[appleeaters]Scoring

The scoring is listed as:

"Score = (100 * apples eaten) + (10 * moves) + (1 * dead robots)"

I'm assuming moves = the number of moves it took you to end the game. If this is the case then you are actually being penalized for killing the robots quickly. It seems more logical that killing all of the robots as quickly as possible would be a good thing. With scoring like this the best way to get the highest score would be to kill all robots except 1 and dance around until the time is almost up (giving 10 points for each move) and then either grabbing the last apple or killing the last robot at the last second.

I agree with you in theory. Let me think on it a bit. A simple solution might be to turn the equation into:

Score = (100 * apples eaten) + (10 * dead robots) - (2 * moves)

I was thinking along those same lines.

Allthough it is kind of a neat idea to have to maximize the number of moves, but in this case you could have an infinite number of moves (if it weren't for the time limit)

It is neat to try and maximize moves, but I believe it will result in a better winning algorithm if you are forced to minimize moves...

My original equation was designed to give ten points per move for the scripts that are programmed to simply avoid robots intelligently, but I can see the argument that is being made, and I am open to either philosophy.

Why not just use number of apples eaten as the score? That way you're not promoting any specific strategy (e.g., stay alive as long as possible, kill robots as quickly as possible, just jump around randomly) and simply supplying a goal.

It will mean there will be a greater number of ties, but with enough games played over a diverse set of situations, that shouldn't really be a problem.

I think that would make way to many ties. The contest should be not only for a working algorithm, but bonuses to the most efficient algorithms.

Maybe you could give a bonus for NOT killing robots, it would make it a lot harder to keep them alive and still get all of the apples. It could be like:

Score = (100 * apples eaten) + (10 * dead robots) - (2 * moves)
if(dead robots == 0) Score += 20 * num_robots

Just an idea.

My $.02 is that moves should either not count towards the equation at all, or have a very small negative effect.

It would also be nice if your script gained extra points for answering the question:

Apple Core! Who's your friend?

I do not think it is possible to move around indefinatly. the distance between you and the robot will either stay the same or decrease with each move excluding the teleport moves.

Assume you move in the perfect direction away from the robot 1 space (this would increase your distance from the robot by 1), the robot then also moves 1 space directly towards you (reducing the distance by 1).
Now assume you don't move in that perfect direction away from the robot, this would only increase your distance by a number less than 1, the robot would still move directly towards you reducing the distance by 1. This overall would decrease the distance between you and the robot.

Thus, the only way to move indefinatly is to have an unlimited number of teleports and get lucky with where you teleport to, or have a game board of infinite size where you can move in 1 direction forever, which we don't have

Another thought to the scoring would allow the Robots to eat the apples as well and therefore any apples that have been eaten can't be included in the final score.

From the rules:
-If the player kills all the robots then the game ends, and the remaining apples are added to the player's score.

Is this the only way to end the game? What if the player eats all the apples?

Because if this is the only way to end the game, then going after the apples is pointless. Think about it.. If the only way to win is to kill all the robots, and you get all the remaining apples when that occurs, then why go after the apples at all? The only goal is to kill all the robots. You get all the apples for free anyway once that goal has been accomplished, so there's no point in trying for them more quickly.

Now, if the game ends when you get all the apples on the field, then you might want to go after them when you can, because then you can end the game that way as well. It's an alternative goal, and the algorithim design now has to decide which goal is more likely to be accomplished: kill the robots or eat the apples.

Good point... I wondered the same thing.

Just wanted to post that the Scoring method needs to be decided soon. I can't come up with a strategy as long as the Scoring is still in limbo.

I was going to start coding this weekend, but I can't as long as there's a chance my strategy needs to change.

BTW, cool contest.

Wouldn't another option be to limit the number of moves the "player" can take?

That's somewhat limited already by the execution time.