Comparative Analysis of A* and Basic Theta* Algorithm in Android-Based Pathfinding Games

Pathfinding games is a kind of mobile games which are included in Puzzle, Board Game, Game Show, Trivia, Card Games. Pathfinding games require a search techniques to get the fastest route, efficient, and shortest time. Searching techniques that can be used are A* (A Star) and Basic Theta* (Basic Theta Star) algorithm. A* algorithm was originally introduced by Peter Hart et al., A* algorithm calculate the cost using a heuristic function to prioritize the nodes (vertex) to be traversed, the cost is the distance it takes to walk from a node to anothernode. Basic Theta* algorithm is a variant of the A* made by Alex Nash et al. in 2007 because A* has the disadvantage that the results route is often not true shortest path because the routing path is limited by the grid, while the Basic Theta* change the limit of routing path becomes to all sides/angles. In this study will measure the performance of search methods which is better for square grids map on Android-based pathfinding games and used variable such as completeness, time complexity, and optimality. Input parameters for the simulation consists of a square-grids map with a starting point, goal point and unwalkable, and output consists of completeness, running time, path length, and nodes searched. The results of this study conclude that the A* and Basic Theta*algorithm has the same completeness criteria and has time complexity which is relatively same, the A* algorithm has the advantage of optimality in fewer number of nodes searched, whereas the Basic Theta*algorithm has the advantage of the optimality the shortest results.