Minimax ai, oh lordy

[jigglywiggly]

So basically, my professor, just told us to make Mancala with AI, and not really much further instruction other than: Use minimax, and use these 2 classes:

/*
 * To change this template, choose Tools | Templates
 * and open the template in the editor.
 */

/**
 *
 * @author administrator
 */
public class ManCalaTreeNode {
ManCalaTreeNode parent;
ManCalaTreeNode[] children;
int depth;

Board gameState;

}

and:

/*
 * To change this template, choose Tools | Templates
 * and open the template in the editor.
 */

/**
 *
 * @author administrator
 */
public class ManCalaTree {
ManCalaTreeNode root;
}

I am on my netbook, and I totally forget to update the code from my computer, but just assume my code for 2 players works:

/*
 * To change this template, choose Tools | Templates
 * and open the template in the editor.
 */

/**
 *
 * @author administrator
 */
import java.util.Scanner;  // imports just the Scanner class from java.util

public class CalaMain {

    /**
     * @param args the command line arguments
     */
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int counter = 2;
        Board b = new Board();


        while (b.isOver() == false) {
            Scanner scan = new Scanner(System.in);
            if (counter % 2 == 0) {

                System.out.println("Enter a position, player 1");

                String scanned = scan.next();



                b.movethem(scanned);
               counter=counter+1;
            }

            if (counter % 2 != 0) {

                System.out.println("Enter a position, player 2");

                String scanned = scan.next();



                b.movethem(scanned);
                counter=counter+1;
            }



        }

    }
}

/*
 * To change this template, choose Tools | Templates
 * and open the template in the editor.
 */

/**
 *
 * @author administrator
 */
public class Storage {
    int howmany = 4;
    public Storage(int number) {
        howmany=number;
    }

    public int getAmount() {
        return howmany;
    }
    public void setAmount(int amount) {
        howmany=amount;
    }


}

and:

/*
 * To change this template, choose Tools | Templates
 * and open the template in the editor.
 */

/**
 *
 * @author administrator
 */
public class Board {

    Storage[] board = new Storage[12];
    Storage b = new Storage(4);
    int positionreal = 0;
    int left = 0;
    int right = 0;
    int counter = 2;
    int counter2 = 0;

    public Board() {
        board[0] = new Storage(4);
        board[1] = new Storage(4);
        board[2] = new Storage(4);
        board[3] = new Storage(4);
        board[4] = new Storage(4);
        board[5] = new Storage(4);
        board[6] = new Storage(4);
        board[7] = new Storage(4);
        board[8] = new Storage(4);
        board[9] = new Storage(4);
        board[10] = new Storage(4);
        board[11] = new Storage(4);


    }

    public void movethem(String l) {

        positionreal = Integer.parseInt(l);

        if (counter % 2 == 0) {



            while (counter % 2 == 0) {


                if (positionreal > 6 && positionreal >= 0) {
                    System.out.println("INVALID MOVE PLAYER 1");
                    System.exit(0);
                }
                if (positionreal + board[positionreal].getAmount() == 6) {
                    System.out.println("Player 1 go again");

                    for (int totally = positionreal; totally <= board[positionreal].getAmount(); totally++) {
                        if (counter2 < 5 - positionreal && counter2 >= 0) {
                            counter2 = counter2 + 1;

                        }

                        board[positionreal + counter2].setAmount(board[positionreal + counter2].getAmount() + 1);
                    }
                    right = right + 1;
                    board[positionreal].setAmount(0);
                    drawBoard();
                    System.exit(0);

                }


                if (!(positionreal + board[positionreal].getAmount() == 6)) {
                    
                    for (int vrz = 0; vrz <= board[positionreal].getAmount(); vrz++) {


                        if (positionreal + board[positionreal].getAmount() >= 5 && board[positionreal].getAmount() - vrz > 0) {

                            right = right + 1;
                           
                            board[positionreal+vrz].setAmount(board[positionreal+vrz].getAmount() + 1);
                            System.out.println("I GOT HERE");

                        } else {
                          
                            board[positionreal + vrz].setAmount(board[positionreal + vrz].getAmount() + 1);
                            System.out.println("I GOTS HERE");
                        }



                        
                    }
                     board[positionreal].setAmount(0);
                     counter = counter + 1;


                    
                    drawBoard();
                }



            }



        } else {
            if (positionreal == 11 && board[positionreal].getAmount() == 1) {
                left = left + 1;
                board[positionreal].setAmount(0);


                System.out.println("Player 2 go again");


            }
            while (counter % 2 != 0) {
                positionreal = Integer.parseInt(l);
                if (positionreal < 6 && positionreal <= 11) {
                    System.out.println("INVALID MOVE PLAYER 2");
                    System.exit(0);
                }




                for (int i = 0; i < board[positionreal].getAmount(); i++) {


                    if (positionreal + i == 11 && board[positionreal].getAmount() - i > 0) {
                        i = i + 1;
                        left = left + 1;
                        positionreal = 0;

                        board[positionreal + i].setAmount(board[positionreal].getAmount() + 1);




                    }
                }
            }
            System.out.println(right);
            board[positionreal].setAmount(0);
            counter = counter + 1;
        }
    }

    public void drawBoard() {

        System.out.println("");
        System.out.print(board[11].getAmount() + " ");
        System.out.print(board[10].getAmount() + " ");
        System.out.print(board[9].getAmount() + " ");
        System.out.print(board[8].getAmount() + " ");
        System.out.print(board[7].getAmount() + " ");
        System.out.print(board[6].getAmount() + " ");
        System.out.println("");
        System.out.print("|" + left + "|");
        System.out.print("      ");
        System.out.print("|" + right + "|");
        System.out.println("");
        System.out.print(board[0].getAmount() + " ");
        System.out.print(board[1].getAmount() + " ");
        System.out.print(board[2].getAmount() + " ");
        System.out.print(board[3].getAmount() + " ");
        System.out.print(board[4].getAmount() + " ");
        System.out.print(board[5].getAmount() + " ");
        System.out.println("");












    }

    public boolean isOver() {
        return false;
    }
}

Now I am obviously not asking anyone to do this, I just want advice on how to go about doing this, since I literally got no instruction.

(This is my first ai ever)

[jigglywiggly]

Help please?

[JosAH]

Help please?

Do you know how a minimax evaluation works? Basically it boils down to a small, nifty, recursive method. There are quite some links available, here's wikipedia's explanation.

kind regards,

Jos