Re: Galaxy Playing

From: bc@fccn01.fccn.pt (Luis Miguel Sequeira)

Date: Thu, 07 Jan 1993 09:23:38 +0000

amead@s.psych.uiuc.edu (Alan Mead) writes:

>In my conceptualization, the galaxy computer player could be of one of
>two models.  Model 1 is like an expert system.
[etc.]

Ok - lots of work... :-)

But  I agree with  Alan, the system  _ought_ to work, and, with proper
tools (there are many,  even  freeware), you _could_  build  an expert
system to play Galaxy. As the Galaxy game is a closed system, ie., you
don't need to know that's snowing in Moscow to play  the game, and has
a  fixed set  or  rules,  with  their  meanings properly  expressed in
formulae, the computerised Galaxy player isn't just science-fiction...
:-)

There are even ways to get good heuristics for the game.  I'm thinking
about the  classification  some  Galaxy games use   to  show the "best
players" (The Tropanka  Power Index, Pankhurst's Galaxy game  'Beta').
On each turn, the  so-called "agents"   would choose rules to  improve
their "classification" on the "power index".  As this "power index" is
certainly based on lots of factors  (sorry, never bothered  to ask how
it _is_ calculated...) solely  based on the game,  it would provide an
excelent basis for the "agents" to know what is best to do,  ie., what
will improve their situation.

>I've even thought about running a computer tournament where only
>programs could play.  How many people would be interested in submitting
>code?  Not too many, I suppose :(

Excelent suggestion.  Please  don't  start before  1999. I'll  have my
first version running by then. :-)

Seriously, the idea is neat (after all, they're  doing it on Diplomacy
with some success - and it's a much harder game! [even if it has fewer
rules...]) - but it still takes a _little precious time_ away... :-)

- Luis Sequeira

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bc@fccn01.fccn.pt                        Luis Miguel Sequeira
                                  Laboratorio Nacional de Engenharia Civil
  Phone 351-1-8482131 Ext. 2752   Centro Informatica/Grupo Sistemas Centrais
  "Don't call me, I'll call you"  Av. Brasil, 101 - 1700 Lisboa, Portugal
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References

Galaxy Playing (was Re: Galaxy Turn Format)
M22367@mwvm.mitre.org
Mon, 04 Jan 1993 19:22:45 +0000