Optimizing Play

An unexpected take on how games work, what the stakes are for them, and how game designers can avoid the traps of optimization. The process of optimization in games seems like a good thing—who wouldn’t want to find the most efficient way to play and win? As Christopher Paul argues in Optimizing Play, however, optimization can sometimes risk a tragedy of the commons, where actions that are good for individuals jeopardize the overall state of the game for everyone else. As he explains, players inadvertently limit play as they theorycraft, seeking optimal choices. The process of developing a meta, or the most effective tactic available, structures decision making, causing play to stagnate. A “stale” meta then creates a perception that a game is solved and may lead players to turn away from the game. Drawing on insights from game studies, rhetoric, the history of science, ecology, and game theory literature, Paul explores the problem of optimization in a range of video games, including Overwatch, FIFA/EA Sports FC, NBA 2K, Clash Royale, World of Warcraft, and League of Legends. He also pulls extensively from data analytics in sports, where the problem has progressed further and is even more intractable than it is in video games, given the money sports teams invest to find an edge. Finally, Paul offers concrete and specific suggestions for how games can be developed to avoid the trap set by optimization run amok.

An unexpected take on how games work, what the stakes are for them, and how game designers can avoid the traps of optimization. The process of optimization in games seems like a good thing—who wouldn’t want to find the most efficient way to play and win? As Christopher Paul argues in Optimizing Play, however, optimization can sometimes risk a tragedy of the commons, where actions that are good for individuals jeopardize the overall state of the game for everyone else. As he explains, players inadvertently limit play as they theorycraft, seeking optimal choices. The process of developing a meta, or the most effective tactic available, structures decision making, causing play to stagnate. A “stale” meta then creates a perception that a game is solved and may lead players to turn away from the game. Drawing on insights from game studies, rhetoric, the history of science, ecology, and game theory literature, Paul explores the problem of optimization in a range of video games, including Overwatch, FIFA/EA Sports FC, NBA 2K, Clash Royale, World of Warcraft, and League of Legends. He also pulls extensively from data analytics in sports, where the problem has progressed further and is even more intractable than it is in video games, given the money sports teams invest to find an edge. Finally, Paul offers concrete and specific suggestions for how games can be developed to avoid the trap set by optimization run amok.

Teaching English language learners has long presented challenges for teachers tasked with bringing these students to a level of language comprehension comparable to that of native speakers. These challenges and issues can lead to difficulty comprehending core academic topics for those learning the English language. Optimizing Elementary Education for English Language Learners is a critical scholarly publication that explores the importance of English as a Second Language (ESL) education as well as the challenges that can arise in striving for effective and engaging learning environments for the students involved. Featuring a broad scope of topics, such as effective lesson plans, teacher education and preparation, and the education achievement gap, this book is geared toward academicians, practitioners, and researchers seeking current research on effective teaching strategies for teachers of English language learners.

Ace King is a massively profitable hand. In fact, AK is in the top-5% of winning hands and accounts for a good chunk of your winrate. But despite that fact, many players are confused about how to approach this hand. Should you 3bet it preflop, or just call it? Should you play the suited and offsuit versions the same, or differently? Should you c-bet with air, or check instead? And how many streets of value is top pair really worth?Most players struggle with AK due to small leaks in their strategy. So Optimizing Ace King (OAK) doesn't look to give you a bunch of memorized plays and tactics. Instead, OAK shows you how AK fits within your strategy and ranges. This prepares you for playing AK, among other hands, in a variety of spots and under a variety of conditions.James "SplitSuit" Sweeney and Adam "W34Z3L" Jones co-wrote this book to take an in-depth look at poker strategy through the lens of a single hand. Concepts include 3betting, 4betting, cbetting, barreling, GTO vs. exploitative play, and deducing lines from GTO solver output. You will play AK 99.9% of the time you are dealt it, and since it makes up such a large chunk of your winrate, doesn't it make sense to strengthen your approach with it? Each chapter builds upon the last, walking you through preflop play, flop play (when you hit, miss, and flop draws), and turn + river play. Plus there is an entire chapter full of examples and a chapter dedicated strictly to tournaments. If your winrate with AK could use a boost, invest a few chips and see the ROI in no time at all!(The foreword is written by legendary poker author Ed Miller)

Combinatorial optimization is a multidisciplinary scientific area, lying in the interface of three major scientific domains: mathematics, theoretical computer science and management. The three volumes of the Combinatorial Optimization series aims to cover a wide range of topics in this area. These topics also deal with fundamental notions and approaches as with several classical applications of combinatorial optimization. “Paradigms of Combinatorial Optimization” is divided in two parts: • Paradigmatic Problems, that handles several famous combinatorial optimization problems as max cut, min coloring, optimal satisfiability tsp, etc., the study of which has largely contributed to both the development, the legitimization and the establishment of the Combinatorial Optimization as one of the most active actual scientific domains; • Classical and New Approaches, that presents the several methodological approaches that fertilize and are fertilized by Combinatorial optimization such as: Polynomial Approximation, Online Computation, Robustness, etc., and, more recently, Algorithmic Game Theory.

Finite-dimensional optimization issues happen all through the numerical sciences. The greater part of these issues can't be explained systematically. This prologue to optimization endeavors to strike a harmony between introduction of scientific hypothesis and improvement of numerical calculations. Expanding on understudies' abilities in math and straight variable based math, the content gives a thorough piece without undue deliberation. Its weight on factual applications will be particularly speaking to graduate understudies of insights and biostatistics. The target group additionally incorporates understudies in connected arithmetic, computational science, software engineering, financial aspects, and material science who need to see thorough math joined with genuine applications. Applications are characterized by their principle useful regions in modern arranging, outline, and control. The fields secured are machine sequencing, stock control and planning, plant recharging, conveyance, money related issues, and compound process control and outline. These last two, specifically, are subjects frequently ignored in operations examine educational program. In each field the place and status of optimization methods is first portrayed and afterward an extensive variety of sensible contextual analyses and cases are looked into, a considerable lot of them universal.