[4PC Variant]: Custom Starting Position

@magicsteph make 2 players dead in edit position.

It would be nice if you can play-test for some games and post their link here.

Otherwise your positions may be unplayable or unbalanced, and thus they won't be accepted.

@MHH_2018

Hm, 1 check and the possibility of getting a bunch of knights; anyone who gets double-attacked with check threats (queen diagonal can be used also) will just be out of the game. I don't know about this one at first glance...also, what does it matter what the grey pieces are, since they would all function the same way?

R-0,0,0,0-0,0,0,0-0,0,0,0-0,0,0,0-0-
3,yK,5,gR,gP,3/
9,gB,gP,3/
9,gN,gP,3/
bK,2,X,X,rN,5,yP,yP,yP/
3,X,X,X,rN,4,yN,yB,yR/
3,yN,X,X,X,7/
4,yN,X,X,7/
7,X,X,bN,4/
7,X,X,X,bN,3/
rR,rB,rN,4,gN,X,X,X,3/
rP,rP,rP,5,gN,X,X,2,gK/
3,bP,bN,9/
3,bP,bB,9/
3,bP,bR,5,rK,3

Hi Spacebar, can you put this mode to the custom starting position?

It's called "Two Battles, Two Teams"

Red has huge disadvantage

Nope, its the same

maybe you are right

Some thoughts on custom games (this is just personal opinion and may or may not reflect the views of some of the other mods; as far as I know, there hasn't really been a group discussion on what custom positions might be added to the list):

1. Bullet time controls are really meant for games you are already familiar with and can play by reflex, or that might have very simplistic ideas you can pick up quickly (like 4 hordes of 1 move kings fighting, no complex combinations). Remember people playing a new setup will be unfamiliar with the position, the common ideas present, and won't come to the game with preformed opening plans. Hosting crazy, complex custom games with bullet time controls likely won't lead to much fun or people wanting to play your games when their time expires before they've even had a chance to look at what's happening or who their teammate is. 

2. Remember the early move advantage is rather huge. I see a lot of "clever" positions people come up with that have first move checks or forcing moves that are playable. This in my view is just boring and frustrating to play for the players who are not on the first move end of these sequences. Think of how the standard setup in teams allows for at least several reasonable setups for blue \ green. Ask yourself if the secondary players in your position have at least several reasonable \ playable setups, and therefore some flexibility in the position. I think a common design mistake is to have players' pieces down each other's throats in which case it's often not much of a game of skill, but more "who gets double attacked first?" and there isn't much they can do about it. Don't underestimate buffer space in FFA variants, it is often necessary in a four way game where you need to play prophylactically against double threats. If players are just sitting there playing out a forcing sequence for the first 5 moves, it probably isn't very fun to play and it might be time to go back to the drawing board.

3. If your position looks very pretty and symmetrical and kind of cool, congratulations, I love paintings too  But it doesn't mean it's necessarily fun to play or makes a good game. Positions will only be added to the official list of variants if enough players like it \ find it interesting and it becomes hosted enough that adding it to the list is warranted. So play it, test it, see if people have fun etc etc., and definitely don't bother posting any positions here without having played them thoroughly before. Providing example games where all the players are pretty familiar with the position (not first time players, and definitely not bots) is a necessity. So be social, find people to play your game, and convince us they all liked it :

4. Don't forget to include the settings like KotH, what rank \ pieces promotion should be, DKW? etc. in your intended designs.

Ok

@vezeko I increased most KoTH to +40 because most positions has a large number of pieces that can give u plenty of points... It's not because of KoTH itself, really.

One thing I have noticed in games with zombies: You can't play games with zombies combined with Takeover! Especially in zombieImmune games. It would be sooo unfair for one player to have immune pieces and the rest of the players get demolished!

Oh, by the way, I have a variant to add: 

StartFen4:

R-0, 0, 0, 0-0, 0, 0, 0-0, 0, 0, 0-0, 0, 0, 0-0-

{'kingSquares': ('d1', 'n11', 'd14', 'n4'), 'lives': (99, 99, 99, 99)

3, yK, yK, yK, 2, rK, rK, rK, 3/

3, yK, yK, 4, rK, rK, 3/

3, yK, 6, rK, 3/

gK, gK, gK, 8, bK, bK, bK/

gK, gK, 10, bK, bK/

gK, 12, bK/

14/

14/

bK, 12, gK/

bK, bK, 10, gK, gK/

bK, bK, bK, 8, gK, gK, gK/

3, rK, 6, yK, 3/

3, rK, rK, 4, yK, yK, 3/

3, rK, rK, rK, 2, yK, yK, yK/

Name: War for Center

Rule variants: 99-check KotH Prom=1 (no pawns)

This variant can be played in either FFA or Teams

B-0,0,0,0-0,0,0,0-0,0,0,0-0,0,0,0-0-{'lives'12,12,12,12)}-
3,gB,gB,gB,gK,gQ,gR,gR,gR,3/
3,yB,yB,gP,gP,gP,gP,yR,yR,3/
14/
14/
14/
X,X,10,X,X/
yK,X,10,X,bK/
1,X,10,X,1/
X,X,10,X,X/
14/
14/
14/
3,bR,bR,rP,rP,rP,rP,bB,bB,3/
3,rR,rR,rR,rK,rQ,rB,rB,rB,3

Name: Saving Private Ryan

Rules: TEAMS: Red and Blue, Anonymous, 12-Check, 8th-N (promotion).

The objective is protect the king of your teammate, the "Ryan" players can play equally, but if they lose all their pieces they will have to move their king infinitely.

https://www.chess.com/4-player-chess?g=2893811

Link of the game

I have a variant: Baldi's Basics

R-0,0,0,0-0,0,0,0-0,0,0,0-0,0,0,0-0-{'kingSquares''h1','a7','g14','n8'),'lives'20,20,20,20),'pawnsBaseRank':0}-
3,yR,X,yB,yK,X,X,X,yN,3/
3,yP,yP,yP,yD,X,yR,X,yP,3/
6,X,7/
bN,bP,7,X,2,gP,gR/
X,X,1,X,1,X,yQ,X,1,gN,2,gP,X/
X,bR,3,X,yP,X,X,X,2,gP,gB/
X,X,2,X,X,bN,yN,gP,gQ,1,X,gD,gK/
bK,bD,X,1,bQ,bP,rN,gN,X,X,2,X,X/
bB,bP,2,X,X,X,rP,X,3,gR,X/
X,bP,4,X,rQ,X,1,X,1,X,X/
bR,bP,2,X,7,gP,gN/
7,X,6/
3,rP,X,rR,X,rD,rP,rP,rP,3/
3,rN,X,X,X,rK,rB,X,rR,3

20 check, takeover, custom position

Horde R-0,1,0,1-1,1,1,1-1,1,1,1-0,0,0,0-0-{'pawnsBaseRank':5,'std2pc':true}-
3,X,X,X,X,X,X,X,X,3/
3,X,X,X,X,X,X,X,X,3/
3,X,X,X,X,X,X,X,X,3/
X,X,X,yR,yN,yB,yQ,yK,yB,yN,yR,X,X,X/
X,X,X,yP,yP,yP,yP,yP,yP,yP,yP,X,X,X/
X,X,X,8,X,X,X/
X,X,X,1,rP,rP,2,rP,rP,1,X,X,X/
X,X,X,rP,rP,rP,rP,rP,rP,rP,rP,X,X,X/
X,X,X,rP,rP,rP,rP,rP,rP,rP,rP,X,X,X/
X,X,X,rP,rP,rP,rP,rP,rP,rP,rP,X,X,X/
X,X,X,rP,rP,rP,rP,rP,rP,rP,rP,X,X,X/
3,X,X,X,X,X,X,X,X,3/
3,X,X,X,X,X,X,X,X,3/
3,X,X,X,X,X,X,X,X,3

can you add the custom positions that i requested?

I have one it is called sandwich chess.

FEN4: R-0,0,0,0-1,1,1,1-1,1,1,1-0,0,0,0-0-{'lives'20,20,20,20)}-
3,yR,yN,yB,yK,yQ,yB,yN,yR,3/
3,yR,yN,yB,yQ,yQ,yB,yN,yR,3/
3,yP,yP,yP,yP,yP,yP,yP,yP,3/
bR,bR,bP,8,gP,gR,gR/
bN,bN,bP,8,gP,gN,gN/
bB,bB,bP,8,gP,gB,gB/
bK,bQ,bP,8,gP,gQ,gQ/
bQ,bQ,bP,8,gP,gQ,gK/
bB,bB,bP,8,gP,gB,gB/
bN,bN,bP,8,gP,gN,gN/
bR,bR,bP,8,gP,gR,gR/
3,rP,rP,rP,rP,rP,rP,rP,rP,3/
3,rR,rN,rB,rQ,rQ,rB,rN,rR,3/
3,rR,rN,rB,rQ,rK,rB,rN,rR,3

Game link:game

Rules promotion to anything OX 6 promote of the 6th king of the hill 20 check no dead king walking.

oh yes add diplomacy in

FEN4:

R-0,0,0,0-0,0,0,0-0,0,0,0-0,0,0,0-0-
3,X,X,X,X,X,X,X,X,3/
3,X,X,X,X,X,X,X,X,3/
3,X,X,X,X,X,X,X,X,3/
X,X,X,bK,bR,4,yR,yK,X,X,X/
X,X,X,bR,bB,bP,2,yP,yB,yR,X,X,X/
X,X,X,1,bP,bN,bP,yP,yN,yP,1,X,X,X/
X,X,X,2,bP,bP,yP,yP,2,X,X,X/
X,X,X,2,rP,rP,gP,gP,2,X,X,X/
X,X,X,1,rP,rN,rP,gP,gN,gP,1,X,X,X/
X,X,X,rR,rB,rP,2,gP,gB,gR,X,X,X/
X,X,X,rK,rR,4,gR,gK,X,X,X/
3,X,X,X,X,X,X,X,X,3/
3,X,X,X,X,X,X,X,X,3/
3,X,X,X,X,X,X,X,X,3      

Name: Super Doomspire

Rules: 11th = QRBN, FFA or Solo

Screenshot:

Game link: https://www.chess.com/4-player-chess?g=2964954
https://www.chess.com/4-player-chess?g=2975956

https://www.chess.com/4-player-chess?g=2976000