A decision has been made on the official map generator

[antimatroid]

A decision has been made about the map generator that is almost certain to be used for the final contest, below are the specifications that the maps will meet. A copy of the code can be found you want to generate your own test maps, or make sure it is generating suitably random maps.

Here are some concrete specifics:
- The number of planets on a map varies from 15 to 30.
- The maps can be line or point symmetric.
- The minimum starting distance between players planets is 4, the minimum distance between any two planets is 2.
- The maximum distance between planets is 24. (Edit: this will be changed to 34, what it originally was).
- Both players start with 100 ships and 5 growth on their home planet.
- There is always one center neutral, and there can be anywhere from 0 to 5 additional planets specifically generated to have an equal distance from both players (additional planets could be generated through the normal process that happen to have this property as well).
- The center neutral has growth between 0 and 5, all other neutrals have growth between 1 and 5. All neutrals start with ships between 1 and 100.
- There exists at least one neutral planet on your half of the map that you can take without losing your home planet to rage bot.
- Distances are never within 0.002 of an integer value, to avoid possible rounding differences between languages

While new maps will be added to the official servers shortly, a brand new set of maps will be used in the final contest, it is currently intended that they be generated from the above code.

Note: While maps of all kinds described above have been tested by numerous people and appear to work, adding them to the official servers has not actually been tested, and organizers reserve the right to change the specification if things do screw up.

[Edit to correct and clarify specifics of map generator and point to the final version - Janzert]

[space.invaders]

I'm very glad you made a decision. It was just in time for participants to react, I may add.

While you are at it: how about making a decision on the turn limit. Will it be 200 or something else? Will it be fixed or variable? Will you implement one of the proposals to tell the bots the number of turns left?

In my point of view, this is as urgent as the maps, because obviously, participants that will guess your decision (if you don't tell us in advance) will have an advantage. We want the best AI to win, not the one that was lucky enough to guess your decisions.

[Janzert]

The latest generator can now be found at . Unless someone finds a problem maps from it will be going live in the next few hours.

Janzert

[lavalamp]

200 maps from this generator.

[dimkadimon]

15 out of 34 (44%) of people were against this decision. This includes our current leader. This is a very poor decision and will not make many people happy. I really don't see what you will gain by changing the map type?!?

[Janzert]

Ok, as of the contest server is running with the new maps given below. There are currently 30 which of course may be expanded or changed and will be changed completely for the finals.

Janzert

[Edit: For easy reference the switch occurred at Nov 13th 18:04:37 server time]

[glevee]

[Janzert]

[Accoun]

keep old generator.
time to change rules is over.

[antimatroid]