What is it?
Installation
Version Info
FAQ's
Does it cheat?
Future Ideas
Related information
Disclaimer
Copyright notice

Send mail

Download (225 KB)
Win 3.1 (160 KB)

Quick Backgammon v. 2.9.3

(formerly 'Geert's Backgammon')

What is it?

Quick Backgammon is a program that allows you to play backgammon against your computer.

The idea behind it was to make a light, yet well equipped and well playing program that enables you to play a quick game, without taking over all the resources of your computer in the process.

It was written using C++.

Installation

Extract the contents of the zipfile to a (new) folder of your choice and then create a shortcut to the backgw32.exe file.

The program does not write to the registry. All the files that it does create are written to the folder where you installed it only.

To uninstall, you just remove the folder.

Version info

2.9.2, 2.9.3: Further training. No more doubles as first roll.

2.9.1: Gameplay; I have trained the AI against itself this time. The results were good enough to finally introduce a 'use New/Same/Swapped rolls' option. Cube handling is poor as ever.

2.9.0: Improved back-game.

2.8.8, -9: Gameplay.

2.8.7: Changed the name to 'Quick Backgammon'. Now that there are so many very strong playing, but also rather large programs around, I thought it made sense to name the game after its most important characteristic.
Fixed a bug that appeared when undoing moves through the menu.

2.8.6: Gameplay; made the program a bit more cautious.
Fixed a bug with the 'auto change turn' option.
Moves list now displays 'No move' when you can't move.
Internal changes that you should not notice.

2.8.5: Removed the "More" button in the statistics dialog.
Worked, as usual, on the gameplay.
Solved the worst of the 'ghost pieces' problem.

2.8.4 does not roll and display the dice before the computer doubles, although the upcoming roll will still be displayed when you double yourself; see also below under the FAQ's.
This version will not try to resign for single stakes when there is a clear chance that you can win with a gammon.
Worked on the computers decision to accept or refuse a double.

FAQ's

Q: How do I bear off?
A: move to position '0' (zero) or click the small numbers at the side of the playing field, or click the bar.

Q: How do I activate the doubling cube?
A: Check 'use cube' in the settings under the 'game' tab.

Q: Does it cheat?
A: No, see here

Q: Will you make a LAN-version?
A: No.

Q: Why am I allowed to double after I have rolled?
A: To make the gameplay smoother. If I arrange it otherwise you will have to click after each move to indicate wether you want to double or not. I am not especially proud of this solution, but it is what I dislike least.

Q: I win 80% of the games I play, can't you make it play stronger?
A: This is not a neural net program and therefore it will never play a really very strong game. If it is no challenge anymore, you are probably better off playing against JellyFish. Improving the gameplay is always on my mind, but lifting the program above 'pretty competent' is difficult.

Does it cheat?

No. Although you will never be really sure as long as I do not publish the sourcecode, I did build in some possibilities for you to check:

• You can manually roll and enter your dice
• You can provide the program with your own list of rolls and let it use those. If a 'suspicious' roll comes up you can check wether it was indeed to come up.

If your performance against the program improves dramatically, by trying either one of these options then the program probably does cheat.

Future ideas

The game of backgammon is already good enough by itself, and I think that computers can really only improve on it by taking care of tedious things like keeping statistics, setting up the board, remembering what the rolls were or finishing a predictable game.

For this reason I add few new features and am preoccupied mostly with the strength of play and the ease of use.

I also would like to make the window resizable. But the interface is pretty full, and letting the user resize the window and keeping all items at the correct place at the same time has until now proved too difficult.

As the game gets better I find myself thinking about more luxurious options:

The possibilty to save and replay complete games.
Variations on the game of backgammon.

Features like this would move the program into another range however, and I am not sure if I want it to be there.

Related information

More on backgammon can be found at:
Backgammon Galore
Board Game Central

Disclaimer

You use this software at your own risk; I make no warranties of any kind regarding its quality or fitness to any particular task.

Copyright notice

This game is freeware

The author is the copyright holder of the program.
You are hereby licensed to use this software for free.
Since the Program is intended for distribution only as freeware, you shall not charge any fee or other compensation for the Program.
You may make copies of the program for private use, but only in its original, unaltered form, with all files included unmodified, and without making any additions, modifications or deletions.