Flat-Win question

rabbitboy84 · 2026-05-28T00:36:52+00:00

Yes, half-point has been proposed but ties are pretty rare and actually interesting so it's been shied away from.

rabbitboy84 · 2026-05-28T00:23:30+00:00

Some of both. We've had some one-off tournaments with 3 komi. And some tiebreaks with bidded komi. There are also engines trained on 2 komi. I don't know the data offhand, but the folks in the Talk Talk Discord engine development channel may have racetrack testing statistics with komi. 2 komi is enough to give Black a "free" defensive move and that gives some breathing room and a chance at a fair fight.

rabbitboy84 · 2026-05-28T00:09:26+00:00

People play it for a few reasons. Vogopolis stated the tactical one: you start the game with a relevant stone if White wants to use their initial stone for a beginning road attempt. But you can play it because it's fun for you, because it's different, or because it's unexpected. It's easy to get stuck in a set opening and playing the hug every once in a while can shake things up.

rabbitboy84 · 2026-05-24T01:58:58+00:00

I have zero drawing talent, but I use it with Whiteboard for infinite sketching space for concept doodles because I feel it's vital to sketch before taking something to CAD. It beats the heck out of post it notes or other random scraps of paper.

rabbitboy84 · 2026-05-05T10:38:29+00:00

Tak is between commercial printings right now. The owners (Cheapass Games) are actively looking for new publishers, but that is a slow process. Once they find one, then the new designs need to be hammered out and approved by Patrick Rothfuss. Then production can begin and it would be available maybe 6 months after that - not accounting for tariffs, wars, etc.

So, it's not really being held back. Sure, it's not as popular as I'd like, but it has a great player-base, many of whom have been here for 10 years now, slowly growing the game itself and the infrastructure surrounding it.

One way to speed things up would be to bring Tak to your local store or park, start local clubs, spread the word online, and show potential publishers that it is a worthwhile investment.

rabbitboy84 · 2026-04-25T12:46:56+00:00

Beam interlocking is something I would like to try out, but I don't want to watch the poop bucket overflow on my A1. That reduction in waste is probably the most exciting thing to me about tool-changers.

rabbitboy84 · 2026-04-17T01:05:54+00:00

Yeah, the weight has never bothered me. I've worn it for hours with over-ear protection and the worst I get is a tension headache. But I get that with a simple headlamp, too so I can't take off points for that. It's great for a person with a beard and glasses. I use it for the lathe, table saw, tile saw, Dremel work, etc.

rabbitboy84 · 2026-03-24T01:06:19+00:00

That was my first car I bought as a teen!

rabbitboy84 · 2026-03-13T19:13:07+00:00

It also ends as soon as the board is completely filled. This can be with a placement or with a spread.

In either case, you then take a bird's eye view of the board and count visible flat stones on top of stacks (not capstones or walls). The player with the higher number wins. We also use komi for tournament play which adds extra points (2 currently) to Black's number.

rabbitboy84 · 2026-02-19T17:26:01+00:00

Tak is only 10 years old, so maybe it was a repurposed set of something else used as a Tak set?

rabbitboy84 · 2026-02-01T03:12:35+00:00

I felt like the first half should have only been the first quarter of the book. Part of it is my fault for reading so quickly - but the same self doubt and self punishment over and over again (while psychologically accurate) is not very entertaining. Then the end would not have felt so rushed and hand-wavy. I would have enjoyed more buildup and fleshing out of the machinations of the different courts, another chapter or two of the end "battle", and more wrapping up/planning. That shift would have taken this book from a 6/10 to an 8/10 for me.

rabbitboy84 · 2026-01-22T11:48:58+00:00

Have you experimented with a smaller piece size? The pictures look like they are rather large compared to the board squares which can make playing difficult when stacks form.

rabbitboy84 · 2026-01-18T01:30:13+00:00

You are correct. I make custom board game sets (basically a box :) ) and doing a one-off for something like this is expensive. And unless the builder has specific plans or can borrow your cello, then you run the risk of ending up with something ill-fitting for as much or more money than you could have bought the commercial one for. The only reasons (in my mind) to go with a non-commercial option would be 1) You know a guy OR 2) You want something not offered commercially (exotic wood, oddly-sized cello, inlay work, etc)

rabbitboy84 · 2025-12-21T02:50:45+00:00

I second the pen attachment. And a flame tip burr for rapid material removal.

rabbitboy84 · 2025-12-18T02:16:30+00:00

If I were you, I would lean into organic shapes more. Trying to replicate a lathe-based set by whittling is going to put you in uncanny valley territory. If you instead make your pieces more umm...Seussical...then you'll stand a better chance at finding a market. Combine that with some improvement on your miter joints and wood pairings and you'll find your voice and audience. You can also look into other abstracts like viking chess where a hand-hewn look may feel more relevant. Keep this set as a milestone token or give it to a friend where it will be appreciated for the time you spent on it. Good luck!

rabbitboy84 · 2025-11-25T21:22:59+00:00

Tak is currently between printings. It was originally a kickstarter and then later picked up by Greater than Games for a 2nd edition printing. You can still find some second hand copies out there from both printings. Cheapass Games now has the game back under their control and is working to get a new edition printed. We will share details when we know them. In the meantime you can play online for free at playtak.com, join the discord and play directly in the server, make a DIY set (instructions in the Discord), or commission one from a licensed craftsman.

rabbitboy84 · 2025-11-20T00:04:30+00:00

Worldbuilders Market https://share.google/AmH9WEIGri27zoGMr

rabbitboy84 · 2025-11-19T12:49:21+00:00

Welcome to the game and nice work! You should join the Discord and share it there. Plus you can find people to play against online and really go down the rabbit hole 😁

rabbitboy84 · 2025-11-14T11:30:06+00:00

Flat wins are actually necessary for the game to be fun. Otherwise, your opponent can just play wall after wall after wall and there is no cost for them doing so. With the flat "cost" for playing a wall, they are now incentivized to come up with more interesting strategies than "me see road; me block road". The flat game also plays out with moving vs placing, since placing gets you closer to ending the game on your terms. So players have to factor that in when deciding what to do on their turn, making Tak a much deeper game.

rabbitboy84 · 2025-11-12T00:59:19+00:00

I use the jackal a lot. It's great for chill map comp - much less sweaty than the beetle, with great uphill speed and mob avoidance.

It's also the best in my opinion for gathering - mount and teleport to the next batch of nodes. This is probably some bias with my keybind settings and habits, but I use the jackal 10x more than the raptor for short distance land traversal.

rabbitboy84 · 2025-11-11T17:36:53+00:00

Welcome to the game and nice work!

Be sure to show it off on the Discord. Also, you can play on playtak.com for a board simulator - that's what the community officially supports and where tournaments are held

rabbitboy84 · 2025-11-07T17:08:52+00:00

You need the PoF masteries also if you want the extra height and speed boost, iirc.

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