MISSION: xAnts - pathing demo

[PepeAmpere]

This "mission" is only promo demo for showing abilities of NOE tools. You will see implementation of ants pathing optimalisation algorithm based on pheromon marks intensity they leave on path they use. After some time of running the demo, ants should lean to the shorter path between hive and "target".



How to play

• download notApack + NOTA 1.71/NOTA 1.xxx
• upack in clean folder
• launch NOTA.exe
• go to "Single Player" window -> xAnts pathing demo
• click on "Play"

OR

• download notApack + NOTA 1.71
• upack in clean folder
• get the map Canyon_Redux-v01 (in maps folder)
• launch TASClient.exe
• hostBattle with
  • mod NOTA 1.71
  • map Canyon_Redux-v01
  • option mission - "none" -> "xants-pd"
  • mission AI - team 1
  • mission AI - team 2
  • be spectator
  • option NOE splited mapping - OFF
  • option NOE mapping split - the lowest possible
  • option NOE mapping lenght - the lowest possible
  • option Maximum game speed - 6.0 or more
• launch

How to understand it

When the demo is launched, you see ant hive in top-left corner and ant "target" in bottom right corner.

After some time ants start to leave the hive and go to "target". On crossroad the choose the way randomly, with 50 % chance to go by path H and 50% chance to go by path D. After some time they reach the "target" and the probability of choosing path change depening on how much pheromon is laid on given path.

Relative representation of pheromon leveles are "red" squares. If more red, more pheromon is laid there.

Pheromon disappears after some time.

There are defined 10 nods of graph representing the whole path net - need for our cause.

• start = hive
• ziel = "target", queen bug now
• A = crossroad - decision point on way to "target"
• B = crossroad - decision point on way home to hive
• H1, D1 = decision makers for decision made in nod A
• HN, DN = decision makers for decision made in nod B
• H2..HN-1, D2..DN-1 = other nods on way H or D

Settings (with defaults)

• numberOfAnts = 80 (how many ants created)
• spawnSplit = 120 (many frames between ants creation (120 = 2s))
• reportTime = 600 (how many frames between reports in log (600 = 10s))
• valueOfOneAnt = 0.15 (how valuable is one ant (KEEP it around 10/numberOfAnts))
• startLevel = 6 (after getting this level on some control point ants start using pheromons)
• decreaseValue = 0.90 (multiplier - how much of ant's "mark" stay on the place)
• decreaseTimes = 1 (timing of decreasing (big values makes strange steps) LET 1)
• randomization = 1627 (change randomseed)

How to change settings

• all settings you find in file ./mods/nota1xxx.sdd/missions/xants-pd/settings.lua
• you can add obstacles to the way by wiriting /cheat once and /give 1 armdrag how many times you want. On position of your cursor "rock" is placed.

IF USING Single Player launch, change this:

• in ./mods/nota1xxx.sdd/missions/xants-pd/start_script.txt change gametype= "from NOTA 1.71;" to "NOTA 1.xxx"