Game Theory based Artificial Player for Morabaraba Game
It is proved that an equilibrium point exists between two Morabaraba strategies and shown that for fixed utility values using a game matrix, there exists an equilibrium Point for which the strategy of both players remains unchanged.
Abstract
Making computers that can play games against human opponents has been a challenge since the beginning of research into Artificial Intelligence. However, it has become well known for computer programs beating grandmasters in games such as Chess and Othello. Nevertheless, there are still many board games for which computers have not been able to achieve the level of play equivalent to human players. One such game is Morabaraba, an ancient African board game. No prior research has been conducted in creating an artificial player for this indigenous game. This research aims at introducing a design of an artificial player for the Morabaraba game. An attempt is made to systematically determine an optimal strategy for the game using game theory. This study posit that the artificial player will use the most optimal strategy to play and win the game. The paper endorses the view that the equilibrium strategy describes a Morabaraba player’s moves and could be used in the implementation of an artificial player. This research study prove that an equilibrium point exists between two Morabaraba strategies and show that for fixed utility values using a game matrix, there exists an equilibrium point for which the strategy of both players remains unchanged. With the obtained results, the research recommends the implementation of an artificial player that does not counterattack. The author presents an investigation on how to find an optimal strategy for the Morabaraba game which will benefit the implementation of an artificial player.