Implementing a Player AI

Implementing a Player (Ruby)

See the RandomMatch Domohnoes player for a simple example. In general, a Ruby player needs to:

1. Require the client.rb file.
2. Create a new class subclassing Laink::Client.
3. In the class definition call gametype 'com.foo.bar' to specify the type of game to play.
4. In the initialize method (if any) be sure to call super().
5. Provide a name method that returns a unique name for this player.
6. Create a move method that is passed a game state and responds with the details of a move to play.

• The details of the state Hash and move response depends on the game being played.

Run the client via MyPlayer.new.play_game.

Implementing a Player (Other Languages)

Every client must be able to:

1. Create a TCP socket to the server.
2. Be able to perform blocking read and write over the socket via length-prefixed JSON.

• Messages in both directions consist of a 2-byte header followed by UTF-8 encoded JSON.
• The header indicates the number of bytes to follow (bytes in the message not including the header).

3. Send a start_game command, identifying the client's name and the type of game to play:
   {"command":"start_game", "gametype":"com.foo.bar", "nick":"MasterBlaster"}
4. Listen for a message containing {"command":"move", "state":xxx} and formulate a legal response yyy based on whatever xxx state the game sent to you.
5. Send a legal game play to the server move via {"command":"move", yyy} (where yyy is whatever complex key/value pair data will be accepted by the game logic.
6. Listen for a message containing {"command":"gameover", "winner":"nickname"} and disconnect the socket.