How to compare different states of my game? (rpg) I'm working on a rpg, the battle system. I want to compare different scenario with each other. For example, what if I play move A then move B ? or two times move A ? or ...? I'm using a tree structure to generate all possible scenario that can happen during the battle. There is no movement involved, I'm using a battle system as in FF7, only skill choice matters. 4vs4 units Trick is, the battle is turn based but not static. There is an Action Point bar for each unit (filling at different speed based on the unit's stats) and the unit with the most Ap (only if 100) can play. If no unit is 100, a "turn" will happend and all unit will gain some AP based on their speed. If no unit can play, a new turn will happen...until a unit is 100 ap. Each skills takes a different amount a AP to use. At turns 0 for example, we may have a unit with 140 AP that will play two times in a row for 2 actions of 20 AP each. Then other units at 100 AP may play. It means that when I'm running a simulation of all possible outcome of a battle for my AI, I will have states (node in the tree), that will have a number a turns very different from other and from nodes at the same depth. I dont know how to compare these nodes at all. I was using Hp at first, but it is not enought. To prove it, consider the example 1 vs 1 match. Unit A (opponent of AI) has only 1 move, a small attack that requieres 20 ap. Unit B (AI) has two moves a small attack that takes 40 ap (and overall hit for very low damage compared to the opponent attack) and a second move that does nothing but consume 20 ap and that move can only be used during the 1st turn. I will then have to compare two states State 1 AI use its attack . Opponent his attack. Units are at 60 80 ap respectively. 20 game turns passes and they are now at 80 100 ap. Opponent use his attack. 20 game turs passes and they are at 100 100 again and we are at turn 40. State 2 AI use his move that does nothing. Opponent his attack. Units are at 80 80 ap. 20 games turns passes, they are now at 100 100 and we are at turns 20. If I compare only HP, In state 1, AI will have an overall score a lower than in state 2 since it got attacked twice in state 1 and 1 times only in state 2. If I only compare by Hp difference between AI amp its opponenent, I would choose state 2 since AI lost less Hp than in state 1. Running the simulation after state 1 and 2 will continue to show the same difference since after that point, both unit can only use one attack. In the end, it makes my AI choose a stupid move because she thinks she is less likely to loose selecting it. Granted both move will eventually result in the defeat of the AI since its main attack is weak but I'd like my AI to nonetheless select as its first move, her attack skill and not a skill that does nothing. I've tried weithing the overall gradient of score between the root state and the state I'm simulating by the number of turns but it does not work in all cases (it greatly depends on the number of turns and the difference between the root). I was thinking of adding Ap ratio to my evaluation of states but in that example, we can see that in State 1 amp 2, units are at the same AP anyway so it doesnt provide extra informations. Anyone got ideas on how to compares my states from different turns ?