Poolgame: Kill the King

Also while writing out the rules again, im starting to think this game works better without endless recruitment.
There could be an initial recruitment phase and the recruitment of the remaining balls, but once a ball is legally spotted, it's gone.

That is easier and it puts an end to a rack.
 
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Also while writing out the rules again, im starting to think this game works better without endless recruitment.
There could be an initial recruitment phase and the recruitment of the remaining balls, but once a ball is legally spotted, it's gone.

That is easier and it puts an end to a rack.
That sounds like a good idea to me. Placing a ball is very powerful at the moment, and in a way, it's good for your opponent to pocket your ball because it gives you another chance to place one exactly (whereas if it was still on the table, at best you'd have to roll it inaccurately).

Which gives me an idea: an illegally potted ball could be available for recruitment again, but not allowed to be respotted 'for free' (unless it was the king). Might work, might not.
 
Another constraint on recruiting balls could be they can only go on your own half of the table (same as at the start of the rack).
 
Odd. I've tried again from your previous shot, and it wouldn't save the layout. Also the 15 had lost its number and the 12 had vanished!

I've tried from a couple of shots prior, and I think this one gets us back on track: https://pad.chalkysticks.com/15a88

Edit: and that link's giving me a blank screen now. Maybe chalkysticks is having a meltdown.

We could start over (after giving chalkysticks some time to recover), testing a rule for the 8.

Did you envision:
- You can't contact the 8 at all
- You can't use the 8 for a combo (to make a ball), but you're allowed to hit it
- You can use the 8 however you like
- Something else?

Also, legally pocketed balls stay down?
 
Yes, after all I gambled and lost. Congrats on winning the first game of Kill the King, ever played 😀

I could have known about your 6. Did you have a clue which was my assassin?

Yes a new game would be great, with new rules. I'd like to suggest - do let me know if you think otherwise - the following:

- recruitment phase: 11 points.
- legally potted balls are gone forever.
- illegally potted balls are respotted after the shot. Anywhere on the table, they then participate normally.
- in a cannon it's the cue ball that counts

As for the 8: give me a rule you're curious about!

I'm on the fence about when to assign the role of assassin. Before the first ball is placed? or: after the last ball is placed?
 
I could have known about your 6. Did you have a clue which was my assassin?
I didn't, but I suspected the 9 and 13. Which did you pick?
Yes a new game would be great, with new rules. I'd like to suggest - do let me know if you think otherwise - the following:

- recruitment phase: 11 points.
- legally potted balls are gone forever.
- illegally potted balls are respotted after the shot. Anywhere on the table, they then participate normally.
- in a cannon it's the cue ball that counts

As for the 8: give me a rule you're curious about!

I'm on the fence about when to assign the role of assassin. Before the first ball is placed? or: after the last ball is placed?
I suggest:
- New recruits only on they player's original half of the table
- The cue ball isn't allowed to hit the 8 first (but if one of the balls in motion hits the 8 later in the shot, that's okay)
- Assign the assassin before placing the first ball (to see what difficulties that creates)

If that's everything we need, you can go first this time, and we can both let TS know our assassin before placing the first ball (or I'm happy to do it on trust :) )
 
I didn't, but I suspected the 9 and 13. Which did you pick?

I suggest:
- New recruits only on they player's original half of the table
- The cue ball isn't allowed to hit the 8 first (but if one of the balls in motion hits the 8 later in the shot, that's okay)
- Assign the assassin before placing the first ball (to see what difficulties that creates)

If that's everything we need, you can go first this time, and we can both let TS know our assassin before placing the first ball (or I'm happy to do it on trust :) )
It was the 9 indeed!

Ok, lets do them all.
The 8 rule is not clear to me though. You mean: never hit the 8 with cue ball? What happens if you do?
OR do you mean: in a cannon you need to play ball 1 against ball 2 against the 8 against the called object ball? 🤔

I will send my assassin to him just because it must be entertaining.
 
For the 8, I suggest a rule that you can never hit the 8 with the cue ball (unless the cue ball has hit another OB first). For the penalty, maybe the opponent can re-spot a pocketed ball (by the same rules as for a wrongfully pocketed ball)?

I place the 11: https://pad.chalkysticks.com/ba073

And will message TS with my assassin now.
 
For the 8, I suggest a rule that you can never hit the 8 with the cue ball (unless the cue ball has hit another OB first). For the penalty, maybe the opponent can re-spot a pocketed ball (by the same rules as for a wrongfully pocketed ball)?

I place the 11: https://pad.chalkysticks.com/ba073

And will message TS with my assassin now.
I think it's my mobile that's messing things up. Getting a ball anywhere is a pain in the assassin.

Added the 3: https://pad.chalkysticks.com/76839

As for the 8: ok! Itll be rare, but that could bring back a ball from the death, correct?
 
For the 8, I suggest a rule that you can never hit the 8 with the cue ball (unless the cue ball has hit another OB first). For the penalty, maybe the opponent can re-spot a pocketed ball (by the same rules as for a wrongfully pocketed ball)?

I place the 11: https://pad.chalkysticks.com/ba073

And will message TS with my assassin now.
I don't know if it will work for you, but sometimes it helps me to cut things to the bare minimum and see what is actually necessary. Then I add everything and see what is unnecessary. It may be helpful to try the most basic ruleset, and then the most complex ruleset, sometimes that sort of process can speed up development.
 
As for the 8: ok! Itll be rare, but that could bring back a ball from the death, correct?
Correct. But...
I don't know if it will work for you, but sometimes it helps me to cut things to the bare minimum and see what is actually necessary. Then I add everything and see what is unnecessary. It may be helpful to try the most basic ruleset, and then the most complex ruleset, sometimes that sort of process can speed up development.
Taking this into account, shall we say no restrictions around hitting / using the 8 for now? (And we can try introducing variations later.)
 
TS suggested keeping the shots in order, so people can click through them shot by shot. This should be easy enough by quoting the previous shot post and adding the new shot to the list, for example:

Added the 6: https://pad.chalkysticks.com/de4de
 
Taking this into account, shall we say no restrictions around hitting / using the 8 for now? (And we can try introducing variations later.)
Ok, so the 8 can be freely used in a cannon, it's the cue ball that determines if it's a legal shot.
And you can play the cue ball against the 8 to move it. Check.

Also reminder: you're also allowed to hit nothing. Just roll a ball somewhere. So far I just wanted to move balls. But basically there's no foul in this game. (unless you use the 8 or opponents ball as a cue ball, but then you just need to get checked)
 
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For spectators: all rulles of the recruitment phase
For the recruitment phase we have 11 points to buy balls. The cost of a ball is equal to the number on the ball. The King is free. Balls can only be placed on your own half of the table. The 8 is a neutral ball and is placed in the center. The last player to place a ball does NOT start. If you don't spend all your points you can reorder* your recruitment queue (balls that have not been recruited). If you don't have a point to spend, they're sorted in numerical order from weak to strong.
Before placing our first ball we messaged our ref Tomatoshooter which ball is the Assassin: a secret Kingslayer.


* @Pin : I would say that with only 11 points: if you keep 1 spare point, you can reorder your entire queue (not just 1 ball). What do you think?
So here's the opening, I place the 1: https://pad.chalkysticks.com/15050
As an experiment I will place my King early: https://pad.chalkysticks.com/5ee9d

Dawizard: 11 - 1 - 3 - 0 = 7 points remaining
Pin: 11 - 3 - 6 = 2 points remaining.
 
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I would say that with only 11 points: if you keep 1 spare point, you can reorder your entire queue (not just 1 ball). What do you think?
Let's try it now.

So here's the opening, I place the 1: https://pad.chalkysticks.com/15050
As an experiment I will place my King early: https://pad.chalkysticks.com/5ee9d
Also as an experiment, I place my king here: https://pad.chalkysticks.com/d6ce2
(The idea is that with the 8 obstructing, the 15 can only be shot to the lower middle pocket from here.)
 

Not my last ball, al though it would be interesting if it was. Night zzz
 
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