Scoring variations

Logic of scoring system

Hierarchical relationships
Certain scoring items are grayed out (indicated by the gray tile icon beside the scoring item). To enable the item, you must first enable the equivalent rule option, or in the case of a scoring item for losers, assign a value for the equivalent item in the winner's scoring list. E.g., if you want to assign scoring for Flowers and Seasons, you must first check the Use Flowers and Seasons box on the General page (under the Rules section in the category tree of the Preferences dialog box).
Basic Points category
Scoring assigned to items in the Basic points category is always paid regardless of appearing or recurring of these patterns in logically higher patterns. Scoring for these items can be specified only by using the points or fu units. For rules based on Faan-Laak scoring system, the points unit refers to auxiliary points which result in a specified amount of faan units. When this scoring system is used, auxiliary points are handled as a bonus and normally converted into faan units only if the hand meets all requirements specified on the winning hand (you can specify this option by using the Exceptions dialog box).
Implied patterns
Certain patterns imply other patterns. E.g., Four concealed triplets is by definition a Pung hand, and Big Three Dragons contains three Pungs or Kongs of Dragons so no additional points are paid for these sub-patterns (if you want to give additional bonus for Kongs, you should apply scoring for the Concealed Kong or Melded Kong patterns, or for patterns like Two Kongs, Three Kongs, etc.) Note however that point assignments listed in the Basic points category are always paid (see above). For all hands containing logically implied patterns Four Winds calculates points only for the logically highest pattern and ignores the implied patterns.
Four Winds assumes that assignments of the Scoring list have been done logically. E.g., it is assumed that Four concealed Pungs (if it has been assigned a value) pays at least the same as Four triplets, three concealed. Specifying otherwise does not have effect on the way Four Winds calculates the points: of the two nested scoring items (both of which are enabled, i.e., that score more than 0 points) the one that is logically less valuable is ignored, disregarding actual assignments. Also, it is assumed that for patterns like Two Dragons there is a scoring specification for logically higher counterparts (in this case Big Three Dragons), since the program will not give extra doubles/faan/han for surplus Pungs/Kongs, but instead zeroes scoring for single Dragon Pungs/Kongs (excluding points for for patterns listed in the Basic points category). So, if the player has three Dragon Pungs/Kongs, it is not possible to have scores for Two Dragons + Pung of Dragons. Instead, you should assign scoring for Big Three Dragons.
For certain patterns (e.g. Pung hand and Chow hand) you can enable Forced scoring, which means that if these patterns appear nested in logically higher patterns (as Pung hand in Four concealed triplets or in All terminals and Honors), the program gives points for both parent and child patterns. Also, for certain patterns (e.g. Self-drawn last tile, Out on a pair and One-chance hand) scoring is paid, if it is specified in other unit than that of its parent pattern. E.g. Fully concealed hand implies Self-drawn last tile, but in Japanese Classical rules you get 1 double for the previous and 2 points for the latter.
Note: Several patterns based on Chows and Pungs/Kongs, and certain patterns based on the whole hand, allow specifying a separate scoring for having the pattern concealed or melded (or having it in a weakly concealed or partially melded hand, depending on the selected option). When a pattern has a separate scoring for being concealed (or in a weakly concealed hand), the scoring patterns Concealed hand and Fully concealed hand are not considered as implied patterns. It is recommended that if separate scoring values for concealed versions are used, the scoring for Concealed hand and Fully concealed hand is zeroed.
Overlapping patterns
Certain patterns overlap with others. Scores are given for all different patterns involved. E.g., a hand that contains Chows of Bamboo 1-2-3 and 7-8-9, and an additional Chow of Bamboo 1-2-3 gets scores for both 123789 of one suit and Two identical Chows, even if one set (Bamboo 1-2-3) is used once in both patterns. But this does not apply to identical overlapping patterns, e.g., you would not score twice for 2 Pungs and a pair in sequence if you have a hand with Bamboo 1-1, Bamboo 2-2-2 and Bamboo 3-3-3, and Bamboo 4-4.
Also, if the extra set forms a pattern that is already implied in another pattern, no extra points are given. E.g., if you have Bamboo 1-2-3, Character 1-2-3 and Dots 1-2-3, and another set of Bamboo 1-2-3, and the rules assign scoring for Same Chow of all suits, you cannot use the extra Chow to compose yet another Same Chow of all suits, or even its sub pattern Same Chow of two suits, since these are already implied by Same Chow of all suits. But you can use the extra Chow to compose Two identical Chows (since this pattern is not implied). Note that many pattern-centered rules allow implied scores. E.g., Chinese New Style rules may allow a player to use an extra B-123 in B-123 C-456 D-789 to compose yet another instance of B-123 C456 D789; Chinese Official rules do not allow duplicating a pattern, but would allow using an extra B-123 that appears together with B-123 C-123 D-123 to compose B-123 C123 (an implied pattern), B-123 D-123 (an implied pattern), or B-123 B123 (a non- implied pattern). Four Winds would allow using the pattern only in B-123 B-123. Another example would be a hand consisting of B-123 B-456 B-789 and yet another set of B-123. Chinese Official rules would allow using the extra Chow in one (and only one) of the following three: Two identical Chows, Run of six tiles of one suit (B-123456) or 123789 of the same suit (B-123 B789). Chinese New Style rules might allow also duplicating the B-123 B456 B789. Four Winds would allow using the extra B-123 only for Two identical Chows, since that is the only pattern that is not already implied by Three Chows of 1 suit, step 3. In practice these differences are rarely significant as alternative overlapping patterns often produce identical points: the total score is normally the same despite minor differences in composing patterns.
Note however that Four Winds by default allows unlimited use of one and same set in several different patterns, as long as the patterns do not imply each other. E.g., if you have B-123, C-456 and D-789, and D-123, you can have scores for 3 Chows of 3 suits, step 3 (B123 C456 D789), Two Chows of two suits (B123 D123) and 123789 of the same suit (D123 D789). Here D-123 is used in two different patterns. Some rules do not allow this (but restrict the use to just one pattern only), but for these kinds of patterns an alternative exclusion rule is normally provided as an option.
Recurring patterns and mixed concealed and melded patterns
Certain scoring patterns, e.g. Same Chow of two suits may appear more than once in a hand. If scoring is specified for the equivalent recurring pattern (e.g., Same Chow of two suits twice), Four Winds calculates the value of the patterns using the scoring value of the logically higher pattern rather than doubling the score of the logically lower one. This applies also in a situation, where the pattern appears once concealed and once melded. It is assumed that the scoring for the pattern appearing twice (melded or not) is higher than the scoring for the equivalent melded and concealed components added together.
Note: Four Winds does not give additional points for recurring of patterns that are possible only because of use of jokers. So it is not possible to have scores e.g. for Two Dragons twice (for having four Dragon Pungs or Kongs).
Scoring units
Four Winds lets you specify the scoring in points, fu (Mangan scoring system), doubles, faan (Faan-Laak scoring system), han (Mangan scoring system) or percentage of Limit (only a subset of the units is used, depending on the selected scoring system and currently active pattern). If % of Limit is used as the unit, or if the points unit (in a point-double based scoring system) is used and the specified value equals or exceeds the current limit (or if it is marked as a direct count by using the Count directly option), all other patterns are automatically excluded from the point calculation and the final score is determined directly by using the specified scoring value (which is not cut down to limit points; or if a settling table is used, it is bypassed). All patterns are examined and the pattern with the highest scoring value is chosen. However, Four Winds also allows scoring for multiple limit hands (the option can be turned on by checking the Allow multiple limit hands box on the Limit & Special Hands option page), in which case scoring for all patterns specified by using the % of Limit unit, or marked as direct counts (by using the Count directly option appearing for each limit and special hand scoring of which is specified in the points unit), are added together and scoring for all other patterns is ignored. Four Winds compares % of Limit values or directly counted point values with the total for cumulative patterns, and chooses the best possible scoring plan for the hand (e.g., if the hand would score more by using the scoring values of its components, that total is used instead of scoring specified by direct counts).
Note: When the Faan-Laak or Mangan scoring system is used, the Count directly option is not available (faan, fu and han units are automatically cumulative and % of Limit units are automatically direct counts). The option is available only for systems based on a point-double scoring system and when the points unit is used for specifying the scoring for the pattern (and the specified value does not exceed the value of the current Limit).
Allowing melded Limit and Special hands
For most hands (excluding the ones in the Classical, Pairs and Special ways of going out categories, and few other hands), Four Winds lets you specify (by using the Allow melded option), whether melded sets are allowed in a hand (i.e., sets that are melded before completing the hand – winning tile can always be claimed). You can also specify (by using the Double if concealed option) whether the hand scores double the specified value if it goes out concealed (winning tile can be claimed). As for concealed hands containing triplets, concealed Kongs are normally interpreted as concealed triplets and accepted in a hand. The type of Kongs that are interpreted as concealed are specified on the General option page of the Rules section. Note however that for concealed irregular hands Kongs are never allowed, no matter what is their type. But if the Allow melded option is used to allowed melded sets in an irregular hand (this is typical e.g. in French rules), all kinds of Kongs are allowed, as well.
Scoring for losers
Four Winds 2 allows separate scoring for losers. You can also specify (by using the For ready hands only option, appearing for each pattern when loser scoring is specified) for most patterns and hands, whether the points are paid only in case the loser has a cleared hand: in this case the hand must meet all the criteria specified for the winning hand, e.g., the hand, if it were completed, must be worth 1 double, if this is required from the winning hand, and if the winning hand may not contain mixed suits, the cleared hand must be able to be completed in a way that qualifies for a non-mixed hand; also, if the number of Chows is limited, there must be no more Chows in the hand than allowed. If you wish, you can enable an exception, which ignores the minimum point requirement when the ready state of the losers' hands is examined.
Note that though certain hands by definition imply "readiness" in a sense that player needs a maximum of one tile to have four complete sets and a pair, the hand does not necessarily qualify for a "cleared" hand, if the rules apply restrictions on the winning hand. E.g., Terminal or Honor in each set implies "readiness" in a sense that the tiles must appear in completed sets (excluding the set that would complete the hand), but if the winning hand must be worth 2 doubles, and the scoring for Terminal or Honor in each set itself gives only one double, the hand does not qualify for a cleared hand, if it does not contain other patterns that score at least one additional double.
In order to receive points for any of the set-based patterns (e.g., for 3 Chows of one suit, step 3), as opposed to patterns based on the whole hand, all the required sets must be complete. Only the patterns listed on the Patterns based on the whole hand tab allow incomplete sets. E.g., it is possible to allow scoring for One suit with Honors even if the hand consists of several incomplete sets.

Example of a loser's hand which does not earn extra points for 3 Chows of one suit, step 3, even if the hand is cleared (ready). All the required sets must be completed.

Example of a loser's hand receiving bonus for One Suit with Honors, if the rules do not require that the hand must be cleared in order to be paid. Notice that the only complete set in this hand is a pair of Bamboo 2's (or a Chow of Bamboo 1-2-3).

The difference can be illustrated by comparing the patterns Four Chows (in the Patterns based on Chows category) and Chow hand (in the Patterns based on the whole hand category). The previous pattern requires that all four Chows are actually completed, the latter allows that only three of the Chows are completed, provided that the player needs only one tile to complete his hand into four Chows and a pair (i.e., the player has three completed Chows and a pair and needs one tile to complete the fourth Chow). The hand, however, does not need to be cleared (meet all requirements specified for the winning hand), if this is not specifically required by the For ready hands only option.
Illogical assignments
Four Winds does not prevent you from doing senseless scoring assignments. E.g., if your rules use the Faan-laak scoring system, you would not normally assign faan scoring for the items in the Basic points category, though Four Winds lets you do so.
It is recommended that you use a pre-defined rule preset as a template for your own rule-preset and make only minor modifications to it.
Kong scoring. Scoring for complex hands containing Kongs and concealed triplets is done according to Chinese Official 2007 rules, and does not follow the above mentioned logic, but is based on a Kong scoring chart laid out by player community using these rules. It has some flaws, resulting occasionally in unbalanced scoring (statistically easier hands scoring more than more difficult hands), but since complex Kong scoring is not used in any other common rules, and since this scoring method is applied only for hands containing three or more Kongs, part of which are concealed, it is not likely that this scoring method becomes an issue for any other rules.

Note: The pattern based games are optimized for traditional games with 13 tiles (+ the winning tile). If you use a lots of patterns with 16-tile games, it is likely that part of the patterns are ignored in scoring. This can happen if the patterns overlap or combine in a way that is not possible in a 13-tile game. Accordingly, it is recommended that pattern selection is made with care for 16-tile games.

Procedures:
Creating and managing custom rule presets