Pirates Constructible Strategy Game and Morris water navigation task: Difference between pages

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In [[neuroscience]], the '''Morris water maze''' is a behavioral procedure designed to test [[spatial memory]]. It was developed by [[neuroscientist]] [[Richard Morris]] in [[1981]], and is commonly used today to explore the role of the [[hippocampus]] in the formation of [[spatial memory|spatial memories]].

{{Infobox_Game|

subject_name=Pirates of the Spanish Main |

image_link= |

image_caption=Pirates of the Spanish Main is a tabletop strategy game depicting naval battles and hunt for treasure in the [[Caribbean Sea|Caribbean]] in the [[17th century]].|

players= 2–? |

ages=7 and up |

setup_time= 10 minutes |

playing_time= 30–180 minutes |

complexity=Low |

strategy=Medium |

random_chance=Considerable |

skills= [[Strategy]], [[Dice|Dice rolling]], [[Collecting]] |

footnotes =

}}

'''Pirates of the Spanish Main''' is a [[tabletop game]] with aspects of both [[miniatures game|miniatures]] and [[collectible card game|collectible card]] genres. The creators of the game, [[WizKids]], have dubbed it the "first [[constructible strategy game]]". The game was created by [[Jordan Weisman]] and designed by [[James Ernest]] and [[Mike Selinker]].

== FactionsOverview ==

The game won the [[Origins Award|Origins]] ''Vanguard Award 2004''.

In the typical [[paradigm]], a [[rat]] or [[mouse]] is placed into a small pool of [[opaque]] water—back-end first to avoid [[stress (medicine)|stress]], and facing the pool-side to avoid bias—which contains a escape platform hidden a few [[millimeter]]s below the water surface. Visual cues, such as colored shapes, are placed around the pool in plain sight of the animal.

== Description ==

The goal of ''[[Pirate]]s of the Spanish Main'' is to try and collect more [[gold]] than your opponents or to send your opponents ships down to the bottom of [[Davy Jones' Locker]]. What makes the game rather innovative is the 'Constructable' element of the game. Players constuct a fleet of ships by popping out the small [[styrene]] pieces from their placeholder cards and connecting the pieces together. When play is finished, the ships can be broken down into their individual pieces and snapped back into the placeholder cards. The game is packaged so that a person may play the game with only one game pack, but several more packs are required to play using the full rules.

The pool is usually 4 to 6 feet in diameter and 2 feet deep. The pool could instead be half-filled with water at 1 foot deep. Some sidewall above the waterline prevents the rat from being distracted by lab activity. Mice are less cooperative in the water maze, but the bonus is that they are available as ‘knockout’ [[mutant]]s.

== Factions ==

When released, the rat swims around the pool in search of an exit while various [[parameter]]s are recorded, including the time spent in each [[quadrant]] of the pool, the time taken to reach the platform ([[Latency (engineering)|latency]]), and total distance traveled. The rat's escape from the water reinforces its desire to quickly find the platform, and on subsequent trials (with the platform in the same position) the rat is able to locate the platform more rapidly. This improvement in performance occurs because the rat has learned where the hidden platform is located relative to the conspicuous visual cues. If the rat does not escape within 1 to 2 minutes, it is rescued. After enough practice, a capable rat can swim directly from any release point to the platform. This ability is attributed to a spatial map in a [[brain]] area called the [[hippocampus]].

There are five groups a player can choose to play ships and/or crew from in the game:

* [[Pirates]]

* [[England|English]]

* [[Spain|Spanish]]

* [[France|French]]

* [[United States of America|American]]

== FirstPharmacological Releasemanipulation ==

'''Pirates of the Spanish Main''' was released [[July]] [[2004]], and was quickly sold-out in many places, resulting in a second print run which contained a noticeably higher quality than the initial print. The set included:

* The Pirate, English, and Spanish factions

* Ships for each faction ranging in size from one to five masts

* Twelve named crew members for each faction

* Generic crew for each faction

** [[Captain]]

** [[Helmsman]]

** [[Musketeer]]

** [[Shipwright]]

** [[Oarsman]]

** [[Cannoneer]]

** [[exploration|Explorer]]

* Generic [[treasure]] ([[gold]] pieces) ranging in value from 1 to 6

* Six special pieces of treasure

Various [[drug]]s can be applied to test subjects before, during, or after maze training, which can reveal information about spatial learning and its underlying mechanisms. For example rats treated with the [[NMDA receptor]] blocker [[APV]] perform poorly in the Morris water maze, suggesting that NMDA receptors play a vital role in spatial learning [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=1345945]. And since [[long-term potentiation]] -- a potential [[biology|biological]] mechanism for behavioral learning -- also requires NMDA receptors, spatial learning may require LTP.

===Expansions===

'''Pirates of the Crimson Coast'''

Liang et al reported in [[1994]] that spatial learning requires both [[NMDA receptor|NMDA]] and [[AMPA receptor]]s, consolidation requires NMDA receptors, and the retrieval of spatial memories requires AMPA receptors [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=7796636].

Released in [[March 6]] [[2005]]. The expansion introduced several new options to the game:

* Added French faction

* Reinforced original factions

* [[Fort]]s

* A new ship type, [[Schooner]]

* A new ship ability, [[Ghost Ship]]

* New named and generic crew for the original three factions and the French

* Two new generic crew

** [[Stinkpot]] Specialist

** [[Chainshot]] Specialist

* Three types of [[terrain]]

** [[Fog]] Bank

** [[Reef]]s

** [[Sargasso Sea]]

* 9 new special treasures

== Water maze vs. Conventional mazes ==

Watermaze has advantages over conventional mazes (e.g., [[plus maze]]). There are no [[local cue]]s such as [[scent trace]]s; no fixed escape-fomula; the rat makes good progress in the trials because it wants to escape. Rats are natural swimmers – they are not distressed but they do want to find that platform. Mice have an option to float, and maybe this is why they are not so cooperative in watermaze. It has been suggested that they don’t aim to find the platform, but trick the technician into rescuing them.

'''Pirates of the Spanish Main Unlimited'''

== Watermaze analysis ==

Released on [[March 15]] 2005. The expansion was a repint of the cards from the original Pirates of the Spanish Main with the exception of changing the numbering on the cards to conform with the Pirates of the Crimson Coast numbering and rarity colors. A checklist of the cards was also added. In [[Europe]], the expansion removed the island cards and in their place issued new rules for ship movement and a playmat.

The earliest and classic measure of learning is ''[[Latency (engineering)|latency]]'', which refers to the amount of time it takes to find the platform. However, rats can cheat. They might guess an area and swim a search pattern, getting to the platform quite quickly. There is a whole bunch of further analyses, which can tease out true spatial learning. The same swim is used, but a [[video tracker]] is required. Professional systems come with a suite of analysis features to extract measures such as time and path in [[quadrant]]s, near platform, in any specified area. The [[Gallagher measure]] looks for average distance to platform. The [[Whishaw corridor test]] measures time and path in a strip from swim-start to platform.

Mice are smart

== Atlantis platform ==

'''Pirates of the Revolution'''

A more advanced way to stop the rats cheating is the [[Atlantis rising platform]], which stays deep in the water and only rises when the rat lingers at the right place.

Released in [[June]] [[2005]]. The expansion introduced several new options to the game.

* Added American faction

* Reinforced previous factions

* Events

* A new ship type, [[Galley]]

* New ability, [[Marine]]

* New named and generic crew for all five factions

* New generic crew

** [[Firepot]] Specialist

* New special treasures

== External linksReferences ==

* WizKid's homepage for [http://www.wizkidsgames.com/pirates/ Pirates of the Spanish Main]

* [http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/10653 Pirates of the Spanish Main] at [[BoardGameGeek]]

* Davis S, Butcher SP, Morris RG. "The NMDA receptor antagonist D-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoate (D-AP5) impairs spatial learning and LTP in vivo at intracerebral concentrations comparable to those that block LTP in vitro." ''J Neurosci''. 1992 Jan;12(1):21-34. PMID 1345945

[[Category:Wargames]]

* Liang KC, Hon W, Tyan YM, Liao WL. "Involvement of hippocampal NMDA and AMPA receptors in acquisition, formation and retrieval of spatial memory in the Morris water maze." ''Chin J Physiol.'' 1994;37(4):201-12. PMID 7796636

[[Category:Collectible card games]]

[[Category:Origins award winners]]

[[de:Morris-Wasserlabyrinth]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hvsimage.com/papers/index.htm Watermaze publications 1966-2002]

* [http://neco.mitpress.org/cgi/content/abstract/10/1/73 Information on the hippocampus]

* [http://www.mailtalk.ac.uk/archives/watermaze.html The UK Academic Watermaze Discussion Group]

[[Category:WargamesMazes]]

[[Category:Neuroscience]]