don't let the weight deterr you ...it is obese, yes. but it's not fat, it's got big bones
))))))))

This is extremely interesting to me - I actually made a forum account just to chime in.

I know it was mentioned but, the visibility issue could be easily solved by sandblasting - that'll mute the finish enough to keep it from overwhelming the stones.

If you go forward with the magnetic cubes, might I recommend slightly separating them, so there is a minute gap that the stones can settle into? Would really help to keep the stones from moving around in an unstable setting - on a train or boat, any non-level surface, during an earthquake, etc.

Cool stuff. I won't be building this anytime soon, but it's an incredibly neat project.

My first though was: very confusing, will get a lot of getting used to. When I think of how I visualize Go, its round stones on a square grid, so circles on squares, which makes the stones stand out nicely. This makes it round stones on a round "grid", so circles on circles, which is much harder for me to tell apart.

Also, the edge of the board will be tough to get used to, I think. I might have the urge to put the "stones" on the outside of the edge spheres, as I would do on the grid. Will have to remember that the edge of the board is actuall "inside" the board.

However, after thinking about it for a while and looking at your images, my second though was: Hmm, this has potential. If you make the bottom spheres glass and transparent, and place them over a grid, so the grid will still be visible, you might have a nice sturdy Go set, suitable for playing in various conditions.

Then I read about magnets (recently I read in random snipplets, it seems, and not very sequentially) and you lost me again... If you want to use magnets, then why not just magnetic stones on metal field? Or metalic stones on magnetized field? What is the purpose of the bottom spheres then, are they just for the "cool and unusual" look? This seems to be a case of form-over-function, if I have ever seen one.

Still, I think the idea of using spheres as the base of placing other spheres on has merit. I remember playing another game this way, not sure what it was, tic-tac-toe maybe... Well, its not important which game it was, only that the mechanics worked really well, I though, and the whole field was pretty sturdy, I could play in a car and on a train.

On the other hand, with all the stones being spheres/balls themselves, I'd hate to be the one chasing after them if the bowl gets tipped on a plane or something. Well, maybe as long as you don't make them out of rubber... Or if they are magnetized they will just stick to the neares metal object.

Anyways, you asked for thoughts. This is what came to mind after reading about your idea. Now I can read what others have said.

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- Bantari
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I think this is great, conceptually!
However, I would look for different materials. I find it very hard to see the "stones" and tell them apart form empty intersections, depending on how the light falls. The overall idea still needs a lof of getting used to, but this can be taken care of with time, I think.

_________________
- Bantari
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WARNING: This post might contain Opinions!!