MengTzu: NO to all 4. It is easy to learn a few chinese characters and you will be familiar with them after 1-2 games. I have more fun playing with original pieces. I regard special boards and pieces as an additional barrier. There are better ways to make Xiangi more popular in non-asian countries than to invent a new design.
(hide) Play a game in real time with an online opponent! For this to be possible, you and your opponent have to select the action "Move and stay here" as default and then reload the page with the F5 key! (TeamBundy) (show all tips)