[computer-go] 19x19 Study - prior in bayeselo, and KGS study

[Jacques Basaldúa]

Dave Hillis wrote:

 > I've noticed this in games on KGS; a lot of people lose games
 > with generous time limits because they, rashly, try to keep up
 > with my dumb but very fast bot and make blunders.

What Don says about humans scaling applies to humans making
an effort to use the time they have, but when we play on KGS
after a hard work day, we (I guess a lot of people like myself,
including my opponents and the players I watch) play for
pleasure. We avoid too fast settings, because it introduces
unnecessary pressure, and we hate too slow because it makes
the game endless. We play _independently of the remaining time_.
Most moves fast, and from time to time we ponder 10 to 20 seconds.

That's why KGS time settings for humans have to be taken with a
grain of salt.


About Don's arguments on self testing:

I would agree at 100% if it wasn't for the known limitations:
Nakade, not filling own eyes, etc. Because the program is blind
to them it is blind in both senses: it does not consider those
moves when defending, but it does not consider them when attacking
either. Your programs behave as if they were converging to perfect
play in a game whose rules forbid those moves. But these moves are
perfectly legal! At weak levels, there are more important things
to care about, but as the level rises there is a point at which
understanding or not understanding these situations makes
the difference. A program that understood these situations,
but had some other small weakness could have strong impact
in the ratings. Perhaps, Mogo12 and Mogo16 would not be so
different in their chances of beating that program as they
are in beating each other.


Jacques.