Re: [gnugo-devel] General intro

[bump]

> Our main questions are, would it be ok to use GNUGo for this?

Yes, as long as the GNU license (GPL) is respected. If you
produce a program that includes part of GNU Go, and if you
distribute, it then the GPL requires you to distribute your
source code with the program.

If you write a client program that communicates with GNU Go
through some channel, then you may not be required to
distribute your source code. Anyway you should read the license.

> Do you think it is possible and practical, considering we
> have no Go programming experience?

GNU Go can communicate with a client program using the
Go Text Protocol (GTP). The client can ask GNU Go questions
(such as what is the next move, or what is GNU Go's
estimate of the score.)

> The three main components of this would be: A tutorial,
> where the computer would play a game by itself, and would
> explain what it was doing and why; 

GNU Go is capable of explaining its reasons, since there
is a GTP command move_reasons. For example I issue the
command

move_reasons h1

and it tells me

Move reasons:
Move at H1 threatens to attack G1
Move at H1 is an antisuji
Move at H1 expands territory

But really knowing what it means is often for someone
knowledgeable about the program, and sometimes its reasons
are wrong. (Which is why it sometimes makes bad moves.)

> A test level to ensure
> the user has absorbed the information; and Finally a game
> play that started easy, and as each game is won by the
> user, the computer steps up a level in difficulty.  The
> final point is similar to what 'igowin' has done, but their
> game is quite easy to beat and you see a lot of repetition
> in the game play.

It sounds as if you want to write a client that has
tutorial extensions. Possibly you could start with
an existing client such as quarry.

Daniel Bump