R100K Software Challenge

[broloks]

Hi Entelect,

Are the starting positions of the 2 bots always the same, and if so what are the coordinates on the sphere?

 

[gkm]

Looks like an interesting challenge.

One question, can the cycles just wrap around the sides, or can they go over the "pole" as well? Put in other words, if your start location is (0, 0); are the legal next locations just the following three:
(0, 1), (1, 0) and (30, 0)
or is up and over to the "north pole" to any other position (x, 0) also a legal move?

 

[nakedpeanut]

I have some more questions regarding the boundary of this sphere.

Is point (0,0) and (30,0) the same point? Or are they just connected, so you can go from (0,0) to (30,0)?
If they are the same point does that not make every (x,0) the same point?
If every (x,0) point is not the same, then does (0/30,0) map to (15,0) and thus (1,0) to (16,0); (2,0) to (17,0); ....; (14,0) to (29,0) ?

Also is every (0,x) mapped to every (30,x) as being the same point?
So if I have a wall from (0,0) to (0,30) can the opponent have one from (30,0) to (30,30) or not?

Edit: Sorry if I'm over thinking this

 

[nakedpeanut]

And one more Question.
If my player is boxed in, can't go down, up, left or right due. How should the program respond, since any new state already has an object there, or will the test framework already have known this was the case and not even proceed with my next move?

 

[mcryan]

Looks like fun, I might give it a bash!

 

[Faultyboy]

can you make a complete circle around the sphere on both the X and the Y? How does it work when going over the poles? can you go from (15,30) to (15, 0) or (30,30) to (30,0) by going down one?

 

[nakedpeanut]

My assumption is think of it like a map of the earth and how that works, in their description it wraps around on the horizontal, not the vertical, thus you can't go straight from (30,30) to (30,0), you have to go (30,30) -> (30,29) -> (30,28) etc

 

[Entelect]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all the questions! Appreciate the participation happening here!
Please head over to our new FAQ section on the challenge website and see if your question is answered there

http://challenge.entelect.co.za/Home/FAQ

If you don't have any luck with that, please drop us an email with your question at challenge@entelect.co.za.

This will allow us to manage our responses a little better.

Thanks again.
Tim

 

[Faultyboy]

"once you’ve moved onto that extreme point you can move off it again to any point on the x axis. For example, you could move from (1, 1) to (1, 0) and then exit the top of the sphere on the other side to appear at (15, 1)."

Thanks so we can go over the poles..

Looks like I'm going to have no free time for the next 2 months..

 

[pookfuzz]

think of the board as a donut rather.

Does the board always start empty?
Do the players always start at the same locations?

 

[MongooseMan]

Does the board always start empty?

Yes, apart from you and your opponent, considering:

2. How are the walls created?
Walls are left behind on top of any vertices in which your light cycle travels.

Do the players always start at the same locations?

No

10. How will the start positions be decided? Will the controlling program decided the positions (fixed or random?), or would we be presented with an empty board and we could choose our own starting points ?
We will supply the starting positions as part of the initial board. This may be assumed to be random.

Source: http://challenge.entelect.co.za/Home/FAQ

 

[Viat]

think of the board as a donut rather.

The board's a sphere actually -- hence the wrapping on the horizontal dimensions and the going over the poles

 

[pookfuzz]

The board's a sphere actually -- hence the wrapping on the horizontal dimensions and the going over the poles

Bleh. looks like you are right. Somewhat idiotic board layout. but whatever I guess.

 

[EtienneK]

Hi guys, just a quick comment:

It's not actually a sphere, it's an ellipsoid, since the vertical is longer than the horizontal. See my explanation here: http://www.makegamessa.com/discussion/comment/1274#Comment_1274

 

[Solitude]

Hey guys

I've put together a test harness for your bots (.net). You can download the project from http://flowgearcoder.net/2012/07/27/entelect-r100k-challenge-bot-harness/

Very nice! That will help people a lot.

 

[flowgearcoder]

Hey guys

I've put together a test harness for your bots (.net). You can download the project from http://flowgearcoder.net/2012/07/27/entelect-r100k-challenge-bot-harness/

 

[Faultyboy]

Hey guys

I've put together a test harness for your bots (.net). You can download the project from http://flowgearcoder.net/2012/07/27/entelect-r100k-challenge-bot-harness/

Very cool thank you.

 

[gkm]

Hi guys, just a quick comment:

It's not actually a sphere, it's an ellipsoid, since the vertical is longer than the horizontal. See my explanation here: http://www.makegamessa.com/discussion/comment/1274#Comment_1274

I do not think it is worth paying too much attention to the shape, just to the valid moves and how they get limited by the two bots. I also think a cylinder is probably the closest match, since there is effectively just one position at the top and bottom and the rest are all the same length round.

 

[Entelect]

Hey guys

I've put together a test harness for your bots (.net). You can download the project from http://flowgearcoder.net/2012/07/27/entelect-r100k-challenge-bot-harness/

Thank you flowgearcoder, i'm sure this will add tremendous value to the community involved in the challenge! I've been really impressed with the uptake on this and the community's willingness to help each other out.

Just an FYI, we'll be putting up the official online test harness within the next 2 weeks. You will be able to upload your .zip solution to the challenge website and watch a real-time simulation of your player against a reference player which we have created. If there are any problems with your solution's compilation or execution process, you will be notified of that immediately. You will also be made aware of any invalid moves that are attempted etc.

It's a pretty cool HTML 5 3D visualisation - can't wait to get it up! Really looking forward to seeing your entries in action. If you guys aren't yet subscribed, drop us a mail to challenge@entelect.co.za with 'Subscribe me' in the subject line and we'll put you on. Aside from keeping track of who will be entering, we'd also like to keep you updated with new FAQ's, clarifications on any of the rules, milestones i.e test harness deployment etc.

We're hoping to have an 'open evening' just before the tournament begins. An excuse for a bit of a party really and an opportunity for you to meet the people you'll be up against Hopefully will be seeing some of the mybroadband folk there.

Tim

 

[MongooseMan]

I've sent you a PM and an email and haven't had a response yet...