"A single ant or bee isn't smart, but their colonies are. The study of swarm intelligence is providing insights that can help humans manage complex systems, from truck routing to military robots."
- by Peter Miller The Genius of Swarms published: July 2007
The game consists of 4 swarms (Yellow, Red, Green and Blue). Each member of the swarm uses the same algorithm for decision making. The individual is presented with a limited view of their surroundings, thus forcing decisions based on neighboring individuals and their environment, and not the big picture. There are no inherit leaders, unless one is made. The swarms and individuals take turns making moves.
The objective is to cover (leave squares colored with your color) the majority of the board.
The individuals make decisions based on python scripts. Below are a few examples of the scripts used as the default implementation. Use the "User" radio button to define your own implementation.
# Parameters:
# p - Previous state
# h - Height
# w - Width
# field - 2 dimensional view of field (from your POV)
# up
# [0,0] ... [0,n]
# left ... [h,w] ... right
# [n,0] ... [n,n]
# down
def Move(p,h,w,field):
# States:
# Forbidden = 0
# Unoccupied = 1
# Occupied = 2
# Defended = 3
# Duplication = 4
# Visited = 5
# Enemy = 6
#
# Moves:
# Nothing = 0
# Up = 1
# Down = 2
# Left = 3
# Right = 4
# Defend = 5
# Duplicate = 6
state = [0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
up = field[h-1,w]
down = field[h+1,w]
left = field[h,w-1]
right = field[h,w+1]
state[ up ] += 1
state[ down ] += 1
state[ left ] += 1
state[ right ] += 1
# make a move
if 2 <= state[0]: # PlotState.Forbidden
# if in a corner
return 6 # Move.Duplicate
if up == 1 or up == 6: # PlotState.Unoccupied or PlotState.Enemy
return 1 # Move.Up
if right == 5 or right == 1 or right == 6: # PlotState.Visited or PlotState.Unoccupied or PlotState.Enemy
return 4 # Move.Right
if left == 1 or left == 6: # PlotState.Unoccupied or PlotState.Enemy
return 3 # Move.Left
if down == 5 or down == 1 or down == 6: # PlotState.Visited or PlotState.Unoccupied or PlotState.Enemy
return 2 # Move.Down
else:
if right == 1 or right == 6 or right == 5: # PlotState.Unoccupied or PlotState.Enemy or PlotState.Visited
return 4 # Move.Right
if down == 1 or down == 6 or down == 5: # PlotState.Unoccupied or PlotState.Enemy or PlotState.Visited
return 2 # Move.Down
if left == 1 or left == 6 or left == 5: # PlotState.Unoccupied or PlotState.Enemy or PlotState.Visited
return 3 # Move.Left
if up == 1 or up == 6 or up == 5: # PlotState.Unoccupied or PlotState.Enemy or PlotState.Visited
return 1 # Move.Up
# default move
return 5 # Move.Defend# Parameters:
# p - Previous state
# h - Height
# w - Width
# field - 2 dimensional view of field (from your POV)
# up
# [0,0] ... [0,n]
# left ... [h,w] ... right
# [n,0] ... [n,n]
# down
def Move(p,h,w,field):
# States:
# Forbidden = 0
# Unoccupied = 1
# Occupied = 2
# Defended = 3
# Duplication = 4
# Visited = 5
# Enemy = 6
#
# Moves:
# Nothing = 0
# Up = 1
# Down = 2
# Left = 3
# Right = 4
# Defend = 5
# Duplicate = 6
state = [0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
up = field[h-1,w]
down = field[h+1,w]
left = field[h,w-1]
right = field[h,w+1]
state[ up ] += 1
state[ down ] += 1
state[ left ] += 1
state[ right ] += 1
# make a move
if 2 <= state[0]:
# if in a corner
return 6 # Move.Duplicate
if 0 < state[6] and p != 3: # PlotState.Defend
return 5 # Move.Defend
if 0 < state[6]: # PlotState.Enemy
# find the PlotState.Enemy and stomp them
if up == 6: # PlotState.Enemy
return 1 # Move.Up
if down == 6: # PlotState.Enemy
return 2 # Move.Down
if left == 6: # PlotState.Enemy
return 3 # Move.Left
if right == 6: # PlotState.Enemy
return 4 # Move.Right
if 0 < state[1]: # PlotState.Unoccupied
if left == 1: # PlotState.Unoccupied
return 3 # Move.Left
if down == 1: # PlotState.Unoccupied
return 2 # Move.Down
if right == 1: # PlotState.Unoccupied
return 4 # Move.Right
if up == 1: # PlotState.Unoccupied
return 1 # Move.Up
else:
if left == 5: # PlotState.Visited
return 3 # Move.Left
if down == 5: # PlotState.Visited
return 2 # Move.Down
if right == 5: # PlotState.Visited
return 4 # Move.Right
if up == 5: # PlotState.Visited
return 1 # Move.Up
# default move
return 5 # Move.Defend# Parameters:
# p - Previous state
# h - Height
# w - Width
# field - 2 dimensional view of field (from your POV)
# up
# [0,0] ... [0,n]
# left ... [h,w] ... right
# [n,0] ... [n,n]
# down
import _random
rand = _random.Random()
def Rand():
return rand.getrandbits(8)
def Avaiable(d):
if d == 1 or d == 5 or d == 6: # PlotState.Unoccupied or PlotState.Visisted or PlotState.Enemy
return 1
else:
return 0
def Move(p,h,w,field):
# States:
# Forbidden = 0
# Unoccupied = 1
# Occupied = 2
# Defended = 3
# Duplication = 4
# Visited = 5
# Enemy = 6
#
# Moves:
# Nothing = 0
# Up = 1
# Down = 2
# Left = 3
# Right = 4
# Defend = 5
# Duplicate = 6
up = field[h-1,w]
down = field[h+1,w]
left = field[h,w-1]
right = field[h,w+1]
while 1 == 1: # forever
move = (Rand() % 6) + 1
if 1 <= move and move <= 4:
if move == 1 and Avaiable(up): # Move.Up
return 1 # Move.Up
elif move == 2 and Avaiable(down): # Move.Down
return 2 # Move.Down
elif move == 3 and Avaiable(left): # Move.Left
return 3 # Move.Left
elif move == 4 and Avaiable(right): # Move.Right
return 4 # Move.Right
else:
return move# Parameters:
# p - Previous state
# h - Height
# w - Width
# field - 2 dimensional view of field (from your POV)
# up
# [0,0] ... [0,n]
# left ... [h,w] ... right
# [n,0] ... [n,n]
# down
def AdjacentMove(up,down,left,right):
if up == 1 or up == 6: # PlotState.Unoccupied or PlotState.Enemy
return 1 # Move.Up
elif right == 1 or right == 6: # PlotState.Unoccupied or PlotState.Enemy
return 4 # Move.Right
elif down == 1 or down == 6: # PlotState.Unoccupied or PlotState.Enemy
return 2 # Move.Down
elif left == 1 or left == 6: # PlotState.Unoccupied or PlotState.Enemy
return 3 # Move.Left
elif down == 5: # PlotState.Visited
return 2 # Move.Down
elif left == 5: # PlotState.Visited
return 3 # Move.left
elif right == 5: # PlotState.Visited
return 4 # Move.Right
elif up == 5: # PlotState.Visited
return 1 # Move.Up
else:
return 0 # Move.Nothing
def Avaiable(d):
if d == 1 or d == 5 or d == 6: # PlotState.Unoccupied or PlotState.Visisted or PlotState.Enemy
return 1
else:
return 0
def Move(p,h,w,field):
# States:
# Forbidden = 0
# Unoccupied = 1
# Occupied = 2
# Defended = 3
# Duplication = 4
# Visited = 5
# Enemy = 6
#
# Moves:
# Nothing = 0
# Up = 1
# Down = 2
# Left = 3
# Right = 4
# Defend = 5
# Duplicate = 6
state = [0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
nstate = [0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
up = field[h-1,w]
down = field[h+1,w]
left = field[h,w-1]
right = field[h,w+1]
nup = field[h-2,w]
ndown = field[h+2,w]
nleft = field[h,w-2]
nright = field[h,w+2]
state[ up ] += 1
state[ down ] += 1
state[ left ] += 1
state[ right ] += 1
nstate[ nup ] += 1
nstate[ ndown ] += 1
nstate[ nleft ] += 1
nstate[ nright ] += 1
# make a move
if 2 <= state[0]: # PlotState.Forbidden
# if in a corner
return 6 # Move.Duplicate
elif (nup == 0 and nleft == 0 and up != 0 and left != 0) or (nup == 0 and nright == 0 and up != 0 and right != 0) or (ndown == 0 and nleft == 0 and down != 0 and left != 0) or (ndown == 0 and nright == 0 and down != 0 and right != 0): # PlotState.Forbidden - in corner stone
return 5 # Move.Defend
elif 1 <= state[4]: # PlotState.Duplication
# grab the corner stone
if (up == 0 and Avaiable(down) == 1): # PlotState.Forbidden - Move to the corner stone
return 2 # Move.Down
elif (down == 0 and Avaiable(up) == 1): # PlotState.Forbidden - Move to the corner stone
return 1 # Move.Up
elif (right == 0 and Avaiable(left) == 1): # PlotState.Forbidden - Move to the corner stone
return 3 # Move.Left
elif (left == 0 and Avaiable(right) == 1): # PlotState.Forbidden - Move to the corner stone
return 4 # Move.Right
else:
return AdjacentMove(up,down,left,right)
elif 1 <= nstate[4]: # PlotState.Duplication
# protect the duplicater
if (nup == 4 and up == 2 and down != 6 and ndown != 6) or (ndown == 4 and down == 2 and up != 6 and nup !=6) or (nleft == 4 and left == 2 and left != 6 and nleft != 6) or (nright == 4 and right == 2 and left != 6 and nright != 6): # PlotState.Duplication and PlotState.Occupied and !PlotState.Enemy - Make way for the new member of the swarm
return AdjacentMove(up,down,left,right)
else:
return 5 # Move.Defend
else:
return AdjacentMove(up,down,left,right)
# default move
return 5 # Move.Defend