Anonymous wrote on Sat, Nov 19, 2005 07:14 AM UTC:
In Rococo, the invention of the cannonball pawn as a 'nearleaper'
(limited to capturing pieces two squares away) seems to be in stark
contrast to the invention of the 'Long Leaper' as a piece that can
attack distant targets, three or more squares away. It is not too likely
that cannonball pawn and leaper share the same method of capture, though
it is conceivable. On balance, however, it is reasonable to assume that
all pieces would have their own forms of capture, that both the Long
Leaper and the Advancer are equally prohibited from capturing adjacent
pieces, and that adjacent captures were intended to be limited to the King
and the Withdrawer.
As was mentioned earlier, there is no way of gauging a history of 'design
intent' short of reviewing the games available to the designer at the time
the game was designed, and paying special attention to the comments that
were written back when the game was designed. Waiting a few years for
some differences to arise, and then looking at the new comments, is only
good for saying what the designer's current intentions might be, not what
they were when the game was first designed.
As was mentioned earlier, there is no way of gauging a history of 'design intent' short of reviewing the games available to the designer at the time the game was designed, and paying special attention to the comments that were written back when the game was designed. Waiting a few years for some differences to arise, and then looking at the new comments, is only good for saying what the designer's current intentions might be, not what they were when the game was first designed.