Playout search for Monte-Carlo tree search in multi-player games

J. A M Nijssen, Mark H M Winands

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterAcademic

Abstract

Abstract. Over the past few years, Monte-Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) has become a popular search technique for playingmulti-player games. In this paper we propose a technique called Playout Search. This enhance- ment allows the use of small searches in the playout phase of MCTS in order to improve the reliability of the playouts. We investigate maxn, Paranoid, and BRS for Playout Search and analyze their performance in two deterministic perfect-information multi-player games: Focus and Chinese Checkers. The experimental results show that Playout Search significantly increases the quality of the playouts in both games. How- ever, it slows down the speed of the playouts, which outweighs the benefit of better playouts if the thinking time for the players is small. When the players are given a sufficient amount of thinking time, Playout Search employing Paranoid search is a significant improvement in the 4-player variant of Focus and the 3-player variant of Chinese Checkers.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationAdvances in Computer Games
PublisherSpringer
Pages72-83
Number of pages12
ISBN (Print)9783642318658
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2012

Publication series

SeriesLecture Notes in Computer Science
Volume7168

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