Alpha Centauri 2

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri & Alien Crossfire => Modding => Topic started by: BFG on June 30, 2016, 09:12:20 PM

Title: Testing faction balance...
Post by: BFG on June 30, 2016, 09:12:20 PM

A couple years ago, I got involved in testing chess engines against each other to determine their relative strengths.  The key was to come up with a standard set of rules, and then let them play each other over and over and over again.

The same principle could be applied to SMACX to determine if any one faction truly is unbalanced compared to the rest, using dozens of real-world games instead of the educated speculation that's gone into the discussion previously.  But, to make that happen, it'd be necessary to automate all 7 factions, not just 6 - and while that can be done in the stock game, by setting the player faction as an AI faction, someone still has to babysit the game by hitting "Enter" at all the prompts, and doing so can occasionally influence the AI's decision.

Does anyone know of a better way to do this?  Yitzi - or someone who knows a LOT more about the binary than the rest of us - would it be possible to build a version that is fully automated specifically for testing faction balance?  I have no idea if what I'm asking is easy and realistic, or a pipe dream.

Title: Re: Testing faction balance...
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 30, 2016, 09:23:25 PM

During development, the programmers would tape the enter key down for overnight test runs.

Title: Re: Testing faction balance...
Post by: BFG on July 01, 2016, 01:45:05 AM

I tried that before, 3 years ago when I gave this a shot then.  I recall that it sometimes influenced the decisions the AI made but cannot recall a specific example.  If I remember correctly it was also difficult to determine when the game ended or faction dominance at the end.  I'll give it another try to remind myself.

Title: Re: Testing faction balance...
Post by: Buster's Uncle on July 01, 2016, 01:54:34 AM

Aren't you an old Network Node hand?

Title: Re: Testing faction balance...
Post by: BFG on July 01, 2016, 06:10:00 PM

There's probably a joke in there somewhere but I missed it :)

Title: Re: Testing faction balance...
Post by: Buster's Uncle on July 01, 2016, 06:23:09 PM

Nope, unusually for me - I'm considering visiting the Wayback Machine and undertaking a reconstruction/archiving project - I'd want to track down the appropriate party(s) and get permission if that's possible, and of course I'd want all the feedback I could get from people who'd actually frequented the site in its prime...  I never saw it alive, myself.

ISTR Sigma being a NN vet, and I think you said so - and there's someone else a member here, if I can remember who...

Title: Re: Testing faction balance...
Post by: BFG on July 01, 2016, 11:06:53 PM

Oh, Network Node was a WEBSITE?  I assumed it was some obscure reference to the facility that I didn't get.   ;lol

No, I wasn't ever involved on that site (I was too busy with studies when it was active) so you're probably thinking of someone else.

Title: Re: Testing faction balance...
Post by: Buster's Uncle on July 01, 2016, 11:14:36 PM

Okaydoke - Sigma and pentalarc for sure - maybe one or two more.

-While I'm OTing the devil out of your thread, might I offer to fix you up with an avatar of a big guitar?

Title: Re: Testing faction balance...
Post by: BFG on July 01, 2016, 11:15:48 PM

"Sounds" good to me!

Title: Re: Testing faction balance...
Post by: Buster's Uncle on July 01, 2016, 11:16:35 PM

Please be patient while your request is being processed...

Title: Re: Testing faction balance...
Post by: Buster's Uncle on July 01, 2016, 11:23:45 PM

A Les Paul, I believe.

Title: Re: Testing faction balance...
Post by: BFG on July 21, 2016, 06:29:28 PM

Niiiiiiice :)  I originally used this moniker for "Big Friendly Giant" (I'm 6'5" and built like a linebacker), but since learned about Duke Nukem's version.  I had no idea about this one!

*adopted*

Title: Re: Testing faction balance...
Post by: Buster's Uncle on July 25, 2016, 04:41:54 PM

I don't understand - you're still not wearing an avatar.  Would you like me to put that on you?

Title: Re: Testing faction balance...
Post by: BFG on July 26, 2016, 03:52:19 AM

That'd be great!  I uh...have to admit that I don't know how to do it.  Though I haven't spent much time trying to learn :D

Thanks in advance!

Title: Re: Testing faction balance...
Post by: Buster's Uncle on July 26, 2016, 03:53:58 AM

:D

I do prefer people not run around the forum nekkid...

Title: Re: Testing faction balance...
Post by: BFG on July 26, 2016, 04:07:07 PM

Niiiiiice... :)

*practices air guitar at work*