# Need help with description **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 12, 2011, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-description/567360 "2011-01-12T17:45:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-description/567360/1 "2011-01-12T17:45:07Z")
I am developing a game. The units in it can attack one tile straight in any direction, but not diagonally. The unit is U, and it can attack the tiles marked “x”. 0 x 0 x U x 0 x 0 Lets say it attacks the tile to the right: 0 0 0 0 U x 0 0 0 Now, some units also affects other tiles, marked “?” Such as: 0 0 ? 0 U x 0 0 ? or 0 ? ? 0 U x 0 ? ? How can I describe which tiles are affected (The ones marked with “?”), using English instead of diagrams? I am stumped. ---
**Author:** ![BobArrgh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobarrgh/32/2881_2.png) [@BobArrgh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobArrgh)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-description/567360/2 "2011-01-12T17:56:20Z")
I don’t understand the use of the ? marks in the OP. In the third diagram, are the ? cells affected by the U or by the x? Same question for the fourth diagram (it is hard to tell which piece is affecting which cells). If everything happens on the horizontally or vertically adjacent cells (and never on the diagonal), then early in the documentation you could define the term “adjacent” to mean “horizontally or vertically adjacent”. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-description/567360/3 "2011-01-12T18:19:29Z")
The U is attacking the “x” as well as affecting the “?”. Yes, I have done exactly that, and used adjecant to mean horizontally and vertically. ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-description/567360/4 "2011-01-12T18:48:49Z")
Any tiles that are adjacent to both the attacker (U) and the defender (x). Assuming adjacent is defined as any of the 8 tiles surrounding the subject tile. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-description/567360/5 "2011-01-12T19:20:14Z")
Maybe use compass points. Say that a piece can attack north, south, east, and west or north, northeast, east, southeast, and south. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-description/567360/6 "2011-01-12T20:04:16Z")
“Touching both U and X”.