Blockbusters (Game Show)

Myself and another user (the latter of whom is no longer an active member) did work on a Blockbusters project as early as 2009, but further development was on hold for some time now due to another user's code being too complex.

While I do have experience with the text boxes, entering of answers, etc., I do not have much experience with the connecting of hexagons to allow for the round to be won.

Here is a video of a playing of Blockbusters:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbn67u0k6tc

If you notice the way the hexagons are connected, what would you recommend in order to allow for the hexagons to be connected to allow for a win?

Maybe it has to do with the adding up of certain Index numbers in an array plus that in order to win the game, the player would have to have a certain total or a minimum total when the winning connection is made, plus maybe connect a certain number of blocks as well?

What coding suggestions do you recommend for connecting the hexagons?

Moved to Games And Graphics Programming

Creating the hexagons isn't a big deal. But I didn't quite get the rules from that clip (didn't watch the whole thing tbh) - do you have to check for lines through the map, or?

Forgot to clarify, this project is being coded using Visual Basic 6.0. But it is up to the administrators if they would like to keep it in the Games and Graphics Programming or move it back to the Visual Basic 6 and Earlier forum.

Got some new information to contribute to this thread...

I have a question to figure out regarding a Blockbusters game I have been developing. Yes, I did figure out how to connect the hexagons based on color, but only for two human players. The problem I am faced with is for a human vs. computer player. If the computer player was to pick hexagons to allow for a possible connection, what method would be good? Would there have to be something along the lines of a Do While... Loop situation, if the player was to allow for a possible winning connection? I can see that being a possibility. Like, scan for where the computer player's colored blocks are located starting from index of 1, and then do a second scan for a rightmost block starting from the index of 20 (there are 20 blocks in total for the first two rounds of the version hosted by Bill Rafferty in 1987, and 16 blocks in total for the tiebreaker round). If a human player's hexagon is in the way, the computer player would do a diversion by going to the next available lettered block to make a successful connection. I could give that a try.

I do admit, I have really been taking advantage of the Do While...Loop processes for my projects, and they seem to really do wonders.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ThomasJohnsen

Creating the hexagons isn't a big deal. But I didn't quite get the rules from that clip (didn't watch the whole thing tbh) - do you have to check for lines through the map, or?

---

Sorry I was delayed in responding, but I believe you might have to check for lines through the hexagon map. How can I check for lines through the map?

The index array in the hexagon images are laid out like this:

Code:

---

0  1  2  3  4
 5  6  7  8  9
10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19

---

How do I check for the lines through the map to allow for the computer player to pick a block that could be on the right path, or allow a possible winning connection?

I will provide some visual examples in the next post.

As promised, here are some images to provide visual examples...

Here is an image from Round One:

http://i59.tinypic.com/2cr6qer.png

Notice that the red player is trying to connect top to bottom. The red player would need either P or A and definitely G to allow for a winning connection, unless the white player was to block the red player's path, in which the red player would have to do a diversion.

Here is an image from Round Two:

http://i62.tinypic.com/6dqvif.png

The red player is trying to connect left to right, and can choose among T or P to continue her path, and if she won the T question, she would need either I or G for a possible winning connection. If she chose P and won that question, she would need either G or C to allow for a possible winning connection.

Finally, here is an image from Round Three:

http://i57.tinypic.com/osr9g8.png

It is an even board for that round. Players can win with as few as four blocks. The red player would require E and W to allow for a winning connection at this point, unless the white player was to block the red player's path at which point the red player would have to take a diversion.

In the PC game I am developing, the computer player would be the red player (or the human player if the user chooses), and the white player would be the human player.

Based on the scenarios I supplied above, what would be a good way to check through the map for a possible connection or stay on the path for the red player?

Did you get any further with this?

I am doing something similar for a client.

Dave