Developing StarCraft 2 Build Orders With Genetic Algorithms

Jamie recommends a blog post from software engineer Louis Brandy explaining how using genetic algorithms to evaluate build orders in StarCraft 2 has led to some surprisingly powerful results. Quoting: "One of the reasons build-order optimization is so important is that you can discover openings that 'hard-counter' other openings. If I can get an army of N size into your base when you do opening X, you will always lose. ... a genetic algorithm is a type of optimization algorithm that tries to find optimal solutions using a method analogous to biologic evolution (to be specific: descent with modification & natural selection). Put simply, you take a 'population' of initial build orders, evaluate them for fitness, and modify the population according to each element’s fitness. In other words, have the most successful reproduce. The program’s input is simply the desired game state. In practice, this means 'make N units' to determine some rush build order (but it also allows for other types of builds, like make N workers with some defensive structures and a small army)."

Comments

Re:This is why I hate the RTS genre

[moenoel]

The fast and coordinated clicking stuff is only the first part of learning SC (II). Strategy comes after that.

To (not literally) quote Sean 'day[9]' Plott: If you are interested in american football and want to play various tactics on the playfield, you first need to train your body. I.E. if you are a scrawny guy, with no muscles and stamina whatsoever, you can think about football tactics all you want, but you simply won't be able to execute them for lack of the basic requirements.

Same goes for SC (II) and every (balanced) RTS in general. The *real* strategy part only comes into play, after the player mastered the basic mechanics of gameplay.