Seven Gem Swap

Did You Know: MM7 is the only Main Match to have the current number of players be equal to its number (in a standard 13-player Genius ORG).

Summary

Group specific colors of gems by swapping them over a 10x10 grid. The bigger the size of your largest group, the more points you score.

Setup

The game is played on a single grid, 10 x 10 in size. The spaces in the grid are labelled with a coordinate system: 1-10 vertically and A-J horizontally. In each space of the grid, there will be either a gem with one of these colors: [red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet], or a rock. The placement of these gems will be revealed at the start of the game, and there will be ten gems of each color. All remaining spaces (30 of them) will be filled with rocks.

Once placements are revealed, pregame begins, and players will bid for their personal color, which corresponds to one of the seven gem colors. Only one player will claim each color. Players will submit a number of negative points to begin the game with, and three gems (ranked in order first choice, second choice, and third choice). Players have 24 hours to do so.

For each color, the player who has submitted the most negative points for that color as their first choice will claim that color as their personal color. For all remaining colors, the remaining player who has submitted the most negative points for their color as their second choice will claim that color. Finally, for all remaining colors, the remaining player who has submitted the most negative points for their color as their third choice will claim that color. All remaining players will be randomly assigned to the remaining colors. If there is a tie for most negative points for any color at any step along this process, those players will move onto the next step, and that color will remain unclaimed.

Players who got their first choice will start the game with the full value of their negative points. Players who got their second choice will start the game with half the value of their negative points, rounded down (-13 would be rounded to -6).

Players who got their third choice will start the game with a fourth of the value of their negative points, rounded down (-13 would be rounded to -3).

Players who got randomly assigned will start the game with no negative points.

The colors of each player, along with their starting score, are publicized.

Each player will then gain 7 color cards: 1 card of each gem color, including their own.

Gameplay

In each of eight rounds, which last 24 hours each, players can submit a single gem of their color to control. They may move it using a movement sequence. Movement sequences consist of any number of single-space moves up, down, left, or right, (UDLR). For each move in the sequence, the controlled gem will move to that space, swapping its position with the adjacent gem or rock in the specified direction. This will also lock the space of the gem before the swap. Each move in the movement sequence resolves at the same time for each player, with an exception mentioned later.

If a player swaps a gem with an item in a locked space, then the swap fails and the sequence terminates early; also, if a player swaps with a gem being controlled by another player, that swap fails and the sequence terminates early as well. If a player’s sequence terminates for any reason, that player loses points equal to the round number (excepting the first round, where they would lose no points). After all movement sequences are done, all spaces become unlocked for the next round.

In the first round, players do not score any points. In rounds 2-8, players will also play one of their color cards in each round, discarding it as they do so.

At the end of rounds 2-8, players will score points on that grid equal to the round number times the size of the maximum group of gems such that all gems in the group match the player's personal color or the color of their color card (meaning a group can contain two distinct colors of gems). A group of gems is defined as a set of gems which is maximal (there is no larger set of gems which contains all gems in that group) and interconnected (it is possible to reach one gem from any other gem by only travelling across orthogonally adjacent gems). If a player plays the same color card as their personal color, the points they earn that round is multiplied by 3.

The color cards played by each player, the final grid, and the scores are publicized, but individual swaps are not.

Winners

The final score for each player is simply the sum of all that player’s points across all rounds.

The player who has the highest final score wins Two Tokens of Life. If there is a tie, all tied players win a Token of Life, provided there are three or less such players.

The player who has the lowest final score is Elimination Candidate.

Players get a garnet for every multiple of 75 points they have.

Submissions

In rounds 1-8, submit a movement sequence and a space a gem of your color is on.

In rounds 2-8, submit a color card. You may not play a color card you have already played.

Garnets

Two garnets can be used to make a premove -- the first move of your movement sequence will be made first (along with all other players who have made a premove), and then the second move of your movement sequence will take place at the same time as the first move of the other players, and so on. This can only be done once per round per player. The price doubles each time this is used.

Clarification: If a move would terminate a sequence, that move would not occur. Furthermore, in Round 1, there is no penalty for terminating a sequence early.

Edit: The penalty for terminating a sequence early has been changed to be equal to the round number in points.

Example: If Yellow's piece at C3 were to move ULULD, the grid will be as follows (with A1, B1, B2, C2, and C3 being locked):

blob:https://imgur.com/71e93d3d-b2c2-4356-a8c1-94248026d341

Red's largest group would be of size 3, and so would Yellow's largest group. Orange's largest group would be of size 1.

(By the way, Rocks are colored black in the image)

Clarification: In rounds 1-8, you submit a movement sequence and a space a gem of your color is on. The previous submission wording was from a previous version of the game.

Clarification: If you do not submit, you will automatically play a random color card and submit no movement sequence.

Clarification: "The maximum group of gems such that all gems in the group have a color matching either their personal color or their color card they played" means that a group can consists of two distinct colors of gems.

Clarification: Once a move sequence has ended, the moving gem is then locked.

Clarification: If a player plays the same color card as their personal color, the points they earn that round is multiplied by 3. This does not count points lost (by collision).