About Aualé
Aualé is not just another game for the casual oware player. We have made it our mission that this software becomes a useful tool for both novice and master players. A tool that you can use to learn, improve your gameplay and share your knowledge.
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To this end we have developed a software based on open standards and formats that is easily portable to new operating systems; we have released the source code under a GPL license; and we have developed the strongest computer player that we were able to write. Because we want Aualé to become and continue to be an application for the oware community worldwide: a free software to have fun and also improve your knowledge of the game.
Standards and Formats
Aualé saves your games in text files, in a variant of the Portable Game Notation format that we adapted to mancala games. This is because we believe that you should not be forced to use a specific software to read the information you have saved. Thus, you can read your saved games with Aualé, your favorite text editor, or any other mancala software who wishes to implement the format.
Moreover, Aualé communicates with the computer through the Universal Chess Interface protocol because we would like for it to serve as a graphical interface for other oware engines too. If you developed an artificial intelligence engine that you would like to use with Aualé, send us a message and we will be happy to help you. It only requires the implementation of a subset of the protocol.
Development of this Software
This software was written and designed by Joan Soler Sala with the invaluable help of Arnau Sala Soler, who kindly recorded the sounds for the interface. Some of the additional icons used by the software were created by the Elementary Icons Team. The artificial intelligence engine provided with the program was also developed by Joan Sala Soler, as part of a final project for the Degree in Computer Engineering at Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.
We would like to thank the following foundations —with which we have no relationship— for the excellent work they do. Aualé has been built on the shoulders of these giants.