Ideas

[GoodMorning]

I've managed to find time in the local afternoons prior to now to work on the evolver, and here's V0.1.
It probably has bugs coming out of nonexistent ears, but it looks OK.

The testing I have done so far:

Spoiler

Proven that it can reproduce (for a while) and will age and die.

To do this, I put a 2K Emitter on a blank map, put down a default EvolverEnvironment, and watched.
Note that the on-death trace message is for debug, only appearing in edit mode.

[close]

Spoiler used to avoid clutter, it's not going to spoil anything.

I shall test more as time goes on, but this seems to mainly require tuning.

I would like to ask for feedback, suggestions, &c.

As for any script I create (upon uploading it to CS or here) I now  deem this "community-ware" (anyone can do anything they like with it, but please put improved versions up for others to enjoy.)


Instructions for use:

• Attach the EvolverEnvironment script to a core, with Evolver in the scripts directory.
• Supply Creeper to make the units build.
• Don't create an Evolver yourself, it won't do anything.

[milkev]

I've managed to find time in the local afternoons prior to now to work on the evolver, and here's V0.1.
It probably has bugs coming out of nonexistent ears, but it looks OK.

The testing I have done so far:

Spoiler

Proven that it can reproduce (for a while) and will age and die.

To do this, I put a 2K Emitter on a blank map, put down a default EvolverEnvironment, and watched.
Note that the on-death trace message is for debug, only appearing in edit mode.

[close]

Spoiler used to avoid clutter, it's not going to spoil anything.

I shall test more as time goes on, but this seems to mainly require tuning.

I would like to ask for feedback, suggestions, &c.

As for any script I create (upon uploading it to CS or here) I now  deem this "community-ware" (anyone can do anything they like with it, but please put improved versions up for others to enjoy.)


Instructions for use:

• Attach the EvolverEnvironment script to a core, with Evolver in the scripts directory.
• Supply Creeper to make the units build.
• Don't create an Evolver yourself, it won't do anything.

ummmm looks really cule, but the guys run off the creeper (are they supposed to run around?) and then when the creeper gets to them they say to far aged and self destruct o.0
PS the original spawner did spawn different evolutions of guys, but when they died and reproduced the "child" died instantly after moving a couple blocks o.0 if i could get a screen recorder i would show you

[GoodMorning]

Thanks. I spent an hour or so testing earlier, and fixed those bugs, along with a few others. I was right to think that it was as buggy as the proverbial.

I'll put V0.2 up when I can get a stable connection.

[GoodMorning]

As promised, V0.2

Now without dangerous game-stalling infinite loop potential, most seemingly random deaths, and bugs when breeding.
Now with images indicating growth by opacity, and a field to collect nearby Creeper, making these things dangerous.

Note that it's still quite badly tuned, and needs a lot of Creeper.

Next up is larger stomachs, more likely Sniper and Beam vulnerabilities, and an update to the move location choice.
(Currently we try three nearby locations, and if we can reach one without dying, we go. Otherwise, we try to move in a compass direction, and only if that's impossible, stay put.) (New form will look at hunger and gives Creeper priority if hungry, and may even avoid AC. (If it's hungry, it will try to eat AC, making it hungrier. (At this point.)))

Starting to feel like a game might be built with it, but they're still easily killed in masses by Berthas.

[milkev]

Ok, havent actually looked at the code so im not entirely sure if this is supposed to happen (i wouldnt know even if i looked :\ ) but the enviorment core constantly shows some changing numbers for a couple minutes, then shows a 2 when you hover over it with the mouse.  the "children" work now though i found they will run straight into AC when i put it into the map o.0 especially when they started moving to a spot previously covered with creeper, but when it gets there isnt. its worsk good, if you ask me.

PS havent seen a digitalis spawning evolver, did you remove this?

[GoodMorning]

In order:
Environment core shows the "population" as popup text, which represents the number of Evolvers which consider it their "Parent".
(I can't recall if that version had the trace turned on on it.)

The Evolvers don't yet have AC avoidance, but aren't harmed unless they try to eat it. They also are able to move outside the Creeper, so that they are in some way dangerous (can drag Creeper to structures).

They should still be able to make Digi, but the DigiLayers are expensive. It's a probability based thing anyway.
They can also currently be invulnerable to one or both of the specialist weapons (Beams and Snipers), but are very expensive/hungry if they are.

The metabolic interval is the time between digesting. When the stomach isn't full, it will eat anything it finds, even AC.

I'm trying to tune it, so that it won't need so much Creeper, without making it OP.

The big determiner is the movement. I'm not sure if it should be aggressive, and it looks like the terrain height needs to be a bit more flexible.

I'll put up V0.3 when I've made a new movement alg. Currently, it works, but it's just a gimmick, not too strategically important.

Any other thoughts appreciated, but the new version will be delayed again... life gets in the way so!

[milkev]

In order:
Environment core shows the "population" as popup text, which represents the number of Evolvers which consider it their "Parent".
(I can't recall if that version had the trace turned on on it.)

The Evolvers don't yet have AC avoidance, but aren't harmed unless they try to eat it. They also are able to move outside the Creeper, so that they are in some way dangerous (can drag Creeper to structures).

They should still be able to make Digi, but the DigiLayers are expensive. It's a probability based thing anyway.
They can also currently be invulnerable to one or both of the specialist weapons (Beams and Snipers), but are very expensive/hungry if they are.

The metabolic interval is the time between digesting. When the stomach isn't full, it will eat anything it finds, even AC.

I'm trying to tune it, so that it won't need so much Creeper, without making it OP.

The big determiner is the movement. I'm not sure if it should be aggressive, and it looks like the terrain height needs to be a bit more flexible.

I'll put up V0.3 when I've made a new movement alg. Currently, it works, but it's just a gimmick, not too strategically important.

Any other thoughts appreciated, but the new version will be delayed again... life gets in the way so!

this makes a lot more sense now, could i integrate this into my map after its done?
PS playing around with it, the guys dont seem to die unless they cant eat or try to eat AC (i havent used any towers in my testing yet) so they muliply infinitely, going faster and faster. i imagine it would get to the point were they kill each other cus there isnt enough creeper to eat, but this seems a little OP

[GoodMorning]

Exactly. I need to ramp up the Sniper- and Beam- invulnerability rates. Calibration.

Feel free to use it, if you think it's good enough.

[GoodMorning]

Revise that. It's the vulnerability rates that need to increase.

Here are the newer versions, due to a delay evaporating.

They will now be adventurous, unless they look like getting hungry. i.e. Over 50% stomach: goes as far as possible. Under 50%, heads for Creeper. (Pathfinding now lags somewhat on mazes, due to FindPathTerrain. I'll fix it if it becomes serious.)

For some reason the children seem to be evolving away from the vulnerable states, in defiance of probability.

They should breed toward the cheaper "shoot me with anything, I'm weak!" state, in the absence of an influence to the contrary.
i.e. They should have no reason to be invulnerable unless you kill the vulnerable ones.

They're now becoming invincible automatically, although this should rapidly kill them.

Either RandFloat is biased toward lower values, or I have something backwards.

Anyway, enjoy. Feedback appreciated.

Debug: More in the popup text, and the trace utilities are still there, though the trace is not shown in this build.

[GoodMorning]

OK, I've rebuilt the pathfinding, tuned it a bit, fixed a bug or two, and added a timer so that these will die if they don't get Creeper for a long time (So it doesn't clutter your base with build attempts), or if it takes too long to grow (So it doesn't clutter the map with part-built units). There have been other changes, but they were minor and usually bugfixes.

I currently have three things that need to change, and then this is ready to go.
1) Tuning. Currently, everything happens fast, so it is easy to debug.
2) Vulnerabilities: For some reason, these evolve toward invincibility. They should do the opposite. Could someone who hasn't built every line take a look? I can no longer see the wood for the trees.
3) Strange Digi bug. The Digi grows up to a point, then stops. Hitting "Delete Digitalis" causes it to work properly when it regrows. Screenshot attached.

Anyone have further thoughts/comments?