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In response to my brief question [which was from a larger context) 'Is
Lord Kiggoshi such a terrible name?' Mark Thompson replied: 'No,
Kiggoshi does sound Japanese. But Chugyullas, Coydrocomp, Nebguard? ---
 
Gary G response: What about Cyclops, Hydra, Medusa from stories of old? 
Were these not strange names that we've simply gotten used to?  Should I
rename Medusa Shogi to Snake-Haired Lady Drop Chess?

Mark asked: Gyullas (to mean simply Money)? --- 
Gary G response: Gyullas are energy
crystals.  They are not money.

Mark asked: Dratp (to mean simply Promote)? ---- 
Gary G response: Dratping a piece can increase or decrease a piece's movement. 
It can also result in that piece leaving the board,
depending on the Dratp effect, or in earning more
Gyullas (money if you prefer-but they are not money), or in bringing
another piece into the battle... etc.  So, I prefer Dratp to the word
promote.  Though Dratping is  certainly related to promoting... it is more
intense and requires an expenditure of Gyullas (crystals).  In fact, the
Navia Dratp (costing 60 Gyullas) instatly wins the game for the person
making that Drapt.  And that is how I lost my first game of ND.

Energy crystals, money, what's the difference. It's stuff you earn by
doing something and pay out to get privileges: by me that's money. And
while I agree that dratping isn't exactly the same as promoting, the
concept is close enough. A space elevator isn't exactly an elevator, but
calling it that makes the idea clearer than coining a new word that's
unrelated to anything in the language -- AND is either
almost-unpronouncable or has a silent letter, what's with that? Silent
letters are vestiges of pronunciations from earlier times, what's the
point of including one in a new coinage? 

My aesthetic preferences are admittedly my own, and though I feel I have
good reasons behind them, I don't expect everyone else to share them.
These things depend on individual judgment, sentiment, and taste. As I've
already said, it's a fine game.

MT: Energy crystals, money, what's the difference. 
Gary G response: Crystals set up for a magic atmosphere.  Also, I cannot
use crystals to buy things in the U.S.

MT: While I agree that dratping isn't exactly the same as promoting, the
concept is close enough.
Gary G response: Dratping is a more precise term for the game being
discussed.

MT:  ... coining a new word that's unrelated to anything in the language
-- AND is either almost-unpronouncable or has a silent letter, what's
with that? 
Gary G response: Dratp (pronounced 'Drap', not too difficult) How do we
ever get new words?  Silent letters- gee whiz, are we to throw out much of
the English language.  Look at words like giraffe (crazy 'g') and phone
(ph acting like 'f') etc.

MT: Silent letters are vestiges of pronunciations from earlier times,
what's the point of including one in a new coinage?
Gary G response: It is for a new game with a mysterious atmoshphere. But
if we want to keep asking 'why' we can hit a virtual brick wall fairly
quick.  I am learning Russian, I can call a cat a kooshka, and I can say
dobrahdeen and dosvidawnya... but why?  Because others know these words
and I can learn them and want to... but I don't have to.  Dratping is
another word to my vocabulary.  Navia Dratp players understand it. It is
not that hard.  Why make a big deal of this game's language?

MT: My aesthetic preferences are admittedly my own, and though I feel I
have good reasons behind them, I don't expect everyone else to share
them.
These things depend on individual judgment, sentiment, and taste. As
I've
already said, it's a fine game.
Gary G response: I am glad you think it is a fine game.  I do too.  As far
as the game's linguistic aspect, I don't know why some people want to keep
complaining about it.

I recently started playing ND, and I don't think there will be an end to
the games.  I have yet to encounter the same strategy twice.  This helps
to keep the game more interesting.  

The pieces are very well done, the mechanics are well put together, and
having the different pieces allows for a greater array of playing styles.


I think that the names do add to the 'atmosphere' of the game.  They
help me to get into the game more as the Navia Commander.  The economics
are also a fantastic way to make you think about every move that much
more.  You want to be sure that you are either not giving your opponent a
free oppertunity to earn Gyullas while earning as many as you can at the
same time.

I believe that in the coming future ND will become a standard for fantasy
CVs.

BoardGameGeek.com has some useful info, some brought over from the Navia
Dratp Enthusiasts Yahoo group, like an easy-to-read copy of the rules with
FAQ. I don't suppose there's any reason to repeat those here, unless
someone has an improved version. There are many obscure combinations of
the rules which we now know will never be officially ruled on, many of
which will never happen (but could), like my favorite: a ring of three
Kanabas confining each other!

I think the game has to be respected in its entirety as an artistic
concept, even though the names and forms of the playing elements may seem
arbitrary to some. Most of the 'ugliness' of the pieces owes to the fact
that most of them come unpainted. See the game Dreamblade for how to do it
right (but it's still a collectible game, unfortunately).

I have watched a game being played Navia Dratp, at anime convention.

www.naviadratp.net no longer working

Is there a way to know when this page was written?

The introduction says "An upcoming commercial chess variant with collectible, tradable pieces", but some comments are more than 10 years old.

I can't find a publication date for this variant. (If it's there but I overlooked it please forgive me).

The first capture of their website by archive.org is dated August 18 2008, but comments here go back to 2006.

Thanks Fergus. So the entry in the alphabetical listing is a little out-dated "An upcoming commercial chess variant with collectible, tradable pieces"

Not sure if it can be changed, but the entry drew my attention because inventors that make the commitment to release actual physical variant chess sets is of interest to me.