Single Comment

Each turn not only has the number of potential moves but also the number of potential introductions and their possible positions. This can be quite a large number.

Also the value judgement for each of these potentials can only be quantified by comparison to future positions. This comparison just in one turn can be rather larger. But such a comparison must be carried over into subseguent turns just to arrive at a possible series of moves and introductions which will give the player an advantage.

So just in four turns, the number of possibilities is quite large. First player turn X Second player turn X First player turn X Second player turn.  And this is still not sufficient for effective play. The depth-search would need to be at least eight plys just to offer a 'good' move.

It will be extremely difficult to implement this game for Zillions. And it would never play this game well. Because it would have to consider each of the introductions as a seperate move, whereas coding for the introductions as a single move would push its limitations.

But the human mind is able to calculate extremely fast with training. In fact, they can make intuitive leaps which a computer is not capable. The only advantage a computer has is accuracy. Most of the time. ;-)