version 1.17

While testing the future version using GnuGo as a base program to handle the game, I could unveil a major bug in the way games were handled up now. During the transcription of the board, the program would set the value of any given intersection to the same number regardless of the color played. This would lead to the same decision fo black and white players, which is obviously generally wrong. Here is the new version cerrecting this : 

Goia 9x9 1.17 for Windows

Goia for GnuGO

I have tweaked GnuGo to allow it to run goia players. It is only working on windows for the moment, I will first find a way to use it for the tournaments, and then adapt it to linux.

Here is the program, see attached readme for information about what has been added: 

GnuGo for goia

For more informations about GnuGo, see the main website: GnuGo Documentation

Version 1.16

This version changes the description of the players, so this update is mandatory. 

I have changed the way neural input are described in the program, from std::vector<> to std::map<>. It allows to remove unused inputs without corrupting the network. This was necessary because much of the disk space occupied by the players was unused inputs. A couple of mutation bugs have been corrected also.

Goia 9X9 1.16 for Windows

GUI for playing against Goia 1.16

I am almost done making goia compatible with GnuGo. This weekend I should release a gnugo/goia version, I will do my best to release a linux version also.

Another major bug fix

/edit : another bug corrected, prevent another kind of crash, v1.14.4

Correcting the previous bug, I saw another one, leading to some weird scoring, ergo probably making the selection not very relevant.

I beg you to keep silent to my boss about the reliability of my release, and please use now this version :

Goia 9x9 1.14.4 for Windows

Version 1.14 : putting an end to the hyper-inflation

/edit : upgraded to 1.14.1 due to a major bug introduced in the previous release...

As you may have seen this week, the overall population has grown to a point where it became very slow. It would be ok if the increasing size came with an increased complexity of the players, but it was not the case. What happened was that, to strengthen some connections, the neural network made additionnal connections between neurons instead of increasing the weigth of the existing connection. It led to a neural network where connections where duplicated up to 10 000 times. I think it happened on the 9x9 program because of the limited number of neurons and goban input, which makes duplicating connections more easy. I have added a cleaning function to the program, removing those extra connections and replacing them with one strong connection.

It works far better now, at least on my computers.

I won't be able to deliver a linux version though, I tried to make some cleaning in my project I can't get it back to a working version. I am currently working on adapting the whole thing to GTP, using GnuGo functions for go rules enforcement and scoring. It will be far easier to maintain when it will work, and will bring many interesting functionalities.

However, for the moment, here is what I suggest :

• for windows users, download the new program and run it as usual : Goia 9x9 1.14.1 for Windows.
• for linux users, probably the most effective way of running the program will be to erase every players on your local drive, and continue running 1.13. As long as there is enough windows client running in parallel, the players will be cleaned regularly and there should not be the same kind of inflation as we saw last week. I hope I will be able to realease a GTP version in two weeks from now, and this one will be rather easy to compile for linux.

GOIA opens

This quick note to say I published the source of the program on google code. Anyone is welcome to help, share and give his opinion about the design. In advance, sorry to anyone bold enough to take a peek : it is not very good programming, and to top it all, it is written in french.

http://code.google.com/p/goia/

Playing against GOIA

Here is some instruction and download material to help you set up a game against one of your favorite players. It only works on windows currently, and one might find it cumbersome, thats yet another feature to improve.

Here is the way for the moment :

1. Download and unzip the opengo binary client.
2. Copy the player you want to play against in your c:\ drive as "c:\joueur.gop" (that's the cumbersome part).
3. Launch opengo.exe.
4. Create a new game, chosing "person" as white or black and GOIA or GOIA9 as the other player, with a board size respectively 19x19 or 9x9. The player you put in your disk must match the kind of game played.

Unfortunately, opengo has some bug left, and any configuration involving 2 artificial players don't work, so you won't be able to watch GOIA play against himself, or WALLY, or any other computer.