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Charles Gilman wrote on Wed, Jun 6, 2007 01:24 PM UTC:
It was perhaps remiss of me to use 'lame', certainly without prefixing it
with 'minimally'. I have updated the text to avoid any suggestion of
being pejorative, particularly as I intended the use of this Falcon in
homage to its inventor and chose it in preference to other pieces for
which the name has been used. This is my first use of the piece and I will
know what to say should I ever use it again. Mention of the Bison is
retained for a link to the Piececlopedia and because some readers will
know the Bison better.
	Whether I am the 'most prolific' is doubtful. It may be true in the
sense of fastest current posting rate, but I suspect that the contributors
with the largest total variants remain much the same ones as when I
tentatively submitted my first variant. Several updates posted since I was
told how to register them have also boosted my presence in 'What's New'.
Now that I am no longer such a newcomer I will try to reduce the frequency
of my postings.
	Perhaps I should add that I am also quite prolific in rejecting variants.
Be grateful to have been spared Morgana (shared-King variant designed for
the stillborn 45-square contest, rnqnr/ppppp/5/5/2K2/5/5/PPPPP/RNQNR),
SucChession (Pawnless variant with one more of each piece below King,
rqkqr/bbrbb/nnnnn/5/5/5/NNNNN/BBRBB/RQKQR), Plantation Chess (every so
often Pawns disappear back to behind the lines,
ppppp/ppppp/ppppp/rqk(rookknight)r/n(knightbishop)bbn/5/5/5/5/5/N(Knightbishop)BBN/RQK(Rookknight)R/PPPPP/PPPPP/PPPPP),
Extravagant Chess (a nondescript large variant,
rnnbbkbbnnr/1(rookknight)3q3(knightbishop)1/ppppppppppp/11/11/11/11/PPPPPPPPPPP/1(Knightbishop)3Q3(Rookknight)1/RNNBBKBBNNR)
Ecumenical Battschach (3d variant with numerous compound pieces), and
Highland Cathedral (inordinately large variant on a star-shaped hex
board).
	As to playability, my 'theme-heavy' variants are never just a matter of
'randomly' putting in pieces. It is true that they start by picking
pieces based on their names, but I do then put consideration into the
implication of their moves. Where I invent a brand new piece I try to give
it a move that helps gameplay as well as relating to the name. See what
I've added to notes. Note also that my 3 levels are the bare minimum to
give the Jackal its 'samewise' move as well as its 'contrariwise' one,
and its inability to reach the middle level is fair enough for a piece type
which is not one of the standard four.
	Funally, I am always open to any ideas that will improve any of my
variants.

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