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From: bdp@ely.cl.cam.ac.uk (Barney Pell)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: Games for programmed players
Message-ID: <1991Feb8.172206.2628@cl.cam.ac.uk>
Date: 8 Feb 91 17:22:06 GMT
References: <9102062219.AA18294@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Sender: news@cl.cam.ac.uk (The news facility)
Reply-To: bdp@ely.cl.cam.ac.uk (Barney Pell)
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>I would like to ask whether anyone else has designed such games, or if
>anyone knows references to them. I'll summarise replies to the net.
>Somebody mentioned a game called "Robot Wars" (_not_ Core Wars, which is
>the one in which machine code programs fight it out) but I've been
>unable to trace it.

Robot Wars is a game for PC's. I used to love playing it on my Apple II+
about 8 years ago.  I can't remember the publisher of the game, maybe
something like MUSE SOFTWARE, but I have no idea anymore.  

Anyway, in the game you design robots, who have active sensors
(radar), can orient themselves and move in different directions, and
can fire shots at enemies.  You program your robot in a game-specific
language, and then send them out on the battlefield to compete.

One of my favorite robot designs use to run very fast circles around
the walls of the arena, shooting (without looking) into the center.
It was fast and hard to hit, and inflicted lots of damage on its
enemies.  

Another game you should know about is CHIPWITS, where you program a
cute robot to navigate an environment, trying to find food (by
smelling), energy packs, etc. It could also zap hostile critters.
This ran on the Mac about 5 years ago, and I think it is still around.

==================================================

   Barney Pell
   Computer Laboratory
   University of Cambridge
   phone:  (0223) 334622
   e-mail:  bdp@cl.cam.ac.uk

==================================================