[ckwan48]

I am trying to stimulate games and print the results of many serves of the 4 players did, and I believe the winning rules that I changed for my game is correct because I needed it for one team to have more than 5 points, then they would win. Also, I am trying to show the progress of my program with animation later and I am having trouble finding a function that does that. May you guys help a new beginning program? Thanks!

[Dietrich]

It would help if you put your code into code tags.
At the start use [code]
At the end use the same but with a / in front of the word code.
See ...
http://forums.devshed.com/misc.php?do=bbcode#code

[dwblas]

I would suggest that you start with one player and get it to work as each player is the same code, just different variables. For example, a function used to add to the score

## Instead of code like this for every player
if serving == "A_1":
   if random() < probA_1:
       scoreA = scoreA + 1

##-------- use a function instead
def score_it(prob, score):
    if random() < prob:
        score = score + 1
    return score

scoreB = score_it(probB_1, scoreB)
scoreA = score_it(probA_1, scoreA)

There are what appear to be some problems with the code you posted like

serving = "B_1" or "B_2"
print serving          ## not what you probably expect (B2 never serves)

[ckwan48]

i did do that for 2 players, but then i get confused since the program gets more abstract when I added more players.

Originally Posted by dwblas

I would suggest that you start with one player and get it to work as each player is the same code, just different variables. For example, a function used to add to the score

## Instead of code like this for every player
if serving == "A_1":
   if random() < probA_1:
       scoreA = scoreA + 1

##-------- use a function instead
def score_it(prob, score):
    if random() < prob:
        score = score + 1
    return score

scoreB = score_it(probB_1, scoreB)
scoreA = score_it(probA_1, scoreA)

There are what appear to be some problems with the code you posted like

serving = "B_1" or "B_2"
print serving          ## not what you probably expect (B2 never serves)

[dwblas]

If I understand the rules of the game, and I probably don't, you have two switches or booleans involved: Team A=True, Team B=False, and for each team, True=server #1, False = server #2. It is also good to use lists or dictionaries instead of a slew of variables. The following code uses a list of lists, with the [0] inner list being team A and the [1] inner list being team B. They both contain two elements, [0] = True/False for server #1 or #2, and [1]=score. You could also put the probabilities in this list or a separate list but I will leave that decision up to you. Also lists are mutable, meaning you don't have to pass them back and forth between functions as you would with a "normal" variable.

from random import random
from random import randrange

def gameOver(a, b):
    if(a > 5 or b > 5):
        return 1
    else:
        return 0

def check_random(list_in, prob_1, prob_2, serving):
    random_prob = random() 
    if list_in[0]:     ## True = A/B_1
        prob = prob_1       ## use a common variable and only one calculation
    else:
        prob = prob_2

    print "     ", random_prob, "<?", prob
    if random_prob < prob:
        list_in[1] += 1          ## add to score
    else: 
        ## switch server on this team for next time
        list_in[0] = not list_in[0]
        serving = not serving     ## other team

    print "     ", random_prob, "<?", prob, serving
    return serving 
    
def simOneGame(probA_1, probA_2, probB_1, probB_2):
    choose_serve = randrange(1,5)
    if choose_serve == 1:
        serving = True       ## A
        players_list[0][0] = True
    elif choose_serve == 2:
        serving = True       ## A
        players_list[0][0] = False
    elif choose_serve == 3:
        serving = False       ## B
        players_list[1][0] = True
    elif choose_serve == 4:
        serving = False       ## B
        players_list[1][0] = False
    
    while not gameOver(players_list[0][1], players_list[1][1]):
        if serving:     ## "A" team 
            serving = check_random(players_list[0], probA_1, probA_2, serving)
        else:           ## "B" team
            serving = check_random(players_list[1], probB_1, probB_2, serving)
        print players_list
                           
players_list = [[True, 0], [True, 0]]
simOneGame(0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4)

[ckwan48]

Thank you so much for your help, and I do really appreciate all of your help. But I was wondering how can I fix my code that I created since I haven't learned all of these wonderful operations. May you please help me out... please? Thanks!

Originally Posted by dwblas

You have two switches or booleans involved: Team A=True, Team B=False, and for each team, True=server #1, False = server #2. It is also good to use lists or dictionaries instead of a slew of variables. The following code uses a list of lists, with the [0] inner list being team A and the [1] inner list being team B. They both contain two elements, [0] = True/False for server #1 or #2, and [1]=score. You could also put the probabilities in this list or a separate list but I will leave that decision up to you. Also lists are mutable, meaning you don't have to pass them back and forth between functions as you would with a "normal" variable.

from random import random
from random import randrange

def gameOver(a, b):
    if(a > 5 or b > 5):
        return 1
    else:
        return 0

def check_random(list_in, prob_1, prob_2, serving):
    random_prob = random() 
    if list_in[0]:     ## True = A/B_1
        prob = prob_1       ## use a common variable and only one calculation
    else:
        prob = prob_2

    print "     ", random_prob, "<?", prob
    if random_prob < prob:
        list_in[1] += 1          ## add to score
    else: 
        ## switch server on this team for next time
        list_in[0] = not list_in[0]
        serving = not serving     ## other team

    print "     ", random_prob, "<?", prob, serving
    return serving 
    
def simOneGame(probA_1, probA_2, probB_1, probB_2):
    choose_serve = randrange(1,5)
    serving = True       ## A
    if choose_serve in (3, 4):     ## B
        serving = False   ## B
    
    while not gameOver(players_list[0][1], players_list[1][1]):
        if serving:     ## "A" team 
            serving = check_random(players_list[0], probA_1, probA_2, serving)
        else:           ## "B" team
            serving = check_random(players_list[1], probB_1, probB_2, serving)
        print players_list
                           
players_list = [[True, 0], [True, 0]]
simOneGame(0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4)

[ckwan48]

I tried to redo my code and now I thought I did it, but I ran into some counting errors which I don't know how to fix. Does my code seem to do what I want it to do? Thanks.

[b49P23TIvg]

What errors occur? I modified your program a little bit (I almost always rewrite the other code---helps me a great deal to understand it). During rewrite I found a major flaw. Coming into this block of code your "serving" variable refers to a string. In this loop, the iteration variable "i" takes the value of each single character in the string of serving. Thus none of the conditions can possibly be true since the string of length 1 cannot match a string of length 3.

    for i in serving:
        if i == "A_1":
            count_A1 = count_A1 + 1
        elif i == ...

"but I ran into some counting errors which I don't know how to fix. Does my code seem to do what I want it to do?"
Maybe this corrects your counting error. Also, your final summary reports
count_A1, count_A2, count_B1, count_B2
I presume you actually want cumulative values but there's no code to accumulate them. You've merely returned the counts of the final game.


Another idea: use random.choice function to replace

    choose_serve = randrange(1,5)
    if(choose_serve == 1):
        serving = "A_1"
        #print(serving, "is serving")
    elif(choose_serve == 2):
        serving = "A_2"
    elif(choose_serve == 3):
        serving = "B_1"
    else:
        serving = "B_2"

serving = choice('A_1 A_2 B_1 B_2'.split())[/code]with

    serving = choice('A_1 A_2 B_1 B_2'.split())

[ckwan48]

No errors occur, my bad! But when I try to count the serves of each player, it seems that I can't get my loop to count it. That is where I am having a lot of trouble, right now. May you you help me? Thanks!

Originally Posted by b49P23TIvg

What errors occur? I modified your program a little bit (I almost always rewrite the other code---helps me a great deal to understand it). During rewrite I found a major flaw. Coming into this block of code your "serving" variable refers to a string. In this loop, the iteration variable "i" takes the value of each single character in the string of serving. Thus none of the conditions can possibly be true since the string of length 1 cannot match a string of length 3.

    for i in serving:
        if i == "A_1":
            count_A1 = count_A1 + 1
        elif i == ...

"but I ran into some counting errors which I don't know how to fix. Does my code seem to do what I want it to do?"
Maybe this corrects your counting error. Also, your final summary reports
count_A1, count_A2, count_B1, count_B2
I presume you actually want cumulative values but there's no code to accumulate them. You've merely returned the counts of the final game.


Another idea: use random.choice function to replace

    choose_serve = randrange(1,5)
    if(choose_serve == 1):
        serving = "A_1"
        #print(serving, "is serving")
    elif(choose_serve == 2):
        serving = "A_2"
    elif(choose_serve == 3):
        serving = "B_1"
    else:
        serving = "B_2"

serving = choice('A_1 A_2 B_1 B_2'.split())[/code]with

    serving = choice('A_1 A_2 B_1 B_2'.split())

[b49P23TIvg]

Sure looks like you read no more of my post than the first sentence. Helping you is not worthwhile. I had planned to ask what happens if the probabilities don't sum to 1 within a tiny tolerance.

    a_1 = eval(input("What is the prob. player A_1 wins a serve? "))
    a_2 = eval(input("What is the prob. player A_2 wins a serve? "))
    b_1 = eval(input("What is the prob. player B_1 wins a serve? "))
    b_2 = eval(input("What is the prob. player B_2 wins a serve? "))

[ckwan48]

My apologizes! I am grateful for all of your help. I read your comments and got kind of confused. I wanted to fix up my program to make sure I understood the basics first. And I don't think that probability has to add to 1. I try to count each of my players serves and I never get any counts. Thanks for all of your help!

Originally Posted by b49P23TIvg

Sure looks like you read no more of my post than the first sentence. Helping you is not worthwhile. I had planned to ask what happens if the probabilities don't sum to 1 within a tiny tolerance.

    a_1 = eval(input("What is the prob. player A_1 wins a serve? "))
    a_2 = eval(input("What is the prob. player A_2 wins a serve? "))
    b_1 = eval(input("What is the prob. player B_1 wins a serve? "))
    b_2 = eval(input("What is the prob. player B_2 wins a serve? "))

[ckwan48]

Also, I replaced i with "iii" and it gave me an error, so I didn't know what to use to compare the strings with.

[ckwan48]

Is something wrong with my for loop since it will not count each individual serves of the players. May I get some help please? Thanks!

Originally Posted by b49P23TIvg

Sure looks like you read no more of my post than the first sentence. Helping you is not worthwhile. I had planned to ask what happens if the probabilities don't sum to 1 within a tiny tolerance.

    a_1 = eval(input("What is the prob. player A_1 wins a serve? "))
    a_2 = eval(input("What is the prob. player A_2 wins a serve? "))
    b_1 = eval(input("What is the prob. player B_1 wins a serve? "))
    b_2 = eval(input("What is the prob. player B_2 wins a serve? "))