========================================================================= Virtual Sumo readme textfile -- vsreadme.txt To accompany vsumo.exe v0.5b 10/22/1999 Copyright 1999 Andy Tanis t-c@japan.email.ne.jp http://www.ne.jp/asahi/japan/tanis ========================================================================== The zip file you downloaded contains 3 files: * vsumo.exe -- the executable * rikishi.r -- the file that is continually updated with your rikishi stats and banzuke information (the one included contains the beginnings of a certain cyberikishi's career--feel free to start your own) * vsreadme.txt -- this file vsumo.exe and rikishi.r must be in the same directory for the game to run. ========================================================================= Well, after about half a year the Windows version is finally out! I don't know where that time went! ...Well, actually I do--I took a few months off from working on it, and just began again about a month ago, right after our baby was born! So, sorry for the wait, but now I'm working on it pretty steadily, and improvements should come fairly regularly (depending on how much feedback I get), especially once the Windows version proves to be fairly stable (beware--play at your own risk--it has only been playtested a bit by me so far [but my computer hasn't blown up yet!]). Once again--a big thanks to everyone who tried the early versions, and I eagerly await feedback! Note: Rikishi from earlier versions are not compatable with this version. =========================================================================== Quickstart: If you want to jump right in that's great--the only thing you really need to know are sumo basics--and you can get by without those too, but you probably won't enjoy the simulation very much... Basically, first you can "Create Rikishi", or just start with the one included ("Seigatakaigai"). Then you can start into a tournament. Note: You can only have 1 rikishi at a time--creating and saving a new one will erase the old one. Tournament and all rikishi information is automatically saved and is kept in the "rikishi.r" file, which has to be in the same directory as "vsumo.exe". Come back and check out this readme if you have questions. ======================================================================== Table of Contents: 1) Major changes/improvements in new versions 2) Helping beta-test & misc. 3) Improvements and enhancements in the works (or just under consideration) 4) Known Bugs 5) Background info. 6) Virtual Sumo sections: A. Create a new rikishi B. View Banzuke C. View Rikishi D. Tournament ============================================================================ 1) Major changes in new versions: ---------------------------v0.5b-------------------------------------------- * Hey--look Mom, no Dos prompt! Yes, that's right kids, we've finally made the move to a 100% 32-bit Windows application! It's still pretty basic--just a first draft--but I'm very interested in comments and suggestions on the look and feel (and bugs!). There are (quite!) a few things that are in progress (see section 3), but I thought it would be good to first make sure that the basic engine is solid before incorporating more in the distributed version. It was designed at 800 x 600 screen resolution--it does just fit when the display is set at 640 x 480, but it doesn't resize yet (smaller font size, etc.). At 1024 x 768 it's pretty small, but of course all of this is on my 15" monitor. Also, if you move the windows around, once you exit and then restart the program, the windows go back to their default positions--I hope to change this soon. * Upgraded kettei-sen (last day playoff) again (and I hope I finally got it right!) so that a playoff of 5 or 6 rikishi first fight one round to trim the rikishi number down to 3, who then have to win 2 in a row to claim the championship. * Gaming matrix. Strategy bonus points are awarded when a rikishi chooses a move that works well against the opponents move. Eg. I choose defense, you choose tenage (arm throw)--I get some bonus points because (often) trying tenage against a rikishi in a solid defensive position backfires. Somewhat like "Rock, paper, scissors", every move dominates one other move, but is itself dominated by another move. This forces rikishi to be more well-rounded, and increases the strategy involved in winning a match. * Improved AI for the computer figuring out and counter-attacking human rikishi patterns/strategies. ---------------------------v0.42b------------------------------------------- * Bonus point scheme overhauled again. * Mono-ii are called less frequently. * The range for the basic statistics is now 1-15 (from 1-10). This allows more realistic/noticeable power differentials between different levels of rikishi. * User rikishi get 5 more points to distribute to regular stats when created, and also 10 more points to combined height/weight. ---------------------------v0.4b-------------------------------------------- * Upgraded kettei-sen to allow for up to 6 rikishi, and users control their rikishi like in normal matches. * There is a chance of a mono-ii (judges meeting) after close matches. * A tournament leaderboard is shown from day 8 on. * Bonus point scheme overhauled. ---------------------------v0.3b-------------------------------------------- * Dynamic cyber-rikishi. All rikishi can change from basho to basho, thanks in part to two new stats--potential and age. * Potential stat. * Age stat. ============================================================================ 2) Helping beta-test & misc. Well, I've spent literally thousands of hours coding this simulation, and am having a lot of fun (and blood/sweat/tears/all-nighters). I have no idea how popular this might be. The market for this hardcore statistical simulation is pretty small--but I know there are quite a few sumo addicts out there. I'm hoping that a number of people (especially from the Sumo mailing list) will give these early versions a spin--telling me what they like, don't like, suggestions, comments, etc. I'd also appreciate opinions on any of the stuff in section 3 (Improvements/enhancements under consideration). Please email me at t-c@japan.email.ne.jp ============================================================================ 3) Improvements and enhancements in the works (or just under consideration): 1. A dynamic torikumi schedule. This way a snot-nosed M14 with 13-0 would be boosted up against sanyaku for a reality check, komusubi would go against yokozuna on day 1, yokozuna would face each other on the last day, etc. 2. More strategy options/moves available--eg. nodowa, leg-trips, hazu-oshi, inashi, uwate/shitate/migi/hidari yotsu/nage, etc. 3. Keep track of rikishi current positions and grips they have (eg. Takanohana has a migi-uwate grip, Shikishima has no grip; rikishi are together, neither with a grip; rikishi are apart). Rikishi would have more options open to them depending on position (in the above 3 examples: 1) Takanohana could try uwate-nage, Shikishima could try to break Taka's grip or go for his own grip; 2) the rikishi could either go for a grip, or try oshi or hazu-oshi to get apart; 3) the rikishi could try to get into the mawashi or launch a tsuppari attack, etc.). 4. Replace the "genki bar" with a "balance" bar and a "dohyo left" bar. You win a match by either forcing your opponent out of the dohyo, or cause him to lose his balance and force him down onto the dohyo. Successful pushing attacks would deplete your opponent's "dohyo left" (ie. he's being moved closer to the edge of the dohyo); successful arm throws, trips, and pushing/pulling attacks would deplete your opponent's balance. If either bar reaches zero, the rikishi loses. Thus you could use different strategies against different opponents (try to put Akebono off balance, try to force lighter/well-balanced rikishi out of the dohyo). The lower your weight, the easier you give up "doyho left"; the higher your height/weight, the easier you lose balance. A move like hatakikomi will probably bring your balance and dohyo left down a bit, as you are backing up--so you'd better be able to finish off your opponent with the move. 5. (Still just in the idea stage) A simple graphical overhead view of the dohyo, with the rikishi represented as spheres (or something simple)--the higher their current balance, the larger their sphere. This would change the game quite a bit because you would actually be moving yourself around the dohyo--I'm still not sure if I want to pursue this or not. 6. Add the option of viewing your opponent's stats just before the match, so you can better devise a strategy. 7. Show you and your opponent's rank during matches. 8. Write a short description of each rikishi, including strengths/weaknesses, to go along with their stats. 9. Show tournament names and where they are held. 10. A morale stat--can either help or hurt your performance; determined by winning/losing streaks and between basho good/bad news (marriage, oyakata problems, etc.). 11. A retirement option for user rikishi who have reached yokozuna--he becomes computer-controlled, and the user starts a new rikishi. 12. Add a juryo division, and a rikishi generator that would create new rikishi to come up for those that fall out of juryo. 13. Allow multiple user rikishi, each with their own seperate banzuke. 14. Reformat the banzuke so it all fits on one page (no scrolling) and print sanyaku ranks larger than maegashira. 14. Add a kimarite announcement after user rikishi matches. 15. Adding a kinboshi stat (when a sekiwake or lower ranked rikishi defeats a yokozuna), and sansho prizes (awarded after every basho to rikishi with various outstanding performances). Bonus points to stats would be awarded for these. 16. Converting this text document to HTML or some other format that would allow hyperlinks and graphics. 16. Hanamichi reports and winners interviews. ;-) 17. Any improvements/changes that people suggest. For updates and news check in at my website: http://www.ne.jp/asahi/japan/tanis ======================================================================= 4) Known bugs a) After a tournament and the banzuke is resorted, sometimes the numbers and buttons get a bit screwed up. If this happens just exit and restart and everything is displayed correctly. ======================================================================= 5) Background info. (_Why_ _Sumo_?!) Well, I became interested in sumo about a year ago after living in Japan for about 6 months. The first 6 months I saw an occasional fight, and thought what probably 95% (at least of foreigners) of people think about sumo--"Heh, fat guys in diapers pushing each other--interesting (o.k., a bit *bizarre*) but nothing to really grab me..." Then, over the next couple tournaments, I progressively watched more and more, started to recognize a few more fighters and their distinctive styles and quirks, read a book about sumo and got an understanding about the rules, the ceremonies, the history, etc. Before I knew it--*BOOM*--I was hooked. I think that once you understand what's going on inside that small dirt ring, and (very important) become familiar with the wrestlers themselves, it's pretty hard not to get hooked! When I'm watching the top division of sumo (the top 40 wrestlers) fight, I'm passionately involved because it feels like they are my 40 brothers--you come to care about (and despise some of) these guys (at least addicts like me do)! Why a computer simulation? Two reasons: 1) I love computers, and I've been learning C and C++ (programming languages) for the past year, and hope to keep improving and get some kind of programming job after I leave Japan. This is my first big programming project. It's actually my first programming project at all--I started while learning C the summer of '98, and I've been working on it (on and off) ever since. 2) As far as I know, there aren't any real sumo simulations out there--I know there are a few for consoles, but from what I've heard, they focus more on arcade action than on strategy and statistics, which is what I want to concentrate on. There may not be a huge market for a sumo simulation, but whatever market there is seems relatively untapped. And anyway, sumo addicts like myself could never have enough sumo games! =========================================================================== 6) Virtual Sumo sections: Well, at this point, it's stretching it a bit far to call this simulation "Virtual." This isn't Doom/Quake inside a dohyo (the dirt ring). At this point it's a statistical simulation where each rikishi (wrestler) is the composite of many statistics (strength, agility, etc.). You (the user) create a rikishi by allocating points into these statistics to shape him (or her!) your own way. You can increase these stats through doing well in tournaments (and they will decrease through poor performance). You can work your way up the banzuke (the rankings) just like in the real thing. Now let's take a quick peek at the different sections of the simulation: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A) Create Rikishi (wrestler): This is where you create your own rikishi that you will control. Your options: Shikona: Your sumo name. Real name: Hopefully you know that...or can make one up... Height: In centimeters. Minimum height is 170 cm. (5'7"). The shorter you are, the more agile/weak you are, and if you're really tall, you're less agile/stronger. Weight: In kilograms. (1 lb = 2.2 kg) Minimum is 75 kgs. Heavier --> Stronger/less agile. Lighter --> Weaker/more agile. Your starting height + weight cannot exceed 310 (for example, legit combinations would be 170cm & 140 kg or 190cm & 120 kg). I would suggest that you set your height fairly close to what you want it to be long term, because it's easier to put on kilos than it is to sprout up centimeters. For reference, the tallest/heaviest guy in the top division is Akebono, at 204 cm (6'8 1/4) & 232 kg (512 lb). He tends to fall over sometimes, but if he doesn't--watch out! The shortest/lightest guy (who has fallen to the 2nd division) is Mainoumi, at 171 cm (5'-7" 1/4) & 100 kg (221 lb), who is fast as lightning and has toppled all of the guys twice his weight--but if they get a good hold on him (not easy to do), he's in trouble. When creating a new rikishi you are given 25 points to allocate amongst the following (as you win matches and do well in tournaments, you receive additional points): Strength (base): 1-13 Errr...how strong you are! Your actual (adjusted) strength is based on this and then increased/decreased depending on your height and weight. Agility (base): 1-13 How fast you are and how good your balance is. If you find yourself stumbling a lot during your matches, increase your agility! Also adjusted based on height/weight. Note: Base strength and agility have a maximum of 13, but can exceed 13 depending on height and weight. Tachiai: 1-15 Initial charge of a rikishi and the resulting meeting with the other wrestler: how fast and with how much power/ balance you come out of the blocks with. A "+" denotes the move it dominates, a "-" denotes what it's weak against. Oshi: 1-15 "Push" A basic strategy of pushing your opponent back. Used by many rikishi, it has good potential for "damage", but a bit risky as it can put you off balance. +Hatakikomi -Yotsu Yotsu: 1-15 Getting a grip on the mawashi (belt/diaper). This strategy usually used by more skilled rikishi. Good for offense and defense, it's less risky than oshi, *if* you can get a grip. +Oshi -Tenage Tenage: 1-15 "Armthrow" The technique of getting a grip on your opponent (either around his body or mawashi) and flipping him over. A difficult but potentially devastating move that is often set up with yotsu technique. +Yotsu -Defense Tsuppari: 1-15 "Slapping" Similar to oshi, but including faster open- handed slaps to the face and neck. A useful technique for keeping the opponent at bay (especially a yotsu expert). +Defense -Hatakikomi Jump/Receive: 1-15 each. Two main types of tachiai. Jumpers like to get out of the blocks quickly trying to quickly overwhelm their opponent, usually with tsuppari or oshi. Receivers take their time, keeping an eye out for any tricks. They receive (and hopefully dissipate) the initial charge of their opponent, then often go for a mawashi grip and yotsu or tenage. Jump: +Tsuppari -Henka / Receive: +Henka -Tsuppari Hatakikomi: 1-15 "Pull down" If your opponent seems too far forward and off balance, often he can be pulled forward and helped onto all fours. A risky strategy, because if your opponent regains balance you will have given him momentum against you; and you often kill your forward momentum with this move. +Tsuppari -Oshi A special instance of hatakikomi is performed at the tachiai and is called "henka." Instead of meeting your opponent straight on you jump to the side, hoping he doesn't notice and sails right by you, putting him off balance and facing away from you--then it's a simple push and he's out of the ring. If he _does_ notice you jumping to the side and corrects his trajectory, you're in trouble. Henka is frowned upon in general, but some rikishi still get away with an easy win from time to time. +Jump -Receive Defense: 1-15 Overall how tough you are to shove out of or onto the ring. +Tenage -Tsuppari Stamina: 1-15 The higher your stamina the longer you can last in the ring. None of your 1-15 stats can be raised over 6 during creation--you have to _earn_ higher stats. After you allocate all your beginning points to your stats, click the save button you want to save this rikishi. Save and you can start your career with him. If you click cancel nothing is saved. You start your first tournament at the bottom of the rankings ("banzuke"), and at the tender young age of 21. NOTE: You can only have one rikishi at a time. If you already have a rikishi and create and save a new one, the old one will be erased! If you want to create a new one and save the current one, move the "rikishi.r" file into a different directory, because that's the file that will be overwritten. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- B) View Banzuke The banzuke is the rankings of the top division (40 rikishi). Ranks change after each basho (tournament). Generally, have a winning record (8 or more wins--"kachi-koshi"), and you move up the rankings. Have a losing record (8 or more losses--"make-koshi"), and you move down. The banzuke is broken up into a few subclasses: Yokozuna -- Grand Champion Ozeki -- Champion Sekiwake -- Junior Champion Komusubi -- Junior Junior Champion? Maegashira -- everyone else (usually about the bottom half of the top 40) Promotion and demotion in Virtual Sumo works pretty much the same way it does in the real thing: Yokozuna cannot be demoted, only asked to retire...well, O.K., if a Yokozuna does *really* bad in Virtual Sumo (2 consecutive maki-koshi) they're booted back to Ozeki. There can be as many yokozuna as qualify--none, 2, 5, etc. An Ozeki can be promoted to yokozuna if they win two yusho (championships) in a row, or otherwise have consecutive outstanding records. If Ozeki go make-koshi (a losing tournament) once, they are warned ("kadoban" status). If they have consecutive make-koshi, they are demoted to sekiwake. Like the yokozuna rank, there can be as many ozeki as qualify. Sekiwake are promoted to ozeki if they have a combined 3 tournament record of at least 33 wins. There are always at least 2 sekiwake, and sometimes more if enough qualify. There are always at least 2 komusubi, and sometimes more if enough qualify. The rest of the big boys are maegashira. No rikishi can go up in rank with a losing tournament. No rikishi can drop in rank with a winning tournament. While in the banzuke screen, clicking on a rikishi will bring up their detailed stats. Rikishi win/loss records are updated after every tournament day. The banzuke is updated at the end of every tournament, after rikishi are sorted according to their records. The banzuke you start with is based on the March 1999 Haru (spring) basho. The only differences result from your rikishi being stuck in at the bottom. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- C) View Rikishi This shows detailed statistics for each rikishi. You can scroll through them in order of rank. It's a good way to check out the competition and also see how everyone is doing long term. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- D) Tournament This plays through a day of action. Matches between computer-controlled rikishi are calculated automatically and the results are displayed. Hit the "Fight" button to bring up your match. When your match comes up you get to call your strategies, and see how you and your opponent are doing blow by blow. Your match is divided into rounds of 1-3 seconds each, and in each you pick your strategy/technique to use. The "Genki Level" displayed shows how each rikishi is doing. (Genki = "Vigor, energy, health") Rikishi genki levels slowly go down as the match goes on, depending on stamina. With poor stamina you'd better overpower the opponent quickly or you'll be out of energy and either kissing the dirt or flung into the 2nd row seats by your genki-er opponent. Whoever has a stronger strategy/move drains genkiness from the other. The power/success of each move is determined by the related statistics and a little luck. Strategy bonus points are awarded when a rikishi chooses a move that works well against the opponents move. Eg. I choose defense, you choose hatakikomi--I get some bonus points because (usually) trying hatakikomi against a rikishi in a solid defensive position backfires. Somewhat like "Rock, scissors, paper", every move dominates one other move, but is itself dominated by another move. The tachiai gaming matrix is as follows: receive beats henka, henka beats jump, jump beats tsuppari, tsuppari beats receive. The post-tachiai gaming matrix is as follows: yotsu beats oshi, oshi beats hatakikomi, hatakikomi beats tsuppari, tsuppari beats defense, defense beats tenage, tenage beats yotsu. What beats what is easy to remember because the buttons are arranged clockwise so that each button beats the one after it. Confused yet?! Let's try some ASCII art: Yotsu->Oshi->Hatakikomi ^ | | V Tenage<-Defense<-Tsuppari Hmmm...well, you'll get the idea. This makes me want to turn this text file into a HTML file or something... One strategy hint: It's risky being a one-dimensional rikishi. For one thing, the gaming matrix stresses countering an opponents moves, which is hard to do very often if you're a one-trick-pony. Also, computer rikishi aren't stupid--they can catch on to your strategies and can sometimes counter them with devastating results. Of course, if a one-dimensional rikishi's one dimension is good enough he may still dominate many opponents. For example, Dejima's strategy is oshi, oshi, oshi (with an occasional hatakikomi throw in)...but he often only needs to push for 2 seconds until his poor opponent is in the 2nd row. But against a more skilled rikishi who can often stop Dejima's initial charge (eg. Takanohana), Dejima's lack of other skills leave him pretty helpless. Moral of the story: either be _real_ good at one technique and hope no one figures you out, or develop a well-rounded rikishi. Once a rikishi's genki level drops below 1, he loses, although when someone's back is against the wall, they have a slight chance of getting a second-wind, depending on their "intangibles" stat. Also, as in real sumo, there are 5 shimpan (judges) sitting attentively around the dohyo, and if the match was close, or if they think the gyoji (referee) made the wrong decision, they hold a mono-ii (meeting). They talk it over, and either decide: 1) the gyoji was correct, and uphold his decision; 2) the gyoji must have had too much sake before coming to work that day, and reverse his decision; or 3) it was too close to call, and declare a tori-naoshi (rematch). If you upset a much higher ranked or more skillful rikishi (7 spots on the banzuke or 5 skill points respectively), your potential increases. The formulas for amount of potential increase are ((user rank - computer rank) / 7) and ((user power rating - computer power rating) / 5) respectively. The accumulation of your potential points after a basho are added to your chanko points. If the difference is great enough (14 spots or 10 skill points), you are also awarded a point on the spot that can be used to increase a statistic. Conversely, lose to someone ranked much lower or less skilled and random stats may be decreased. Similarly, after the conclusion of each tournament, you get bonus points if you did well. But these are "chanko" points (chanko is the staple food of all rikishi), which along with increasing your normal stats, can also be used to increase your height and either gain or lose weight. It takes 3 chanko points to grow 1 centimeter taller, and you can't grow more than one cm per basho. It takes 2 chanko points to either gain or lose a kilogram of weight. All other statistics take 1 point to increase. Computer rikishi weight fluctuates between -3 and + 3 kilos between each basho. Computer rikishi also have potential points that they have a chance to cash in (1 per basho) after each basho as well. The younger they are, the higher the chance of fulfilling their potential points. Younger, more promising rikishi (eg. Chiyotaikai, Tochiazuma) start out with more potential points than older rikishi (eg. Mitoizumi, Terao). Age is kept track of, and those rikishi over the hill (30+) have a chance of losing a point in a statistic after every basho (the older they are, the higher the chance of "showing their age"). Every basho is 15 days. A tournament leaderboard is displayed from day 8 on. At the end of 15 days, the rikishi with the most wins is declared the Yusho (championship) winner. The runnerup(s) are declared Jun-Yusho (runnerup) winner(s). In the case of a tie after 15 days, there is a playoff (kettei-sen). If only 2 rikishi are involved, it is a simple sudden-death match. With 4 rikishi, there are two rounds, with the winners of the first round taking on each other for the championship. With 6 rikishi, there is an initial round with 3 pairs who fight each other paring it down to 3 rikishi (same with 5 rikishi, with one guy getting a bye). With 3, 2 rikishi start, with the winner moving on to face the next rikishi. The first rikishi to defeat the other two competitors in a row is the Yusho winner. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you find yourself losing pretty badly at first, here are 3 bits of advice: 1) Hey, you're a young guy just breaking into the top division--you'll (hopefully) improve. Even if you have a losing record your first tournament, as long a you accumulated some potential points, stick it out for at least another basho. 2) Try creating a new rikishi with different stats--if you find yourself stumbling more than Akebono usually does, put more points into agility. 3) I usual start out equally dividing the majority of points between strength, agility, and stamina, and then putting the last few into a couple of techniques like oshi or yotsu. ============================================================================ Thanks to the Sumo Mailing List, one of the greatest groups around, for all the sumo insights, games, endless henka debates, and all the rest--but most of all for assuring me that I'm not the only one crazy for sumo! Special thanks to my wife Cynthia for advice/proofreading/etc. and also (more painfully) putting up with me programming or otherwise thinking about this thing 15 hours a day and coming to bed around 4 am more often than not! (Of _course_ you're my number one priority!) :) Extra special thanks to our new baby girl, Asia Asami, who puts up with me holding a bottle in her mouth with one hand, and typing with the other. And remember, "Always do your own brand of sumo!" Gambarimasu... October 22, 1999 Andy Tanis Seigatakaigai t-c@japan.email.ne.jp http://www.ne.jp/asahi/japan/tanis ============================================================================