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Bot symbols

Posted By: Nack Ballard
Date: Monday, 25 October 2010, at 5:04 a.m.

In Response To: Question to Nack (eXtreme Gammon)

Good question, Xavier.

Yes, I could use S, G, X for Snowie 3-ply, Gnu 2-ply and XG 3-ply, respectively, and Y for XG 4-ply (perhaps not "4," because the trials is already a number; e.g., "46" might be read as either 46k or 4-ply 6k). As this letter is inserted between the right-hand bracket and the number of trials, there is technically no ambiguity.

However, as Stick says, there is a greater chance of confusion (or balks) if there are letters/symbols both inside and after the brackets, especially if they match. Imagine data for the recently discussed position 63R-54 represented this way:

[S X16] S10
[S X12] X15

This could be improved by using lower case s, g and x, but I'm already using s and g before the brackets for (gammon) save and (gammon) go. I felt it better to employ something different altogether.

At first, I used # for GnuBG. But then I switched, in part because I started using # (to the right of @ on the keyboard) as a Nactation symbol for alternate anchor plays, but mostly because / (slash) is a simpler character, easier on the eye. (GnuBG was the first to "slash" the price of acquiring a bot.)

There are not many remaining primary keyboard symbols from which to choose for XG. I decided on < for 3-ply, ^ for 4-ply and > for 5-ply. (It is true that I sometimes use those three symbols for entering/fanning, but those are forced moves without rivals -- they'd never be candidate plays inside a nacbrac.)

You guessed correctly that for Snowie I chose ~ for the suggestion of a sideways S. That was a recent acquisition; for a long time in my notes the absence of a symbol denoted Snowie.

I'm open to changing the post-bracket symbols or method of representing the number of trials if someone else's suggested choice(s) or method seems better to me. If so, I'd like to make the change before releasing the Nactutorial update (aiming to do so in the next three months).

Cheers,

Nack

Messages In This Thread

• 32Z-32 RO 46 XG4
  Claude Landry -- Sunday, 24 October 2010, at 10:43 p.m.
  • 32Z-32, data
    Nack Ballard -- Monday, 25 October 2010, at 2:27 a.m.
    • Question to Nack
      eXtreme Gammon -- Monday, 25 October 2010, at 2:56 a.m.
      • Question to Nack
        Stick -- Monday, 25 October 2010, at 2:58 a.m.
        • Question to Nack
          eXtreme Gammon -- Monday, 25 October 2010, at 4:04 a.m.
          • Question to Nack
            Stick -- Monday, 25 October 2010, at 4:14 a.m.
            • Question to Nack, nactation table
              higonefive -- Monday, 25 October 2010, at 10:41 a.m.
              • Question to Nack, nactation table
                Stick -- Monday, 25 October 2010, at 10:50 a.m.
                • Question to Nack, nactation table
                  higonefive -- Monday, 25 October 2010, at 1:34 p.m.
                  • Question to Nack, nactation table
                    storm -- Monday, 25 October 2010, at 2:15 p.m.
              • Question to Nack, nactation table
                storm -- Monday, 25 October 2010, at 11:08 a.m.
          • Question to Nack
            Nack Ballard -- Monday, 25 October 2010, at 5:08 a.m.
      • Bot symbols
        Nack Ballard -- Monday, 25 October 2010, at 5:04 a.m.