Question

I’m working on a snake game (Nibbles in Linux) that is played on a 60*60 field, with four snakes competing for an apple which is randomly placed.

I’ve implemented the movement of my snake with the A* (A star) Algorithm.

My problem is this: When I’m not the nearest snake to the apple, I don’t want to go to get the apple, because my chance to get it is lower than at least one snake, so I want to look for a place that I hope at the next place that an apple is generated , Then I’ll be the nearest snake to that apple. I mean that I’m looking for a place which is nearest to the maximum number of potential locations.

Please suggest any good way or any algorithm that can help me to find this place.

Here is an image of the game. The red points are the snakes’ heads.

Answer 1

I tested some ways and Finally I decided to use this way:

I think the best way is to make a 2D array with size:60*60 , then for each node(x) of the array, calculate how many nodes of the field-which are walkable!(not block), is this node(x) nearest to.

then the answer will be The maximum amount, then I set this node the goal.

but because I must find the next move in less than 0.1sec and to do this work, there is 4 loops of size:60, (60^4) and when I found it, A* algorithm will be run too , this work would never be done in less than 0.1 sec.

So , since the Snake can’t move Diagonally and it goes just: up,down,right,left, I decided not to check all the nodes,Since in each cycle(0.1sec) , I can just move 1 unit, I decided to check just 4 nodes(up,down,left,right) and move to a node which It’s amount is Max.

now it’s working almost right. 😉