S6.12 - Why Go Endures: AI, Game Design & Traditional Go Craft | Go / Baduk / Weiqi

This episode is from All Things Go, a podcast about the board game Go, also known as Baduk in Korea and Weiqi in China.

Episode Summary

Travis explores two very different sides of what makes Go endure. First, game designer and researcher Cameron Browne shares ideas from his written interview about the history and evolution of games, the Digital Ludeme Project, why Go may sit in a rare strategic sweet spot, what he learned while designing the three-dimensional Go variant Margo, and why superhuman AI does not make human play less meaningful.

The second half turns to the physical side of the game with Kuroki, a Japanese Go-equipment artisan who works for Mitsuishi, the company behind Kuroki Goishiten, and who asked to be identified by family name only. He explains how traditional clamshell stones are made, why black stones are slightly larger than white, how kaya boards age, what grain and tachi-mori grid lines can reveal about an old board, when restoration is worthwhile, and what owners should avoid doing if they inherit traditional Go equipment.

Resources

• Cameron Browne - Game design, research, publications, and projects.
• Digital Ludeme Project - Research into modeling and reconstructing traditional games.
• Ludii Portal - Playable database and general game system developed from the project.
• Margo - Cameron's three-dimensional Go-inspired game.
• Gonnect - A connection game combining ideas from Go and Hex.
• Kuroki Goishiten - Traditional Go stones, boards, bowls, and equipment from Japan.
• The Tale Behind the Go Stones of Kuroki Goishiten - Background on Hyuga clamshell stones and Go-stone production.
• How to Choose a Go Board - Guide to Go-board materials, grain, and construction.
• The Art of Board Making with Naoki Kumasu - Related All Things Go episode on traditional Japanese Go-board making.

Full transcript, related episodes, and additional resources:

https://allthingsgogame.com

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Theme music by UNIVERSFIELD & background music by PodcastAC

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Episode Sponsors

BadukPop - Learn the rules of the ancient Chinese board game Go - also known as Baduk (바둑) or Weiqi (圍棋) - with a fun, interactive tutorial. Sharpen your Go skills with daily random Go problems (Tsumego) at your choice of difficulty level. Play games online or with a variety of AI opponents, each with its own unique playing style and strength.

SmartGo One - Your complete app for the game of Go. Learn to play, practice against the computer, study master games, solve problems, and read Go books. Free to download. Recent updates include direct OGS support, plus a new feature that can turn a photo of a Go board or book diagram into an SGF file. You can also read the Go books Relentless and Shape Up! for free inside the app. Find SmartGo One in the App Store or at SmartGo.com.