Author: Albert Silver
Date: 06:17:53 03/23/99
Go up one level in this thread
On March 22, 1999 at 03:21:58, Bruce Moreland wrote:
>
>On March 21, 1999 at 01:59:10, Hannu Wegner wrote:
>
>>Hi Bruce,
>>I did read so many things about you program Ferret. What are your futere plans
>>with Ferret. I thin that there are alot of Chessplayer who would like to buy
>>your Program (Engine!?!). Fritz 5.32 or the Millenium Chess System offer good
>>possibilities to sell your program in a comercial way.
>>So let me play against Ferret :-)).
>
>I think it is clearly strong enough to sell, and I'm not adverse to doing this.
>I would like to sell it.
>
>I feel that my current options are: 1) package it for Millenium or ChessBase,
>2) finish it myself and either distribute it myself or distribute it some other
>way, or 3) let someone else finish it (write a custom UI) and distribute it.
>
>I actually had a signed deal to go the third route, and that kept me occupied
>for a year, waiting for something to happen, which never did.
>
>I've also had minor dealings with a couple of other people about this third
>route, and while they always sound very enthusiastic, I always try to set it up
>so that I am not the first one who has to do some work on the project, in order
>that my time not be wasted by losers who can't follow through. Some of these
>people might not be losers, but nobody has proven it yet.
>
>I have no personal problems (that I know of) with either Ossi or ChessBase, but
>that is not something I want to do now.
>
>As for writing something myself, the standard is getting higher all the time, so
>there is always more expected of a commercial chess program each year. My time
>is broken into little chunks. I can be interrupted at any time unless everyone
>here is asleep, in which case I am usually pretty tired as well. It is hard to
>deal with starting something that would require a lot of sustained effort, I am
>always racing against exhaustion or the needs of some little kid. Lately when
>I've had to do something big (like a parallel search), my wife has been kind
>enough to take the kids out of the house for the day, but this is not a solution
>that maximizes domestic tranquility.
>
>I am able to do little bits of work on the engine, and this is still enjoyable.
>Sometimes I make a little progress, and I am more or less free to do what I want
>with the project.
>
>bruce
Of course everyone would love to see Ferret available (I know I would). If
designing your own GUI with all the bells and whistles is too much work if only
because of lack of time, then the best way does seem to be to issue it as an
engine in someone else's interface. That is, if you are really interested in
giving the general public access to it. BTW, you have two other options as well:
- Schroeder is currently working on the Windows GUI for Rebel. I doubt he will
botch the job up, so you might consider an engine for it.
- Chess Assistant would probably love to have it as an engine for their DB
program (I would drool at the prospect) as this would really equalize the field
in regards to internal engines, plus you might negotiate a dual plan so that
they release it as a DB engine plus as a regular program (like Fritz). They
could design the GUI for you. Worth a try as well.
Albert Silver
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