TCP/IP-based protocol

[Darren Cook <darren@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>: IMHO, Go Modem Protocol is horrible. It could have been suitable for modem
>: communications many years ago, but now that TCP/IP "rules", the parity
>: bits and the amount of compression used is obsolete, I think. I think we
>: should develop a new protocol for 2000's.

I completely agree.

>Would it not be better to provide some good standard libraries that
>implement [Go Modem Protocol ], so that no programmer needs to worry about
the
>"horrible" technical details in it?

There is a freely (?) available DLL, made by the Fost Cup organizers. The
commercial programs have all implemented the protocol, but there are small
incompatibilities that seem to stop programs successfully connecting to
each other.

A simplfied protocol would help avoid these problems. It should also allow
two programs to play on the same machine, to make test games easier. With
an open source implementation, as well as a ready made DLL, no-one would
have an excuse not to implement it.

>protocols used for the go servers, perhaps they could be used for
>computer-to-computer playing as well? Or how do things like cgoban
>communicate?

This sounds like a good start. Does the protocol require a server in the
middle, or can two clients talk directly to each other?

Darren