DareBase

The notation for DareBase is unfortunately not immediately intuitive.

• All moves are prefixed by a declaration of which die you are using as a piece designator and which die you are using for distance. This is stated in the form piece/distance. That is, if you have the dice 1 and 4 you could write:
  • 1/4 to move your 1 piece up to 4 spaces, or
  • 4/1 to move your 4 piece 1 space.

• After this declaration should come a colon(:) followed by a list of cell designations, separated by dashes(-), starting with the starting cell. For example, with dice of 1 & 4 and piece #1 being found at a2:
  • 1/4:a2-a3-a4-a5-a6

• For moving pieces on and off the board, the special keyword off is used.
  • 1/4:off-b1-b2-b3-b4 is how you would enter a piece.
  • 1/4:b1-off-b1-b2-b3 is how you would bear one off and bring it back in.

• Flag handling is done by using a lower-case v for dropping and a caret(^) for picking up. The appropriate symbol should be placed immediately following the cell designation as follows:
  • 1/4:a2-a3-a4^-a5-a6 picks up a flag at a4 and keeps moving.
  • 1/4:a2-a3-a4v-a5-a6 drops a flag you're already carrying at a4 and continues moving.

• In some instances the flag will be automatically picked up (ie. capturing a flag-bearer or in the Quick Pick-Up scenario).

• For end-of-game detection, you do not technically have to drop the flag for it to be recognized. In the Steady Supply scenario, for example, if you have placed a flag on one base and move a flag-bearer to the other base, you do not have to specify v for the win to be recognized.

• To pass your turn enter the word pass into the move window. It is very infeasible for the system to generate a complete list of moves therefore verifying whether or not a pass is legal is impossible. It is up to the players to determine whether the pass was indeed valid.

• Flag handling! Remember that all flag handling is optional and must be explicitely stated. If you're being told you can't drop a flag you don't have, perhaps you forgot to pick it up!

A pawn is able to move 2/3 of the time.

Pawn #1 moves the fastest and Pawn #5 the slowest. The average speed when the dice allow a pawn to move is

There is no chance of having to pass with one pawn in jail

There is a 1/18 chance of having to pass with two pawns in jail

There is a 1/6 chance of having to pass with three pawns in jail

The tables I used follow: