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Subject: 
Connect 4 game objectives?
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.org.ca.rtltoronto
Date: 
Tue, 16 Sep 2003 02:59:07 GMT
Viewed: 
506 times
  
Chris wrote:

I've done some searching as well.  turns out Derek was right. this game is a proven first
player wins game.  I'm not going to post links to all the "research" papers out their,
but they start say things like this:

If white has an odd threat and black has an even threat and the columns in which the
threats are (i.e. the empty square) are different then white can still win. Of
course no player must be able to connect four men except in the group in which he has the
odd/even threat stated above

end result is that whoever can hire the best coder wins.  And since bruce and Calum have
access to a STAFF of coders i'd say this game will come down to which team is better:

Team Bell Fleet vs RBC Financial-Four

heck the code(s) are posted for free in rec.connect.four

so do we need to find some other type of game?

Mancala, or  ???


Chris
"It is a very clever strategy IMHO, and I applaud Chris for thinking of it."  K.C.

That thread was getting too long....

You make a good point Chris:
Guys.... what is the point of this competition, as it stands now?

Is the challenge:
1. to build a robot that scans the Connect4 board, and is able to drop a puck
   (disc?) in a given column?  (mainly mechanical)
2. to code the winning strategy into the RCX(s) ?  (mainly programming)
3. to build a robot that will beat other robots at Connect4?
4. to build a robot that will beat humans at Connect4?
5. to build a robot that will PLAY Connect4 against humans/robots... as fast
   as possible (average time per move).... but not necessarily always win
   (using a simplfied, unperfect strategy)

I mean, if two people are able to accomplish both (1) and (2) in a robot,
and they play each other, the robot who goes first will always win (assuming
perfect programming).  What's the point then?  How do we determine a winner?

If a person from the audience plays one of these robots, and the person is
allowed to go first, then they have a chance of winning.  If the robot goes
first, and the logic is perfect, then the robot will win.

How about we decide the winner as the robot who is able to do (1) and (2) with
the fastest AVERAGE time per move? (if we have a tie between robots)

I'm not saying accomplishing both goals will be easy, but if two people's robots
are able to accomplish them, then we will have a tie.

I really like the concept of the game... I think it will be as difficult as
Project X (or even more so) .... but what is the clear objective?

John



Message has 2 Replies:
  Re: Connect 4 game objectives?
 
(...) Build a robot that can play Connect 4. At minimum, you need 1, to gain advantage you need either 2 and/or 5. Item 4 is a nice to have for the Library's sake. Here's something I'd like to suggest: We publish a basic algorithm somehow that uses (...) (21 years ago, 16-Sep-03, to lugnet.org.ca.rtltoronto)
  Re: Connect 4 game objectives?
 
(...) Do people ever read my posts? Don't answer that. So, like I was trying to suggest here: (URL) two robots play each other twice. One goes first each time. If one robot wins more than the other, he wins. If they both win once, the robot with the (...) (21 years ago, 16-Sep-03, to lugnet.org.ca.rtltoronto)

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