Dominion Strategy Forum

Dominion => Dominion Online at Shuffle iT => Dominion General Discussion => Goko Dominion Online => Topic started by: werothegreat on March 27, 2015, 12:48:34 pm

Title: Border Village/Duchy?
Post by: werothegreat on March 27, 2015, 12:48:34 pm
The bots always do this - they gain a Duchy with a Border Village.  To me, this kind of goes against the whole point of Border Village.  Has an actual person ever done this in a game?
Title: Re: Border Village/Duchy?
Post by: DG on March 27, 2015, 12:51:01 pm
If you're going to buy a duchy for 6 coins anyway, why not take the border village as well if it improves your deck?
Title: Re: Border Village/Duchy?
Post by: jaybeez on March 27, 2015, 01:07:00 pm
If you're going to buy a duchy for 6 coins anyway, why not take the border village as well if it improves your deck?
If it's the last Border Village and there are two other empty piles and you're down by more than 3 VP.

Someone had to edge-case it, right?
Title: Re: Border Village/Duchy?
Post by: SCSN on March 27, 2015, 01:16:49 pm
Someone had to edge-case it, right?

No, please stop that nonsense, it's really annoying.
Title: Re: Border Village/Duchy?
Post by: qdread on March 27, 2015, 02:30:49 pm
Sure, lots of times, but usually only while aiming for a three-pile... BV is often depleted and the pile can be easily emptied, so you pick up Duchies on the side.
Title: Re: Border Village/Duchy?
Post by: crlundy on March 27, 2015, 02:50:23 pm
Slightly off-topic, who exactly programmed the bots? Was it random Fun Sockets/Goko/Making Fun people over the years? Did they get input from experienced players? Did Donald pitch in any heuristics? Do the bots learn as they play?
Title: Re: Border Village/Duchy?
Post by: Gherald on March 27, 2015, 03:07:29 pm
They do not learn as they play. Their decision-making is rudimentary at best.

Unless you're just quickly trying out some idea, it is not worth playing bots once you reach an iso level of 20 or so.  They're there for beginners.
Title: Re: Border Village/Duchy?
Post by: Donald X. on March 27, 2015, 03:09:30 pm
Slightly off-topic, who exactly programmed the bots? Was it random Fun Sockets/Goko/Making Fun people over the years? Did they get input from experienced players? Did Donald pitch in any heuristics? Do the bots learn as they play?
I think Jeff Mallett did the bots by himself. There was a point a while back when I gave him a little advice. He knows about how they fall into traps like endless Warehouses or ignoring Duke. He has said he could improve them someday but I don't know when that will be.
Title: Re: Border Village/Duchy?
Post by: crlundy on March 27, 2015, 03:15:40 pm
Who is Jeff Mallett?
Title: Re: Border Village/Duchy?
Post by: AdamH on March 27, 2015, 03:30:26 pm
I thought the canonical example of this was a points play: buy province with haggler in play, haggle border village, gain duchy.
Title: Re: Border Village/Duchy?
Post by: Donald X. on March 27, 2015, 03:40:19 pm
Who is Jeff Mallett?
The guy who programmed the bots!
Title: Re: Border Village/Duchy?
Post by: crlundy on March 27, 2015, 03:55:36 pm
Who is Jeff Mallett?
The guy who programmed the bots!

I thought perhaps maybe I was supposed to know who that was. I'm guessing it's not the founder of Yahoo! that my search turned up...
Title: Re: Border Village/Duchy?
Post by: Donald X. on March 27, 2015, 04:14:06 pm
Who is Jeff Mallett?
The guy who programmed the bots!

I thought perhaps maybe I was supposed to know who that was. I'm guessing it's not the founder of Yahoo! that my search turned up...
You asked "who exactly programmed the bots?" Why you would think that I expected you to recognize the name is beyond me. I do not really know the gentleman in question; any further insights into who he is will have to come from him. He has posted here; I don't remember what his username is. At the Making Fun forums he is Jeff (Developer).
Title: Re: Border Village/Duchy?
Post by: crlundy on March 27, 2015, 04:44:18 pm
I had hoped for an exact answer, but didn't think I would actually get one that exact! I just wasn't sure if he was a Making Fun person or someone from Isotropic or somewhere that I hadn't heard of but everyone else would recognize the name. Sorry, I am honestly very appreciative of the response! :)
Title: Re: Border Village/Duchy?
Post by: blueblimp on March 28, 2015, 01:23:55 am
It's probably this Jeff Mallett: https://chessprogramming.wikispaces.com/Jeff+Mallett. He specializes in game AIs.
Title: Re: Border Village/Duchy?
Post by: DStu on March 28, 2015, 04:13:54 am
Who is Jeff Mallett?
The guy who programmed the bots!

I thought perhaps maybe I was supposed to know who that was. I'm guessing it's not the founder of Yahoo! that my search turned up...
Why you would think that I expected you to recognize the name is beyond me.

Actually I also first read
Quote
I think Jeff Mallett did the bots by himself.
and thought wtf have I missed again to not know Jeff Mallett...
Title: Re: Border Village/Duchy?
Post by: qmech on March 28, 2015, 05:54:03 am
Who is Jeff Mallett?

He's the guy who programmed Innovation (https://chessprogramming.wikispaces.com/Innovation).