Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Sometimes the lack of symmetry is in the goals and sometimes it is in the avail-
able choices. In Chapter 1, we touched on the game of Blackjack. This popular
casino game is deceptively asymmetric. When it comes to scoring the hands, both
the players and the dealer are held to the same criteria.
Have a higher valued hand than the opponent.
Don't go over 21.
Given this information only, the game looks as if it is the same on both sides.
In fact, you could play Blackjack head-to-head against a friend rather than in the
traditional sense against a dealer and you
would
be playing symmetrically. Both
players would be able to freely ask for hits, stands, splits, and doubles at will.
However, the dealer doesn't have those options. The rules are very specific about
what he can and cannot do.
If he has less than 17, he must hit.
If he has 17 or higher, he must stand.
This is why Blackjack is a winnable game. Very often it behooves the player to
elect to stand with a hand of less than 17. The dealer doesn't have that option avail-
able… and the player knows it. So, while the scoring is identical, the gameplay dif-
fers significantly. Blackjack is an asymmetrical game.
Needless to say, there is an entirely different dynamic to games where there are
different choices to be made on each side. However, there is still an important fac-
tor that needs to be taken into account just as much as in symmetrical games: What
is the other player likely to do, and how should I adjust my strategy to accommo-
date that? Sometimes this is easy to compute, and other times, you have to make a
concerted effort to “get inside the mind� of the other party.
C
UTTING THE
C
AKE
One situation that many people may be familiar with is that of cutting something
in half to share. In this process, a cake or other such desirable item needs to be di-
vided between two people. The first person makes the cut, and the second person
selects which piece he wants.
Most of us wouldn't necessarily think of this process as a game. In fact, it really
isn't a game at all. However, the point that it illustrates does speak quite a bit to
game theory, and, like some of the examples that will follow, this act is definitely
asymmetrical, as the very simple rules show. One person is the “Cutter,� and the
other is the “Decider.� There is no overlap in their responsibilities. Neither has any
say in the other's role, and yet each must rely on the other person.
