Help Wanted

Wanted: MiniMax Programmer (C#) – ssquared

SSquared

Member

Posts: 654
From: Pacific Northwest
Registered: 03-22-2005
Hi. Remember the fun "Game In 2 Weeks Contest" last year? Well, I want to get around to improving the AI in my game. Due to the limited time for the contest, I only had an AI which simply chose a random spot to move.

After the contest, I spent about two weeks cleaning up code and improving the AI (it now has some point values for moves and will look ahead at the human's next possible move). I read several articles on implementing MiniMax, but have yet to integrate it into the game.

I am just wondering if there is anyone out there who is already knowledgable in the MiniMax algorithm who is willing to integrate this into the game. The game is in C#/SDL.NET so will require the installation of SDL. The game is meant to be a quick type of puzzle/strategy game. Kind of chess-like, but with only three types of pieces for now.

This is just a project to have some fun and learn.

Jari

Member

Posts: 1471
From: Helsinki, Finland
Registered: 03-11-2005
Interesting. I just recently downloaded your game's code in order to use the grid code and AI for my own project. But it did not run at this time for some reason. I remember playing the game though, perhaps it was before you made a C# version of it..?
Anyway, I'm interesting using your engine, even not able to help with the minimax.

------------------
Psa 32:5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

[VoHW] (Help needed) [Blog] - Truedisciple (mp3)

SSquared

Member

Posts: 654
From: Pacific Northwest
Registered: 03-22-2005
What exactly did not run? The EXE or compiling the code? Both versions (XNA and SDL.NET) are written in C#.

I believe I have two versions in that dropbox. One was written using XNA and requires the user to have .NET 2.0 and XNA installed on their machine. It may have been this one you are trying to run.

Since I felt installing XNA and .NET 2.0 were high requirements to ask of everyone, I created a version using SDL.NET. This one uses .NET 1.1 and has all the necessary DLLs to run.

I can e-mail you the latest version which has cleaner code and an actual AI. The original AI simply chose a random move. I think it went like this:

1) Randomly select a piece to move.
2) If it can capture a piece do it, but randomly choose which piece to capture.
3) Otherwise just choose a random move.
4) If the piece can not move anywhere, then randomly choose another piece.

If I remember, I will e-mail you the latest version tonight after I get home. I haven't touched this code since sometime last year. I went to the SDL.NET site yesterday and noticed the latest version uses .NET 2.0. So I think any future work I do on this project will require users to upgrade to .NET 2.0. I don't believe that was a standard XP update, so I'm concerned the general user will not have 2.0 already installed on their machine.

SSquared

Member

Posts: 654
From: Pacific Northwest
Registered: 03-22-2005
Oh, something else I remembered. I don't believe the XNA version works with the latest version of XNA because I wrote it with the original beta. They actually did some significant changes and a lot of the calls no longer exist in XNA 1.0. So even if you have XNA 1.0, my project will most likely not run unless you have the original beta version. I don't even think I did the 2nd beta which was closer to XNA 1.0.

I've thought about updating the XNA code, but I never got around to it. I haven't even installed XNA 1.0 on my computer. The code is designed so the engine work is in one file and the logic is in other files. This way it is fairly easy to swap in a different game engine should I feel like changing it. Took about an hour to change from XNA to SDL.NET.

EDIT: I installed the latest SDL.NET and my SDL.NET code will no longer compile. They have moved class names into different namespaces and I am finding some methods as unavailable. Events are done using generics now, too, so it's different than before. I am working on updating the code to SDL.NET 6.0. And it doesn't look like there is a Render statement on Sprite anymore, so I have no idea how to draw a surface on to a Sprite anymore.

EDIT: I have updated the code to SDL.NET 6.0.

[This message has been edited by ssquared (edited June 18, 2007).]

[This message has been edited by ssquared (edited June 19, 2007).]

Jari

Member

Posts: 1471
From: Helsinki, Finland
Registered: 03-11-2005
Hey, I'm sorry that I don't remember the details anymore. It only remember that it did not run.
It's ok, I am interested to download the newest version when it's ready.

God bless.

------------------
Psa 32:5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

[VoHW] (Help needed) [Blog] - Truedisciple (mp3)

SSquared

Member

Posts: 654
From: Pacific Northwest
Registered: 03-22-2005
Check your PMs. I could not find your e-mail address anywhere.