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

Mass reproduction

[hesaigo999ca]

>have the most successful reproduce
This is why humans are the most successful reproducing species on the planet....not only do we reproduce like rabbits, but we also mame all other species in our areas (by building over their habitats) thereby giving us no real competitors for our resources.
If we were to encounter an alien race, I wonder if we would really be the top on the food chain....

Many people that have discussed my love for animals think I am over exaggerating my point of view sometimes...some even argued that because man was intelligent (and that dogs were not) men had more right to live then dogs.... I tend to disagree, I believe it is the one with the least negative impact on its environment that has more right to live, and unfortunately , this would make us first in line
to die as a species.