Rock Paper Scissors Called.

The Rock Paper Scissor game is also known as Roshambo or Rochambeau. It is a two-player game that involves making hand gestures and interpreting the gestures to decide the winner. The game has existed for a long time and has been widely recognized as one of the oldest games. Apart from the game’s popularity, it also has some complexities that make it unique and distinct from most games. For instance, apart from the mastery of hand gestures, the game highly requires the use of psychology. This and a few other features are what make up the game. This article will seek to briefly explain what the Rock Paper Scissors game is, its origins, and the essential elements that are present in the game. Understanding these three things about the game is a good start to mastering the game. It will undoubtedly help you in your bid to become a professional RPS player.

The Origins Of Rock Paper Scissors

History has been fair on the Rock Paper Scissors game. There is a detailed and traceable origin that the RPS game enjoys. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why the game has continued to exist as one of the old games in history. The RPS game has a rich history, and learning the game has become easier and more interesting as a result of the accessible information provided as the origin of the game.

The first ever place on record that the game was mentioned or referenced was in a book called Wuzazu. The book was written by Xie Zhaozhi, a popular Chinese writer who lived during the Ming dynasty. According to the writer, the game dates back to the time of the Chinese Han dynasty between 206 BCE and 220 CE. In the book, the game was referenced as Shoushiling. In the Note of Liuyanzhai, a book written by Li Rihua, there are references to the game as Shoushiling. This validates the first record and therefore, can be held as a fact of origin.

Following the history of the game right from the Chinese records, there was another narrative given by the Japanese. The narrative as to the origin or nature of the game given by the Japanese was adapted from the Chinese. Therefore, there is no contrary claim as to the origin of the game. It is from the Chinese. The Japanese history records that the game is called sansukumi-ken. The game describes that “there are three who are afraid of one another.” In the interpretation, A beats B, B beats C, and C beats A. so, according to history, the game was originally created in China, and the Japanese adopted it later.

It was not until the early 20th century that the game was imported to the western world. This even was as a result of the frequent contact between the Asians and the native English people. Anyways, the game began to develop, gaining popularity and creating interest in people of different cultures and geographical locations.

The Game Characters

The Rock Paper Scissors game has characters peculiar to the game. The characters make up the essential elements of the game because there would be no Rock Paper Scissors game without them. Some have even opined that the game characters are the ingredients of the game. Generally, there are three accepted characters of the RPS game. Although, over the years, there have been different t moves to either remove or substitute the characters. However, none has been successful due to the firm resolve of the authorities to preserve the true and original nature of the game. Also, there are different variants of the game that have surfaced over the years. The widely accepted variation is the English Rock Paper Scissors adapted from the Japanese Jan Ken, which is the original form of the game.

In the Rock Paper Scissors game, the three characters that are used possess their distinct features and interpretations. What makes it interesting is the fact that people can easily relate to all of these characters. The three characters and their descriptions are as follows:

  • Rock

Rock, like the mountain one, can see around, is one of the characters in the RPS game. A closed fist represents it. It is perhaps the most popular throw among beginners and is also easy to throw.

  • Paper

Paper is another throw that is extended by an open palm. It is more like the thrower is requesting a handshake. Most times, the gesture is used to denote peace and friendliness.

  • Scissors

Everyone knows what a scissors look like. The gesture is represented adequately by forming a “V” shape with the index and middle fingers. The gesture often connotes victory.

The Gameplay And Calculations

The Rock Paper Scissors, like every other game, has its processes and procedures of play. The gameplay of the RPS fame is particularly unique as the characters tend to form a trinity relationship. The gameplay is simple in some way but, at the same time, possesses some complexities. However, learning them will help one understand the game without having difficulty in proving how good one is.

The RPS game is often played by two players facing each other. The deal is to extend one hand each to make a sign that represents any of the three characters. This is called a throw. There are three throws mentioned above, but each player is allowed to make just one at a time. When the two players make their throws, the game is then calculated to decide who wins and who loses. For there to be a winner, the throws to be calculated must be different. In the case where the players extend the same throws at a call, it will be a tie, and a rethrow will be called.

The calculation of the throws is easy, and one should be aware of the connection that they have. The simple illustration of the connection is that one character beats one of the other two while he falls at the mercy of the second. See the application in the following practical explanation:

  • Rock crushes Scissors but is suffocated by Paper.
  • Scissors cuts Paper but is crushed by Rock.
  • Paper suffocates Rock but is destroyed by Scissors.

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