated. Anyone interested should PM me. I always welcome feedback—whether it's about my ideas, the map, or my explanations. If you're a fellow mapmaker curious about how I designed the map, don't hesitate to ask questions. I'd be happy to explain every single trigger if you're struggling with a map of your own.
Post has been edited 12 time(s), last time on Nov 28 2009, 4:00 am by Yossarian.
None.