Acid Ape Chess no more active

Hi,

Some people who are close to me know that I have always been a great fan and advocate of the app called "Acid Ape Chess, Grandmaster Edition". It was, for me, the best app ever to use an electronic chessboard like my DGT, connected to an Android device, with many engines available, connection to lichess, and many other top-notch features.

It has come therefore as great surprise the fact that, as far as I could understand and test myself, the servers that provide a "license check" at the start of the App have been switched off. The app itself, as a result, does not start, and it is totally unusable. In a previous email to me, the developer confirmed that the servers were paid by him.

I've tried to contact the developer (with whom I had established in the past years a decent level of communication) several times on this license-check issue, receiving no answers at all.

The App is still sold (in its Grandmasters' Edition version) on the Google Apps store, so one would pay and get it, without any possibilities to run it.

I'm leaving this post for the community without expressing my thought about the whole story.

These thoughts have been shared with the developer only.

The contents of the thread has the purpose of alerting people of a non functional, once great, App.

Thank-you.

Given my interest in everything that relates chess engines, electronic chess boards, Apps, databases, I've already moved my attention towards PicoChess, an electronic device powered by a Raspberry Pi, and capable of connecting to multiple chess board brands, via either USB or bluetooth.

I've started contributing myself to this project, and I'm sure it will become a great tool for enjoinment and study, as it is brought forward not by a single programmer, but by a community of chess enthusiasts and contributors.

I think the free version doesn't work as well. There is no real alternative to Acid Ape Chess. Chess GUIs on Android are lacking at many edges, AAC is very complete and thought out.

It's very disappointing. It's not working since 10th of July, until then I wasn't even aware that it performs a licence check after every start. I was thinking Google and a Google login resolves the license question.

OK, the license server does not reply and the developer did not have a dysfunctional server in mind or didn't care. On the now very restricted Android you can look at server communication with PCAPdroid.

Contact to developer - no reply. To be honest, we cannot know if he/she is even alive. That's why it should be mandatory that software (especially one person development) has end of support in mind. Here's a related talk in the gaming sphere: https://youtu.be/fRxlzXX8tJY?si=ItuowcIy9KE3PfJA

What did you dgt folks pay... around EUR 100?

I then reported to Google. They don't allow apps on their Play Store which has no functionality.

I have no words for their reply. Their first, then second reply was:

"After further review of the information you provided in your appeal, we were still unable to identify a violation of the Play Developer Program Policies in the com.acideapestudios.acidapechess.gme app."

Their policy: "Apps that crash, do not have the basic degree of adequate utility as mobile apps, lack engaging content, or exhibit other behavior that is not consistent with a functional and engaging user experience are not allowed on Google Play."

https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/14983486?sjid=863454856060401065-EU

You should report to Google like I did, maybe you are more lucky. Well, it would disappear from the Play Store. Doesn't really help us.

https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/contact/policy_violation_report

Btw, you'll also find this issue on Talkchess forum, where I talked about it. There we also tried to get Rodent 4 running as OEX in aac, but book access failed due to path problems. I wrote to the AAC dev with already no reply.

I'm also an AAC app user (for the last 4 years) and have had the very same issue with the server license check error. Recently I sent an email to support regarding this network error... in the past, with other issues I have received an answer, but not this time :-(

That's sad, but I have checked for other alternatives. So far I needed to play lichess on-line, and DGT bluetooth board support, all in a handy Android app. As today the best solution I found is: "White Pawn" (and is free and has open source drivers with a modular design)

White Pawn doesn't even handle opening books. Compared to AAC, it's just very basic.

Totally agree

I've reported to Google as well, let's see what happens..

It's working right now. But I think that's just a random affair. Server not maintained I guess.

For some reasons the engine # of cores setting does not apply any more, can anyone confirm? Engines always use 3 cores here, which is what the "Auto" setting does.

I'm using Archimedes (he's on Talkchess) Android compiles btw. Very good, if you don't know... He offers uci and oex.

https://sourceforge.net/projects/chess-engines-for-android-oex/files

I'll check it thanks.

Yesterday I've re-installed AAC GM Edition on my Samsung device and it worked like before.

I'm extremely happy to be able to go back using my favorite chess app with my DGT e-board, even if this flaw of the service, lasted almost a couple months as I understand it, has certainly not brought a positive effect to the app's and developer's fame.

I've installed Stockfish 16.1 as an additional engine, and I can now enjoy my playing and analysis device with my DGT board!

My guts say the servers are unmaintained and it's just a random affair. Eg, player database, last matches are from 06/24.

I actually don't use the Players DB on AAC, but you're most probably right.