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From: Dave O'Brien <dobrien@watcom.com>
Subject: newbie needs AI help for chess-like game
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Date: Tue, 29 Oct 1996 21:43:11 GMT
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I'm developing a chess-like boardgame of fantasy combat,
and I need some general advice for building an AI (for
the computer opponent).

Very briefly, here's how it goes:
- 8x8 chessboard
- two players (eventually four)
- each player has 1-4 characters (any combination of
  knight, assassin, cleric, sorceror)
- on a player's turn, they can do one action (move/
  fight/cast spell) for each of their characters
- each type of character has a different movement
  range, weapon type, some have spells, etc.

Any suggestions on what approach to use for the AI?
For example:
- neural net
- expert system
- minimax (I only vaguely remember this from university)
- a whole lotta IF statements? <grin>

What do other chess/chess-like games use? The closest
game I can think of is Archon, but I have no idea
what they used for the AI.

More info and a screenshot of the game on my web page,
if you're interested. Any pointers would be much
appreciated.

-- 

|  Dave O'Brien - Watcom International - dobrien@watcom.com
|     http://www.cgl.uwaterloo.ca/~gmgrimsh/dobrien.html
+----------------------------------------------------------
| "It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool,
|  than to speak and remove all doubt."
|                                       - Mark Twain
