Atomic Pile is a two-player game.
The object is to build an Atom, similar to one of the three starting patterns, inside the Core. The Core is the yellow area at the center of the playing field.
Play begins with removal of the Control Rods from the Core and their placement on empty spaces of the playing field. Spaces which are not adjacent to another Control Rod nor the edge of the playing field. Each player picks up and places one Control Rod per turn until all the Control Rods have been placed. Once a Control Rod is placed on the playing field, it cannot be moved the remainder of the game.
Each of the Atoms are made up of three types of particles, four Electrons, two Protons and one Neutron. Each particle can be moved according to the following rules:
ELECTRONS and PROTONS
These two particles may move by orbiting and free-flight.
Orbiting consists of moving around, through empty spaces, an adjacent particle or Control Rod.
An Electron and Proton may orbit any one particle or Control Rod. Free-flight is accomplished by an Electron or Proton when it is only adjacent to particles of its kind. When that adjacent particle is behind and an empty space is in front, the Electron or Proton may fly in a straight line until it strikes another particle, a Control Rod or the edge of the playing field.
If an Electron strikes a Proton, the Proton becomes a Neutron.
If a Proton strikes an Electron, the Electron becomes a Neutron.
If an Electron strikes a Neutron, the Neutron becomes n Electron.
If a Proton strikes a Neutron, the Neutron becomes a Proton.
If an Electron strikes an Electron, or a Proton strikes a Proton, it preforms a deflecting bounce.
If an Electron or Proton strikes the edge of the playing field, they preform a reflecting bounce.
If an Electron or Proton strikes a Control Rod, it stops movement.
A deflecting bounce consists of a change in direction of travel, either right-forward or left-forward.
A reflecting bounce consists of a change in direction of travel, either right-forward, left-forward, right-backward or left-backward. Only one bounce, either deflecting or reflecting, is permitted per turn. If the bounce would result in a possible second bounce, the first bounce cannot be preformed.
At the end of the bounce, either reflecting or deflecting, all strike conditions must be observed.
NEUTRONS
Neutron can only orbit. They cannot orbit other Neutrons or Control Rods.
A player may move any particle on the playing field, after all Control Rod placements, under the following restrictions:
- A player may not move any particle, or its surrounding particles, which the opponent last moved.
- Particles in the Core cannot be moved.
A player can lose the game, if at the end of the turn there is only one Proton or Electron left. Or the outer rim of the Core is filled and there is no Neutron in its center. Since all of these conditions would prevent any possiblity of an Atom being formed in the Core.
|
