These are not New Year resolutions, just running down some ideas.
My Candyland post got a lot of attention, and I'm working on a post about Monopoly. Guess what? It's a Markov-chain too (nearly). There is a lot of material available on this (just Google Monopoly game math), but I think I can add something a little different.
Are there games people want to see analyzed? I'm not sure I can take requests like that, but the question itself might be interesting.
Someone asked what other games I've analyzed (maybe over-analyzed), and I'll have to think about that. Probably not all that many in any depth, but I've never made a list (maybe I should).
I've got a series of posts that require a fair bit of spreadsheet work to set up, and a laborious effort to describe so that someone else might be able to figure out what I've done. This is painful to write, and probably more painful to read. This is also my best way to "share the math" in a way which is accessible to others, and really essential to what I am trying to do. I need to find a way to make this type of post work.
The downside of writing a lot is I'm not doing much painting (or much laundry). I need to balance things a bit better, or become a faster/better writer. Of course, writing a lot is the key to becoming a better/faster writer.
There is a big topic I've been trying to work up to writing about: Game Theory. This is another one of those hard to write but important to do things I need to figure out how to do.
What else is in the works?
More miniatures pictures, an interview, a browser game with mecha in it, that long-promised Facebook Games followup, Elo scoring, some old-but-great games in my closet, some new games, the game I'm trying to write, some simple "demonstrate the math" games, not to mention following up on my blogroll and some of you nice people who are following this blog.
So that's a bunch of ideas even at one post each, and some of those need multiple posts. If I could hit on all those topics and do a decent job on them, that should easily keep me busy for a good part of 2009, and that's not counting the other games I find along the way.
So that's a quick rundown of some of the topics coming on GBR, at least the ones running through my head at the moment. Happy 2009, and happy gaming!
PS: 3-4 more ideas since I "finished", but this is enough
31 December 2008
30 December 2008
Battle of the Sexes
Ed Yong has a great post over at Not Exactly Rocket Science. (Seriously, I might have to put it on both my blogs.) The question here is "Are men better than women at Chess?", and by association "Are men smarter than women?". [Image from Corbis]The short answer is ...
... no. Don't let that stop you from reading the full post though.
Far more men play chess than women and based on that simple fact, you could actually predict the differences we see in chess ability at the highest level. It's a simple statistical fact that the best performers from a large group are probably going to be better than the best performers from a small one. Even if two groups have the same average skill and, importantly, the same range in skill, the most capable individuals will probably come from the larger group.
The article goes on to discuss Elo scoring as well, something I've mentioned before and will come back to again.
28 December 2008
Why I Hate Computer Games
I've replied to some recent comments to the effect that I prefer tabletop games to computer/video/console games. This might leads someone to conclude that I don't like computer games, and nothing could be farther from the truth: I love computer games.
More than that, I tend to obsess over them. I have had to set some games aside, never playing them again or refusing to buy them in the first place, otherwise I would spend all my time playing or thinking about them. Games in the Civilization, Warcraft/Starcraft series are maybe the most recent examples of this, but there are plenty of others (Doom!, Quake, etc), and the next one is calling to me from underneath the Christmas tree where I stashed it along with other gifts.
I wrote about Gran Turismo 2 a while back, and how I set up spreadsheets to calculate optimal gearing ratios for my cars in the game. This is something a serious gearhead or racer might do, but for a game? Objectively I'd have to say this is just way too much effort spent on a game. On the other hand, I think this is part of how I like to play a game - I really want to understand at a very basic level. In this case I actually learned a lot about the application of physics that I had never really thought about before. I had a lot of fun creating those spreadsheets tinkering with the real world physics as it applies to automobiles, both real and virtual. (This is also a real testament to the physics engine driving games such as Gran Turismo, it's so good you can study the real world by studying the game!)
I also spent a lot of time alone playing and working on Gran Turismo 2 (or Civilization, etc.), and contributing little to my household, my family, and my life in general. Those are some great games, enormous fun and I can play them for hours or days, but they tend to leave me feeling like I've wasted my time when I am done playing. I hate that feeling. Therefore I now budget my time to those games that give me back the most socially, creatively, and intellectually. For me, the games that give back the most are the tabletop games, and that is why I tend to focus on them in this blog.
So not to dis computer games, it's just that I love them too much.
More than that, I tend to obsess over them. I have had to set some games aside, never playing them again or refusing to buy them in the first place, otherwise I would spend all my time playing or thinking about them. Games in the Civilization, Warcraft/Starcraft series are maybe the most recent examples of this, but there are plenty of others (Doom!, Quake, etc), and the next one is calling to me from underneath the Christmas tree where I stashed it along with other gifts.
I wrote about Gran Turismo 2 a while back, and how I set up spreadsheets to calculate optimal gearing ratios for my cars in the game. This is something a serious gearhead or racer might do, but for a game? Objectively I'd have to say this is just way too much effort spent on a game. On the other hand, I think this is part of how I like to play a game - I really want to understand at a very basic level. In this case I actually learned a lot about the application of physics that I had never really thought about before. I had a lot of fun creating those spreadsheets tinkering with the real world physics as it applies to automobiles, both real and virtual. (This is also a real testament to the physics engine driving games such as Gran Turismo, it's so good you can study the real world by studying the game!)
I also spent a lot of time alone playing and working on Gran Turismo 2 (or Civilization, etc.), and contributing little to my household, my family, and my life in general. Those are some great games, enormous fun and I can play them for hours or days, but they tend to leave me feeling like I've wasted my time when I am done playing. I hate that feeling. Therefore I now budget my time to those games that give me back the most socially, creatively, and intellectually. For me, the games that give back the most are the tabletop games, and that is why I tend to focus on them in this blog.
So not to dis computer games, it's just that I love them too much.
26 December 2008
Guitar Hero Q&A with Alex Rigopulos
Guitar Hero fans (not me I'm afraid but my nieces like it), there is Q&A with Alex Rigopulos at Freakonomics. Video games on a Big Time blog!
Time to Play
I woke up early this morning thinking about a recent comment. While I don't think the writer meant anything other than "you spend a lot of time at this", somehow I could not get my mind off of it. I do spend a lot of time on games, this is true, and it means a lot to me. But do I spend more time gaming than other people do with their hobbies and activities (like blogging perhaps)? Maybe not.
Gaming means a lot to me. It's a a social activity, an outlet for creativity, and a subject of study.
I meet regularly with friends for a weekly session of Battletech. It's a mixed groups of working professionals, craftsmen, and students. We are not there for drinkin' an smokin' (maybe a little cussin' tho); we are there to play, and to borrow a phrase; a bad evening gaming is better than a good day working. I am a bit unusual in the group because I don't play a lot of games other than Battletech (I do have limited time for gaming), and most of the guys also play other games on a regular basis. (Note aside: I also like computer games, but I find these do not have the same aspect of social interaction, so I don't play them nearly so much. Thoughts?)
A fair bit of my time (likewise many of the guys) goes into game related activity such as painting and assembling miniatures. Working with miniatures is a hobby within a hobby, and a topic for another day, but I love working with minis as much as I like to play. Maybe more. Check some great galleries of Battletech minis at LOTB, and consider the craftsmanship that goes into some of these.
The other creative aspect of the hobby (for me) is writing, and I don't just mean this blog. I've been writing related to gaming on and off for years. This might be writing up a scenario or adventure, describing something I'd like to represent in a game, writing my own game, or working out strategies. Most if this writing isn't interesting to anyone but myself, but I enjoyed writing it all the same. More recently I actually became somewhat organized about recording my game related ideas, and in the process I realized I had something I wanted to say to others (and so here we are).
Finally, I like to study games. I wrote my first computer simulation program when I was 13 or 14 on my Apple II+. Why? Because I wanted to settle an argument about whether it is better in the game Risk for the defender to roll one die or two (short answer: two whenever possible). Little did I know I was actually taking my first steps towards being a statistician, I just wanted to know the best way to play. More recently I decided to really look hard into the mathematics of the game Battletech. Rather than write a program I decided to try to get into the theory behind it. Part of me wonders why I never really tried to apply my skills this way before, but maybe I wasn't ready? What I quickly learned is that I wasn't just studying Battletech, but the math that applies to a whole class of games, sports, and even military studies. I've always loved games, but until recently I never knew they could be so deep.
So now I've rambled on too long and need to get to work. I invite you to post comments on why you like games, why you play them, and what intrigues you about them. How do you spend your play time?
Gaming means a lot to me. It's a a social activity, an outlet for creativity, and a subject of study.
I meet regularly with friends for a weekly session of Battletech. It's a mixed groups of working professionals, craftsmen, and students. We are not there for drinkin' an smokin' (maybe a little cussin' tho); we are there to play, and to borrow a phrase; a bad evening gaming is better than a good day working. I am a bit unusual in the group because I don't play a lot of games other than Battletech (I do have limited time for gaming), and most of the guys also play other games on a regular basis. (Note aside: I also like computer games, but I find these do not have the same aspect of social interaction, so I don't play them nearly so much. Thoughts?)
A fair bit of my time (likewise many of the guys) goes into game related activity such as painting and assembling miniatures. Working with miniatures is a hobby within a hobby, and a topic for another day, but I love working with minis as much as I like to play. Maybe more. Check some great galleries of Battletech minis at LOTB, and consider the craftsmanship that goes into some of these.
The other creative aspect of the hobby (for me) is writing, and I don't just mean this blog. I've been writing related to gaming on and off for years. This might be writing up a scenario or adventure, describing something I'd like to represent in a game, writing my own game, or working out strategies. Most if this writing isn't interesting to anyone but myself, but I enjoyed writing it all the same. More recently I actually became somewhat organized about recording my game related ideas, and in the process I realized I had something I wanted to say to others (and so here we are).
Finally, I like to study games. I wrote my first computer simulation program when I was 13 or 14 on my Apple II+. Why? Because I wanted to settle an argument about whether it is better in the game Risk for the defender to roll one die or two (short answer: two whenever possible). Little did I know I was actually taking my first steps towards being a statistician, I just wanted to know the best way to play. More recently I decided to really look hard into the mathematics of the game Battletech. Rather than write a program I decided to try to get into the theory behind it. Part of me wonders why I never really tried to apply my skills this way before, but maybe I wasn't ready? What I quickly learned is that I wasn't just studying Battletech, but the math that applies to a whole class of games, sports, and even military studies. I've always loved games, but until recently I never knew they could be so deep.
So now I've rambled on too long and need to get to work. I invite you to post comments on why you like games, why you play them, and what intrigues you about them. How do you spend your play time?
25 December 2008
Merry Christmas from GBR
Dashing through the snow,in a Giant Battle Mecha ...
O'er the tanks we go,
Smashing all the way!
Ok, so maybe I won't give up the day job to become a lyricist, and those missiles are delivering presents, honest!
There have been over 4000 new visitors to this blog since it was posted on Blogs of Note Tuesday, and I am gratified and overwhelmed by the attention. Thanks to everyone who stops by, and thanks to the folks at Blogspot (Santa Blog?, Saint Blogolas? Father Blogmas?) for noticing me.
Merry Christmas everyone, and I hope that one or two of those nicely wrapped boxes under your tree might have a games in them.
23 December 2008
The Mathematics of ... Candyland???
I mentioned Markov-chains a while back (not to be confused with Markov Chaney), and I though that might make an interesting topic to relate to games. It seems though that [Image taken from lscheffer.com, who also has a nice analysis.]
In my own words, a Markov-chain is a series of random states. A trivial example might be flipping a coin; the coin is either in a state of "heads" or "tails" and has a 50% chance of changing state with each flip. It can get more complicated, with the probabilities of changing to a different state dependent on the current or even (correct me if I am wrong) previous states. A state which ends the series (if any) is called an absorbing state. In my recent Netrek post the number of planets a team controls would be the state, and the absorbing state would be one team conquering all the planets, thus ending the series and the game (oversimplified, but true).
Candyland is a Markov-chain if you reshuffle the deck of cards after every draw. Each square (rhomboid?) on the board represents a state, and players advance randomly towards the end of the game. Reshuffling is required so that the probability of changing states remains independent of previous card-draws (if you were wondering). There is a nice summary and history of the game itself here.
Speaking of fine work, Greg Costikyan wrote about this a few weeks back, and it has traveled far in the blogosphere. The really interesting part here is (for me) the discussion of whether or not it really is a game; all moves are random, so if the player doesn't actually do anything is it really a game? My answer: Yes. Not the most interesting game we may ever play by any means, but most definitely a game. Games where players make decisions and enact strategies are more difficult, and for most, more interesting.
I should not end without mentioning an older game that is a Markov-chain to start with - no reshuffling required - known to most as Snakes and Ladders.[Image from DKimages]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)