• bgammon.org - Free backgammon service without ads

    From Trevor Slocum@tslocum@gmail.com to rec.games.backgammon on Tue Jan 9 20:14:14 2024
    From Newsgroup: rec.games.backgammon

    Hello all,
    I have created a free and open source backgammon service which is available at https://bgammon.org
    There are no advertisements and there never will be. This service is completely free and open source software, it is possible to download and modify the server and client source code. Contributions are welcome.
    - Server code: https://code.rocket9labs.com/tslocum/bgammon
    - Client code: https://code.rocket9labs.com/tslocum/boxcars
    In addition to standard backgammon games, acey-deucey games and tabula games are also supported. I couldn't find anywhere you can play tabula online before this, is this the first time tabula is playable on the internet?
    - Tabula wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabula_(game)
    All feedback is welcome. Feel free to reply directly to this email or join the community via IRC/Matrix/Discord at https://bgammon.org/community
    I wrote a blog post going into detail about how I created bgammon.org, you can read it at https://bgammon.org/blog/20240101-hello-world/
    I am also working towards standardizing communicating with backgammon engines. The protocol is named Backgammon Engine Interface and you can find the draft specification at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D5xm7A1SbfuZo4vFWjqkIdpnGiJtOmKo-YCaoJmSsog
    I created a tool for benchmarking backgammon engines (playing hundreds/thousands of games very quickly and analyzing the results) named bgammon-benchmark, and I think it opens up some exciting possibilities as far as rating and comparing the performance of backgammon engines more quickly and easily, and in assisting with finding bugs during the development of backgammon engines and related software. This tool is available at https://code.rocket9labs.com/tslocum/bgammon-benchmark
    All comments and suggestions are welcome. I hope to see you there.
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  • From Stick Rice@bananaboater315@gmail.com to rec.games.backgammon on Wed Jan 10 11:48:37 2024
    From Newsgroup: rec.games.backgammon

    On Tuesday, January 9, 2024 at 11:14:16rC>PM UTC-5, Trevor Slocum wrote:
    Hello all,

    I have created a free and open source backgammon service which is available at https://bgammon.org

    There are no advertisements and there never will be. This service is completely free and open source software, it is possible to download and modify the server and client source code. Contributions are welcome.

    - Server code: https://code.rocket9labs.com/tslocum/bgammon
    - Client code: https://code.rocket9labs.com/tslocum/boxcars

    In addition to standard backgammon games, acey-deucey games and tabula games are also supported. I couldn't find anywhere you can play tabula online before this, is this the first time tabula is playable on the internet?

    - Tabula wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabula_(game)

    All feedback is welcome. Feel free to reply directly to this email or join the community via IRC/Matrix/Discord at https://bgammon.org/community

    I wrote a blog post going into detail about how I created bgammon.org, you can read it at https://bgammon.org/blog/20240101-hello-world/

    I am also working towards standardizing communicating with backgammon engines. The protocol is named Backgammon Engine Interface and you can find the draft specification at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D5xm7A1SbfuZo4vFWjqkIdpnGiJtOmKo-YCaoJmSsog

    I created a tool for benchmarking backgammon engines (playing hundreds/thousands of games very quickly and analyzing the results) named bgammon-benchmark, and I think it opens up some exciting possibilities as far as rating and comparing the performance of backgammon engines more quickly and easily, and in assisting with finding bugs during the development of backgammon engines and related software. This tool is available at https://code.rocket9labs.com/tslocum/bgammon-benchmark

    All comments and suggestions are welcome. I hope to see you there.
    If I were you I would post this elsewhere to reach more people. Elsewhere such as https://bgonline.org/forums/ for eg, not that I'm biased or anything.
    As quick feedback having the checkers not move as they do in the bots is frustrating. (double clicking to make a point or clicking on the checker and it playing the high die) The opp's checker moving/sliding is also extremely slow.
    Stick
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  • From Stick Rice@bananaboater315@gmail.com to rec.games.backgammon on Wed Jan 10 11:51:34 2024
    From Newsgroup: rec.games.backgammon

    On Wednesday, January 10, 2024 at 2:48:38rC>PM UTC-5, Stick Rice wrote:
    On Tuesday, January 9, 2024 at 11:14:16rC>PM UTC-5, Trevor Slocum wrote:
    Hello all,

    I have created a free and open source backgammon service which is available at https://bgammon.org

    There are no advertisements and there never will be. This service is completely free and open source software, it is possible to download and modify the server and client source code. Contributions are welcome.

    - Server code: https://code.rocket9labs.com/tslocum/bgammon
    - Client code: https://code.rocket9labs.com/tslocum/boxcars

    In addition to standard backgammon games, acey-deucey games and tabula games are also supported. I couldn't find anywhere you can play tabula online before this, is this the first time tabula is playable on the internet?

    - Tabula wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabula_(game)

    All feedback is welcome. Feel free to reply directly to this email or join the community via IRC/Matrix/Discord at https://bgammon.org/community

    I wrote a blog post going into detail about how I created bgammon.org, you can read it at https://bgammon.org/blog/20240101-hello-world/

    I am also working towards standardizing communicating with backgammon engines. The protocol is named Backgammon Engine Interface and you can find the draft specification at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D5xm7A1SbfuZo4vFWjqkIdpnGiJtOmKo-YCaoJmSsog

    I created a tool for benchmarking backgammon engines (playing hundreds/thousands of games very quickly and analyzing the results) named bgammon-benchmark, and I think it opens up some exciting possibilities as far as rating and comparing the performance of backgammon engines more quickly and easily, and in assisting with finding bugs during the development of backgammon engines and related software. This tool is available at https://code.rocket9labs.com/tslocum/bgammon-benchmark

    All comments and suggestions are welcome. I hope to see you there.
    If I were you I would post this elsewhere to reach more people. Elsewhere such as https://bgonline.org/forums/ for eg, not that I'm biased or anything.

    As quick feedback having the checkers not move as they do in the bots is frustrating. (double clicking to make a point or clicking on the checker and it playing the high die) The opp's checker moving/sliding is also extremely slow.

    Stick
    It also should play forced moves automatically, or at least have the option. (esp. in the bearoff) Also having to drag the checkers to the tray during the bearoff is .... a real drag.
    Stick
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  • From Trevor Slocum@tslocum@gmail.com to rec.games.backgammon on Thu Jan 11 19:40:26 2024
    From Newsgroup: rec.games.backgammon

    Hey Stick,

    I am glad to say that I have just released v1.2.4 featuring the following changes:

    - Add checker animation speed setting
    - Support advanced checker movement
    - Play forced moves automatically

    You can now enable the advanced checker movement and faster checker animation speed in settings.

    Thanks for sharing your feedback. Please l me know what you think of these changes when you get a chance.
    --- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From MK@playbg-rgb@yahoo.com to rec.games.backgammon on Tue Jan 16 11:40:55 2024
    From Newsgroup: rec.games.backgammon

    On 12/31/1969 5:00 PM, wrote:

    I created a tool for benchmarking backgammon engines
    (playing hundreds/thousands of games very quickly.....

    Can your tool be adapted to make GnuBG play against
    itself? Can you help with this proposed experiment?

    Another Murat mutant cube skill experiment based on game stages

    https://groups.google.com/g/rec.games.backgammon/c/uCmiIHgDfac/m/v0Ffw0tYAAAJ

    MK

    --- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Trevor Slocum@tslocum@gmail.com to rec.games.backgammon on Tue Jan 16 11:39:32 2024
    From Newsgroup: rec.games.backgammon

    Hey MK,

    If gnubg is updated to support the BEI protocol I have drafted, it would be possible to use the bgammon-benchmark tool to have gnubg play againt itself. I have drafted the protocol and created the benchmark tool, it is now up to the gnubg developers to implement the protocol (if they so choose).

    For context I am including links again to BEI and bgammon-benchmark:
    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D5xm7A1SbfuZo4vFWjqkIdpnGiJtOmKo-YCaoJmSsog
    https://code.rocket9labs.com/tslocum/bgammon-benchmark
    --- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From MK@playbg-rgb@yahoo.com to rec.games.backgammon on Tue Jan 16 13:01:59 2024
    From Newsgroup: rec.games.backgammon

    On 1/16/2024 12:39 PM, Trevor Slocum wrote:

    If gnubg is updated to support the BEI
    protocol I have drafted, it would be

    I don't know if and when GnuBG may support
    it but any other bots of a decent strength
    that can play cubeful money games would be
    okay for my purpose. Does your tool work
    with any such existing bots?

    MK

    --- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Trevor Slocum@tslocum@gmail.com to rec.games.backgammon on Tue Jan 16 12:18:41 2024
    From Newsgroup: rec.games.backgammon

    Hey MK,

    The only engine I am aware of that supports this protocol is tabula, which does not have anywhere near the features of gnubg. Tabula does not understand cubeful play. I hope engine support increases in the near future, I tried contacting various backgammon software authors asking for their feedback, but have not heard anything back yet. So, if anyone would like to help, please ask the developers of any backgammon software you like to use to please consider supporting the BEI protocol.

    Tabula: https://code.rocket9labs.com/tslocum/tabula
    --- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2