Thread

1. SwellJoe · 1790971326 · focus · HN ↗

   I loved Stratego so much as a kid. But, I eventually couldn't find anyone to play with me because I crushed everyone, including my dad who was much better than me at chess. But, I never would have thought it'd be a game that models would have a hard time with. It feels relatively simple. And, inexplicably, I never even thought that there might be serious players...I've kept the board game, one of the very few things I have from young childhood, but it's been twenty years since I played. I guess it's time to find an online Stratego. Surely someone in the whole world can beat me.

   Too bad I never played against an AI before they cracked it.

   1. karim79 · 1790982158 · focus · HN ↗

      > including my dad who was much better than me at chess.

      My experience as well unfortunately. No matter how many books on chess I read, no matter how many games I played against Battle Chess to try to get better, he always won.

      1. SubiculumCode · 1790988324 · focus · HN ↗

         Chess...I'm in the top 1 percent among regular players on chess.com/lichess, yet impossibly far away from Master/GrandMaster level as to be impossible; their minds are completely alien to me.

         1. karim79 · 1790993172 · focus · HN ↗

            Impressive. Keep at it. I hope you'll find a Eureka moment. I also hope they're not just cheating using AI.

            1. SubiculumCode · 1790994054 · focus · HN ↗

               Becoming such is not my goal; I have too many other interests. It was more commentary about how one might be good, but no where even near competitive, and the journey, even if mentally capable, of improving further would take years and year of full time dedication...because chess is that deep, and because "good" is always context dependent.

               1. karim79 · 1791001576 · focus · HN ↗

                  I can relate. I'm in the top percentile on stack overflow (now killed by AI). My only goal was to be "good" in the way you described.

                  1. jodrellblank · 1791054493 · focus · HN ↗

                     I was in the tens of thousands of points on Stack Overflow, over a hundred badges, into the millions of “people reached”, learning things just to be able to answer, things I have found now in search results and been surprised that it was my answer, and yet so far from being a top contributor it may as well be the Moon.

                     And haven’t been back there for years. Reinstate Monica. And shame on the licensing grab.

                     1. eks391 · 1791063406 · focus · HN ↗

                        Thank you so much. Whatever the motivation, contributions like yours are what helped hobbyists like me decide that whatever ambition I had was in fact a possible outcome, when I otherwise was hitting infinite walls of my own. And I'm sure for those who turned that hobby into their career, you've helped advance countless improvements to everyone's standard of living.

                        Sure some advancements suck, but that's not on you. Answering the questions publicly for all to see enables everyone, and it's up to them to use it for better or worse.

                        1. jodrellblank · 1791130096 · focus · HN ↗

                           Thank you; I hope it’s been mildly useful to some people. It sometimes feels like a volunteering effort that I can do, which is slightly unusual and most people can’t do.

                           Unlike HN and Reddit “discussions” which bring out the snark and ackchually in me far too often, and rarely seem a good way to “discuss” anything, focused questions and answers can potentially add a small value to the world.

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