AU: AI creation contest

[sabrewolf]

it's pretty far fetched and won't be able to be done before the SDK is launched some time Q1/2006, but how does a AI modding contest sound?

everybody/every team creates their own AI, either by modding the existing AI or taking ideas from others (disclose that!).

then we let them compete in
1) a hand made map
2) a random map (but all the same of course)
3) if possible to have seperate AIs in the same game: against each other.

for 3 they of course need to each play in every position of the map for equal chances.

an independent committee of 3, 5 or 7 people (i volunteer) tests the AIs like that. it is clear that some moddings will only work better with certain traits, so somehow we would have to test that.

the winner's AI will then be the official apolyton [university] AI mod and maybe the winner may even get a few months of free PLUS subscription


your thoughts?

[conmcb25]

Interesting idea.

We will have to better define what "competing better" means.

Better builder, better warmonger, what characteristics of each we will look at, etc.

[sabrewolf]

well, it should be able to dominate the game and win however possible.

the perfect AI will win depending of all preconditions: map, neighbors, traits, etc.

[Tassadar500]

I didn't see this until now. Sounds like a good idea Sabre.

[Solver]

AI is such a complex thing, wouldn't everyone's efforts be of better use if people worked together on improving the Civ4 AI instead of each creating their own?

[sabrewolf]

read my post carefully:

[...]everybody/every team creates their own AI, either by modding the existing AI or taking ideas from others [...]

i cannot imagine anybody creating an AI from scratch!

[Darsnan]

Competition vs Cooperation

Originally posted by sabrewolf
i cannot imagine anybody creating an AI from scratch!

The SMAC Community is looking into developing a SMAC based mod of cIV, and we will also be doing our own work to improve the AI. While anything we develop will probably fall outside of sabrewolf's competition idea, why I think that the sharing of the base AI info between groups would be to the benefit of all. This base info could then be percolated up into each groups representative efforts at enhancing/ improving the AI's.
Any thoughts on this approach?


D

[sabrewolf]

darsnan,

i know that the SMAC mod will change pretty much everything. but i still think that you are going to use the given idea and change stuff... admittedly lots of it, but depending on the flexibility, you might want to keep the same method headers and just replace the bodies.

anyhow, your group will definatly be examining AI performance pretty exactly and hopefully us non-SMAC modders can contribute

[Solver]

i cannot imagine anybody creating an AI from scratch!

Soren .

[Harovan]

It is a good idea, and I seriously consider to participate. However, some clear lines need to be drawn, and this seems to be not easy. For example, it is certainly not in our interest, if somebody creates a cheating Mr. Know-It-All, even though it performs well compared to the other AIs.

[Tassadar500]

Originally posted by Solver
AI is such a complex thing, wouldn't everyone's efforts be of better use if people worked together on improving the Civ4 AI instead of each creating their own?

This wouldn't necessarily be about learning, although you'd definitely learn things, but more about fun. What would university be without beer and parties?

[H Tower]

How about we hold a contest as to who has the most AU mod/AI thread restraint? Who is the last person to post one of these threads before the game's release date.

[Tassadar500]

Originally posted by H Tower
How about we hold a contest as to who has the most AU mod/AI thread restraint? Who is the last person to post one of these threads before the game's release date.

I have an idea. No.

[sabrewolf]

Originally posted by Solver

i cannot imagine anybody creating an AI from scratch!

Soren .

smartarse

but you're right, so i'll rephrase:
"i cannot imagine anybody creating an AI from scratch without a decent pay, 12 months and hundreds of beta testers"

[sabrewolf]

Originally posted by Sir Ralph
It is a good idea, and I seriously consider to participate. However, some clear lines need to be drawn, and this seems to be not easy. For example, it is certainly not in our interest, if somebody creates a cheating Mr. Know-It-All, even though it performs well compared to the other AIs.

good point!

another one would be that the source should be open to prevent exactly such "cheats".