Game of Risk, final version

[GeorgeMcGinn]

I don't see what the issue is. I look for the indicator that says a post was updated, or in this case, A program that I had been watching and waiting to run.

I know for me I I don't care if my post is first or second or third or winds up on page 32. You know I just happy if I get replied to a post of mine. Because sometimes when I post something that is very important to all of us such as the Dropbox issue, I get crickets. Nada. Nobody reply's which tells me nobody cares.

For example I mentioned that the program I'm writing is basically a new IDE that will run on top of the existing one, where it will have a lot of features including a more powerful editor and eventually in version four or five it will have the ability to debug your code with break points and run and step through line by line, you'll even watch your variables change values, all in real-time. I have a proof of concept on part of this to see if it would even work that's working right now. I will make a great addition to my new IDE, but I have posted this like three times, I even asked for comments and I get crickets. Like nobody cares. So you see it's impossible for me to dedicate much time working on this if no one thinks it's a benefit. So I take my time and I'll write it for myself, and if anybody wants it they going to get the .COD file instead of getting the source code like I would have normally done because nobody cares.

So Henko, while are you complaining about people posting over your posts, think about how you would feel when you write something that's important or great and you have a solution and nobody responds. Then I think you can complain about how people post over your posts.

Anyway I can't wait download this game which I'm gonna do right now and play it.

I thank you very much for and appreciate all the effort you put in to writing this game, as I've enjoyed the previous versions and cannot wait to see what you put in the final version. Your work is much appreciated by me and for all the suggestions and comments that are made by others on your game.

I've always said in posts and emails to you and even in private to others that I think your coding is top notch, and I am always looking forward to the next program that you post. If I wasn't doing so much work in techBASIC for both my clients and as one of the beta testers, I'd be writing more SmartBASIC programs.

And I do have a couple that I'm writing in TechBASIC first (only because without any more updates from Mr. K., I need to use a language that is actively being updated. Then when they are done, I can convert them to SmartBASIC.

I have one I think you'll and many will like, but due to the work I have and my disability acting up from time to time, I do not want to waste my time if I pitch a project and no one cares about it.

Anyway, I wanted you to see the other side of posting when you ask for or expect any replies and Simon and Garfunkel keep singing the "sounds of Silence" song!

Let me get to the task of playing the new version of Risk, as I have been writing a research paper (will be posted on LinkedIn and on my blog) and I am writing code for what I think is a huge issue I found in TechBASIC that your Hex Viewer program pointed it out to me.

Take care.

I hope we can agree, as the last few active members, that all threads and responses are equally valid. I look every day for ones I haven't seen before, and assume that you do too. So it is unlikely we will miss a new one.

I just ran the iConvert 4 Alpha version, and want to let Dutchman know what I have discovered so far. That, unfortunately, will again bump your thread, Henk, but I am impatient to pass on the information before I forget it. At my age, that can happen in a flash!

But you can always restore your game to first again by adding a comment to it.

Thanks for a reasonable answer.

I know the feeling. I waited a couple of days with posting the final version of Risk until the communications about iConvert came into a pause. But like the previous version, it was pushed down within 1 or 2 timezones (luckily we have Dutchman to investigate the exact time lapses).

You are right that there are no rules. It is not my intention to create them. Should not be necessary with 3 or 4 regulars. Annyhow i will wait with "new" postings until the previous subject is at least 24 timezones old. Sorry i brought this up.

[Henko]

Hi George,
Thanks for your extensive answer. I understand that you feel uncomfortable by the lack of interest of the people here for some of your ideas. I don't care so much if everybody shows interest or not. But if i propose a dead simple agreement and get the reactions i got from the "regulars", then i'm done with it. I am simple minded in that respect.
I hope that you like the final version of Risk (it is defitely the "final" version of it on this forum).
I will leave it a couple of days in case you have problems or questions.

[GeorgeMcGinn]

Hi Henko,

I understand, no problem.

I love it. I tried to use the save game option you put in, but it would not let me slide it off of new game. I don't know if my iPad touch screen is the issue or if you haven't programmed it. I have had issues with the pop up keyboard before.

Maybe if I have time, I can see how to increase the AI player's strategy, as one tactic I use is to either control choke points to a continent, or certain countries act as walls if you put enough armies in them and there are ways to expand from there. Like in Russia there are two states that block access from both Europe an Africa, and if you control them you can program the AI to load them with armies and strategically expand from there.

Looking briefly at the code, it may be as simple as assigning each state a strategic value, as well as combos that act as a wall against invaders.

AI players can also check to see how much of a continent it owns, check what armies are in what they don't own, and an algorithm can decide when it is advantageous to take the continent or just take one state at a time, based on how strategic it is to what it owns now. A simple math algorithm may be all that is needed.

So if you don't have the time, I can do the identification of the most strategic places to own and forward that map to you. If you are already working on the difficulty levels, just let me know.

Anyways, I love the improvements you made to the game and I enjoyed playing about two hours of it last night. So I hope to test some of the other features come by the resuming or starting a new game when you quit to make sure it works and that it's a problem with my touch screen being finicky.

Really, you did a great job on this game and it's one that I will add to the few others I play, such as SimCity, Galaxy at War, Scrabble and Civilization.

George.

Hi George,
Thanks for your extensive answer. I understand that you feel uncomfortable by the lack of interest of the people here for some of your ideas. I don't care so much if everybody shows interest or not. But if i propose a dead simple agreement and get the reactions i got from the "regulars", then i'm done with it. I am simple minded in that respect.
I hope that you like the final version of Risk (it is defitely the "final" version of it on this forum).
I will leave it a couple of days in case you have problems or questions.

[Henko]

Hi George,

The 'resume' button only works if the game finds a save file. This save file is written each time when you quit the game with the red cross button in the right upper corner. This button is only displayed during the 'fortify' phase to ensure a stable resume point. Hence, when you play the game for the first time, or quit the game with the home button (as before), then the program will not find a save file and resets the 'resume' switch. It's also pointed out (less elaborated) in the helpfile.

As for the AI players, you are very welcome to fill that in. Currently a different difficulty level can already be chosen by applying the automatic initial placement of armies or the manual way.
One step further is making adaptions to the data that is displayed in yellow in the code. There you can create different kinds of competitors, for instance very agressive ones.
The next step would be the measures mentioned by you. I will be a happy beta tester of your extensions and help with hints if i can.

As for my role in this forum, i decided to not delete my posts and membership, but i will not post any new programs any more.

[Dutchman]

…
i will not post any new programs any more.

Too bad to hear that, really.

[GeorgeMcGinn]

I hope you reconsider as I value, like many, your contributions.

I will let you know when I have an initial implementation of one AI strategy. I know many ways to play, so I do hope that when I send you the 2-3 that I outline, I hope to hear about other strategy, like a friend of mine made sure he took one continent over all other armies, and he usually was able to fight his way out. (That is unless I knew what he was doing and I could create a wall to block him).

I know I have a lot of work ahead of me, so I hope you will at least contribute ideas and criticism should I stray.

Again, I hope you reconsider.

As for my role in this forum, i decided to not delete my posts and membership, but i will not post any new programs any more.

[Henko]

Hi George,

The present AI tactics are as follows:

Draft phase
- the available armies are evenly distributed among the states af the AI player.
Hence no concentration on attractive attacking positions, and no attention for dangerous weaknesses.

Attack phase:
- first an AI player cycles through his states and for each state determines the foo states and the odds for a possible attack. The AI player does presently not take into account the defence strength factor of neighbouring ennemy states. In a "difficult" level, that would be the case. For each combination of a player's state and each of it neighbouring ennemies, a row is filled in the attack table.
- this table is the sorted on the odd values, from hight win possibility to low.
- successive attacks are then carried out, in order of the table, and subject to the AI data for that player (see the yellow part in the code). Modification of these parameters effects the difficulty level of the game.
- doing random attacks in stead of using the table could be the method in an easy level.
- the AI player does not investigate the possibilities to capture a continent, or to prevent another player to take one, nor to drive another player from a continent.

Fortify phase:
- the AI player tries to evenly spread his troops, he does not investigate attractive concentration points.
- the only "intelligent" thing is that a state without neighbouring ennemy states does radiate out all its armies to the neighbouring states.

[GeorgeMcGinn]

Thanks for the information. This will help me a lot in determining how to best apply the AI for the game thank you.