Similar Games Research Articles

Billiards Sports Analytics: Datasets and Tasks

Nowadays, it becomes a common practice to capture some data of sports games with devices such as GPS sensors and cameras and then use the data to perform various analyses on sports games, including tactics discovery, similar game retrieval, performance study, and so forth. While this practice has been conducted to many sports such as basketball and soccer, it remains largely unexplored on the billiards sports, which is mainly due to the lack of publicly available datasets. Motivated by this, we collect a dataset of billiards sports, which includes the layouts (i.e., locations) of billiards balls after performing break shots, called break shot layouts, the traces of the balls as a result of strikes (in the form of trajectories), and detailed statistics and performance indicators. We then study and develop techniques for three tasks on the collected dataset, including (1) prediction and (2) generation on the layouts data, and (3) similar billiards layout retrieval on the layouts data, which can serve different users such as coaches, players and fans. We conduct extensive experiments on the collected dataset and the results show that our methods perform effectively and efficiently.

Volleyball: similar game for men and women? Factors characterising successful performance in Olympic Games 2021 regarding genders

ABSTRACT The goal of this study was to survey the effectiveness of the factors characterising successful performance in volleyball between men and women in games played in the Olympic Games 2021 tournaments. Seventy-six matches (38 matches per gender) were sampled, and data were collected from N = 560 sets (N = 292 for men and N = 268 for women). Principal component analysis was conducted on 15 performance indicators with orthogonal rotation (varimax). The principal component scores saved from the analysis were run in binomial logistic regression (Win/Loss) forced entry regression analysis using a data splitting method on a random selection of 50% of the data (training and test sample). The models produced were then used to predict the probability of winning the set using the same variables for the remaining 50% data. The results provide evidence that between genders there are common important factors which affect the evolution of a set and therefore if improved can increase the probability of winning, however with the same level of improvement, the odds differentiate per gender. These findings and inferences can be used as guidelines for coaches of teams of both genders concerning the skills that require further improvement.

Shaping the Bilingualism of Game-Addicted Players

In today's world, many people who spend more and more time in front of their computer and treat it as something more than a popular pass-time activity are often referred to being game addicted. At the same time, however, many of them, because of being exposed to different forms of dialogic English may be observed to excel the language and react to quite many situations they are exposed to both during the play and out of it. This study is meant to show how gaming addicts shape their bilingualism. Due to our research, it was found that such people who are truly addicted to games often reach a higher level of English much faster when contrasted to average L2 users. The research was based on the surveys filled by 54 carefully selected Internet respondents that fit the definition of a game addicted person (APA, 2022) and a standardized CEFR test they were requested to complete; the same test was also requested to be completed by the people who attend standardized blended L2 classes and who play similar games sporadically for pleasure. Consequently, a correlation between addicted and non-addicted people, and their CEFR test results was carried out. What followed was an analysis of the research results and the their detailed description.

AGENT Q-LEARNING SPEED DEPENDENCY ON THE FACTORS IN TIC-TAC-TOE

Reinforcement learning of program agents has widespread usage today. Especially, Q-learning, a model-free reinforcement learning technique has shown great results in various applications, like games, self-driving car and robot control. Regarding turn-based games many scientists successfully applied it to train artificial intelligence and to make competitive opponent for human player. While algorithms are well-known there is a room for parametrical optimization to achieve maximum learning speed considering specific problem like turn-based board game. As results of this research show the speed can vary significantly. Tic-Tac-Toe is a very simple and old game that gives an opportunity to try Q-learning without excessive efforts. The algorithm is universal and can be applied to more complex games. It worth noting that core of learning algorithm is the same for any similar game – only rules and board size are changed, which is one of the important properties of Q-learning. This paper investigates the impact of learning rate and discount factor on the speed of learning of the Q-learning program agent in Tic-Tac-Toe board game. It is conducted a series of experiments using developed computer implementation of the algorithm to analyze the correlation between learning rate, discount factor, and the convergence rate of Q-learning in the specified game. So the experimental field consists of two factors, each of which has three levels, and full factorial experiment has nine combinations of these factors. The learning speed dependency on the each factor is presented. The findings reveal strong relationships between these parameters and convergence speed. For example, the speed is increased proportionally to the both factors, but in the case of discount factor the increase is about 1.4 times lower. Practical significance of the research is in the optimization of factors to achieve effective training of the software agent in order to save processing time, the payment of which is one of the main expenses of enterprises in the field of information technologies. In addition, the research contributes to a better understanding of how Q-learning performs in different game scenarios and provides guidelines for parameter selection in similar applications

Does use of a hypothetical learning progression promote learning of the cardinal-count concept and give-n performance?

The general aim of the research was to conduct a rare test of the efficacy of hypothetical learning progressions (HLPs) and a basic assumption of basing instruction on HLPs, namely teaching each successive level is more efficacious than skipping lower levels and teaching the target level directly. The specific aim was evaluating whether counting-based cardinality concepts unfold in a stepwise manner. The research involved a pretest—delayed-posttest design with random assignment of 14 preschoolers to two conditions. The experimental intervention was based on an HLP for cardinality development (first promoting levels that presumably support and are necessary for the target level and then the target knowledge). The active-control treatment entailed a Teach-to-Target approach (first promoting irrelevant cardinality knowledge about recognizing written numbers and then directly teaching the same target-level goals with the same explicit instruction and similar games). A mix of quantitative and qualitative analyses indicated HLP participants performed significantly and substantially better than Teach-to-Target participants on target-level concept and skill measures. Moreover, the former tended to make sensible errors, whereas the latter generally responded cluelessly.

Химический квиз для 8–9 классов

The main goal of the quiz is to increase motivation for the study of chemistry, to develop students’ knowledge, their logical thinking and communication skills. It is recommended to include similar games in the program of the school Science Week.

Learning Not to Regret

The literature on game-theoretic equilibrium finding predominantly focuses on single games or their repeated play. Nevertheless, numerous real-world scenarios feature playing a game sampled from a distribution of similar, but not identical games, such as playing poker with different public cards or trading correlated assets on the stock market. As these similar games feature similar equilibra, we investigate a way to accelerate equilibrium finding on such a distribution. We present a novel ``learning not to regret'' framework, enabling us to meta-learn a regret minimizer tailored to a specific distribution. Our key contribution, Neural Predictive Regret Matching, is uniquely meta-learned to converge rapidly for the chosen distribution of games, while having regret minimization guarantees on any game. We validated our algorithms' faster convergence on a distribution of river poker games. Our experiments show that the meta-learned algorithms outpace their non-meta-learned counterparts, achieving more than tenfold improvements.

A Fusion of Chinese Five Elements and Steampunk in Enhancing the Gaming Experience

In the present era, due to the increasing influence of globalization, individuals from around the globe have the opportunity to select and engage with a greater variety of cultures. further, the theory of cultural fusion was proposed and further expanded upon during a period when video games were increasingly delving into the concept of cultural fusion. Nevertheless, the number of games that successfully blend Chinese and Western cultures is limited. Furthermore, the incorporation of traditional culture in game design tends to be simplistic in terms of visuals and gameplay. To address this, we have developed a game called Element Gears: Chronicles of Balance. This 2D survival adventure game combines traditional Chinese five-element philosophy with steampunk aesthetics, creating a new benchmark for thematic and cultural integration. Our game Gears integrates cultural elements and futuristic ideas into both the gameplay and narrative, rather than merely focusing on them. This fusion is not only visually pleasing, but also intricately integrated into the game mechanics, encompassing aspects such as resource allocation, manufacturing, and strategic survival problems within a dynamically evolving setting. The incorporation of cultural topics extends beyond surface-level depictions, offering players a more profound and engrossing educational and entertainment encounter. By comparing our Element Gears to similar games in the genre, this article highlights how its innovative approach to cultural fusion increases player engagement and creates a deeper and more meaningful gaming experience.

Analysis of Game Specific Skill Practices on Hand-eye Coordination and Balance of Cricket Players

Game-specific skill practices are simply fitness and performance training designed specifically for athletic performance enhancement. If the training is done in the correct way it can be very beneficial, if not, it can be detrimental. The main objective of this study was to investigate and assess the analysis of Game Specific Skill Practices on hand-eye coordination and balance of cricket players. Thirty club cricket players (18-25 years of age) were randomly selected and divided into experimental and control groups of fifteen. Only the experimental group was treated with the Game Specific Skill Practices intervention for eight weeks, and the control group was kept without any specific training except regular cricket practices. Both group’s pre and post-test data were collected before and after the training schedule. The pertaining data of hand-eye coordination and balance were collected using a standardized test namely, ball transfer test and strok stand test. There were found significant differences among the pre and post-test means comparison of hand-eye coordination and balance between experimental and control groups (P<0.05). Appropriate Game Specific Skill Practices can be treated to develop hand-eye coordination and balance and may impact the improvement of the performance of cricket players and other similar games. Game Specific Skill Practices can be introduced to other parameters of psycho-motor also in order to improve the performances of cricket players at different levels.

Ways in Which Sensitive Themes can be Effectively Handled Within Games: A Study on Secret Hitler, the Board Game, and Other Similar Games

Ways in Which Sensitive Themes can be Effectively Handled Within Games: A Study on Secret Hitler, the Board Game, and Other Similar Games

Оговорка папы, или О соблюдении соборных правил в средневековом Крыму

Introduction. In the papal bulls concerning the establishing of the bishopric of Cherson and the metropolis of Vosporo in 1333, a specific point is made on erecting these towns from the status of locus to that of civitas and metropolis, contravening their status in the hierarchy of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Methods and materials. In order to understand what had formed the legal basis for establishing the Catholic hierarchy, documents of the Constantinople Patriarchate are attracted. Analysis. The Greek archbishoprics of Cherson and Vosporo are mentioned in the lists of bishoprics of Notitiae episcopatuum and in the acts of the Constantinople Patriarchate. However, by 1333, both of the archbishoprics suffered difficulties: an archbishop of Cherson had not been mentioned in the acts since 1280, as his archbishopric dropped out of the main list of the Notitiae episcopatuum under the reign of the emperor Andronicus II Palaiologos. The metropolis of Vosporo had not been mentioned in documents since the middle of the 13th century. Thus, Pope John XXII chose the right time to substitute vacant sees by Latin bishops. The pope, however, paid much attention to observing the canonical borders of the Patriarchate of Constantinople as set by Rule 28 of the Chalcedonian Council. Results. The attention paid by the Roman pontiffs to observing council rules helps us to correct the perception of parallel church hierarchies coexisting in the Black Sea Region in the 14th – 15th centuries. The presenting of bishops with the same titles, even of different confessions, was not considered normal and was understood as a schism to be overcome. Similar game rules may be traced to the examples of other sees of the North Pontic Region, as Sugdaia and Phoulloi, Solchat and Zichia.

Constructing influencing factors of sport event image and their consequential effect on tourists

ABSTRACT Watching sport events at tourist destinations is an appealing attraction for tourists because it generates excitement and direct understanding of the event, as well as the destination. Thus, a good event image can motivate people to re-attend sport events, make priority choices among similar games and even attach their personal feelings to the events. However, few researchers have explored the factors affecting sport event images and its consequential effects, particularly in the post-pandemic era. In the current study, 417 valid questionnaires were collected by convenience sampling during the 68th Macao Grand Prix, and analysed by structural modelling, via SPSS23 and AMOS26. The results showed that travel motivation, tourist-resident interaction and event quality are all important factors that positively influence the event image, with event quality having the most significant effect. Subsequently, event images positively affect event attachment and loyalty. Considering that the continued coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic travel risk still exist, it was incorporated as a moderator, which revealed that it negatively moderated the relations between event images, attachment and loyalty. This study supplements theoretical defects in sport event tourism by enriching the causes and effects of event images, and provides practical suggestions for sport event policymakers, planners and tourism managers.

On Supporting Game-based Learning via Recommendations

Over the last two decades, game-based learning has gained increasing popularity. In today's world, teachers are expected to utilize technological tools such as digital games as learning aids. Despite the multitude of studies examining the benefits of game-based learning, finding the most convenient game for a particular teaching purpose can be a challenging task given the vast number of similar games that are available on the market. With this study, we aim to provide teachers with a recommendation system that will assist them in selecting appropriate games from all the web-based game materials available. A key theoretical premise behind this work is to examine teaching from the perspective of teachers to develop their ability to teach. The purpose of this study is to develop a recommendation system that will assist teachers in selecting educational games based on the subjects they teach, that will be both personalized and use the experience of other researchers at the same time. We propose a system that utilizes the latest developments in signal processing and machine learning, specifically the tensor completion method. This is a machine learning technique from the family of collaborative filtering methods that fills in missing values in a dataset by analyzing its existing patterns.

Persuasion with ambiguous receiver preferences

AbstractI describe a Bayesian persuasion problem where Receiver has a private type representing a cutoff for choosing Sender’s preferred action, and Sender has maxmin preferences over all Receiver type distributions with known mean and bounds. This problem can be represented as a zero-sum game where Sender chooses a distribution of posterior mean beliefs that is a mean-preserving contraction of the prior over states, and an adversarial Nature chooses a Receiver type distribution with the known mean; the player with the higher realization from their chosen distribution wins. I formalize the connection between maxmin persuasion and similar games used to model political spending, all-pay auctions, and competitive persuasion. In both a standard binary-state setting and a new continuous-state setting, Sender optimally linearizes the prior distribution over states to create a distribution of posterior means that is uniform on a known interval with an atom at the lower bound of its support.

The Triumph of Human-Robot Interaction: Employing Humanoid Robot to Boost Grammar Acquisition and Retention Among Iranian Young EFL Learners

This paper examines the impact of employing an assistive humanoid robot in acquiring and retaining grammar among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. To this end, forty-eight Iranian young male students (between 11 to 15 years old) were equally divided into three groups: RALL (Robot-Assisted Language Learning), GBLL (Game-based Language Learning), and the control group. While the teacher, the textbook, and teaching materials were identical in all groups, a set of similar games were played only in the RALL (with the participation of the NAO H21 robot) and GBLL groups. A 20-item grammar pre-test was taken at the beginning of the classes. Overall, a total of ten intervention sessions (each lasting for 60 minutes), 15 (each lasting for 90 minutes), and 15 (each lasting for 120 minutes) were respectively administered for the RALL, GBLL, and control groups. At the end of the treatments, the acquisition and retention of grammar were evaluated through immediate (at the end of class) and delayed post-tests (two weeks later), correspondingly. The results of descriptive statistics and ANOVA indicated that the RALL group outperformed the two groups in the immediate and delayed post-tests. The students in the RALL group had a very positive attitude toward robot presence in the class and scored higher on the post-test. This study suggests that RALL can be very beneficial in assisting teaching EFL classes. The results of the current innovative study can equally yield important implications for language education and social robotics fields and further contribute to providing clear evidence of the impacts of RALL on Iranian young learners’ English grammar acquisition.

Incision Precision: Engaging Students during Dissection Labs.

Active learning tools, such as gamification, have facilitated teamwork and improved decision-making skills in Anatomy and Physiology classes. However, most Anatomy and Physiology labs currently contain dissection activities where students are not likely to engage in inquiry, critical thinking, or problem-solving. Usually, the instructor gives a brief lecture on the topic, and students are left to dissect without understanding how the lecture relates to what is in front of them, which is frustrating. Coupled with the frustration, some students have adverse opinions on dissecting specimens, including hesitation to dissect the specimen and religious or ethical concerns with dissection. Utilizing similar game mechanics to Taboo (Hasbro) and Milton Bradley's Operation, Incision Precision is a card game that was made to engage students in the dissection lab by allowing them to connect lecture-based information to a physical structure within an organ system. Each card contains an anatomical or physiological description of the organs commonly dissected in the undergraduate Anatomy and Physiology laboratory. For effective gameplay and full participation, the class should be divided into groups containing 3 to 4 students. The group will draw two cards where members can either correctly name the organ or identify the named organ on the dissected specimen. Playing Incision Precision resulted in participation from all group members during the dissection activity, including those with negative feelings about touching the dissected specimen. Due to positive student feedback, Incision Precision has been adapted and played with system-specific organ dissections.

A Study of Visual Background of Animal Crossing: New Horizons Game

As a visual medium, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a social simulation game with a beautiful visual design set in nature, which became one of the most popular games during the Covid-19 pandemic when people were required to stay at home. The advantage of this game made by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch console from similar games is its real-time system. The time situation in real life occurs the same as in the game, so the visual background changes according to real-time. Previous research has discussed the gameplay and the relationship between this game's popularity during the pandemic, and this research is about its visual background. This study is intended to determine the background visualization displayed in the Animal Crossing: New Horizons game based on the time of day changes in four different seasons. The method used in this study is a descriptive method to expose the types of visual backgrounds for four seasons in the Animal Crossing: New Horizons game. Data collection was carried out through literature studies and observations. Based on the time shift in each season in the morning, noon, afternoon, and evening in four seasons, the findings generated up to 16 visual backgrounds.

Research and Analysis of 3D games

With the progress of game technology, 3D games have gradually become an important part of the game field. However, the relevant analysis and discussion literature is not sufficient. Therefore, this paper discusses the relevant content of 3D games, starting with understanding the development history of 3D games, and analysing 3D game technology step by step. The characteristics of game engine and unreal engine are analysed. In addition, this paper details some of the early games that were considered 3D games. Including 3D game software and a series of production steps. Focus on the analysis of the most popular virtual engine, it is a good 3D game software. There are many similar tutorials on the Virtual Engine website, as well as a series of demos of the finished product. Finally, the development prospect of 3D games and the development direction of similar games are discussed.

Toward Defining and Assessing Creativity in Sandbox Games

ABSTRACT Digital sandbox games such as Minecraft can be used to assess and support creativity. Doing so, however, requires an understanding of what is deemed creative in this game context. One approach is to understand how Minecrafters describe creativity in their communities, and how much those descriptions overlap with the established definitions of creativity in the literature. Based on prior work, we used a modified rubric for assessing a creative product in this study. We investigated the evaluation of a total of 52 Minecraft builds (i.e., structures that are created by the Minecrafters) from five YouTube videos. In addition to qualitatively coding the video transcripts, we also used natural language processing (NLP) for automatic coding of our data at scale. Our qualitative analysis of the YouTube transcripts revealed evidence for all but one dimension (i.e., humor) of the creativity rubric we used in our dataset. In addition, two new dimensions of creativity emerged in our qualitative coding process (i.e., realism and effort). Finally, the NLP model that we developed achieved about 80% accuracy in distinguishing the sentences that showed evidence of creativity. This study provides insights for research and educational practices of creativity in Minecraft or similar game or simulation environments.

Could the profile of mood states predict performance in training and competition of professional goalball athletes?

Purpose.Morgan’s iceberg profile of mood states (low scores in tension, depression, anger, fatigue and confusion, and high scores in vigour) may influence skilled athletes’ performance. Aims: The present study aimed to examine in 30 professional goalball athletes whether: (1) there is an ‘iceberg mood profile’, (2) the profile of mood states predicts the motor performance, (3) the experience level (international or national) and the condition (training or competition) modulate the relationship between the profile of mood states and the motor performance.Methods.We used Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS) to evaluate the profile of mood states and successful actions, errors and goals to assess motor performance. Measurements were obtained during official competition and pre-competition training with similar game rules.Results.Athletes demonstrated the ‘iceberg mood profile’ regardless of the experience level and contextual condition. Additionally, tension seems to be associated with motor performance during training, whereas vigour predicts successful action in competition.Conclusions.Iceberg mood profile characterises the profile of mood states of professional goalball athletes independent of experience level (international and national) and contextual conditions (pre-competition training and competition).