1. Pixel Bots
- Posted by "Bown, John" <John.Bown at UK.ORIGIN-IT.COM> Nov 09, 1998
- 458 views
> >C & K L wrote ... > >Please check out http://www.ticnet.com/thelesters/eubots/start.htm > >and provide your comments. We're trying to get a standard developed here >so that the games may begin... :) I've also had a bit of a busy weekend trying out various ideas for Pixel Bots. I've concentrated on the interface API between the Bots and the Arena program rather than any maze. I have a complete working program and documentation on http://www.psynet.net/hippy/pixelbot.htm ( or, if you have problems using that, http://www.hippy.freeserve.co.uk/pixelbot.htm ). I've tried to make the design generic so we can have maze solving, battles, co-operation between Bots and, well any other type of 'game' wanted using the same arena program and API. I've tried to keep to a simple system of observation, movement and fighting. If it gets too complex we'll end up doing something approaching Sim-Dungeons-And-Dragons. From all the posts it looks like there is a lot of interest in these Bot's, the trouble now is, how do we come up with a definitive spec for the concept, the Arena program and the API ? Both C&KL EUbots and my Pixel Bots are a divergence on the original idea; obviously we don't want to go off on separate tangents ( but then again why not ? ) and start a flame war over who has the best wrapper program or API. It would be possible to design a standard API then we could have people writing Bots and others writing Arena programs - keeping everyone happy. Any thoughts ? I don't want to be stepping on people's toes and upsetting anyone by going off in a totally different direction to the rest of the Bot Club. PS : To send plain-text, to Shroud or to Bind ? One of the best things about this Bot idea is that beginners to Euphoria can join in; it could well be the first program they write ( even if they do crib from other Bot code ). I think that we should make the Bot code ( and Arena program ) totally open to scrutiny so it's useful as demonstration code and examples of Euphoria coding. This means that we must use plain-text files ( arena.ex, pixelbot.e ) and of course, add lots of useful comments for newbies to see what we are actually doing. Even if a Bot does [ subversively rather than advertised ] try and take a peek inside the Arena code to 'cheat'; someone will notice this and I'm sure that someone will cry foul on the mailing list. Naming And Shaming should be the ideal deterrant.
2. Re: Pixel Bots
- Posted by Ralf Nieuwenhuijsen <nieuwen at XS4ALL.NL> Nov 09, 1998
- 485 views
Your API is indeed interesting. Its a bit more on track than my code. But like I said, I gave my code to show/prove/test some of the techniques. However, no offense, lets reconsider, what cards we have, what we want and how to keep a thing like this maintainable. First of all, lets keep it much more generic. There are four parts to a bot (that I could come up with) -sensing: collision detection, 'hearing' a shot. etc. -orientation: position, strenght, energy. etc. -actions: move forward, turn left, shoot. etc. -communications between bots: sending messages etc. All of these sides could be 'generalized'. This means, that have routines to add/register new communication methods, orientation properties, sensing functions, action procedures. Not to use in a bot. But to use in a much more specific BOTMatch.. There should also be a sort of generalized 'area' routines. This means that the actual routines gets the area in a 2D image sequence, it calls every method/event etc. when applyable. Within such a framework, you could have a more specific maze solver library, area battle etc. written... Like, you said, I dont want to step on anybody's toes, but lets work on the modelling a little bit more. Ralf