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Article #925Re: Computer-Controlled Players - simulated evolution
From: jbatka
Date: Wed, 02 Sep 1992 15:23
Date: Wed, 02 Sep 1992 15:23
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In article <Btx892.1yD@acsu.buffalo.edu>, goetz@acsu.buffalo.edu (Phil Goetz) writes:
> (Nicolai Czempin) writes:
>>cprem@marlin.jcu.edu.au writes:
>>> Now we've got this discussion rolling, is anyone actually going to begin
>>> coding a game with intelligent/evolvable CCPs. It would be great to see
>>> a game that had a large variety of CCPs that can evolve into stronger
>>> opposition as the game develops.
A friend of mine and I are in the conceptual design phase of a space
combat game. He is buying a Neural Network program to *possibly* help
in the creation of a CCP. However, I am more inclined to pursue a GA
generated CCP.
> To use genetic improvement of algorithms, you have to be able to change the
> algorithm randomly. A bot language is rather complex, and changing (say)
> a GOTO to a LET A = B would probably not improve performance. You would have
> to sort through a lot of mutants before you found a viable one.
>
> The key to using genetic algorithms is to formalize the behavior/construction
> you wish to improve in a way such that a random change still produces something
> plausible. I don't think that computer-controlled players can be generated
> using genetic algorithms. You could write an algorithm that used a large
> number of parameters to determine its behavior, and then vary those parameters
> (i.e. define a standard deviation for each parameter, then create a descendent
> by randomly selecting a value for each parameter from a normal distribution
> around the parent's value using said standard deviation). Or, you could have
> a data language which specified the construction of, say, a battlebot, which
> would be altered in random ways (i.e. make entire bot or subunits larger/
> smaller, armor thicker/thinner, weapons heavier/lighter; you may then have
> to 'renormalize' if bot construction is constrained by resources). But a
> von Neumann machine program is not a good candidate for genetic algorithms.
>
> So to speculate about GA is usually pointless unless you propose a SPECIFIC
> data encoding and method of varying it.
> Phil
> goetz@cs.buffalo.edu
> --
> The Usenet Oracle has pondered your question deeply.
> Your question was:
>
>> help i'm a bug
>
> And in response, thus spake the Oracle:
>
> } <poof> you're a feature!
My general concept involves assigning weighted values to a parameter.
In this case say the parameter is your spacecrafts optimal engagement
range to an opponent. The parameter would have some equation describing
average damage received / average damage given versus range. The
CCP would try to minimize this parameter. The weighting would be a
addition or subtraction to the range value. I would give the CCP
equations similar to the one above for other parameters too. In this
way I would have a string of weighted values (e.g. 10, 1, .1, 100, etc).
this would be my gene string for the GA.
--
Jim Batka | Always remember ... | Buckaroo
Modemman | No matter where you go, there you are! | Bonzai
--------------+--------------------------------------------+--------------
| Work Email: BATKAJ@CCMAIL.DAYTON.SAIC.COM | Elvis is
| Home Email: JBATKA@DESIRE.WRIGHT.EDU | DEAD!
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| 64 years is 33,661,440 minutes ... and a | Beatles:
| minute is a LONG time [Includes Leap Days]!| Yellow Submarine
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Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!sparky!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!malgudi.oar.net!uoft02.utoledo.edu!desire.wright.edu!jbatka Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer Subject: Re: Computer-Controlled Players - simulated evolution Message-ID: <1992Sep2.102320.3857@desire.wright.edu> From: jbatka@desire.wright.edu Date: 2 Sep 92 10:23:20 EST References: <Bt3G69.5Cp@dptspd.sat.datapoint.com> <Btx892.1yD@acsu.buffalo.edu> Organization: Wright State University Lines: 68