Re: [computer-go] GTP and Tourney in SmartGo 1.4

[Don Dailey <drd@xxxxxxx>]

>    Insisting on GTP will exclude most competitors, as they don't support 
>    it.  I have heard that it is hard to implement, with two line-feeds 
>    having a different meaning from one line-feed (my personal opinion is 
>    that significant whitespace is a really stupid idea.)


I  can't believe  you  are  talking about  GTP.   Implementing it  was
trivial and  simple.  For automated  playing I can't  imagine anything
easier to do.   

The line feed  thing isn't complicated although I  would probably have
looked for a way to leave it out had I been the creator.  On the other
hand I  don't believe it was  an unreasonable choice  either.  Had all
records been delimited  by a single line feed,  certain messages would
have consisted of really long lines  and would not have been as easily
readable, which was one of the design goals of GTP.

I like  the idea  of not excluding  anyone too.   But I would  like to
point out  that WHO gets  excluded depends on  your point of  view.  I
speak from my own viewpoint as  a weak newcommer.  If a tournament was
based on having  GMP protocol, I am less likely to  go to the trouble.
It's just my own personal opinion, but I think there is some merit (in
any field) to doing anything possible to encourage the newcommers.  If
I were  a strong  established old-timer in  some field of  endeavor, I
might be less flexible about this.

Hopefuly,  this same  open  policy  would apply  to  OS choices.   Mac
systems  should be  allowed  as well  as  Linux or  any other  system,
especially if the player brings his own hardware.

- Don






   Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2004 23:03:17 +0000
   From: Nick Wedd <nick@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
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   In message <A424A906-7294-11D8-A7AD-000A959D091C@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Marco 
   Scheurer <marco@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes

   >I'd like our company to sponsor a Computer Go tournament for its 10th 
   >anniversary (in fall 2004). It it happens it would be for GTP engines, 
   >and would also be broadcasted on a server, possibly with a live video 
   >stream, if anyone cares.
   >
   >Any advice about rules, the setup? What is needed to make a tournament 
   >big? No entrance fee and prize money?

   My unorganised thoughts follow.

   Rule set is unlikely to be an issue.

   High entrance fee certainly deters entrants.
   Low, or subsidised, travel costs encourage them.
   Prizes encourage those few who have a chance to win them.

   Insisting on GTP will exclude most competitors, as they don't support 
   it.  I have heard that it is hard to implement, with two line-feeds 
   having a different meaning from one line-feed (my personal opinion is 
   that significant whitespace is a really stupid idea.)

   About five years ago, when many programs claimed to support GMP, the 
   chance of two such programs actually being able to play an entire game 
   by GMP was rather small.  If two of your entrants fail to get their game 
   started, or play part of a game and then go to sleep, do you propose 
   investigating which one is guilty of not doing the GTP stuff right, and 
   giving the win to the other?

   Most computer Go tournaments require each entrant to be accompanied by a 
   human, to operate it.  Allowing people to send in a program, to be 
   operated by a volunteer, will encourage weak entrants.  Few good 
   programs will accept this arrangement, because of fear of theft.

   Nick
   -- 
   Nick Wedd    nick@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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