What are you working on? :D

[annikk.exe]

The number one thing that causes a lot of lag is loops within loops.
Eg:
For each asteroid
Compare to all other asteroids


Loops within loops are somewhat inevitable though, unless you build an ai that precalculates all the relationships during levelsetup and stores the data in a series of matrices.. But that is not a trivial thing to do, and means the ai can't cope with moving asteroids.

The number one challenge in building a deadly ai is identifying generalised circumstances with generalised responses.  Once you know what the ai ought to do in a given circumstance, you can build your rules so it responds appropriately to that situation.

For example, imagine the ai starts with a single asteroid, with 2/4 trees, 50 seedlings, and two nearby asteroids - one with good stats and 3 neighbouring unknown asteroids, the other with average stats and 2 neighbouring asteroids.
What is the optimal opening actions for the ai to take?

[Aino]

I have made that pre defined loop thing, and it's much more efficient with resources than my previous one, but you should do a variable "IsMoving" or something, true/false if the asteroid ont he map moves, if so: use the check while playing and if not use the pre defined matrices

[Pilchard123]

Did anyone work out how to get hold of the game's reachability data? it would be really useful, though I can work without it.

[Aino]

I think you'll need to work without it :/

[annikk.exe]

Personally I've always just calculated it myself based on asteroid positions, radiuses and send distances.

I'm enjoying our discussions on ai a great deal. :>

[Aino]

I think I'll improve my AI to depend on alot of stuff to do actions, but first I'm going for a vacation tommorow(7 days) and I wanna re-learn all the java things, as last time(when I didn't know anything about coding), it looked like some alien text to me xD

[annikk.exe]

I arrived home this evening and watched a documentary about maths.  I had some inspiration of how I might be able to create complex landscapes using the 3D engine I've been working on, potentially providing a rich environment to explore.

[Sniped50]

Really? Do tell us more, annikk! I'd love to see that.

[annikk.exe]

Well the basic idea is that if I build a simple landscape out of, say, 100 triangles... and then perform a series of recurring rules on the triangles, EG, split into 3 more triangles per triangle, and move the centrepoint up or down perpendicular to the face by a random amount, it morphs into a crazy landscape.
I need to actually finish the engine first though, I am still wrestling with the concept of pseudo-vertices for now.

[Pilchard123]

Sounds a bit like a deformed version of the Koch snowflake, or possibly Serpienski's triangle

[annikk.exe]

Yup what I have described is basically a fractal algorithm.

[AWS]

well/... aside from fractal vertices and pythagoras... i have a new little level for people to test if theyre feeling keen?!

its not difficult by any means. in fact, i kinda like it because its a return to how it 'used to be' when i first discovered the game. not difficult, but not super easy. the emphasis being on the exploration and expansion as much as on fighting and winning.
having said that, its a short level so i hope others who dont want a 3hr slog can hop in and enjoy with ease.

anyone???
\aws

[Lost Seedling]

I'll test it, of course!

[Pilchard123]

Aino, have you any way of testing the speed that your AIs run? I've had an idea for speeding them up...

[Aino]

Mine is very fast

60*Number of iterations per second, the amount of iterations is default 10, but mine survives 50 without lag
This is mainly because of the pre-set neighbours