Re: [Bug-gnubg] Manual

[Jim Segrave]

On Sat 15 Nov 2003 (14:18 +0100), Achim Mueller wrote:
> Hi folks,
> 
> I just started reorganizing the documentation. It still will be
> written in texi and coverted to html on the webpage.
> 
> Here is a short intro (concerning the features). Did I forget any
> important stuff?
> 
> Ciao
> 
> Achim
> 
> -- 
> achim mueller, anne-frank-str. 25, D-48431 rheine
> +49 (0)5971 83767, +49 (0)163 8458340
> -------------------------------------------------
> pgp/gnupg key: 1024D/5DF3A722 (wwwkeys.de.pgp.net)

> First of all GNU Backgammon is ... work in progress. Don't blame us if
> - a feature isn't implemented yet
> - a feature doesn't work correctly
> - gnubg crashes
> - your system suffers after gnubg is installed

I have to say that I would include these warnings, but not as the first
thing someone encounters.


> Don't forget 
> - it's free software (free as in "free speech", not in "free beer")
> - we are all volunteers
> - we need feedback and bug reports
> - we need your help
> 
> GNU Backgammon works on
> - MS Windows operating systems
> - Linux
> - FreeBSD
> - Solaris
> - MacOS 10
> 
> GNU Backgammon is available in different languages
> - English
> - German (nearly finished)
> - Italian (3/4 finished)
> - Japanese (2/3 finished)
> - Danish (1/4 finished)
> - Turkish (1/4 finished)
> - Icelandic (1/4 finished)
> - French (not ready yet)
> 
> GNU Backgammon has a
> - Graphical User Interface (GUI) with 2D- or 3D-Animation

Most aspects of the appearance of the GUI versions can be selected
either from existing designs or you can easily change most aspects -
colours, textures, lighting, for 3d boards the perspective, etc.

> - A command line modus (CLI) with support of the script language python
> 
> With GNU Backgammon you may play
> - backgammon, nackgammon or hypergammon
> - games, matches or sessions

We should note that unlike some other backgammon software, gnubg
always adjusts its play according to the score, which is particularly
important in match play.

> Gnubgs analysing functions allow you to
> - get hints during the game (tutor)

these are actually two different things - hints are things you
initiate, tutor advice happens automatically

> - evaluate positions 
> - analyse or rollout positions, games, matches or sessions

I think we can safely claim that rollouts have probably the most 
extensive controls to set speed and accuracy of any backgammon software

> You can
> - setup, edit and save positions, games, matches and sessions
> - replay games, matches and sessions
> - record annotations
> - store error rates for different players

I'd mention that the theory window allows extenive exploration of
double and take points, gammon values and other important aspects of
cube usage.


> GNU Backgammon imports matches and sessions from
> - Fibs
> - Gamesgrid
> - TrueMoneygame
> - Netgammon
> - Snowie
> - Jellyfish
> 
> GNU Backgammon exports positions, games, matches and sessions into
> - *.pos 
> - *.mat

This should note that the above are Jellyfish formats

> - plain text
> - different html formats
> - png
> - LaTeX
> - (Encapsulated) Postscript
> - PDF
> 
> With GNU Backgammon you may choose between the following dice generators
> - Manual dice settings
> - from a file
> - a dice generator created by the user
> - Ansi
> - Blum, Blum and Shub
> - BSD
> - ISAAK
> - MD5
> - Mersenne Twister
> - www.random.org
> 
> GNU Backgammon uses different databases to rise its skill
> - gnubg.weights / gnubg.wd
> - gnubg_os.bd
> - gnubg_ts.bd
> - hypergammon (1,2,3)
> - Hugh Sconyers databases

Hmm - a couple of things

s/uses different databases to rise its skill/can use different
databases to make it even more powerful/

But gnubg.weights isn't (for any likely user) something you can change
to improve its playing ability.

We should probably say that gnubg comes with with one and two sided
rollout databases, but larger ones covering more positions are
available for use

One can choose from a large selection of match equity tables (and
adding others is easy)



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-- 
Jim Segrave           address@hidden