Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!uwm.edu!psuvax1!hsdndev!dartvax!Michael.J.Glenn
From: Michael.J.Glenn@dartmouth.edu (Michael J. Glenn)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Robot Battle (was Re: Chipwits, where'd it go?)
Message-ID: <1991Apr8.102234.8262@dartvax.dartmouth.edu>
Date: 8 Apr 91 10:22:34 GMT
Sender: news@dartvax.dartmouth.edu (The News Manager)
Reply-To: Fermat@Dartmouth.edu
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Lines: 44


Robot battle looks very interesting so far.  Cute sound and graphics. 
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?

I think the "more than 2 at a time" option is a must, as well as
tournaments.  Do put them in.

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

Anything like this still in the world?

Michael Glenn (Fermat@Dartmouth.edu)