Riz leaned back in his ornate chair, deep in thought. He wanted to find something productive to occupy his time within the confines of his office, something that would provide a much-needed respite from the bureaucratic responsibilities.
After a few moments of contemplation, an idea sparked in his mind. He know what to do.
Riz realized that this world didn't have much entertainment available yet, especially for the younger population.
Aside from books to read, there weren't many activities to fill their time.
Thus, he decided to introduce some classic game to the kingdom.
It would not only provide entertainment but also encourage strategic thinking and social interactions among the people.
"What should I introduce first?" he mused, his fingers tapping thoughtfully on his desk.
Although there were countless games he could think of but he needed to select ones that would be easy to produce at the current technological level.
He wishes to make them accessible to all.
After careful consideration, Riz narrowed down his choices to a few classics games.
First on the list was jenga, a game of skill and balance that could easily be crafted and mass-produced using the kingdom's available resources.
He took a piece of blank paper and began jotting down essential information.
Jenga, from the Swahili word "kujenga," meaning "to build" had an African heritage and was popularized by an Englishwoman.
The game consisted of 54 wooden blocks.
It's size...He believes each piece was measuring three times longer than its width and one-fifth as thick as its length.
Though he was not entirely sure, he could let someone workaround to figure that out.
The rules were straightforward. Each player takes turns to remove one block from the tower, starting from the bottom and working their way up.
They had to be careful not to make the tower collapse, as the one who caused it to tumble would be declared the loser.
The game's appeal lay in its simplicity and the thrill of keeping the tower steady as players skillfully removed blocks and placed them on top.
Next on the list were checkers, a classic game that had stood the test of time. Like Jenga, it didn't require many complicated pieces to be manufactured.
It was a game that could be enjoyed by people of all ages, from children to the elderly.
The objective was to eliminate all of the opponent's pieces from the board by jumping over them. The player who managed to capture all of the opponent's pieces or blocked them from any legal move emerged as the winner.
One of the intriguing aspects of checkers was the existence of various board sizes across different regions and cultures.
Some regions used a smaller 8x8 checkers board, while others employed larger 10x10 or even 12x12 boards, each offering its own unique challenges and strategies.
After careful consideration, King Riz decided to settle on the 10x10 checkers board.
Riz moved on to write the next game on his list—scrabble.
This word-based game was known for stimulating the mind and expanding one's vocabulary.
With its focus on language and vocabulary, scrabble could be a great way to promote literacy and learning.
This game is more complicated to be manufactured compared to the previous two.
Unlike checkers and jenga, scrabble required the creation of a larger number of unique letter tiles, each with its specific point value.
These tiles had to be crafted meticulously, ensuring that there were enough of each letter to form a variety of words while maintaining a fair distribution of high and low-scoring letters.
The manufacturing process involved cutting and shaping individual wooden pieces into small squares, each one representing a different letter of the alphabet.
And to make the game visually appealing and avoiding any confusion, the letters had to be make clear and uniform on each tile.
Additionally, the game required a large playing board with a 15x15 grid to accommodate the words formed during the game.
The board needed to be sturdy and of high quality, with clear markings to guide players in placing their tiles correctly.
Nonetheless, the benefit this game brings is worth the extra effort and resources required for its manufacturing.
Moving on, the last game on the list of games he wish to introduce held a special place in Riz's heart.
Its reputation as a game of strategy and intellect had withstood the test of time.
From the royal courts of ancient civilizations to the humble taverns of distant lands, chess has captured the minds of people from all walks of life.
The game offered a profound mental exercises to those who play them, where each move required careful consideration and foresight.
With chess, Riz saw an opportunity to nurture the minds of his people and encourage them to think strategically.
Among the four games he plan to introduce, chess pieces were the most complex pieces to be manufactured.
The intricately carved chess pieces, each representing different ranks in the army, required skilled craftsmanship to bring them to life.
The smallest details, from the knight's horse to the rook's tower needed to be meticulously carved.
Riz's hand moved swiftly across the paper, carefully sketching each of the chess pieces with meticulous attention to detail.
He had watched a documentary about the production of chess pieces a long time ago.
Even if he doesn't remember exactly, he can simply roughly estimate the size of each piece. Not everything has to be perfectly the same.
"Let's see... the pawn is probably around five centimetres in height," Riz mumbled to himself, as he carefully drew the small chess piece on the paper. "And its base should be about two centimetres wide, give or take a few millimetres."
He moved on to the knight and sketched it with a pensive expression. "The knight should be around eight centimetres tall... and its base, hmm, perhaps three centimetres wide."
Next came the bishop, with its distinctive mitre. Riz's brow furrowed slightly as he considered the proportions. "The bishop, I think, would be about seven centimetres in height, and the base... yes, around three and a half centimetres."
The queen was his next focus. "It should be taller than the bishop, maybe around nine centimetres. Next, the rook's height should be about six centimetres, and its base... let's make it three and a half centimetres."
As he continued to sketch, Riz's mumbling carried on.
The process of sketching allowed him to immerse himself in the creation, considering every detail to ensure the elegance and precision of the chess pieces.
"Now, I just need to make sure the proportions are well-balanced and that each piece complements the others," he murmured, reviewing his sketches once more.
He had spent another few hours finalizing his designs, ensuring that every detail of the chess pieces was meticulously crafted.
Time had passed by unnoticed, and a gentle knock on the door interrupted his focus.
Knock—
Knock—
"Your Majesty," one of his staff members said as she entered the room.
Riz looked up, still absorbed in his work. "What is it?" he asked, his mind still partly lingering on the chess pieces.
"It's already past lunchtime, Your Majesty," she said with concern in her voice. "I came to check up on you since you haven't come out from your office for hours."
Riz looked up from his sketches, momentarily startled. He glanced at the window, realizing that the sun had moved significantly since he began his task.
"Lunchtime already?" he repeated, slightly surprised. "I guess I got carried away with the designs," he admitted. "Thank you for checking on me."
ραndαsnοvεl.cοm The staff member looked concerned and offered, "Should I bring the lunch to you, Your Majesty?"
Riz shook his head, "No need, I will just skip the lunch."
The staff member nodded understandingly, "As you wish, Your Majesty. If there's anything you need, just let me know."
With the staff member's departure, a sense of tranquillity settled over Riz's office.
The soft rustling of papers and the scratching of his quill were the only sounds that filled the room. Riz continue to focus on finishing the sketches and all the necessary information for the games.
Time seemed to slip away unnoticed, and soon, the sketches were completed to his satisfaction.
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