Life In 19x19

Just thought I'd let you guys know (in case you didn't already) that there is a new game called 'The Path of Go' on Xbox Live available to download. It is only 400 Microsoft points ( in real money about £3.50p) which is as good a price as you can get for a game on the Xbox.

As for the game itself it has a single player story mode which I worked my way through without any real trouble ( I'm 3k on KGS), in story mode it teaches you the basic concepts of go but there was a few of the tsumego that were incorrect, on one of them I know I had netted a group but it forced me to do it the way it wanted and then right near the end to fit a ladder escape on the board the computer didn't capture when it could have.

The overall AI is pretty dumb I felt. In the final game in story mode I felt I was behind so did a massive overplay in my opponents territory and the computer let me live and lost all of it's stones in the process. But for a beginner it should be more than adequate.

The previous quibbles ive had are only minor. The only major hate I had with it is I couldn't get a game online with anyone. So if anyone has an Xbox 360 add me my gamertag is benwahwah. It will let you play both real time and message play so it should suit peoples tastes. I hope to see some of you guys online!!

I just read about this Xbox game. I would buy it if I owned an Xbox, sadly I do all of my gaming on my PC. I doubt that you will find many people your level to play this game considering most Go players would rather play on their computers where they can find a myriad of equally skilled opponents. Questions: Does the game allow you to play on board over 9x9? Does it use the ranking system when playing online??

This interview gives some interesting background on its development:
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/27/interview-the-path-of-go-developers-xbla/

It grew out of some research projects at the Microsoft Research Labs in Cambridge where some of the researchers are dan level players. Yes it allows 19x19 play as well.

A little more information about the AI in the game can be found here:
http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/37382/the-long-path-of-go

I just downloaded it a couple days ago. My gamer tag is KnightSP if anyone wants to play.

Just played a 19x19 game against it. No handicap, strength 3 (strength goes to 5 but the 2 highest are only available in 9x9 and 13x13. I guess they would be too slow on 19x19).

It played a really good fuseki as long as I stayed with normal patterns. I would assume an extensive fuseki library. But once fighting broke out it completely collapsed. In the end I killed every single stone on the board.

Fuseki - 5-3kyu
Fighting and L&D - 20-18kyu

It took around 15 sec per move.

The tutorial and story mode was ok but had some strange moments. It for example uses jisatsu instead of suicide. There are also this go problem where you are supposed to make a heart-shaped ladder. The problem is that the problem is broken, the shape does not actually work, after one of your moves your 12 stone group is in atari but the computer instead of capturing extends one of his stones that are in atari because of that group. This allows the ladder to continue to the point where you can win it.

The scoring algorithm is flaky and can sometimes count a 1 eyed group with 2 liberties as alive while at other times recognize a eyeless dragon with multiple liberties as dead. This problem is compounded by the fact that the computer will pass in unfinished games and on the other hand continue to play finished ones (even by making self atari).
You can choose not to accept the scoring and resume the game but the only time I have done that so for the AI locked up. Never stopped thinking. Luckily you can check what it think is alive or dead before passing yourself but if you do pass it will only display the score.

I own the game as well, but can't play against other folks as I'm not a gold member at this time, not to mention the times I can hook my 360 to the internet is rare atm.