RISK The Game On Google Maps

axonis writes "ZenChi has created a Google Maps API project based on the popular board game RISK on Google Maps. While Zen is developing a multi-player version, you can play a game right now with others huddled around your computer."

Comments

School

[saskboy]

I wonder if this would be a good way to encourage students to learn the geography they are so sorely lacking? What better way to learn where Uzbekistan is, than to invade Iran from it?

remember old school risk players

[circletimessquare]

always start in australia ;-)

Re:remember old school risk players

[fishbowl]

I'm trying to write an AI player for Risk. For placing armies and reinforcing borders, I've started with a heuristic approach that weighs the least number of fronts, the least continental fronts, the continent value, and maybe a continental affinity in the event of a tie. Depending on how you weigh the continent value against the number of continental borders, this always picks Japan or Argentina first, assuming the theatre is the original map.

I'm thinking there must be a "one true" next correct territory to put a unit, regardless of how many ready units there are, what the current state of the map is, etc. Likewise for attacking. Right now my AIPlayer attacks anywhere he has 3 or mor troop strength regardless of the opposition (very stupid, I know :-)

Trying to figure out this troop placement thing made me realize I don't actually have a working strategy as a human player. I've always basically just tried to get a connected map wherever my opponents weren't, or else just placed units randomly. But the more I look at it, the more I think the best early strategy is to take and hold South America. Trying to generalize the reasons for that strategy into something that would work for any map.

Re:Talk about google infatuation

[YrWrstNtmr]

Talk about a 0.1 alpha version. Give it time.

GoogleRisk - 2010
Played in realtime, lifesize, via mobile phone, in one or more major cities in each 'territory'.

Risk is quite possibly the classic 'world war' game. A few hundred years of seasoning, and it may be equivalent to chess.

Diplomacy

[lamasquerade]

I'd love to see a version of Diplomacy made to work the same way - that is my favourite boardgame of all time and I believe Risk is based on it. Diplomacy's major strength though is the lack of die - it's all strategy and negotiation, chance plays just about no role (the allocation of countries at the beginning being the only exception).

Re:That's Friggin Brilliant...

[zxnos]

i always found that having the americas was key. only three avenues to be attacked from. then you can move into europe or africa while fortifying your position in the americas with bonus troops. just stay out of europe at the start if you want a chance.