GameBot in the Chatroom

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bookworm
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GameBot in the Chatroom

Post by bookworm »

* See this post for an in-depth user manual for the GameBot containing reference information for new users and full details on the up-to-date library of games and functionality. This original thread was made for the release of the first version of the bot, many additions and modifications have since been made. This thread will continue to be used for announcements of new games and features as they get added and for general discussion, but it is not a good source for fully understanding the bot that is currently running in the Chatroom.



I want to let everyone know about a fun new feature I've set up in the Chatroom.
In the #gameroom channel there is now a bot which is able to run games of Apples to Apples, Uno, and Poker!

I am in the channel most evenings, drop by if you feel like a game or two. It's become a pretty regular thing for some chat frequenters and I to play a few rounds of Apples to Apples before heading to bed and it's really fun!

Details:
How to use it:
Bot commands begin with "^" these are used to start or stop one of the different games.
Once a game is running new game-specific commands beginning with "!" are available which are how you play.
"^help" and "!help" list the available bot and game commands respectively. (Bot commands will always be the same, game commands will depend on which game, if any, is currently active.)

Order of events:
  • Load up a new game if one is not active (example: ^start Uno)
  • Start a new instance of that game (!start)
  • Have other players join and follow the instructions to play (!help lists commands)
  • To change to a different game unload the current one first (example: ^stop Uno)
  • Then load the new one (example: ^start ApplesToApples)
  • Start a new instance of this new game (!start)
Note that if an active game is ended with "^stop" it does not delete the running game. The game state will be saved and unloaded, allowing for another one to be started up. The next time the previous game type is started it will resume the previous game where it left off. (This only works for one of each type of game. For example, you can save a game of Uno to change to Apples To Apples, but you can't have multiple games of Uno at the same time.) If you want to actually end a running game, not just pause and unload it, use the in-game "!end" command first before using the "^stop" bot command to change game types.

Important:
Please be sure to unload the current game with "^stop" if you are the last person to leave the channel and there is still a game loaded so the bot is not wasting resources trying to run a game with no active players. When no one is playing the bot should be idling in the default state of waiting for someone to run "^start" and load a game type. You can check what state the bot is in by using the "^list" command. If the bot is in the default state it will show only the list of available games and you are okay to leave the channel. If it shows the list of games and also a current game type it means a game module is still loaded; if this is the case please use "^stop" to unload the game shown before leaving the channel.


A few various notes:
  • Apples To Apples allows players to drop in and out fluidly. New people can use "!join" while a game is already running to receive a hand of cards and be added right into the current round if judging has not begun yet or to the next round if it has. If a player needs to leave midgame, using "!quit" removes them so the others can keep playing. If someone left without quitting, another player can use "!del <username>" to remove them. If they return later and the same game is still going, they can use "!join" to jump back in with the same cards and score they had when they left.
  • If you lag out and get disconnected or accidentally close your chat client you are not removed from the game. Reconnect to the Chatroom, rejoin the channel, and you can resume play from where you dropped out. You can use "!status" to see what stage the game is in, whose turn it is, and other information to get reoriented after coming back.
  • As a fun hidden feature the bot can randomly choose something from a pair or list of options if asked with "GameBot, decide between A and B" or "GameBot, decide between A, B, etc, and E"
Please post here or PM me if you have questions or problems with anything.
Have fun! :D
Last edited by bookworm on Sun Mar 27, 2022 7:28 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by ~JCGJ~ »

Does this mean we can now summon GameBot without you in there? :mrgreen:
Last edited by ~JCGJ~ on Thu Mar 22, 2018 2:04 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by bookworm »

Yes it should always be in there now. If that wasn't clear in the explanation of usage I'll reiterate.

When you want to play something just join the channel and the bot should be there either already running a game if others have been playing or idling ready to load and start one.
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Post by 321tumbler »

Any announcements for us, bookworm?
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Post by bookworm »

I am very excited to announce the addition of Codenames to the GameBot library!

I'm extremely proud of this - I wrote the whole program myself. The previous games came with the bot; I made significant modifications, but the underlying gameplay logic was provided. But this one was written by me from the ground up.

We've played several test games and it's a lot of fun! I was very pleased to find the game dynamics work just as well over IRC as playing with people in person.
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Post by 321tumbler »

Playing Codenames was so much fun! I always like being the one giving out the clues and watching the team try to figure them out. It's also nice to see the other team interpreting their clues the wrong way. XD Like with the other GameBot games, it doesn't take much time to get used to playing it in the chat as opposed to in real life.
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Post by bookworm »

Another update, announcing the addition of two press your luck dice games: Zombie Dice and Farkle!

I'm very pleased with how these both turned out. Zombie Dice is based on some code I found which functioned for the game basics but lacked implementation of some of the mechanics; I added the missing functionality and made some modifications and improvements to the other parts. Farkle uses game code that pleasantly needed minimal tinkering from the original version other than the refactoring that both programs needed to translate them from stand alone applications to a format the bot could facilitate.

Neither has a player limit, they can be played solo if desired. I also created a limited AI for each which allows for GameBot to be added as an extra player if you want.
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Post by Catspaw »

Wow, it sounds like you put a lot of work into this, bookworm. :D
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Post by shnoodlec »

Thanks bookworm!
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Post by bookworm »

Catspaw wrote:Wow, it sounds like you put a lot of work into this, bookworm. :D
I do, and I really enjoy it. I work on it in my spare time and it's a great way to keep my coding skills sharp! It's very gratifying to see the work come together into something tangible that people really use and enjoy.

-- 2 Sep 2019 05:36 pm --

Add another dice game, I've released a plugin for playing Yahtzee!

For this one I started with some code I found that ran a one person game and made moderate modifications to allow for multiple players and as always the transition from stand alone application to GameBot plugin.
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Post by Bren »

I know this is a slight bump. But, how hard would it be to set up GameBot to play Phase 10? I can't find nobody local to play with and I miss playing.
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Post by bookworm »

I'll add it to my list of potential additions and look into how feasible that would be, thanks for the suggestion!
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Post by Bren »

Sweet. I appreciate it.
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Post by bookworm »

I have created a comprehensive User Manual for the bot and all its games. This thread will continue to be used for announcing game additions and feature updates as they get implemented, but that thread is the go-to reference for bot usage and game information. :)
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Post by snubs »

BUMPING.

Bookie, how did you program GameBot to be so good at AIO Apples to Apples??
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Post by bookworm »

If you mean the 'AI' player, it actually isn't good. It gets a hand of seven cards just like everyone else and it just plays a completely random one of those each round. It's surprising how relatively often that ends up actually being a legitimately good play, you wouldn't think it would work out too many times!
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Post by snubs »

Haha, that's crazy. It actually makes the game more amusing. :lol:
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Post by bookworm »

I am very happy to announce the official release of our Adventures in Odyssey themed Apples to Apples game! \:D/

The playtest didn't reveal any issues so this plugin is now added to the public game library and will be available for use whenever the bot is online! :D


Even though the game is now active please continue to suggest any ideas you have for additional cards, more are always welcome! If you think of something that might be good to add please see this thread, I will continue to regularly check the document linked there for new suggestions!

This list will be kept updated to show all the cards that are in the deck the bot is currently using.
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Post by snubs »

bookworm wrote: Fri Jun 03, 2022 4:57 pmThis list will be kept updated to show all the cards that are in the deck the bot is currently using.
YAAASSS. I have been waiting a long time for this! \:D/ You have done a great job with this game, bookworm!
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Post by Bren »

A few of us hopped on tonight and played Apples to Apples & Uno tonight which was fun.
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