We can evaluate scarcity of resources intuitively; the more rare it is, the more value it is. But scarcity of economics are measured by supply and demand, it can't be a unit which had clearly definition. We can get probability of resources generated on map, but the probability wasn't enough to measured agent, it needed been processed additionally.
The nature of Shannon entropy is mathematics quantity which well known "uncertainty of phenomenon".1
H(X)=E[I(X)]=E[−ln(P(X))]
and I is Shannon Information, it be defined as:
I(X)=−log2P(X)
We can noted the meaning of −log2pi is "the lower the probability of an event, the greater the information carried when the event occurs", so Shannon entropy is expected value of Shannon information, can be express by:
To describe pattern of items changes easily, which caused by crafting or another mechanism in the game, I borrow the form of chemical equation:
aX+bYPcZ
a,b,c:amount of materials or products
X,Y:materials, items would vanished after crafting process
Z:products
P:the path of crafting, item(s) won't vanished after crafting process
The nature of Minecraft World are a bunch of digital data, so were reasonably considered it as a string of information, and quantify it as Shannon Entropy or Information. For a block which status was uncertain, the value is:
H(X)=E(I)=−i∑pilog2pi
and pi is probability of (some type of) block generated in map, therefore we can get information of block of certain type by:
It could calculation entropy of nature resources by probability of generated in the map, but most of items are obtained by crafting in Minecraft, when I mention "crafting" are meaning "the mechanism can be expressed by formula of crafting in the game". Need to gain entropy of non-nature items through calculation.
Let do a crafting example:
X+YWZ
X,Y,W represents three different types of blocks, can be treated as three randomly independently event, and their probability of exists in map are pX,pY,pW, so we can get probability of event Z happened was multiplied by probabilities, also was summing by information of probabilities:
We must define "system", when quantified information of system, so need to defined a range of space and how many blocks or items contained in the space.There are 3 kind of definition of system which common been used under below:
Complete System
Blocks, items in inventory block, item entity dropped and items in player inventory, which contained in a limited space.
Block System
Blocks and items in inventory block, which contained in a limited space.
Player System
Items in the player inventory.
We can quantify entropy of system through rules has been created, and intervening variables can been gain by making statistics on map. We can expect the entropy of environment would changed through behavior of agent, therefore those changes could be one of index of evaluated the agent.
The following information evaluation value is for reference only, there are not included every items in the game, and process are not very rigorous. The goal is demonstrated the theory of this article, anyone are interested can finished the table by self.
Using Cuberite 1.7.X-linux642 to generate map and making statistics by plugin3. There were sampling 10 times, and remove map file to generate new seed every time. To simplify data, I merged yellow flower and red flower, removed flowing water, flowing lava, cobblestone, torch, flame, monster spawner, chest and dead bush, replace them by air.