Player types

You can choose from four different strategies when selecting the player characteristics of your computer opponents.

• Beginner. Player is eager to claim tiles, including Chows. He is pretty careless about discarding a tile and is likely to suffer great losses when a Japanese-style payoff scheme is used. Though he is aiming at going out quickly, he often spoils his chances by ignoring the importance of saving/acquiring a pair in the hand. Beginner does not collect limit hands (unless there are restrictions on a winning hand).
• Defensive. Player is aiming at safe discards. He’s careful also in claiming Chows, or even Pungs or Kongs. If he has a poor hand, he’s aiming at a Draw. Otherwise, he’s striving at early ready hand and going out with easy sets, Chows, Pungs of Simples, etc. Defensive player does not collect limit hands (unless there are restrictions on a winning hand). He is most likely to go out on an easy or mid-difficult double hand (e.g., No-points hand, All Simples, etc.) Good choice when using Japanese-style rules, but a bit too careful for games where points are paid to losers, as well.
• Expert. Player is adaptive and chooses his strategy according to the game situation. If he has got an excellent hand at the beginning, he is likely to aim at the limit, but will change the strategy if the hand is not improving as the game goes on. Usually strives at an early ready hand without claiming discards, but he will start claiming at a later stage. He also pays attention to his discards.
• Limitmaker. Player is striving at high-scoring hands, even if the chances are only moderate. He is rather careless about his discards, and does not give up easily the strategy chosen at the start of the deal. He is a poor all-round player, but occasionally succeeds in getting excellent hands.

Default player types are as follows: Player – Beginner (in the demo mode only), Jack – Defensive, Helen – Expert and Tim – Limitmaker.

Note: The strategies should be considered more like behavioral patterns than direct skill levels. It is often better to have mixed player types in the game than play against e.g. three expert or defensive players. Having different player types makes the game more varied and interesting, but is also likely to give you tougher competition. The more complex the rules, less likely it is that computer players with similar strategies should succeed.

Related topics:
Using custom face bitmaps
Using random seat order