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<page xmlns="http://projectmallard.org/1.0/" xmlns:its="http://www.w3.org/2005/11/its" type="topic" style="task" id="start-position" xml:lang="hu"> <!-- the "its" line is allowing translations for medias -->

  <info>
    <link type="guide" xref="index#tips"/>
    <revision pkgversion="3.36" version="0.1" date="2020-01-31" status="final"/>

    <credit type="author copyright">
      <name>Arnaud Bonatti</name>
      <email>arnaud.bonatti@gmail.com</email>
      <years>2020</years>
    </credit>

    <license href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/">
      <p>Creative Commons Share Alike 3.0</p>
    </license>
  
    <mal:credit xmlns:mal="http://projectmallard.org/1.0/" type="translator copyright">
      <mal:name>Kelemen Gábor</mal:name>
      <mal:email>kelemeng at gnome dot hu</mal:email>
      <mal:years>2013, 2014, 2015.</mal:years>
    </mal:credit>
  </info>

  <title>Vary start position</title>

  <p><app>Reversi</app> allows to start a game with a different initial position than the usual one of the reversi game family.</p>

  <section id="varying-start-position">
    <title>Varying start position</title>

    <p>To enable or disable this option, while <link xref="configure">configuring a new game</link>, click on the <gui>Difficulty</gui> button, and in the menu that appears, select <gui>Vary start position</gui>.</p>

    <p>If you are playing a <link xref="ai-game">game against the computer</link>, enabling this option will start new games with a random position in the six <link xref="#start-positions">possible start positions</link>.</p>

    <p>If you are <link xref="2player">playing with another player</link>, enabling this option will start new games with the <link xref="#human-overture">two-player game overture</link>.</p>

    <p>If the option is disabled, then the usual position of the reversi game family is always used for new games. See its description in the list of <link xref="#start-positions">possible start positions</link>.</p>
  </section>

  <section id="start-positions">
    <title>Possible start positions</title>

    <p>There are really two possible start positions in <app>Reversi</app>, up to six as their symmetries can also be played.</p>

    <p>The two main positions are the following:</p>

    <table>
      <tr>
        <td>
          <media type="image" mime="image/png" src="figures/usual-start.png" width="200" its:translate="no">
            <p its:translate="yes">Usual start position: light-dark, dark-light</p>
          </media>
        </td>
        <td>
          <media type="image" mime="image/png" src="figures/alternative-start.png" width="200" its:translate="no">
            <p its:translate="yes">Alternative position: dark-light, dark-light</p>
          </media>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>
          <p><em>Usual start position</em></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p><em>Alternative position</em></p>
        </td>
      </tr>
    </table>

    <p>Their allowed symmetries are the following:</p>

    <table>
      <tr>
        <td>
          <media type="image" mime="image/png" src="figures/symmetric-start.png" width="92" its:translate="no">
            <p its:translate="yes">Only symmetry of the usual start position: dark-light, light-dark</p>
          </media>
        </td>
        <td>
          <media type="image" mime="image/png" src="figures/alternative-start-1.png" width="92" its:translate="no">
            <p its:translate="yes">First symmetry of the alternative position: dark-dark, light-light</p>
          </media>
        </td>
        <td>
          <media type="image" mime="image/png" src="figures/alternative-start-2.png" width="92" its:translate="no">
            <p its:translate="yes">Second symmetry of the alternative position: light-dark, light-dark</p>
          </media>
        </td>
        <td>
          <media type="image" mime="image/png" src="figures/alternative-start-3.png" width="92" its:translate="no">
            <p its:translate="yes">Last symmetry of the alternative position: light-light, dark-dark</p>
          </media>
        </td>
      </tr>
    </table>
  </section>

  <section id="human-overture">
    <title>Two-player game overture</title>

    <p>When <link xref="2player">playing with another player</link> with the <link xref="#varying-start-position"><gui>Vary start position</gui></link> option enabled, new games will start with a special two-player game overture.</p>

    <p>The board is started empty. The two players are going to place the four initial pieces before starting the game.</p>

    <steps>
      <item>
        <p><em>Dark</em> goes first, and places the first piece on one of the four central tiles of the board.</p>
      </item>
      <item>
        <p><em>Light</em> places one piece in one of the two available positions next to the dark piece.</p>
      </item>
      <item>
        <p><em>Dark</em> then places a piece on one of the two remaining central tiles of the board.</p>
      </item>
      <item>
        <p><em>Light</em> finishes the opening by placing a second piece at the remaining place.</p>
      </item>
      <item>
        <p>The game is then started, following the <link xref="rules">reversi rules</link>.</p>
      </item>
    </steps>

    <p>This opening allows the first player to choose if the game will start with a position “in cross” (the usual start position or its symmetry) or a “parallel” position (the alternative position or one of its symmetries).</p>
  </section>

</page>
