Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!unix.cis.pitt.edu!bluecow
From: bluecow@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Tobish E Smith)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Re: Robot Battle (was Re: Chipwits, where'd it go?)
Message-ID: <112574@unix.cis.pitt.edu>
Date: 8 Apr 91 15:43:12 GMT
References: <1991Apr8.102234.8262@dartvax.dartmouth.edu>
Organization: University of Pittsburgh
Lines: 89

In article <1991Apr8.102234.8262@dartvax.dartmouth.edu> Fermat@Dartmouth.edu writes:
>
>Robot battle looks very interesting so far.  Cute sound and graphics. 

Thanks.

>But I'm a little dissapointed in the language.  I think a few more
>interesting commands need to be put in there.  Or at least some
>commands to make things a little more convenient...  Granted you can do
>a lot by swiveling back and forth (while constantly checking to see if
>you are taking damage) until you finally lock onto a target, etc.  But
>this gets old real fast.  Makes the code ugly too.  Ok, perhaps I don't
>have access to the interesting weapons yet, but are there other
>commands that we will see in the registered version or future versions?
>
In the registered version, no.  Missiles explode when they've within a
certain detonation range, so you only have to be facing in the general
direction of the enemy.  Also makes things like "shotgunning" effective,
where you do know the exact location of the enemy but spread your shots
out over an arc, to make sure you get the bugger even if he starts to
move away...  And missiles affect the shields (which lasers don't),
making the use of shield weighting important (you can re-configure yours
shields at any point).  So, as you can see, a lot more variety is added
even without having any funky new routines... yet.  If we start receiving
complaints about the limitingness of the language from registered users,
though, RIPPLE will indeed change.  The lasers are limiting since they
must be aimed exactly, but if we had included the missiles instead, no one
would _care_ about getting lasers...  :-) 

>I think the "more than 2 at a time" option is a must, as well as
>tournaments.  Do put them in.
>
As we said in the Read Me file, if people register...


>I have really enjoyed corewars, robowar, and the old robot battle, but

THE OLD ROBOT BATTLE?!?!?!  You don't mean _my_ old Robot Battle, do you???
My god.  I didn't think _anyone_ remembered that thing.  You MUST be 
referring to some other program...  If, by some act of God, you are 
talking about the old Robot Battle, do you still have a copy?  I don't.  :-}

>my favorite (though a little less cutthroat) was ChipWits.  Anyone
>remember this one?  It only ran on the old ROM's, but it had the best
>interface and animation of the whole lot, and allowed for some very
>interesting robots.  Basically, you programmed a robot via a flow chart
>like program, and the robot (which was real cute looking, glasses and
>sneakers) would walk around a maze, and zap grid bugs, while eating
>pieces of pies and coffee cups. (these he needed to refuel.)  Eating
>diskettes would typically get him points.  He could look, feel, move,
>turn, zap, eat, and even play music. He had 3 stacks, where he could
>store information on objects, directions, or numbers. (numbers from 0
>to 7 were stored as amounts of liquid in a beaker, from empty to full) 
>There were a dozen or so scenario's (mazes) to wonder around, and it
>was really fun trying to make the robot navigate turns, maneuver around
>grid bugs and watermellons, etc. (the first few you program usually run
>into the walls too often and destroy themselves)  I would LOVE to see
>this return someday. Even a program that took only the general "idea"
>from this program would be absolutely terrific!  (I'd buy it)
>
>The way the programs were written (for the ChipWits) was the most
>exciting thing about it too.  It was done entirely with the mouse, and
>you would "click" in boxes, filling in a flow chart.  When running the
>program, you could not only watch the robot walk around the maze, but
>could also see the flow chart highlighted box for box (command for
>command), which made debugging a real treat.  No syntax errors were
>possible, only logical errors.
>

ChipWits was great!  I wish it were still around...  sigh.  The heady
days of Mac youth.  BTW, for part of my research I've created a high-level
icon-based algorithm description language; maybe I could just slap it on
the the front of RObot Battle.  ;-)


>Anything like this still in the world?
>
Robot Battle v2.0.  8-)  Really, though, if we receive a favorable response
to RB, there's a lot we'd like to do.  RB's become a real beast, though, 
sitting and growing and growing and sitting for aout 2 years now.  If we
didn't release it now, it would sit and grow for another 2 years while still
no one saw it...  Better to get it out now, I think, and hear some suggestions
from the real world than to have it continue its existence within the 
cloistered walls of our two Macs here.

>Michael Glenn (Fermat@Dartmouth.edu)

Tob & Chuck
bluecow@unix.cis.pitt.edu