Special-Othello – Console-Based ASCII Game

Overview

Othello (Reversi) implemented as a console-based Java game featuring ASCII board rendering, AI opponents, save/load functionality, and custom game rules (e.g., unplayable squares). The game supports both human vs. human and human vs. AI matches, and also includes a debug mode where AI competes against itself.

Features

• Play Against AI or a Friend – Choose human vs. human or human vs. AI.
• Multiple AI Difficulties – AI adapts its strategy based on difficulty settings.
• Save & Load Games – Resume your game from a previous session.
• ANSI Colors – Board uses color-coded pieces (may not display correctly in some terminals).
• Modified Ruleset – The four center squares along the bottom row are unplayable (non-standard Othello rule).
• Fast Facts – Displays a random fun fact on game startup.
• Concede & Stalemate Detection – Players can concede, and the game detects stalemates.
• AI vs. AI Debug Mode – Option 4 in the main menu allows two AI of medium difficulty to play against each other.

Installation & Running the Game

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/OlivierFParis/Special-Othello.git

2. Navigate to the source folder:

   cd Special-Othello/src/Othello

3. Compile and run the game:

   javac Driver.java
   java Driver

Note:

• If using Windows CMD, ANSI colors may not display properly. Try using Git Bash or another ANSI-compatible terminal.
• Eclipse users can run Driver.java directly.

Save Files

The SaveFiles/ directory contains:

• Preloaded board types (.txt files).
• User save files (automatically generated when saving a game).
• Users can delete old saves or create new ones from the in-game menu.

Modifications & Features

The original assignment required an ASCII-based Othello game with polymorphism. Key improvements include:

Driver Class:

• Manages menu interactions, AI selection, and replay prompts.
• Option 4 Debug Mode – Allows two AI to play against each other (medium difficulty).

Game Class:

• load(int attempts) method prevents infinite recursion when loading saves.
• AIHumanDiff differentiates human vs AI when loading a game.
• Fast Facts display a random fact on startup.

Board Class:

• Enhanced drawBoard() for different board states.
• countPieces() tracks piece counts.
• staleMate() detects if neither player can move.

Player & AIPlayer Classes:

• commitMove() validates and executes moves.
• AI logic varies based on difficulty.

PlayablePosition Class:

• convertPieces() and convertRange() handle piece flipping.

Custom Exceptions:

• ConcedeException (handles player resignation).
• SaveMidGameException (handles player saving requests).
• ReturnToMainMenuException (avoids infinite loops on invalid inputs).

Class Overview

• Driver.java – Starts the game.
• Game.java – Handles turns, saving/loading, and game flow.
• Board.java – Manages board state and move validation.
• Player.java – Base class for players.
• AIPlayer.java – AI logic based on difficulty.
• Position.java & PlayablePosition.java – Handle move validation and piece flipping.

---