GNU Backgammon NEWS -- history of user-visible changes.  1 February 2001

** Man page added.

** Import and export of position databases added.

** "set output" and "set training" commands added.

** External players (where moves are read from a socket to another process)
added.

** Importing of JF ".pos" position files added.

** Added Guile support, if Guile is available.

** Allow "=n" notation for moves (e.g. "eval =1" evaluates the position
after gnubg's first choice move is played; "rollout =1 =3" rolls out the
best and 3rd best moves).

** Generate an in-memory heuristic bearoff database if it can't be read
from the filesystem.

** .SGF format support for loading and saving added.

** Added game and match navigation: use `next' and `previous' commands,
or equivalent buttons in game window.

** Cubeful evaluation added.

** You can now load and save settings, and specify startup commands in a
~/.gnubgrc file.

** Added GTK+ port, and many associated features.

** MD5 dice generation added.

** Added command line options `-d' (--datadir), `-b' (--no-bearoff),
`-r' (--no-rc) and `-w' (--window-system-only).

** Reduced searches added.

** "!" shell escapes added.

** Allow finer grained "set evaluation" commands (rollouts, each player,
and "eval"/"hint" use separate settings).

** Added Nackgammon option.

** Clicking on the cube in the board window is equivalent to the command
"double".

** The board window now gives better feedback about any move (if the move
is a partial or complete legal move, it is displayed, otherwise "Illegal move"
is shown).  Chequers may be moved around without restriction, and all legal
moves will be recognised.

** The player names now default to the user's login name and "gnubg".

** Added --no-weights option to disable reading weights files.  Generate
and use binary weight files if available.

** Optional automatic bearoffs in non-contact positions ("set autobearoff").

** Match and session play has been added, along with support for the
Crawford and Jacoby rules, and automatic doubles.

** The position ID is now displayed in board window.

** Allow alternate style of moving chequers in board window with mouse
buttons 2 and 3.

** Added support for other dice generators ("set rng").

** Many miscellaneous commands implemented.

** More bug fixes.

* Changes in GNU Backgammon 0.02

** Bug fixes (10225, 10227).

** Added --tty option to disable X operation, and made
everything fall back to TTY if X fails.

** Now reads weights and bearoff database from $pkgdatadir (defaults to
/usr/local/share/gnubg/) if not found in current directory.

** Started implementation of supervised training (only enabled if gdbm is
available).  See "help database".

* Changes in GNU Backgammon 0.01

** Bug fixes (100110, 100113, 100114, 100115, 100118, 100122, 100150).

** Rudimentary X window system support.

* GNU Backgammon 0.0

** Initial release.
