Project Hoshimi, tutorial for beginners (Part 3 : FAQ)

Q & A for beginners

Q : At which frequency my WhatToDoNextEvent function is called ?
A : You can get during the game Utils.NumberOfTurnBetweenEvent, this number is the number of turns elapsed between two WhatToDoNextEvent calls. Usually there are 4 turns between 2 WhatToDoNextEvent calls (but this can change), so it called at turn 4, 8, 12, 16….

Q : How long is a turn ?
A : You can get during the game Utils.NumberOfTurnBySecond (the name is obvious, isn’t it ?). This is often set to 5, so a turn last 200 milliseconds.

Q : What happen if my function WhatToDoNextEvent is too long ?
A : You can calculate that you have 4 * 200 = 800 ms to play. If you are too slow, your bots won’t do anything until your function has returned. You will skip the next WhatToDoNextEvent calls if your function has not returned.

For example, if your WhatToDoNextEvent function is running during 2 seconds, you will miss the 2 next calls (2000 = 2 * 800 + 400). Avoid this as much as possible.

Q : What are streams ?
A : Streams are areas in the tissue where the moving speed depend on the direction you move your bot. When you move against the stream, you are slowed, and when you move in any other direction, you move faster.

Q : Can I kill my opponent ?
A : No, you can’t kill any bot of you opponent, because Project Hoshimi has been designed to be a “peace and love” game ;). But you can kill Pierre’s bots (and he can kill you), he is French but he is a very bad guy.

Q : Are there limitations in the characteristics of the bots that I define ?
A : Of course, there are limitations. See the section How to begin > Limitations when defining a new bot.

Q : Is there any limitation to build bots ?
A : You can build a bot whenever you want, but there is a limit for the number of the bots in your team, it is usually 40, but you can get the value during the game using Utils.NbrMaxBots. Also, if you build a non-NanoMoveable bot (NanoNeedle, NanoBlocker or NanoWall), you can only build it if there is no non-NanoMoveable bot on the cell you’re trying to build.

Q : Does OtherNanoBotsInfo contains all the ennemy bots ?
A : No, there is only the bots that are in the sight of your bots.

Q : What is the sight of my bot ?
A : You must add the value of the Scan characteristic of your bot and Utils.ScanLength (usually 10) to get the range of sight of each of your bot. The NanoExplorer can have a very big Scan characteristic, allowing you to easily scout the map.

Q : When is OtherNanoBotsInfo updated ?
A : It is not updated at each turn. The interval at which it is updated is the value of Utils. NumberOfTurnBetweenScan (usually 6 turns).

Q : Does NanoBlockers and NanoWalls block my bots ?
A : No, it blocks only the bots of your opponent and Pierre’s ones.

Q : Who is the winner at the end of a game ?
A : At the end of the game, the winner is the player who have the biggest number of points. In case of equality, the following criteras are used (sorted by priority) :

• The player who accomplished the biggest number of objectives.
• The player who has the biggest number of NanoNeedles built on HoshimiPoints.
• The player who has the biggest number of NanoNeedles built anywhere.
• The player who has the biggest number of bots.

Q : I have many other questions.
A : Okay, go to www.imaginecup.com and ask in the Project Hoshimi board, someone will likely answer your question.

Written by RaptorXP (Flavien Charlon) [Team Atomnium, World Champion 2006]

Part 1 | Part 2 | FAQ