Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
The decision process is much the same as well. If we are trying to maximize the
damage to save ourselves from harm, just as we did in the Prisoner's Dilemma, we
may want to look at the possible outcomes of our choices from that standpoint. If
we were to run out and grab the rocket launcher, there are two possibilities. First,
if the enemy stays hidden, we acquire the big gun without opposition, aim, and
blow him and his cover sky high with no damage to ourselves (Figure 5.5). That
doesn't sound too bad.
FIGURE 5.5
The scenario of one agent rushing to get the rocket launcher
while the other one hides is analogous to the Prisoner's Dilemma scenario of
one prisoner betraying while the other stays silent. In either case, the former
wins and the latter loses entirely.
Second, if he
does
run out to grab a rocket launcher for himself, we begin the
shoot-and-hop dance in the middle of the arena, take some damage, doing some
damage, and hoping that when the reinforcements show up for both sides we aren't
too messed up to get through it alive. However, we realized that being damaged at
that point isn't terribly attractive. Still, it gives us a fighting chance. We are still
alive. In fact, the two outcomes of this choice are both rather positive. We either
blow our enemy to heck or we knock him down a few pegs. There isn't any
imme-
diate
risk of death… only the heightened possibility of death later on once the rest
of the troops arrive.
The same cannot be said for one of the possible outcomes were we to stay put.
If we remain in hiding and our
enemy
runs out to get the rocket launcher, we aren't
going to last long. At that point, we are good and dead—reinforcements or not.
However, that outcome is not certain. He
may
choose to not run out there at all,
instead using his own woefully inadequate peashooter to harass us the way we are
doing him. Once the respective reinforcements show up, the battle will begin in
