Divide and Conquer

In this Main Match, claim the perfect spot on the increasingly divided number line in order to score.

Designer(s): e_is_cool, elara Match Type: MM (for 7 players)
Featured in: The Genius: Contractual Obligation

Main Match 6: Divide and Conquer

This is a limited communications Main Match. During Round 1, there are free communications with everyone, but during later rounds communication may be restricted.

IMAGE SUMMARY





OVERVIEW

This MM takes place on a number line numbered from 0 to 99 inclusive. This number line will be split up over the course of the MM (each individual line will maintain numbers in increasing order from left to right). In each round, each player will claim some number of integers on this number line. These claims persist throughout the entirety of the MM.


ROUNDS

During Round 1, each player will claim one integer. This integer, in addition to being a claim, will also be a player's home number. A player's home line is the line where their home number is.


✏️ Players must claim during Round 1. This requirement is not in place for future rounds.


For Round 2, the number line will be split into a line with only even numbers, and a line with only odd numbers.

During Round 2, players can claim up to two integers: one on their home line, and one on the other line.


For Round 3, the lines will be split into 4 lines total, based on the number's divisibility by 4.

✏️ The lines would be {0, 4, 8, …, 96}, {1, 5, 9, …, 97}, {2, 6, 10, …, 98}, and {3, 7, 11, …, 99}.

During Round 3, players can claim up to three integers: one on their home line, and two on two distinct other lines.


SCORING

Players will earn points each round based on all of their claimed numbers.


A number's left distance is the distance between it and the closest claimed number strictly less than it. Similarly, a number's right distance is the distance between it and the closest claimed number strictly greater than it. If there are no claimed numbers in that direction, the distance is considered to the end of the line.

✏️ This means that the leftmost number has a left distance of 0, and the rightmost number has a right distance of 0.

✏️ Note that even if the closest claim in either direction is the same player's claim, it will still count as the "boundary" for the number's left and right distances.


For each claimed number, a player earns points equal to the sum of its left and right distances, divided by the number of players who claimed that number. If a player has a unique claim that also has equal left and right distances, they gain bonus points equal to their left distance.


INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION

For each round, for the numbers a player claims in that round, they will be informed on its left and right distances. Additionally, players are informed of their current point total.


You may only communicate with players on the same home line as you. At the beginning of each round, players are privately informed on who is on their home line. After the end of Round 3, all communications are open again.


One time in the MM, you may query a line. At the start of the next round, you will be privately informed of all claimed numbers on that line (not but who claimed them).

✏️ In Round 1, players may query either the even line or the odd line. In Round 2, players may query either the 0, 1, 2, or 3 line (referring to the lines with those numbers, respectively). Players cannot query on Round 3.


RESULTS

Players are ranked by their point total, with ties broken by the sum of their claimed numbers, then by previous MM results.


Only the highest ranked players in each of the 4 home lines are eligible for a ToL.

✏️ The 4 home lines are the lines at the end of Round 3.


  • The highest ranked one gets a 3/4 ToL.
  • The second highest ranked one gets a 1/4 ToL.
  • The third highest ranked one gets a 0/4 ToL.

  • The two lowest ranked players that don't have a ToL are the ECs.

CONTRACTS

There is one optional contract, and you may choose whether you accept it:

Shackles Pact

For the rest of the ORG, except for the very final episode, you can only ban a maximum of one DM in each DM you are in.

Reward: 1 Shard


Please pick one of these three contracts:

Contract of Large Numbers

Have the total sum of your claimed numbers be at least 400.

Reward: 1 Shard


Contract of Loneliness

Be the only one on your home line for Round 3.

Reward: 1 Shard


Contract of Balance

Earn the bonus points on one of your claims at least 4 times (out of the 10 possible times).

Reward: 2 Shards

Tags

Area control    (The game involves controlling more area on the board in order to win.)

Limited communication    (The game cuts or restricts communications in some way between players.)

Line-based    (The game takes place on a one-dimensional line.)

Piece placement    (The game involves pieces being placed on a board.)

Points-based    (The game involves players earning points.)