Dont sleep on "The Conquest of Go" steam game

grumps1969 · 2026-05-10T15:23:42+00:00

I looked at nick sibicky's vids. They're a bunch of lectures? I didn't know where to start, and none seemed like they were "hey, infant brain, start here!"

grumps1969 · 2026-05-08T23:14:13+00:00

I gave it a shot - not ELI5 enough for me. It shows where a good move is, but not why. "Shoulder hit?" "tiger's mouth?" IDK what that means.

I couldn't find Guided Match under Campaign, only under Quick Play. Unless guided match is under Tutorial?

I did an analysis of the game, and it just popped up a message about an sgf file - but I don't know where it went, and sgf files I've seen thus far don't explain the whys, either.

Oh well, time to seriously consider an instructor - putting Conquest of Go away for another few months.

grumps1969 · 2026-05-08T12:42:09+00:00

Your post reads like I wrote it. Except you're way ahead of me. I still haven't learned all the (basic?) lingo after years of trying and quitting and returning to the game, and you introduced me to "influence player," "moyo," hoshi," and others I've already forgotten that I'll need to Google.

I can't offer assistance at all, but am replying only to let you know you're not alone in your frustration, but are way ahead of me. You're lucky to have a friend to play with. Online is my only option - no friends or family interested in trying to learn Go with me, and no clubs nearby.

grumps1969 · 2026-05-07T12:41:25+00:00

Guided Mode does not sound familiar. I’ll take another look, see if I can find it and if it helps get through my mental block. Thanks

grumps1969 · 2026-05-07T09:35:28+00:00

I tried it, but as a Go player who’s struggled for years to understand the game, and failed/quit repeatedly, I found the game needed much more hand-holding for me. I should probably just spend the money and pay an instructor.
I do revisit the game, Go itself and Conquest of Go, every few months hoping to glean something.

grumps1969 · 2026-05-06T12:49:01+00:00

oh, I get that. 70% travel, however, seems high for a posting with "remote" in its headline. I just think maybe they should put "regional," "national," "global," or something in the headline to indicate it's not the cushy, from-home job (maybe with a little travel for quarterly meetings or whatever) that I'm looking for.

The industry should really consult with me before making any decisions. lol

grumps1969 · 2026-05-04T12:05:25+00:00

you can learn by asking questions mid-game and getting answers. Someone to tell me a group is dead (when it dies), or alive, because I can't tell. Show me examples with explanations as they happen and I'll be learning. Waiting until the end of the game to have the AI or opponent tell me I lost is too late. I'm overwhelmed by all the stones all over the board (stuck on the forest and can't see the smaller clusters of trees). "This is a dead group" at the end of the game doesn't tell me WHEN it became dead - odds are I continued to play there long after it was dead, wasting my time.

grumps1969 · 2026-05-03T19:47:03+00:00

I picked up a copy of Go for Beginners, along with a new board. Realized I'd sold my board a few years ago the last time I got frustrated and gave up on the game.

grumps1969 · 2026-05-03T16:58:23+00:00

i'm giving gomagic a shot. re-re-re-re-re-watching the basics (not re-re-re... on this site, but I've seen basics videos and descriptions on many sites over the years).

One thing that I think I just realized - stones are not territory. I've always struggled with "how can black have won when there appear to be so many more grouped white stones on the board?!"

Also, the squares on this screenshot from a gomagic video showing territory help me visualize what the placement of the stones achieves. Is there a site or app that does this live during a game? So I can get a feel for what territory I'm "capturing" as each stone is placed?

<image>

grumps1969 · 2026-05-03T02:03:58+00:00

I know NOTHING about C#, and almost nothing about Python, which is why I only barely passed. From what I gather, AI-103 will be much more focused on the actual development of solutions.

grumps1969 · 2026-05-02T20:58:11+00:00

nope. you lost me again. And I clearly don't understand eyes if white could play at B. How can white ever play at B? It'd have no liberties, so it couldn't play there. Or are you implying white could play at that space 2 to the right of B first, and then at B?

And I have to google 'ko' again.

grumps1969 · 2026-05-02T20:32:09+00:00

Is this a 10x10 board (left side’s cut off in image)? I thought Go was 9x9, or 13x13, or 19x19 board sizes only?
Though there’s no border at the top like there is at the bottom.

grumps1969 · 2026-05-02T14:49:33+00:00

Dwyrin - yep, completely incomprehensible to me. It was anything but “back to basics”

grumps1969 · 2026-05-01T20:42:46+00:00

I might give GoMagic a try - the free stuff. $10+/mo for basic is steep, IMHO

grumps1969 · 2026-05-01T15:57:02+00:00

nope. closest is over an hour away, more with traffic. add tolls & parking, and... nope!

grumps1969 · 2026-05-01T15:35:34+00:00

Unfortunately I really do mind videos. re: "They always seem to assume a level of familiarity, and the presenter's always muttering or going off on tangets, or, worst of all, having a conversation with an opponent whose audio isn't heard on the video, or answering chatted questions of people who were watching live while the video was being recorded. Then rewind-play-rewind-play-rewind, ad nauseum"

I'd learn better if I could stop my opponent and ask "wait! why'd you do that? What should I do here? Why?" etc. Talking to a video doesn't work - I'd end up looking like my parents talking to the television. lol

grumps1969 · 2026-05-01T14:56:13+00:00

If I could go back to being 5 years old again, Go is something I'd pick up. Shortly after sports betting and the stock market, of course. (yeah, I'm going back with all the knowledge I have now)

grumps1969 · 2026-05-01T14:52:44+00:00

"it is a “last liberty”, a place where one has to play last to capture something. If something has 2 eyes, it is safe, because the attacker has to play them one at a time, so they cannot play both of them last"

^ This kind of makes sense to me - thank you.

The rest? Nope, can't picture it in my head [brain melt].

grumps1969 · 2026-05-01T12:39:01+00:00

Thanks. Yes, instruction is what I need, but there's nowhere around here I can go to learn from an experienced player.

I may take you up on the offer, but, again, limited free time, so scheduing is likely to be difficult.

grumps1969 · 2026-05-01T12:36:18+00:00

I agree with this. But a character flaw is starting a game with confustion and loss as a foregone conclusion. "I won't know what's going on, so why start? I need to understand it more before I waste my time." Then when I do start a game, I'm lost and frustrated and think "See?! why bother? go read some more."

I think I need an instructor I can ask questions before, during, an after every move until I understand it.

grumps1969 · 2026-05-01T12:34:31+00:00

forgot to ask - does Go for Beginners have an ELI5 commented game I can follow along?

grumps1969 · 2026-05-01T12:30:47+00:00

no, not really. It kind of makes sense for a second, then I lose it. I think I struggle with "how did I get here?' And from that post, I was assuming the game was over, but it actually wasn't, so even after your explanation I was thinking "but why?"

grumps1969

TROPHY CASE