Starcraft AI blog

Did you see the new bot MadMix by Oyvind Johannessen?

As a brand-new bot made from scratch, it has little combat skill. But it is exceptional in that it plays random and makes nearly every unit for every race. I got the impression that it didn’t make protoss archons or dark archons. It doesn’t research anything, so it can’t get units which require research: Broodlings and lurkers. It probably doesn’t know how to make infested terrans, which are complicated to get.

Those might be the only exceptions. It makes high templar, and because it never does research and doesn’t merge them into archons, they are useless. It makes tanks and doesn’t research siege mode. It makes science vessels and battlecruisers. It makes guardians. It makes carriers and 4 interceptors for each, it makes reavers. I didn’t see devourers or arbiters, likely because they didn’t happen to come up. Maybe it leaves out valkyries? It gets all the tech but I haven’t seen it make them.

It already deserves the name MadMix!

motivation

Motivation comes from having goals. It’s a long road, and you won’t get far without strong motivation.

Winning is a good goal, but a slow one to reach if you are starting from scratch. People who want early progress often start with a rushbot, which can easily stall an author from improving. Another try for early progress is mass static defense (with some kind of followup), like Johan Kayser. Personally, I expect that authors who can accept slow early progress are more likely to stick with it over the long haul.

Being unique in some way, like MadMix, is a good goal. The bot’s description says “The goal is to find an entertaining mix of units, strategies and madness.”

Providing an inspiring example of a strategy or style of play is a goal that doesn’t demand a long-term commitment. ZerGreenBot raised the level of play of top protoss bots by pioneering potential field-controlled reaver drops, overlord hunting with corsairs, and forge expand build orders, inspiring imitation. Other bots have still not caught up with ZerGreenBot’s zealot bombs, which made IceBot look like a beginner.

All kinds of goals exist. Your goals provide your motivation whether or not you know what they are, but it may help to know.