Core War: Die Hard

• Core War
• Strategy
• Paper/Imp
• Die Hard

Die Hard is a paper/imp with an embedded imp launcher which entered the KOTH.org multiwarrior hill in August 1995 and survived 88 challenges before being pushed off on 24th May 1998. Die Hard also entered the Pizza 94 hill with only 1% losses with the most successful version reaching age 109. Die Hard competed in NSFCWT.

;redcode-94m
;name Die Hard
;author P.Kline
;NSFCWT Round 1
;assert CORESIZE == 8000
;strategy minimal kill+, maximal survival
;
; Quick-scan a small portion of core
;    vamp anything found into the pit
;    the pit does a brainwash as well as core-clear
; Die Hard - replicate continuous ring-launchers (ala Keystone)
; The brainwash forces pspacers to their default - usually
; some stand-still program which Die Hard can kill
;
space    equ (4-40*127)
boot     equ (30*127+50)
dv       equ (c0+58)
dvins    mov   101,{1               ; pretty good bomb

qstep    dat    -8,8
qfang    jmp    qpit-qcomp+8,qcomp-8
start    seq    qcomp+(100*01),qcomp+(100*02) ; quick-scan small part of core
         mov.ab #(100*01),*qcptr
         seq    qcomp+(100*03),qcomp+(100*04)
         mov.ab #(100*03),*qcptr
         seq    qcomp+(100*05),qcomp+(100*06)
         mov.ab #(100*05),*qcptr
         seq    qcomp+(100*07),qcomp+(100*08)
         mov.ab #(100*07),*qcptr
qcptr    jmn.b  qcomp,qcomp
         seq    qcomp+(100*09),qcomp+(100*10)
         mov.ab #(100*09),*qcptr
         seq    qcomp+(100*11),qcomp+(100*12)
         mov.ab #(100*11),*qcptr
         seq    qcomp+(100*13),qcomp+(100*14)
         mov.ab #(100*13),*qcptr
         seq    qcomp+(100*15),qcomp+(100*16)
         mov.ab #(100*15),*qcptr

         jmz.b  dh,qcomp
qcomp    sne    -200,0           ; which of two pointers was it?
         add    #100,qcomp
         add.b  qcomp,qfang      ; adjust fang
         sub.ba qcomp,qfang
         mov    qfang,@qfang     ; drop 6 fangs
         add    qstep,qfang
         mov    qfang,@qfang
         add    qstep,qfang
         djn    -4,#3            ; can't take too much time!

dh       mov dvins,dv+boot       ; position dv-bomb as needed
         mov dvins,dv
         spl 1,>-2002            ; make 8 processes
         spl 1,>-2001
         spl 1,>-2000
         mov <s2,{s2             ; boot one copy of Die Hard
s2       spl c0+boot+8,c0+8

c0       spl   @0,space          ; here is Die Hard
         mov   }c0,>c0
cs       spl   #0        ,}dv    ; following lines execute in reverse order
         mov   dv        ,}dv+space
cb       add.a #119      , dv+space
         spl   imp+5334  ,}dv+space
         spl   imp+2667  ,}dv+space
imp      mov.i #2667 ,*0
     for 36
         dat   0,0
     rof
qclr     dat   1,1
qpit     spl   0,0               ; the pit
         spl   -1,>1             ; washing with zero causes opponent
         stp.ab #0,#0            ;    to choose default strategy
         mov    qclr,>1          ; self-destructive core-clear
         jmp    -1,5
     for 5
         dat   0,0
     rof
         dat   start+1000,start+2000 ; small decoy for backward-scanners
         dat   start+1000,start+2000
         dat   start+1000,start+2000
         dat   start+1000,start+2000
         dat   start+1000,start+2000
         dat   1,1                   ; delay djn-stream overruns
         dat   1,1
         end start