Newsgroups: comp.ai.games
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!bb3.andrew.cmu.edu!newsfeed.pitt.edu!gatech!news.mathworks.com!news-res.gsl.net!news.gsl.net!swrinde!howland.erols.net!torn!watserv3.uwaterloo.ca!undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca!gaminer
From: gaminer@undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca (Gabo)
Subject: Re: Programable AI, Why?
Sender: news@undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca (news spool owner)
Message-ID: <Dw18K0.9KD@undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca>
Date: Mon, 12 Aug 1996 16:02:24 GMT
References: <Dvz486.A37@mv.mv.com>
Nntp-Posting-Host: landen.math.uwaterloo.ca
Organization: University of Waterloo
Lines: 51

In article <Dvz486.A37@mv.mv.com>, 
Steve Hodsdon <hodsdon@scoot.netis.com> wrote:
>I'm going to play devils advocate here...
>
>Does John & Jane Q. Public really want to have programmable AI?  Or
>are we creating something that only a few of us (AI types) are
>interested in?

I think that this project has tremendous potential (I myself am 
attempting to iron out a specification for a similar project).

Having a programmable AI environment would provide you with a battleground
for your code. This is something I dream about. I only know of a few games
that have a slick code-interface; the only interesting one (in my
optinion) is Bolo, and unforutunately, it's for the Mac. 

I'll admit that the target audience is quite small in proportion to the 
game playing public in general, but I firmly believe that there are 
enough people that would find this project interesting enough to make it 
worth while.

I want to code a compiler/virtual machine system SIMPLE for a platform to 
write competitive AI programs. The beauty of this project is that once it 
is completed, it could easilty be adapted to a variety of other ideas; a 
mutation ground for genetic algorithms, or other such things.

>I can't see too many people even having the ability to write a new AI
>from scratch.  Does this mean that the AI portion of the program is
>supplied in source form?  Or are we, as developers, expect to sell an
>update disk with a handful of "new & improved" opponents?

Being able to program bots to compete in real time would be a load of 
fun, even to a novice programmer. It doesn't take THAT much skill to code 
a simple AI. I myself 'discovered' how max-min trees work while coding a 
simple chess-sytle AI. (And I'm no genius, believe you me).

Also, if a kick-assed compiler/virtual machine system was developed, the 
code could be compiled locally and then distrobuted (in virtual machine 
byte code form) to whatever competitions you would want to submit it to. 

I don't think that the game should be by any means commercial in it's 
brain coding nature. If you code a brain, you compete with it. Selling it 
isn't the point.

I guess I'm just itching for a chance to pit my coding skills against 
someone elses's :) But, so what? :)

Peace
-- 
_______________________________________________________________________________
Gabo - Save my sole?! Save my flounder! Just do it for the halibut... [P/L/U/R]
