I have read a few posts about using a Monte Carlo Tree Search. While I understand the basics I am at odds on how to put the idea into motion.
If there is anyone that could shed some light on the possible options / methods it would be most helpful.
Thank you in advance.
What aspects are giving you trouble? I am not an expert, but to get started I would say:
Check wikipedia for much more in depth analysis.
@ Alvaro Okay the hidden information was that part that was upsetting my mental design for the AI. However, if you are able to play multiple cards in a turn would this still require the tree to be formed to allow the AI to decide which order to play?
Typically, a "turn" in a CCG isn't a "turn" in the traditional game tree usage of the word, but a sequence of many AI turns of different types.
Taking Magic: the Gathering as a reference, every time a player passes priority to the opponent to answer his move it is one turn in the game tree, even if the other player's move is doing nothing (which in many cases is the optimal choice). Some of these turns are special actions (e.g. declaring attacking and blocking creatures), some are game state changes without player decisions (e.g. resolving spells and abilities, combat damage steps, state based actions) and some consist of composite moves (e.g. playing mana abilities as you play a spell or ability, or stacking several spells and abilities without passing priority).
Is the opponent's deck 'fixed'? If so, there are a few ways you can cheat at this.
Also, are there complex interactions? (cards that strengthen others) or are most cards single-use/consumable effects or permanent 'lone wolves'?
Is the opponent's deck 'fixed'?
I have not decided to set the deck and card order or allow it to be random card order. Writing the AI for a fixed card order would be much easier, because it would only require a few sets of switch gates to handle the card play order.
Writing the AI for a fixed card order
I meant, is the deck content fixed? Or are the possibilities finite? CCG implies your enemy could have pretty much any kind of deck, so I'm assuming you want to have an AI that can handle all possible outcomes and weigh their relative values, but if you build opponent decks as with a single player linear progression, you could nudge your AI in the right direction with every level by making it understand the core concept of how to play the deck (somewhat hard-coded) and limit your efforts with actual AI (instead of creating an AI that has to know and master every subtlety and synergy of the entire card library).
I have redefined the method by which the Battlefield data is handled and now the AI has better access to the information. This hopefully make it easier to make the AI to select the better actions.
