DVONN Game-playing IA
== Requirements ==
- CLisp
== How to play DVONN ==
This topic is outside the scope of this README. This document only describes
the (lack of) user interface. For a description of how to play DVONN, please
read the class paper.
== Using ==
To play a game, just use the play script:
$> ./play.sh
This will pit you against a computer player of type (1 3), which is the most
difficult player I could make while still keeping the computation time
within the interactive range. This means the computer has a fixed ply of 1
and a quiescence threshold of 3. To play a different kind of opponent,
currently the code has to be directly modified.
You are the white player and the computer is the black player. The computer
will prompt you for a move like so:
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 1WN 1WN 1WN 1BN 1BN 1RC 1WN 1BN 1BN
1 1WN 1WN 1BN 1BN 1BN 1BN 1WN 1WN 1WN 1BN
2 1RC 1WN 1BN 1BN 1WN 1BN 1BN 1BN 1WN 1WN 1RC
3 1BN 1WN 1WN 1WN 1BN 1WN 1WN 1BN 1BN 1BN
4 1BN 1WN 1WN 1BN 1WN 1WN 1BN 1WN 1BN
Score: White 23 :: Black 23
WHITE, what will you do?:
The first part is the game board. Below, it will print the current score.
Finally it will prompt you for your move.
Notice that sense we play on a hexagonal grid, we have to resort to some funny
conventions for 2D coordinates. The top row of numbers is the X coordinate and
the left column of numbers is the Y coordinate. Figuring out the Y coordinate
is straightforward, however, the X coordinate is more difficult.
To find the X coordinate, first select the piece you wish to move. Then, trace
your finger directly left. The first X coordinate you cross is the X coordinate
of that piece.
Let's try an example. Let's start with the easy case. Say we wish to move the
piece indicated with dashes:
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 1WN 1WN 1WN 1BN 1BN 1RC 1WN 1BN 1BN
1 1WN 1WN 1BN 1BN 1BN 1BN 1WN 1WN 1WN 1BN
2 1RC 1WN 1BN 1BN -1WN- 1BN 1BN 1BN 1WN 1WN 1RC
3 1BN 1WN 1WN 1WN 1BN 1WN 1WN 1BN 1BN 1BN
4 1BN 1WN 1WN 1BN 1WN 1WN 1BN 1WN 1BN
We see right away that its Y coordinate is 2. We also notice that this piece
is directly under the '4' in the X coordinates. Therefore, its coordinate is
(4 2).
Now let's try a more complicated piece:
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 1WN 1WN 1WN 1BN 1BN 1RC 1WN 1BN 1BN
1 1WN 1WN 1BN 1BN 1BN 1BN 1WN -1WN- 1WN 1BN
2 1RC 1WN 1BN 1BN 1WN 1BN 1BN 1BN 1WN 1WN 1RC
3 1BN 1WN 1WN 1WN 1BN 1WN 1WN 1BN 1BN 1BN
4 1BN 1WN 1WN 1BN 1WN 1WN 1BN 1WN 1BN
We see that this one is at Y coordinate 1. However, it is offset a bit from
the '7' column in the X coordinate. Since '7' is the first number directly
left of this piece, we say its X coordinate is 7, making the full coordinate
(7 1).
To make a move, all you must do is specify (in order) the X coordinate, the Y
coordinate, and the cardinal direction you want to move (one of NW, NE, E, W,
SW, SE).
So say we want to move the piece at (7 1) northeast. Then we just enter
"7 1 NE" at the prompt.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 1WN 1WN 1WN 1BN 1BN 1RC 1WN 1BN 1BN
1 1WN 1WN 1BN 1BN 1BN 1BN 1WN 1WN 1WN 1BN
2 1RC 1WN 1BN 1BN 1WN 1BN 1BN 1BN 1WN 1WN 1RC
3 1BN 1WN 1WN 1WN 1BN 1WN 1WN 1BN 1BN 1BN
4 1BN 1WN 1WN 1BN 1WN 1WN 1BN 1WN 1BN
Score: White 23 :: Black 23
WHITE, what will you do?: 7 1 NE
White moves (7 1) NE.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 1WN 1WN 1WN 1BN 1BN 1RC 1WN 2WN 1BN
1 1WN 1WN 1BN 1BN 1BN 1BN 1WN O 1WN 1BN
2 1RC 1WN 1BN 1BN 1WN 1BN 1BN 1BN 1WN 1WN 1RC
3 1BN 1WN 1WN 1WN 1BN 1WN 1WN 1BN 1BN 1BN
4 1BN 1WN 1WN 1BN 1WN 1WN 1BN 1WN 1BN
Score: White 24 :: Black 22
Now is a good time to discuss what all the symbols on the board mean. Where
there is a piece on the board, you will see a marking following this format:
<NUMBER><COLOR><TYPE>
where NUMBER is the number of pieces in the stack, COLOR is the color of the
player who owns that stack, and TYPE is the type of stack. NUMBER will always
be a positive integer. COLOR will always be W for white, B for black, or R for
red (note there is not a red player, this is just the convention for saying
that neither the black or white player owns this stack). Finally, the stack
TYPE is either N for 'normal' or C for 'control'. A control stack is just a
stack which has a red piece in it somewhere.
Where there is not a piece, you will see a blank (" ") if that square is not
a part of the game board, or an "O" if it is an empty space on the game board.
Please note that the number of spaces you move is implied by the stack you
select to move. A stack can only move the number of spaces equal to the number
of pieces in the stack.