Author: Dave Gomboc
Date: 18:13:50 03/23/99
Go up one level in this thread
On March 23, 1999 at 09:17:53, Albert Silver wrote: >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 As an aside, but while we are on the topic of questions to Bruce, I am wondering if Bruce received an email I sent to him (I think on March 20) or if there was a transmission error and I should resend it. Dave Gomboc
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