Games have kinds {game types}. In real games, players often value rewards differently than in simulated games. For example, rather than using strategy that tries to minimize losses, players often use strategy that tries to get greatest average return. Players tend to cooperate more. Personal or emotional factors, such as ideology, can affect decisions. Player goals determine decisions.
In real n-person games, communication difficulties are important, player physical arrangement is important, and aggressive and fast-acting players typically do better. People typically do not maintain utility transitivity, so value assignments are inconsistent. Environment can change and affect values and probabilities used in utility function. Players typically do not gamble large amounts, and they gamble based on emotion, not calculated utility.
Two-person, finite, zero-sum games {Colonel Blotto game} can involve one decision from each player.
Games {compound game} can have several independent games. Compound-game expected value is sum of component-game expected values.
Most games {finite game} have limited move numbers. Few games allow infinite numbers of moves.
Different outcomes can have different total rewards and punishments {non-zero-sum game}|, so both players can gain or lose.
Games {one-person game} can have one player.
types
In one-person game, player decisions alone can determine outcome, with no decisions determined by chance, as with Tower of Hanoi. Alternatively, player decisions and decisions with known probabilities, as with dice games, determine outcome. Alternatively, player decisions and unknown-probability decisions, such as acts of god, determine outcome.
strategy
In one-person games, player typically assumes worst outcome will happen and uses minimax strategy.
In two-person, non-zero-sum games {prisoner's dilemma}|, players can choose from two alternatives. If both players choose number one, both players get reward. If both players choose number two, both players get punishment. If one player chooses number one and the other chooses number two, first player has more punishment, but second player has more reward.
strategy
Both players do best if they cooperate. However, if one player uses only one strategy, other player can change strategy and get big reward.
experiments
In real experiments, finite games have no cooperation, but infinite games have cooperation.
factors
Reward and punishment sizes, previous play, communication ability, and personality affect the game, so it is a competitive game.
In a two-person, non-zero-sum game {traveler's dilemma}|, players can choose number from 2 to 100. Third party asks each to state number. If both write same number, they both receive that amount. Otherwise, lower number receives that amount plus bonus, and higher number receives that amount minus penalty.
Games {two-person game} can have two players.
Games {zero-sum game}| can have total rewards and punishments that are the same for all outcomes, so players can gain only at expense of other players.
examples
Chess, checkers, go, and tic-tac-toe are zero-sum games, because they are win, lose, or draw.
strategy
Two-person, finite, zero-sum games have strategy that wins for first player, makes first player lose, makes it so first player cannot lose, or makes first player lose or draw.
types
Typical two-person, finite, zero-sum game, such as rock-scissors-hand, has no perfect information, because players choose simultaneously.
non-zero-sum
Different outcomes can have different total rewards and punishments, so players can gain or lose, in a non-zero-sum game, as in prisoner's dilemma.
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Date Modified: 2022.0225