[Kde-games-devel] Open Source Go server and software

[Albert Astals Cid]

A Diumenge 03 Febrer 2008, Ian Wadham va escriure:
> There was a BOF at Linux Conference Australia for the game of Go,
> which I attended.  Some people in the Go community see a need for
> Open Source software for a Go server and an actual international Open
> Source Go server.  However, if the software were available, they could
> install and use it on local club machines anywhere in the world.
>
> To see what the board and pieces look like, check the Gomoku theme
> in Bovo.  Go is a game with very simple rules, which can be learned in
> half an hour, but its complexity is greater than that of Chess, judging
> by the fact that there is not yet computer AI for Go that can get
> anywhere near master level of skill.  Go has been very popular in Japan
> for centuries, but has now spread world-wide.
>
>     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_%28board_game%29
>
> Go is interesting, as a two-person game of skill, because it has a
> handicapping system (as in golf).  So a weaker player can play a
> stronger one and both can have an enjoyable, challenging game
> and a chance of winning.  Its other fascination is that, as a game
> progresses, several battles can break out in different parts of the
> board and the players must assess priorities and allocate moves
> between them.
>
> There are two international Go servers, it appears, but both are
> Closed Source, although one has *some* Open Source client
> software.  On the other one the client software is also closed.
>
> Some Go enthusiasts would dearly love to have an Open Source server
> and the possibility to install local club servers, etc.  There is a project
> to do that, but it is languishing.
>
> It crosses my mind that we have the skills here on KDE Games to do the
> job.  So is anybody interested?
>
> If so, I could do some further investigation with the more
> computer-literate Go players re what is involved and how much work it might
> be.  There were several Go players at the Linux conf, but the chief
> proponent of an Open Source server unfortunately had to cancel attending
> the conf at the very last minute.
>
> Is anyone interested in pursuing this?

I have no time to commit to do something of this significance due to my 
current commitments, but i will comment anyway ;-)

Having this kind of "small but special" thing is in my opinion what can give 
KDE more users.

I'm quite sure that there's "lots" (ok maybe no more than 1000 but that's 
enough imho) users out there that are Go fans that don't want to use Windows 
but it's their only option. If we give them a good KDE client they can switch 
to KDE more easily.

That is one of the advantages Free Software has over Closed Source, we can try 
to catter minorities (like translating to languages that are not "viable 
economically") and if we convince enough minorities that's not minor 
anymore :-)

Albert

> Ian W.
>
>
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