[Icehouse] Trehouse set v. single stash

[Frank F. Smith]

David Artman wrote:
<snip>
> SO, how about these revisions:
>
> * If the game uses no more than 15 pieces, and color is irrelevant ***or
> the use of opaques hinders play***, then it's "single stash."
>
> * If the game uses no more than 15 pieces, and color is relevant or is
> ***critical*** to distinguish piece ownership during play, then it's
> "Treehouse set."
>
> Closer? Or do you have a set of counter-definitions that "hook into"
> simpler ways to distinguish?
>   
Maybe a third category would help? Something like:
Where Stash = a set of 15 pyramids, 5 of each size

"Standard Stash" -- playable with any stash. Color irrelevant, opacity 
irrelevant.
"Treehouse Set" -- playable with a Treehouse set.
"Special Stash" -- playable with <=15 pyramids but requires additional 
specifications.

So "standard stash" is a subset of "treehouse". _Any_ of the 
pre-Treehouse monochrome stashes or a Treehouse set will work.
"Treehouse Set" games that are not also "Standard Stash" rely on some 
feature of the Treehouse set, either a mix of colors or a single nest of 
opaques.
"Special Stash" games cannot be played with a Treehouse set or an 
arbitrary monochrome stash -- but might work with _some_ monochrome 
stashes. (E.g., a game that requires all opaque or all transparent, or 
two to four opaque nests. Maybe <= 15 pyramids but a different 
distribution of sizes.) I imagine these games are relatively rare.

The Special Stash category doesn't feel _quite_ right to me. Vaguely 
paraphyletic, but might be useful anyway.

Frank F. Smith

> Thanks!
> David
>