Game trees are really useful only for chess-like games where there is no hidden information. For something like Starcraft, you need several levels:
Individual units need movement, this involves pathfinding and the ability to see the enemy. The "star" of pathfinding is called A*, you should be able to find it on the web.
Strategic AI is harder, some components: Deciding what units to build. Some games, such as AOE hardcode these (you can edit the files). Smarter ones would see what units you are using and build the units which defeat them. (Most RTS games are rock-paper-scissors in the end).
Deciding what to do with them. Again using AOE, there are editable files filled with things like how quickly to explore, how violent to be, etc. This is the really hard part.
The web page: Game AI Page is an excellent source, and a book on programming RTS games was reviewed here a little while ago.
Doom AI (slightly simplified): Move towards player, slightly to left. When you can't move, move slightly right. Alternate moves everytime you get stuck. Fire when you see the player and have had enough time since last fire.
Amazing, really, how well such simple rules can work.
At E3 I saw a demonstration of Civilization II:The Test of Time, which allows you to play on multiple maps at the same time. For instance, you can play on Alpha Centauri after the spaceship launch, or a fantasy world with underground, surface and air maps for pseudo-3D play. It looked good, too.
7. If, as a consequence of a court judgment or allegation of patent infringement or for any other reason (not limited to patent issues), conditions are imposed on you (whether by court order, agreement or otherwise) that contradict the conditions of this License, they do not excuse you from the conditions of this License. If you cannot distribute so as to satisfy simultaneously your obligations under this License and any other pertinent obligations, then as a consequence you may not distribute the Program at all. For example, if a patent license would not permit royalty-free redistribution of the Program by all those who receive copies directly or indirectly through you, then the only way you could satisfy both it and this License would be to refrain entirely from distribution of the Program.
In other words, if the license is invalid you must stop distribution of the software. It seems to be that Apple's version is simply written in a more formal manner, but has much the same effect.
Just that it has that termination clause that Bruce Perens wrote a rant a few days ago. Basically, if the software gets challenged in a patent, Apple can remove the license at will.
I don't think many of the posters understand where this article is coming from. Rather than being another clueless journalist, he's really referring all the clueless journalists. That first paragraph, about "free...but 50 bucks" isn't his confusion, but rather an example of the confusion already rampant.
I think he's trying to say that Linux supporters haven't done a very good job explaining why Linux is so great. For instance, its great that Linux can be modified in-house, but not every site needs that. He does point out the advantage when talking about vendor-forced upgrades, so I think he does have some clue.
The bit about costs is valid, consider the price of the computer, operating room and, most of all, IT personnel and the difference between 0 and a thousand dollars is quite insignificant.
He was trying to cut through the hype and see exactly what Linux brings to the table. Linux isn't a revolution, it's software. Open-source development may yet quality as a revolution, but I think its still early to declare victory.
Instead of seeing this as a attack, look at it as an opportunity. He is telling us where Linux advocacy is failing, lets use this to spread the word more effectively.
Option-1 and Option-2. I found this in the LinuxPPC automated FAX, as an aside in response to another question. I don't have the URL handy right now, but you can get there from www.linuxPPC.com.
LinuxPPC live is neat, in that it allows me to boot into KDE and play with the neat toys. Apparently, it also contains Internet tools, although it has no information on how to connect (just a note that kppp doesn't work).
It doesn't contain gcc or ecgs, it won't save changes, and I don't see how to get packages to work. All I can see is that it shows that KDE works on the Mac, which is worth about 30 minutes of enjoyment.
Is there anything more that can be done with LinuxPPC Live? I have preordered 5.0 (only $35, why not?), so I guess it has served its purpose. MkLinux is dead, Yellow Dog is vapor, OSX Server is too damn much money, Be doesn't work on G3, and Debian PPC and OSX are not out yet, so it seems to be my only choice for Unix goodness.
Slashdot Mirror
Game trees are really useful only for chess-like games where there is no hidden information. For something like Starcraft, you need several levels:
Individual units need movement, this involves pathfinding and the ability to see the enemy. The "star" of pathfinding is called A*, you should be able to find it on the web.
Strategic AI is harder, some components:
Deciding what units to build.
Some games, such as AOE hardcode these (you can edit the files). Smarter ones would see what units you are using and build the units which defeat them. (Most RTS games are rock-paper-scissors in the end).
Deciding what to do with them.
Again using AOE, there are editable files filled with things like how quickly to explore, how violent to be, etc. This is the really hard part.
The web page:
Game AI Page
is an excellent source, and a book on programming RTS games was reviewed here a little while ago.
Doom AI (slightly simplified):
Move towards player, slightly to left.
When you can't move, move slightly right.
Alternate moves everytime you get stuck.
Fire when you see the player and have had enough time since last fire.
Amazing, really, how well such simple rules can work.
How many Civ games are there, anyway?
At E3 I saw a demonstration of Civilization II:The Test of Time, which allows you to play on multiple maps at the same time. For instance, you can play on Alpha Centauri after the spaceship launch, or a fantasy world with underground, surface and air maps for pseudo-3D play. It looked good, too.
7. If, as a consequence of a court judgment or allegation of patent infringement or for any other reason (not limited to patent
issues), conditions are imposed on you (whether by court order, agreement or otherwise) that contradict the conditions of this
License, they do not excuse you from the conditions of this License. If you cannot distribute so as to satisfy simultaneously
your obligations under this License and any other pertinent obligations, then as a consequence you may not distribute the
Program at all. For example, if a patent license would not permit royalty-free redistribution of the Program by all those who
receive copies directly or indirectly through you, then the only way you could satisfy both it and this License would be to
refrain entirely from distribution of the Program.
In other words, if the license is invalid you must stop distribution of the software. It seems to be that Apple's version is simply written in a more formal manner, but has much the same effect.
Just that it has that termination clause that Bruce Perens wrote a rant a few days ago. Basically, if the software gets challenged in a patent, Apple can remove the license at will.
I don't think many of the posters understand where this article is coming from. Rather than being another clueless journalist, he's really referring all the clueless journalists. That first paragraph, about "free...but 50 bucks" isn't his confusion, but rather an example of the confusion already rampant.
I think he's trying to say that Linux supporters haven't done a very good job explaining why Linux is so great. For instance, its great that Linux can be modified in-house, but not every site needs that. He does point out the advantage when talking about vendor-forced upgrades, so I think he does have some clue.
The bit about costs is valid, consider the price of the computer, operating room and, most of all, IT personnel and the difference between 0 and a thousand dollars is quite insignificant.
He was trying to cut through the hype and see exactly what Linux brings to the table. Linux isn't a revolution, it's software. Open-source development may yet quality as a revolution, but I think its still early to declare victory.
Instead of seeing this as a attack, look at it as an opportunity. He is telling us where Linux advocacy is failing, lets use this to spread the word more effectively.
Option-1 and Option-2.
I found this in the LinuxPPC automated FAX, as an aside in response to another question. I don't have the URL handy right now, but you can get there from www.linuxPPC.com.
LinuxPPC live is neat, in that it allows me to boot into KDE and play with the neat toys. Apparently, it also contains Internet tools, although it has no information on how to connect (just a note that kppp doesn't work).
It doesn't contain gcc or ecgs, it won't save changes, and I don't see how to get packages to work. All I can see is that it shows that KDE works on the Mac, which is worth about 30 minutes of enjoyment.
Is there anything more that can be done with LinuxPPC Live? I have preordered 5.0 (only $35, why not?), so I guess it has served its purpose.
MkLinux is dead, Yellow Dog is vapor, OSX Server is too damn much money, Be doesn't work on G3, and Debian PPC and OSX are not out yet, so it seems to be my only choice for Unix goodness.
Ron - trying to get out of the MacOS ghetto