StarCraft II Fan Breaks the Competitive Scene Using Evolution

[SeniorDingDong]

Impressive. And scary at the same time. Would like to see the source code of the algorthim.

 

[jerrrry]

Impressive. And scary at the same time. Would like to see the source code of the algorthim.

If you check the original article, there are links there to the java code I believe.

 

[Markness]

In 95% of cases, you are completely incorrect. Yes there are some few players who for whatever reason don't have time to practise but have a natural gift for strategy but beating the campaign on brutal does not give you the skills to comment on balance at the highest level. The average tennis cannot give the pro advice on what racket to use or what serve technique to use. How can you argue that?

OK, we seem to be having two seperate arguments here. What I took your earlier post to mean was that you thought that the only people who had an opinion worth hearing were the professionals. Obviously, this is incorrect, and I took issue with it. Now you're talking about amateurs telling pros how to play the high-end game, which isn't what I thought we were discussing.

Anyone who has played the game sufficiently knows what they're talking about. In the tennis scenario, the average tennis player knows what they're talking about, they just cannot do it as well as the professional. That doesn't mean their opinion is invalid, just that those with more natural talent/time to practice are better at the game than them.

I don't know what you define as "knows what they're talking about", I'm also confused as to what you mean by giving their opinion. Yes they can statements such as " I find this hard to deal with " but "void rays need a nerf" is going too far.

 

[PixelCody]

I don't blame you for searching for hits with that title, as it's your job, but it's pretty misleading.

"StarCraft II Fan Single-handedly Shifts Non-Pro Metagame" just doesn't have the same ring to it.

The same goes for your description of the program which I have edited/fixed below ...

"The program, fittingly called "EvolutionChamber" - a Zerg structure in the game - uses "genetic algorithms" to find the most time efficient early-game build orders. In simpler, non-computer-science terms, it takes a requested strategy (e.q. build an army of 7 units) and repeatedly takes educated guesses towards faster build orders in order to see which comes out on top."

- Your original paragraph made it sound like the algorithm came up with the idea of 7 fast roaches in the first place and then did a computer simulation to see if those 7 roaches would outfight, say, 6 Zerglings. The picture to the side didn't help either.

"There's an excellent in-depth explanation found -here- that lays everything out in terms that are easy to understand for non-programmers and non-StarCraft players alike. In the end, all that you need to know is this: By doing things that go against conventional StarCraft II wisdom, where a powerful economy is often the goal, the algorithm compared millions of Zerg opening build orders to get 7 Roaches (an early assault unit) nearly a minute before a "standard" rush would produce 5 of them. That's an eternity in StarCraft terms."

-Now I'm just being nitpicky, but the 7RR doesn't do much that's "horribly against convention". It makes sense to make your pool and warren early if you want to rush, and the extractor trick was only proven to be less desirable when going for an economic opening ... which this certainly isn't.

Edit: I'll grant you the double overlord to keep larva production going is something humans just don't think about!

Anyway, I just love StarCraft II so that's my bit of nerdrage for the day. Glad to see you're a fan also JF, BoxeR vs NaDa was awesome

 

[Oskamunda]

Brilliant approach...and the inability to whine on forums = elevation to godhood.

 

[Singularly Datarific]

EVOLUTION COMPLETE.