Closed Post: The only way to learn is by playing

[futaille]

There has been a seismic shift in the pinball status quo and Grantaire unwittingly brought it just by mentioning the game at the wrong time. Or the right one, really. Watching Magnus play was honestly kind of amazing, but it also was a very fast shift in fortune, especially with tales of Alex even beyond that. And if Grantaire wanted any hope of keeping any Rs at all on the high score list long-term, he needed to refine his game. (Sometimes it's easier to be spurred on by someone clearly ahead of you than someone coming up behind.)

So he is, of course, in the game room one dark (and Dark) evening, working on improving. Of course, as always, his plans are fully subject to change when previous offers come back to the forefront.

Comments

[futaille]

"All right, so you basically want to suffocate the stones."

[lightbearinglord]

"In essence," Lan Wangji says, without any trace of amusement at the analogy. He contemplates the board before making his first proper move as he places a white stone a distance from Grantaire's. "The game ends when it is obvious that one of us has captured more of the board than the other. No positions can be repeated."

[futaille]

He puts another stone down about the same distance from his first as Lan Wangji's, although on the other side. "How obvious is obvious?"

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji considers the board at length before placing his next stone. Only then does he answer. "If you are paying attention, obvious enough."

[futaille]

"I assume more experience makes it more obvious too. Like how very good chess players know who's won well before having to play it out." He places another piece.

[lightbearinglord]

"Mn. Some strategies are more difficult to predict than others." Like Wei Ying's, much of the time, but Lan Wangji doesn't mind losing to him.

[futaille]

"That makes sense. It's a big board, so a lot of opportunities to make strange choices."

[lightbearinglord]

"There are smaller boards. I prefer not to go easy on beginners."

[futaille]

"How convenient. I prefer no one go easy on me."

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji lets that pass with nothing more than one mild glance. Whether it is of approval or disapproval is impossible to determine. He's silent as he considers the board, but admittedly it is not difficult to keep playing against Grantaire, who has no concept of the overarching strategy just yet. He sets another stone in place.

[futaille]

Grantaire places another piece of his own. "I imagine this is the kind of game that could take a while to play, at least with evenly matched players. Such a large board with so many options to think through when you actually know what you're doing."

[lightbearinglord]

"My brother and I often played for several shichen at a time," Lan Wangji agrees. The two of them are almost perfectly matched as weiqi players, as they are in many things.

[futaille]

He doesn't have exact context but gathers easily enough that that's a reasonable amount of time. "Makes sense."

[lightbearinglord]

With apologies to Grantaire, Lan Wangji retreats into silence again. He's entirely still, contemplating the board before he makes his next move. As he said, he has no interest in going easy on beginners. Grantaire's skill level will rise to meet his, in time -- or not, depending on his diligence.

[futaille]

Grantaire absently plays with the stones in his bowl as he looks at the board himself. So early into the game, there are still so many options, and he has only a very basic understanding of the game, obviously, so while he's also thinking over moves, he's first contemplating places aesthetically before then going back to consider whether maybe it the spot in question might actually be strategically decent.

[lightbearinglord]

After a protracted pause, Lan Wangji does in fact make a move. He notes the restless fiddling of Grantaire's hand as he does so. He lets another small pause pass, then begins to speak, both in a genuine effort to teach and so that Grantaire will have something on which to hang his attention. "It is wise to construct a defense by grouping your stones together. When they are connected, more breaths are available to them."

[futaille]

"Ah, safety in numbers, then." He sets his next stone down next to his first.

[lightbearinglord]

"Mn." Lan Wangji follows the motion of Grantaire's move with his eyes, remaining still otherwise. "Do not be too enamored of safety, however. The edges of the board may seem tempting, but they also reduce the number of breaths your stones have."

[futaille]

"That makes sense. Being cornered while under attack certainly is an effective way to remove the amount of breaths you have."

[lightbearinglord]

"Best not to be fighting with one's back to the river unless it is unavoidable," Lan Wangji agrees. He stays poised for a thoughtful stretch with a stone between his fingers before placing it at last.

[futaille]

"Such as when the river is teeming with crocodiles. Very difficult to ford that way. I'm sure it's terrible for the horses. At least if there's cavalry involved. Even worse for the infantry, though. Maybe that is the ideal time to actually use elephants." He picks up one of his stones and absently rolls it in his fingers for a bit before placing it down near one of his others, shading towards the center.

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji, who has now identified the general shape of the defense he would like to construct, is much quicker to deploy his next stone, in concert with the others. "In this game, you will need to persevere without elephants," he says dryly.

[futaille]

"Honestly, elephants where there shouldn't be and none where they would actually be useful. What a turn of events." He places his next stone.

[lightbearinglord]

There is obviously some story he is missing here. Lan Wangji says nothing, but he glances up, awaiting the explanation -- or, at least, the continuation -- that he presumes is forthcoming.

[futaille]

"I think I alluded to it at the meeting, but there was a well-regarded general of antiquity who decided to lead war elephants over mountains as part of an invasion force. It ended about as well for the elephants as one might expect."