SensAI Go Devlog 0.5
It's been a while since the last update, and to be honest, development has slowed down a bit due to my more restricted schedule, but I want to keep you up-to-date and tell you about some recent updates of SensAI Go.
The tldr:
- New: Board coordinates
- New: EGD API integration (experimental)
- New: EGF Pro reference curve
Board coordinates
I don't want to spend too many words on this topic but board coordinates are an essential UI feature that was still missing from the app. I added these now, with some tiny twists:
- Hovering over a board point will highlight the respective coordinates for easier orientation
- Pressing + holding "C" while hovering will display the coordinates directly, and clicking the popup will copy the coordinates to the chat input field
EGD API integration
A while ago I got in contact with Matt from https://egdinsights.info/, as I was interested in working with his data. He's a very nice guy and informed me that the EGD (European Go Database) was about to launch a new experimental API to access their data.
I contacted them, got access and developed a new feature based on the API:
You can now link your SensAI Go account with your EGD pin.
Once the link is established, SensAI Go will replace the static rank you entered upon registration with your real-life EGF rank. Your name and exact rating will be hidden from other users, they'll only see your rank, e.g. "EGF 1d". The rank will be synchronized every time you login, so it'll always be up-to-date.
Also you'll be able to directly view your EGD rating graph within SensAI Go, through your player profile.
The idea behind this feature is to establish SensAI Go as a learning platform first and remove any potential for rank anxiety or related mental pressures, allowing players to enjoy and explore the game without worrying about their rating. Players can still track their progress with SensAI Go's move quality metrics which are not tied to wins or losses.
I also want to encourage human-to-human interaction and play, so in the future players can expect to receive rewards for
- participation in real-life official EGF tournaments
- improving their real-life EGF rank
If anyone knows if other Go organizations also offer access to this kind of data, please let me know, definitely don't want this to be an EGF-only platform. ;)
EGF Pro reference curve
You might have seen the video I published a while back which heavily featured the metrics used in SensAI Go:
The main metric used here is a cumulative distribution function (CDF), which we can use to compare different players' quality of moves. Part of that feature is that you can compare your own metrics to those of famous players of the past at their peak.
For the new addition I have invested some time to add a new reference curve for EGF professionals. I collected all game records from the EGF pro qualifier tournaments over the years that I could find, and analysed all moves of the winners, to get an idea of what level of move quality is sufficient to become a pro in the EGF.
Please check it out, and compare with your own metrics to find out if you've got what it takes!
Outlook
I've been approached by various people over the past months and asked whether it's possible to play with AI bots on the platform, well it is not.
I have no big motivation to add this since I don't believe there is much value in playing with bots, and I prefer to nudge players to play with each other instead of a machine.
However, the new feature I'm working on should scratch this itch, it's looking pretty good so far and will enable you to run immersive AI guided self study sessions for analysing your own games, enjoy professional games or just study from an empty board.
It's honestly pretty addictive, I hope I can address that in the design. So stay tuned, I expect a release at some point in June. Many thanks for reading if you're still with me here, and don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or comments.
Enjoy the sun.