From: stst@idnsun.gpct.Vanderbilt.Edu (Stefan Strack) Subject: Re: pmars for mac Date: 1995/08/01 Message-ID: <9508012104.AA10661@idnsun.gpct.Vanderbilt.Edu.noname>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar >I am interested in finding a pmars (for the mac) that does >the following: > [..] >basically I am interested in getting something like >Redcoder that is up to date for the a field indirect >addressing modes and supports for - rof. > >John - You want ftp://ftp.csua.berkeley.edu/pub/corewar/systems/MacpMARS.10.cpt.hqx This is a port of pMARS v0.6 and therefore supports SEQ,SNE,NOP,*,{,}. -Stefan From: an791@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (David Moorhouse) Subject: Newest PMARS? Date: 1995/08/01 Message-ID: #1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Just wondering if there is a newer one out there somewhere for the PC, and where I could find it. My version is about a year old and I can't use pre-increments and post-decrements, and all the other newer stuff, I'm ASSUMING that those are usedd regularly now, since I saw a program on the beginner hill on pizza that used them. By the way... I've noticed that some of the warriors on the beginners hill are the same as the ones on the regular hills, and I don't consider that fair... My warriors don't stand a chance against them, so please, if you have a warrior on the regular hills AND the same one on the beginners, please remove it. Thanx. -Dave! -- "Today is the greatest day I've ever known. Can't live for tomorrow,|Extra=-= tomorrow's much too long." -Billy Corgan ****************************|-Space=- LIVE LIFE! HAVE FUN! DO WHATEVER THE HELL YOU WANT! (just watch out for cops) --==--==--==--==--==--==This is a decorative line.==--==--==--==--==--==--==-- From: jklewis@css.itd.umich.edu (John Kipling Lewis) Subject: pmars for mac Date: 1995/08/01 Message-ID: <3vljrp$kdb@lastactionhero.rs.itd.umich.edu>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar I am interested in finding a pmars (for the mac) that does the following: * displays the current pointers for both programs * shows total number of processes for both programs * uses redcode 94 with the new indirect addressing for the a field (so I can make warrior for the KOTH) * allow me to click on a point in the core and show me the content there. (and possibly the five lines on either side of it) * a debugging tool for step and tracing basically I am interested in getting something like Redcoder that is up to date for the a field indirect addressing modes and supports for - rof. John - (BTW I am at a new address now...) From: wilkinso@metronet.com Subject: Re: Core War Frequently Asked Questions (rec.games.corewar FAQ) Date: 1995/08/01 Message-ID: <3vkma3$8qs@feenix.metronet.com>#1/1 references: newsgroups: rec.games.corewar 3) Mail this file to koth@stormking.com or pizza@ecst.csuchico.edu. "Pizza" requires a subject of "koth" (use the -s flag on most mailers). 4) Within a few minutes you should get mail back telling you whether your program assembled correctly or not. If it did assemble correctly, sit back and wait; if not, make the change required and re-submit. 5) In an hour or so you should get more mail telling you how your program performed against the current top 20 (or 10) programs. If no news arrives during that time, don't worry; entries are put in a queue and run through the tournament one at a time. A backlog may develop. Be patient. Is the above information up to date? If so, does anyone know what I did wrong? I sent a warrior I'd been testing, and never recieved any sort of reply back... I mailed it to "koth@stormking.com" and if the mail hadn't ever made it there, I should've gotten an error message from the local mail server... It's been about 24 hours since I sent my first one, and I sent a second one with ";redcode verbose" about 12 hours ago... From: The Fake Paul Subject: My favorite algorithm :) Date: 1995/08/02 Message-ID: <01HTLR4A451E003I4D@OCVAXA.CC.OBERLIN.EDU>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Here is the program idea I used to get on the multi-warrior experimental hill. I think it did so well because the hill was filled with replicator's/paper type programs to begin with, and that is basically what it is. I know it pretty much sucks, because I just tried it on the beginner's hill and it managed to score a measly 62 points, but that still got it on the hill. Weird. I'm a begginer at this, and the reason I am sending this message is to get constructive criticism, so please, rip it apart. ;name Spwum ;author Paul Huff SPL 2 MOV 0, 1 SPL 2 MOV 0, 1 SPL 2 MOV 0, 1 SPL 2 MOV 0, 1 MOV 0, 1 That is the basic idea, it probably has even been tried before, oh well. -Paul From: pk6811s@acad.drake.edu Subject: Re: pmars for mac Date: 1995/08/02 Message-ID: <1995Aug2.170550@acad.drake.edu>#1/1 references: <3vljrp$kdb@lastactionhero.rs.itd.umich.edu> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar (John Kipling Lewis) writes: > I am interested in finding a pmars (for the mac) that does > the following: > me too! Plus: - allows me to go back and rerun a battle when something interesting happens too fast to follow. Uh... I have some of these features, unfortunately my C compiler is temporarily broken until I can stuff some more memory in my PowerPC 7100. -- Paul Kline pk6811s@acad.drake.edu From: rognlie@lute.gcr.com (Richard W. Rognlie) Subject: Richard's PBeM Server (Monthly Post) Date: 1995/08/02 Message-ID: <3vo89k$89a@ukelele.qnet.com> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar,rec.games.programmer,comp.ai.games,comp.lang.c,comp.lang.c++ Richard's C++Robots Server Monthly Posting A generic Play-By-eMail Server has been set up at pbmserv@vtsu.prc.com. It currently supports a variety of games. Of particular interest to this forum is C++Robots. To get more information send mail to pbmserv@vtsu.prc.com with 'help' as the subject line. Games Currently Supported C++Robots (Copyright (c) 1994 Richard Rognlie) An ongoing "King of the Hill" (KotH) tournament in which players use ANSI C or C++ to create a control program for a robot. Your robot then fights each of the other robots "on the hill". If you do well enough, your robot will "make the hill", bumping the lowest robot from the hill. Robots have the ability to scan for opponents, fire a cannon, move, and determine current position and status. Conceptually based on C-Robots written for the IBM PC by Tom Pointdexter. Abalone On a hexagonal board (radius 5) two to six players have armies of marbles. Players take turns "pushing" 1, 2 or 3 linearly connected marbles, attempting to push their opponents' marbles off the board. Ataxx On a 7x7 board, the two players of ataxx fight to controll a majority of the board via growth and jumps that flip opponents pieces to their color. Hex On a 11x11 diamond board, players take turns placing stones of their color on the board. The object is to connect your sides of the board while preventing your opponent from doing the same. Jungle Jungle is sort of a cross between Chinese chess and Stratego. It's popular in China as a children's "stepping-stone" to Chinese chess. It's also an interesting game in its own right. Neutron ((c) 1978 Charles Wetherell) On a 5x5 board, the two players of neutron fight to either move the neutron to their back row or trap it so the opponent cannot move it. The winner is the player who is able to trap the neutron or gets the neutron to his or her own back row. It does not matter if it is your opponent who moves the neutron to your back row -- you still win. Othello (Copyright (c) 1973,1990 Pressman Toy Co.) On a 8x8 board, the two players of othello fight to control the majority of the board by outflanking and flipping their opponents pieces. Tanbo & Tanbo3d (Copyright (c) 1995 Mark Steere) Played on a Go board, Tanbo crudely models a system of plant roots. Roots which are growing, competing for space, and dying. In beginner play, the roots grow much as the roots in a garden. Over time, the roots become shrewd and calculating. To win, a player must eliminate all eight of his opponent's roots. One player will always win. It's impossible to repeat a board configuration in Tanbo. Therefore a game cannot result in a draw. Tanbo3d extends the game of Tanbo into three dimensions. Terrace (Copyright (c) 1995 by Siler/Siler Ventures. All Rights Reserved) Terrace is played on an 8x8 board consisting of 16 'L' shaped terraces. Two corners of the board are "High" and the other corners are "Low". Each player has pieces of 4 sizes ('A', 'B', 'C' and 'D'). 'A' pieces are the smallest, 'D' pieces are the largest. 'T' pieces are the same size as 'A' pieces and are each player's "key" piece. The object of the game is to capture your opponent's "T" or move your "T" to the lowest square on your opponent's side of the board. Trax & StdTrax (Copyright (c) 1983 David Smith) Trax is a game played with square tiles. Each tile is identical to all other tiles, one side has a white line connecting opposite edges and a black line connecting the other edges, and the other side has a white line connecting 2 adjacent edges and a black line connecting the other edges. The object of the game is to create a loop of your color while preventing your opponent from doing the same. An alternate winning condition is to create a line extending from one edge of the board to the opposite edge of the board when the board is at least 8 tiles wide (or tall). StdTrax limits the board to an 8x8 area. Normal Trax allows to board to grow to whatever size is necessary. Normal Trax is also known as SuperTrax. TwixT (Copyright (c) Avalon Hill) On a 24x24 board, players take turns placing pegs of their color on the board. Any time a peg is placed a "knight's move" from another peg of the same color, a strut is placed, connecting them. A strut can not cross over (through) another strut. The object is to connect your sides of the board while preventing your opponent from doing the same. -- /\/\/\ | Richard Rognlie / Pr. Computer Analyst / PRC Inc. / McLean, VA / \ \ \ | E-Mail: rognlie@qnet.com rrognlie@vtsu.prc.com \ / / / | Phone: (Home) (703) 361-4764 (Office) (703) 556-2458 \/\/\/ | (Fax) (703) 556-1174 From: sieben@imap1.asu.edu Subject: corewar book Date: 1995/08/03 Message-ID: #1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar I'm wondering if it could be possible to publish a book about corewar. I'm thinking about a newsgroup effort to write a real publishable book. We have some documents to start with. I don't know if this happened before but this newsgroup could be one of the (if not the) first author of a real book. We could start collecting ideas what should go into the book, what format to use (I think TeX would be ideal) write a program to format warriors into TeX format etc. This could do some advertising for corewar. And if it makes any money, it could be used by the ICWS. What do you think? Nandor. From: legere@minerva.cis.yale.edu (Ronald Legere) Subject: ICWS '88 standard document Q Date: 1995/08/03 Message-ID: <3vr8o4$ei9@news.ycc.yale.edu>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar I was just looking over the ICWS 88 standard and notices that the part where it is talking about evaluating the operands is (apparently ) in error. It seems that it does indirect addressing wrong! It reads the B-value of the address pointed to and adds the program counter to it.. but that results in an address relative to the executing instruction, wheras the indirect address is suppose to be relative to the pointer's address right?? Hmm.. I hope that made some sense :) -- | | | )_) )_) )_) Captain:Ron Legere ___|____|____|___ email: legere@Minerva.cis.yale.edu ---------\ /--------- From: graham@hal.mathcs.rhodes.edu (Randy Graham) Subject: Re: Duration of ICWS'88 Date: 1995/08/03 Message-ID: <1995Aug3.120007.2819@rhodes>#1/1 references: <3vpp1b$kg1@feenix.metronet.com> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar wilkinso@metronet.com wrote: : to excecute 80,000 instructions, or that each warrior will get to : excecute 40,000 instructions, for a combined total of 80,000? A cycle is an execution of one instruction by each warrior, so 80,000 cycles means each warrior executes 80,000 instructions. Randy From: wilkinso@metronet.com Subject: Duration of ICWS'88 Date: 1995/08/03 Message-ID: <3vpp1b$kg1@feenix.metronet.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar ICWS'88 Standard Hill Specs: (Accessed with ";redcode", available at "stormking") hillsize: 20 warriors rounds: 100 coresize: 8000 max. processes: 8000 duration: after 80,000 cycles, a tie is declared. max. entry length: 100 minimum distance: 100 instruction set: ICWS '88 When it says 80,000 cycles, does that mean that each warrior will get to excecute 80,000 instructions, or that each warrior will get to excecute 40,000 instructions, for a combined total of 80,000? From: graham@hal.mathcs.rhodes.edu (Randy Graham) Subject: Re: My favorite algorithm :) Date: 1995/08/03 Message-ID: <1995Aug3.115925.2818@rhodes>#1/1 references: <01HTLR4A451E003I4D@OCVAXA.CC.OBERLIN.EDU> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar The Fake Paul (ZHUFF@OCVAXA.CC.OBERLIN.EDU) wrote: : ;name Spwum : ;author Paul Huff : SPL 2 : MOV 0, 1 : SPL 2 : MOV 0, 1 : SPL 2 : MOV 0, 1 : SPL 2 : MOV 0, 1 : MOV 0, 1 Well, I'm not sure it did what you wanted. I'll show how the first three lines execute, and I'll bet you can figure out the rest: 1 - spl 2 2 - mov 0, 1 3 - spl 2 OK, Line one executes and splits a process. The way the split works, the line following the spl will execute, then the line which was split to, so you will execute line 2 then line 3. So, after line 2 has executed, you code looks like this: 1 - spl 2 2 - mov 0, 1 3 - mov 0, 1 As you can probably see, line 3 then just copies the imp forward, overwriting all following splits without executing them. What you end up with is two imps running side by side. : That is the basic idea, it probably has even been tried before, oh well. : -Paul Randy From: ruhl@phoebe.cair.du.edu (Robert A. Uhl) Subject: Re: corewar book Date: 1995/08/04 Message-ID: <3vua2a$63j@hermes.cair.du.edu>#1/1 references: <3vstjt$841@feenix.metronet.com> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar In article <3vstjt$841@feenix.metronet.com>, wrote: >sieben@imap1.asu.edu wrote: [idea to write a book about Corewars and use the profits to fund the ICWS] >Sounds cool. But, what is TeX? Yes, it sounds like a good idea. It would be nice to have a dual (Windows/Mac) format CD with several Corewars progs with the book. Or just use a couple of floppies. The problem is getting the book bought. Perhaps call it 'Corewars for Dummies.' I am sure that it would be bought up by all the dumbies and idiots around. Perhaps a few would get interested. >Oh, also, do you have any organized method of spreading the word about >Corewars? I mean, is there any sort of 1/2 page summary or something? > >I heard about corewars through the grapevine, and would like something to >post about it as an ad, you know? To explain the corewar idea succinctly... I was hooked when I read a short summary in a book on Mac shareware. I don't recall the name, but it was an ancient book (before color Macs, and they came out in '86). -- +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Bob Uhl | Spectre | `En touto nika' + | | U of D | Baron Robert von Raetzin | http://mercury.cair.du.edu/~ruhl/ | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ From: tuc@news.stormking.com (Scott J. Ellentuch) Subject: Re: corewar book Date: 1995/08/04 Message-ID: <3vtiuc$cv4@valhalla.stormking.com>#1/1 references: <3vstjt$841@feenix.metronet.com> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar wilkinso@metronet.com wrote: : Oh, also, do you have any organized method of spreading the word about : Corewars? I mean, is there any sort of 1/2 page summary or something? : I heard about corewars through the grapevine, and would like something to : post about it as an ad, you know? To explain the corewar idea succinctly... Well, hopefully now that we've been added to the YAHOO Web Server (YES, FINALLY! - Recreation:Games:Computer Games:Core War) we'll get some more people who are interested in learning more about it! Tuc -- * --- --- |Scott J. Ellentuch, Pres | The Telecom Security Group * * | | | |Comm. and Comp. Security | (Storm King family of Companies) * * | |__|__ |Consultants and Engineers | P.O. Box 69, Newburgh, NY 12551 * From: pk6811s@acad.drake.edu Subject: Re: My favorite algorithm :) Date: 1995/08/04 Message-ID: <1995Aug4.084318@acad.drake.edu>#1/1 references: <01HTLR4A451E003I4D@OCVAXA.CC.OBERLIN.EDU> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar writes: > ;name Spwum > ;author Paul Huff > SPL 2 > MOV 0, 1 > SPL 2 > MOV 0, 1 > SPL 2 > MOV 0, 1 > SPL 2 > MOV 0, 1 > MOV 0, 1 This program doesn't do what you may think. The first SPL 2 schedules a process to be executed at the next SPL 2 _BUT_ the MOV 0,1 will execute first, overwriting the second SPL 2. All the SPL 2's are overwritten before executing. The effect is two MOV 0,1 imps running together through core. Paul Kline pk6811s@acad.drake.edu From: wilkinso@metronet.com Subject: Re: corewar book Date: 1995/08/04 Message-ID: <3vstjt$841@feenix.metronet.com>#1/1 references: newsgroups: rec.games.corewar sieben@imap1.asu.edu wrote: >I'm wondering if it could be possible to publish a book about corewar. I'm >thinking about a newsgroup effort to write a real publishable book. We have >some documents to start with. I don't know if this happened before but this >newsgroup could be one of the (if not the) first author of a real book. >We could start collecting ideas what should go into the book, what format to >use (I think TeX would be ideal) write a program to format warriors into TeX >format etc. This could do some advertising for corewar. And if it makes any >money, it could be used by the ICWS. >What do you think? >Nandor. Sounds cool. But, what is TeX? Oh, also, do you have any organized method of spreading the word about Corewars? I mean, is there any sort of 1/2 page summary or something? I heard about corewars through the grapevine, and would like something to post about it as an ad, you know? To explain the corewar idea succinctly... From: wilkinso@metronet.com Subject: Gate-busting rings Date: 1995/08/05 Message-ID: <3vvecm$358@feenix.metronet.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Can someone give me the code for the most effective gate-busting imp spiral or ring? I created a few myself, but I'm wondering if I might be doing something wrong. This is for the 88 standard... I've been trying to create the most perfect gate. From: wilkinso@metronet.com Subject: Re: corewar book Date: 1995/08/05 Message-ID: <3vve40$358@feenix.metronet.com>#1/1 references: <3vstjt$841@feenix.metronet.com> <3vua2a$63j@hermes.cair.du.edu> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar >[idea to write a book about Corewars and use the profits to fund the >ICWS] > >>Sounds cool. But, what is TeX? > > Yes, it sounds like a good idea. It would be nice to have a dual >(Windows/Mac) format CD with several Corewars progs with the book. Or >just use a couple of floppies. Alrighty, but what it TeX? >>Oh, also, do you have any organized method of spreading the word about >>Corewars? I mean, is there any sort of 1/2 page summary or something? >> >>I heard about corewars through the grapevine, and would like something to >>post about it as an ad, you know? To explain the corewar idea succinctly... > > I was hooked when I read a short summary in a book on Mac shareware. >I don't recall the name, but it was an ancient book (before color >Macs, and they came out in '86). See? That's the main problem here, I'll bet the number of people who'd be interested in this thing are at least triple the number who've ever heard of it... sad really. From: davis@fred.net (John F. Davis) Subject: Re: C-Robots for IBM? Date: 1995/08/05 Message-ID: <3vuk58$rn1@news.cais.com>#1/1 references: <3v3pja$nod@linda.teleport.com> <3vs9fi$ihn@agate.berkeley.edu> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Michael Constant (mconst@soda.CSUA.Berkeley.EDU) wrote: : Nick Ellson wrote: : >I am looking for C-Robots for the IBM, windows or dos versions? Can : >anyone point me to where it might be? I know it is an old game, but : >someone must know where it sits? : Well, there is now a C++Robots game that some people enjoy (haven't : played it myself). You can get info in rec.games.corewar -- followups : redirected. : -- : Michael Constant (mconst@soda.csua.berkeley.edu) try oak.oakland.edu SimTel/msdos/c . Happy trails davis@fred.net From: vankampe@emuvax.emich.edu Subject: Need Corewar FAQ or docs Date: 1995/08/06 Message-ID: <1995Aug6.235832.1@emuvax.emich.edu>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar I'm interested in learning / playing Corewars, but so far haven't found any information on it : could someone mail me a FAQ or tell me where to find the relevant info? Please direct replies to VANKAMPE@EMUVAX.EMICH.EDU Thanks. R. Sid VanKampen From: tuc@news.stormking.com (Scott J. Ellentuch) Subject: Re: Core War Frequently Asked Questions (rec.games.corewar FAQ) Date: 1995/08/06 Message-ID: <403etj$g40@valhalla.stormking.com>#1/1 references: <3vkma3$8qs@feenix.metronet.com> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar wilkinso@metronet.com wrote: : Is the above information up to date? If so, does anyone know what I : did wrong? I sent a warrior I'd been testing, and never recieved : any sort of reply back... I mailed it to "koth@stormking.com" and : if the mail hadn't ever made it there, I should've gotten an error : message from the local mail server... : It's been about 24 hours since I sent my first one, and I sent a second : one with ";redcode verbose" about 12 hours ago... The mystery is solved. I was just cleaning out the "koth" private mail, and it seems that due to a spelling error in the word "redcode", it was ignoring his warrior and leaving it there for private mail. The warrior has been sent back to him and I expect he'll be challanging the hill pretty soon. Perhaps I should update the script to say "There were no KotH commands detected, saving as private mail" when it gets in a message. This wouldn't be so great, however, with 1 user (Who I won't mention at du.edu) who's vacation program sent a "I'm not here" for every result of a battle while he was away. We would have sent "It wasn't a warrior", he would send "I'm not here", we'd send "It wasn't a warrior"....... Tuc -- * --- --- |Scott J. Ellentuch, Pres | The Telecom Security Group * * | | | |Comm. and Comp. Security | (Storm King family of Companies) * * | |__|__ |Consultants and Engineers | P.O. Box 69, Newburgh, NY 12551 * From: stst@idnsun.gpct.Vanderbilt.Edu (Stefan Strack) Subject: Re: Can't get useful display in PMARS. Date: 1995/08/06 Message-ID: <9508062019.AA01649@idnsun.gpct.Vanderbilt.Edu.noname>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar >Better yet, is there a version of KOTH that runs ICWS'94x? > >- Josh pMARS v0.8.0 has an X-Windows display. See the next announcement. -Stefan From: tuc@news.stormking.com (Scott J. Ellentuch) Subject: Re: Core War Frequently Asked Questions (rec.games.corewar FAQ) Date: 1995/08/06 Message-ID: <4031m2$j3u@valhalla.stormking.com>#1/1 references: <3vkma3$8qs@feenix.metronet.com> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar wilkinso@metronet.com wrote: : 3) Mail this file to koth@stormking.com or pizza@ecst.csuchico.edu. : "Pizza" requires a subject of "koth" (use the -s flag on most : mailers). : : 4) Within a few minutes you should get mail back telling you whether : your program assembled correctly or not. If it did assemble correctly, : sit back and wait; if not, make the change required and re-submit. : : 5) In an hour or so you should get more mail telling you how your : program performed against the current top 20 (or 10) programs. If no : news arrives during that time, don't worry; entries are put in a queue : and run through the tournament one at a time. A backlog may develop. : Be patient. : : Is the above information up to date? > I can vouch for the correctness of the stormking.com information. > > If so, does anyone know what I : did wrong? I sent a warrior I'd been testing, and never recieved : any sort of reply back... I mailed it to "koth@stormking.com" and : if the mail hadn't ever made it there, I should've gotten an error : message from the local mail server... > Did it ever make it back? We have experienced some network outtage recently, the worst being 8 hours on Friday. I was able to fall back to UUCP polling after 5 1/2 (Only because I didn't know it was out for 5 hours) and normal mail was restored 2 1/2 hours later. > : It's been about 24 hours since I sent my first one, and I sent a second : one with ";redcode verbose" about 12 hours ago... > If you believe you are still having problems, please CC me when you mail it : tuc@stormking.com Scott -- * --- --- |Scott J. Ellentuch, Pres | The Telecom Security Group * * | | | |Comm. and Comp. Security | (Storm King family of Companies) * * | |__|__ |Consultants and Engineers | P.O. Box 69, Newburgh, NY 12551 * From: stst@vuse.vanderbilt.edu (Stefan Strack) Subject: pMARS v0.8.0 released Date: 1995/08/06 Message-ID: <403cd7$b2q@news.vanderbilt.edu> references: <403bel$auo@news.vanderbilt.edu> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Now available as (source) (source) (DOS exec) This version of pMARS should be installed at pizza and stormking by the time you read this. -Stefan ____________________ What's new in version 0.8 P-space Originating from discussions on rec.games.corewar, P-space is an attempt at making warriors more "intelligent" by giving them a memory. P-space, short for "private", "permanent" or "priviledged" space is a memory area separate from core whose contents is not cleared between rounds. Every warrior has its own P-space for gathering information about the opposing warrior, but there is a provision for sharing P-space in team play (see below). P-space cells contain values in the range 0..CORESIZE-1. The number of P-space cells can be adjusted with the -S command line option; by default, P-space size is 1/16th of CORESIZE. This number is available to warriors as the predefined variable PSPACESIZE. pMARS updates P-space cell 0 at the beginning of each round with the result of the previous round: 0 signifies a loss in the previous round, a number larger than zero means that the warrior survived until the end of the round, the value indicating the number of surviving warriors. That is, a value of "1" means that the warrior survived by itself (a "win" in a two-warrior battle), a value of "2" that two warriors lasted until the end (a "tie" in a two warrior battle), etc.. In the first round, P-cell 0 is set to -1 (actually CORESIZE-1) to indicate that there is no previous result. There are two new instructions for accessing P-space: LDP (Load P-space) loads P-space cell specified by A-value into core at B-address. STP (Store P-space) stores A-value into P-space cell specified by B-value. It is important to note that P-space cells are refered to by A/B-values as opposed to A/B-addresses. As an example, "STP #10,#1" stores number 10 in P-cell 1. Since all P-space access is only via these two instructions, it takes too much time and space to use P-space for working variables where they would be safe from the opposing warrior. P-space was made deliberately hard to access, unlike a set of general purpose registers. P-space can also be used for communication between warriors belonging to a team in multi-warrior core war. To allow communication, P-space has to be declared as "shared". You do this by including the PIN pseudo-opcode in your source: PIN (P-space Identification Number) has a single numerical argument. If two or more participating warriors have the same PIN argument, they share the same P-space. If the PIN pseudo-opcode is missing from a warrior's source, its P-space is strictly private. The PIN argument is not normalized to [0..CORESIZE-1] before comparison. "PIN 0" and "PIN CORESIZE" are therefore not the same. P-cell #0 holding the result of the last round is exempt from sharing, i.e. every warrior has its own last round cell even though the rest of its P-space may be shared. CDB commands The new cdb command "pspace" switches the debugger into P-space mode. In this mode, "list", "edit", etc. work on the P-space instead of core. This command complements the "pqueue" and "wqueue" commands. When you start a cdb command with a '@' character, its output does not go to the screen, but it goes to a logfile if one has been opened. This old feature has now been complemented with the '&' character: "&go" sends output to neither screen nor logfile and is useful if you capture debugging info and are only interested in the "side-effects" of certain commands. Custom scores There is a new command line option "=" that lets you specify a custom score formula. By default, warriors are awarded (W*W-1)/S points per round (W: number of warriors, S: number of survivors). You can change this for some interesting new tournament variations. E.g.: -= "W-S+1" ;one-on-one: wins 2 pts, ties 1 pt -= "(W*W+1-S)/S" ;one-on-one: wins 4 pts, ties 1 pt See pmars.doc for further details. New ports and displays pMARS now runs on different flavors of VMS and comes with a complete help system and LSE support. The VMS binary, command and help files are released separately. Often requested, here it is finally: An X-Windows display for pMARS. Include the XWINGRAPHX directive in makefile:CFLAGS to compile X-Windows pMARS. There are a number of new command line options that control the X-display. See pmars.doc for details. The graphics display for linux using the SVGA library is also new. The linux display looks a lot like the DOS graphics display, there's even mouse support. See README for more information. We finally got pMARS to compile with the 16-bit DOS compilers Turbo/Borland C again. If there's interest, we will make the binaries that will work on 286 and lower machines available. Simulator/Debugger Previously, the trace flag of an instruction would be erased by overwriting, even when "moveable off" was entered at the cdb prompt or ";debug static" was included in the warrior source. This was a speed optimization inherited from Mercury2 shaving off a couple of milliseconds run time. Now, the trace flag is untouched when static debugging is selected. From: stst@vuse.vanderbilt.edu (Stefan Strack) Subject: pTools 1.0 released Date: 1995/08/06 Message-ID: <403bel$auo@news.vanderbilt.edu>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Now available as ftp://ftp.csua.berkeley.edu/pub/corewar/incoming/ptools10.zip mopt and pShell haven't changed, but Nandor has updated pShell to accomodate the multi-warrior feature and new command line switches of pMARS v0.7 and v0.8. Below is the readme. -Stefan ____________________ pTools Version 1.0 This is a collection of utility programs for the game of core war. If you don't know what core war is, stop reading right here and look at first. The programs in this archive work well with the pMARS system, but most programs will also work with other simulators. Executables compiled for DOS are included. mopt, pname and MTS come with C source and a UNIX makefile; Pascal source for the DOS-only pShell is also there. Below is an overview of what we have so far: ________________ pShell A DOS IDE for warrior development for people who would rather not deal with pMARS's command line switches. pShell also drives the tournament scheduler MTS (below). The "p" in pShell really doesn't apply, because it is not portable at all. The Pascal source and instructions for compiling pShell are in pshells.zip, documentation in pshell.doc. ________________ MTS Short for "MARS Tournament Scheduler", MTS arranges round-robin tournaments or "benchmark" tournaments in which one warrior is pitted against a set of warriors in turn. See mts.doc for details. The DOS executable is mts.exe; source is mts.c. ________________ mopt The "multiple optimizer" calculates optimal sets of constants for warriors. It is useful for warriors that use several step sizes, like stones and CMP scanners. More about it in mopt.doc. DOS binary is mopt.exe; source: mopt.c. mopt links the expression evaluator of pMARS (eval.c), so in order to "make" mopt, you need the pMARS source, version 0.6 or higher. ________________ pname pname renames warrior files based on the ;name line. Files are pname.c, pname.doc and pname.exe. If you've written programs that you think would fit well in this collection, drop me a note (Stefan.Strack@Vanderbilt.edu) and we'll included it in the next release of ptools. This includes automatic code generators (imp-launch, etc.), specialized constant optimizers, whatever you use for warrior development. If at all possible, programs should be written in C and be portable. If you have written useful cdb macros, those would go here too. From: "Joshua M. Yelon" Subject: Can't get useful display in PMARS. Date: 1995/08/06 Message-ID: <402ufn$qh8@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar I'm trying to debug some ICWS'94x code using Unix/Curses pMars. However, I can't seem to get a useful display out of it. When it starts, it shows the playfield, moving at an incomprehensible speed (even on -v 703). If I press Ctrl-C to enter the debugger, the playfield vanishes entirely. Is there anyway to get pMars to show me the playfield? Better yet, is there a version of KOTH that runs ICWS'94x? - Josh From: wilkinso@metronet.com Subject: Re: corewar book Date: 1995/08/06 Message-ID: <40188k$peo@feenix.metronet.com>#1/1 references: <3vstjt$841@feenix.metronet.com> <3vtiuc$cv4@valhalla.stormking.com> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar tuc@news.stormking.com (Scott J. Ellentuch) wrote: >wilkinso@metronet.com wrote: > >: Oh, also, do you have any organized method of spreading the word about >: Corewars? I mean, is there any sort of 1/2 page summary or something? > >: I heard about corewars through the grapevine, and would like something to >: post about it as an ad, you know? To explain the corewar idea succinctly... > > Well, hopefully now that we've been added to the YAHOO Web Server >(YES, FINALLY! - Recreation:Games:Computer Games:Core War) we'll get some >more people who are interested in learning more about it! > Certainly, that's a beginning. But, it would be nice to have a short article/description to post on local spots and related newgroups... you know, science/computer related groups? From: ruhl@phoebe.cair.du.edu (Robert A. Uhl) Subject: Re: Core War Frequently Asked Questions (rec.games.corewar FAQ) Date: 1995/08/07 Message-ID: <404ajf$3co@hermes.cair.du.edu>#1/1 references: <3vkma3$8qs@feenix.metronet.com> <403etj$g40@valhalla.stormking.com> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar In article <403etj$g40@valhalla.stormking.com>, Scott J. Ellentuch wrote: > >Perhaps I should update the script to say "There were no KotH commands >detected, saving as private mail" when it gets in a message. This wouldn't >be so great, however, with 1 user (Who I won't mention at du.edu) who's >vacation program sent a "I'm not here" for every result of a battle while >he was away. We would have sent "It wasn't a warrior", he would send >"I'm not here", we'd send "It wasn't a warrior"....... Sorry 'bout that. I have so many letters that I must send such messages, else I would get irate correspondents. I was afraid that something similar to what you describe might happen. ood thing that it did not. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. > Tuc >-- >* --- --- |Scott J. Ellentuch, Pres | The Telecom Security Group * >* | | | |Comm. and Comp. Security | (Storm King family of Companies) * >* | |__|__ |Consultants and Engineers | P.O. Box 69, Newburgh, NY 12551 * -- +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Bob Uhl | Spectre | `En touto nika' + | | U of D | Baron Robert von Raetzin | http://mercury.cair.du.edu/~ruhl/ | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ From: daredevl@enterprise.america.com (PageFault) Subject: Re: corewar book Date: 1995/08/07 Message-ID: <4069cj$rqi@enterprise.america.com>#1/1 references: <3vstjt$841@feenix.metronet.com> <3vtiuc$cv4@valhalla.stormking.com> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Scott J. Ellentuch (tuc@news.stormking.com) wrote: : wilkinso@metronet.com wrote: I remember from the C-Robots documentation: "You can't make people who don't understand it play." The only thing I can imagine that this would accomplish is: 1. Adding more lurkers to the newsgroup. 2. Adding more people who know zero about zero to the group. 3. Adding more newbie questions. It would have some benefits to intermediate users though: 1. Bring attention to never seen formulas (I still can't make a decent warrior! (I used PMARS and did a tourney against all of the 94 IWCS winners and got like last place ;)) 2. Less repeated questions. 3. A chance to get your name in lights. I dunno, I'm no marketting engineer, but I just used a bit of logic... -- --_ PageFault/DWA /* C/C++, VB, xbase */ |\ -_ UnseenTerror Dragon -==UDIC==- ---|_) http://www.america.com/~daredevl/web/home.html |/_- daredevl@america.com -- pagefault@ispace.com From: daredevl@enterprise.america.com (PageFault) Subject: Re: My favorite algorithm :) Date: 1995/08/07 Message-ID: <406943$rgi@enterprise.america.com>#1/1 references: <01HTLR4A451E003I4D@OCVAXA.CC.OBERLIN.EDU> <1995Aug4.084318@acad.drake.edu> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar pk6811s@acad.drake.edu wrote: : writes: : > ;name Spwum : > ;author Paul Huff : > SPL 2 : > MOV 0, 1 : > SPL 2 : > MOV 0, 1 : > SPL 2 : > MOV 0, 1 : > SPL 2 : > MOV 0, 1 : > MOV 0, 1 : This program doesn't do what you may think. The first SPL 2 schedules : a process to be executed at the next SPL 2 _BUT_ the MOV 0,1 will : execute first, overwriting the second SPL 2. All the SPL 2's are : overwritten before executing. The effect is two MOV 0,1 imps running : together through core. I'd bet it would be killed by a scanner/trapper within 200 executions. -- --_ PageFault/DWA /* C/C++, VB, xbase */ |\ -_ UnseenTerror Dragon -==UDIC==- ---|_) http://www.america.com/~daredevl/web/home.html |/_- daredevl@america.com -- pagefault@ispace.com From: agserm@aol.com (AGSerm) Subject: Re: Core War Frequently Asked Questions (rec.games.corewar FAQ) Date: 1995/08/07 Message-ID: <405hoj$n79@newsbf02.news.aol.com>#1/1 references: <404a4d$f2f@feenix.metronet.com> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar >Did this difference affect the second redcode's chances to make it on >in any way? I don't know, but I suspect not. From: han@imag.fr (Jay "Thierry" Han) Subject: Re: pMARS v0.8.0 released Date: 1995/08/07 Message-ID: #1/1 references: <403bel$auo@news.vanderbilt.edu> <403cd7$b2q@news.vanderbilt.edu> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Whoa. You guys will ever amaze me. This P-space stuff has been discussed only a few weeks ago, and you already have an implementation. BTW, the X-window output looks good! Thanks for all your efforts for providing the rest of us with such great software. -=< Jay "Thierry" Han >=- Jay.Han@imag.fr Bull-IMAG/Systemes. 2, av. Vignate. ZI Mayencin II, 38610 Gieres. Tel: +33 76.63.48.41. Fax: 76.54.76.15. Perso: 61, rue Thiers. 38000 Grenoble. 76.46.11.26. From: wilkinso@metronet.com Subject: Re: Core War Frequently Asked Questions (rec.games.corewar FAQ) Date: 1995/08/07 Message-ID: <404a4d$f2f@feenix.metronet.com>#1/1 references: <3vkma3$8qs@feenix.metronet.com> <403etj$g40@valhalla.stormking.com> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar tuc@news.stormking.com (Scott J. Ellentuch) wrote: >wilkinso@metronet.com wrote: >: It's been about 24 hours since I sent my first one, and I sent a second >: one with ";redcode verbose" about 12 hours ago... > >The mystery is solved. I was just cleaning out the "koth" private mail, and >it seems that due to a spelling error in the word "redcode", it was ignoring >his warrior and leaving it there for private mail. The warrior has been sent >back to him and I expect he'll be challanging the hill pretty soon. > Thanks, I was wondering why there was that one warrior that I never got a response back from... >Perhaps I should update the script to say "There were no KotH commands >detected, saving as private mail" when it gets in a message. This wouldn't >be so great, however, with 1 user (Who I won't mention at du.edu) who's >vacation program sent a "I'm not here" for every result of a battle while >he was away. We would have sent "It wasn't a warrior", he would send >"I'm not here", we'd send "It wasn't a warrior"....... > > Tuc Heh heh... automated conversations by mail bots at -both- ends... Now that would be pretty cool. :) Question: I sent a redcode up, after having gotten my previous redcode to make it into the last slot on the hill, and when I did, it sent me two mail rather than the usual one. One msg described my attempt to challenge the hill, and the other described my attempt to challenge my other redcode on the hill. Did this difference affect the second redcode's chances to make it on in any way? From: KOTH Tourney Server Subject: SKI-ICWS: Status - ICWS Tournament Date: 1995/08/07 Message-ID: <199508070400.AAA17774@valhalla.stormking.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Weekly Status See up to the second scores at http://www.stormking.com/~koth *READ ALL ABOUT IT* - pMARS 0.8 released : http://www.stormking.com/~koth/pmars.html Current Status of the StormKing Industries Annual ICWS Tournament CoreWar Hill: # %W/ %L/ %T Name Author Score Age 1 60/ 11/ 29 Cannonade Paul Kline 208 45 2 56/ 33/ 11 Miss Understanding Derek Ross 180 1 3 53/ 33/ 15 Old Tire Swing Randy Graham 173 2 4 51/ 37/ 12 Miss Carry Derek Ross 166 9 5 48/ 32/ 20 Giskard v0.5 Ken Mitton 165 18 6 51/ 41/ 8 Agony T Stefan Strack 161 46 7 43/ 35/ 22 stone matthew householder 152 57 8 45/ 42/ 13 Slaver v1.1i Christoph C. Birk 149 6 9 44/ 43/ 13 Miss Treatment Derek Ross 145 10 10 43/ 42/ 15 warrior 42 stefan roettger 144 58 11 44/ 43/ 13 Maya v1.6 Christoph C. Birk 144 19 12 43/ 51/ 6 xtc stefan roettger 134 50 13 40/ 48/ 12 Illusion Randy Graham 132 4 14 36/ 47/ 17 scissors matthew householder 124 60 15 36/ 54/ 10 Smartbomb 4.0 Devin Kilminster 118 44 16 36/ 55/ 10 Smartbomb 4.0 Devin Kilminster 117 43 17 35/ 53/ 12 Cat v2.0 Tim Scheer 117 42 18 31/ 47/ 22 Intangible Dwarf 88.3 Campbell Fraser 115 48 19 27/ 40/ 33 Logan John Lewis 115 27 20 30/ 45/ 26 Arschkarte V5.0 Thomas Nitsche 114 17 21 35/ 56/ 8 Irony v1.0 Brant D. Thomsen 114 49 From: KOTH Tourney Server Subject: SKI-ICWS: Status - Standard Date: 1995/08/07 Message-ID: <199508070400.AAA20067@valhalla.stormking.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Weekly Status See up to the second scores at http://www.stormking.com/~koth *READ ALL ABOUT IT* - pMARS 0.8 released : http://www.stormking.com/~koth/pmars.html Current Status of the StormKing Industries Standard KotH CoreWar Hill : # %W/ %L/ %T Name Author Score Age 1 28/ 13/ 59 Cannonade P.Kline 144 83 2 37/ 31/ 31 Keystone t21 P.Kline 144 70 3 31/ 19/ 51 CAPS KEY IS STUCK AGAIN Steven Morrell 142 49 4 30/ 21/ 49 Test Wayne Sheppard 139 72 5 40/ 41/ 20 Beholder's Eye V1.7 W. Mintardjo 138 127 6 39/ 39/ 23 Christopher Steven Morrell 138 48 7 39/ 41/ 19 Request v2.0 Brant D. Thomsen 138 19 8 37/ 37/ 26 Miss Understanding Derek Ross 137 6 9 30/ 22/ 48 Der Zweiter Blitzkrieg Mike Nonemacher 137 78 10 36/ 36/ 28 Giskard v0.5 Ken Mitton 137 21 11 41/ 45/ 14 Iron Gate Wayne Sheppard 136 177 12 27/ 18/ 55 Blue Funk 88 Steven Morrell 136 47 13 25/ 16/ 59 Peace Mr. Jones 135 57 14 28/ 21/ 51 Hydra Stephen Linhart 135 157 15 25/ 15/ 60 ttti nandor sieben 134 33 16 25/ 17/ 57 jmp/add crasher Randy Graham 133 7 17 40/ 47/ 12 bigproba nandor sieben 133 71 18 19/ 11/ 70 Imps! Imps! Imps! Steven Morrell 126 94 19 33/ 43/ 24 Old Tire Swing Randy Graham 122 8 20 21/ 61/ 18 SS-C(Nest) v11.G Wilkinson 81 1 21 7/ 44/ 49 Paper3 Anonymous 70 2 From: KOTH Tourney Server Subject: SKI-ICWS: Status - Multiwarrior Experimental 94 Date: 1995/08/07 Message-ID: <199508070400.AAA03201@valhalla.stormking.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Weekly Status See up to the second scores at http://www.stormking.com/~koth *READ ALL ABOUT IT* - pMARS 0.8 released : http://www.stormking.com/~koth/pmars.html Current Status of the StormKing Industries MultiWarrior Experimental 94 CoreWar Hill: # Name Author Score Age 1 TimeScapeX (0.1) J. Pohjalainen 3977 25 2 Lucky 13 Stefan Strack 3648 27 3 Paperone Beppe Bezzi 3332 10 4 life Nandor Sieben 3119 26 5 Miss Carry Derek Ross 2988 6 6 lifedwarf Nandor Sieben 2642 2 7 Shwing! T. H. Davies 2528 21 8 AB Scanner 2.9 Chris Hodson 2179 14 9 Whirlwind Bob Uhl 2103 12 10 Whirlwind 2 Bob Uhl 1914 13 11 Veeble Jr. T. H. Davies 1730 22 12 Miss Understanding Derek Ross 1705 1 13 Illusion-94/55 Randy Graham 1683 4 14 Miss Treatment Derek Ross 1568 5 15 MuDwarf G. Eadon 1484 15 16 Unknown Anonymous 1364 3 17 Spwum Paul Huff 1337 7 18 Search II Bob Uhl 1092 9 19 Bloody! G. Eadon 1070 18 20 Agilulfo 1.1 Beppe Bezzi 1027 17 21 Search III Bob Uhl 934 8 From: KOTH Tourney Server Subject: SKI-ICWS: Status - MultiWarrior 94 Date: 1995/08/07 Message-ID: <199508070400.AAA15734@valhalla.stormking.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Weekly Status See up to the second scores at http://www.stormking.com/~koth *READ ALL ABOUT IT* - pMARS 0.8 released : http://www.stormking.com/~koth/pmars.html Current Status of the StormKing Industries Multiwarrior 94 CoreWar Hill: # Name Author Score Age 1 Die Hard P.Kline 2610 1 2 Son of Imp Steven Morrell 2600 11 3 Paperone Beppe Bezzi 2458 33 4 test 2 P.Kline 2396 15 5 nobody special Mike Nonemacher 2365 73 6 Silkworm 1.1 Beppe Bezzi 2361 8 7 B-Panama X Steven Morrell 2330 40 8 TimeScape (1.1) J. Pohjalainen 2283 56 9 Paper Dreaming P.Kline 2257 23 10 Marcia Trionfale 2m Beppe Bezzi 2186 9 11 Christmas Tie P.Kline 0 2 From: Jonathan West <73742.1715@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Core War Programs Date: 1995/08/07 Message-ID: <403puu$sd3$1@mhadg.production.compuserve.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Can somebody show me there programs? I am new at corewars and I need some examples -- Bye!!! -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- From: darren@tartarus.uwa.edu.au (Darren Mark Quinlivan) Subject: not strictly corewars but _HELP_ Date: 1995/08/08 Message-ID: <407r1m$3tm@styx.uwa.edu.au>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar I know this is a corewars forum but I need help finding a program that is sort of related, and this is the most likely place I will get help. A while ago, I d'lded a program from _somewhere_ that was similar to the basic principle of corewars, but instead of the programs actually battling it out, you program a tank which you then let loose in an arena. The best program controls its tank to destroy all the others. I think it was called combat zone, or something similar, and it ran under windows. Anyway, recently my girlfriend said that she would like to try her hand at programming it - unfortunately, I seem to have erased it from my hard drive (no one would play with me - my friends are all computer illiterate) If anyone knows where I can find this could you _PLEASE_ email me. Thanks in advance 8-) Darren From: everard@infi.net (M. Scott Everard) Subject: Re: corewar book Date: 1995/08/09 Message-ID: <408uen$acb@allnews.infi.net>#1/1 references: newsgroups: rec.games.corewar In article , sieben@imap1.asu.edu says: > >I'm wondering if it could be possible to publish a book about corewar. Glad you asked, I am currently in the process of writing just such a book. Any suggestions are most certainly welcome. Please send any suggestions and/or comments to everard@infi.net. My goal is to write a book that will serve as a reference for the experienced and an enticement for the beginner. M. Scott Everard everard@infi.net From: pk6811s@acad.drake.edu Subject: CASE structure Date: 1995/08/09 Message-ID: <1995Aug9.154541@acad.drake.edu>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Here's a code snippet you may find useful - especially those of you who have the latest pmars (wow!) featuring Pspace. It's one way to implement a CASE structure: add.a #1,case mod.a #str1-case+1,case case jmp @0,str1 dat 0,str2 dat 0,str3 dat 0,str4 dat 0,str5 str1 ... str2 ... str3 ... str4 ... str5 ... Paul Kline pk6811s@acad.drake.edu From: js@wolfe.net (Jay W. Summet) Subject: Re: My favorite algorithm :) Date: 1995/08/09 Message-ID: #1/1 references: <01HTLR4A451E003I4D@OCVAXA.CC.OBERLIN.EDU> <1995Aug4.084318@acad.drake.edu> <406943$rgi@enterprise.america.com> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar In article <406943$rgi@enterprise.america.com>, daredevl@enterprise.america.com (PageFault) wrote: > pk6811s@acad.drake.edu wrote: > > I'd bet it would be killed by a scanner/trapper within 200 executions. > -- Here is an idea I have had, but never used.... mov 0, 5 mov 0, 5 mov 0, 5 mov 0, 5 mov 0, 5 mov 0, 5 mov 0, 5 (I'm not sure if that is correct, had the idea a long time ago...) The basic idea is that it will MOV the current instruction along FIVE spaces...so that it will overwrite five spaces ahead of itself. (of course, in a real application, 12-15 spaces might be better...) This would overwrite a "stomper" before it was able to stomp out the actual executing MOV statement, right? Jay From: rognlie@lute.gcr.com (Richard W. Rognlie) Subject: C++Robots Standings Date: 1995/08/09 Message-ID: <40au2e$h9s@ukelele.qnet.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar ______ ________ ____ __ /======\ \=======\ \===| _|==|_ / / \/ __ __ | ) | | (_ _) / / _|==|_ _|==|_ | __ / ____ | |__ ____ | | _____ \ \______(_ _)(_ _)| \ /====\ | \ /====\ | | /====/ \ / |__| |__| | |\ \ ( __ )| __ )( __ )| |_ \___ \ \______/ |__| \___\ \____/ |_____/ \____/ \___\ /____/ (c) 1995 Richard W. Rognlie For information on how to play C++Robots, send a mail message to: pbmserv@vtsu.prc.com with 'help summary c++robots c++robots.faq' (sans quotes) as the Subject: line. Program Name Score W / L / T Age Author ================ ===== =========== === ===================================== 1 tommy 280 93/ 6/ 1 4 elliott.jackson@octopus.pgh.wec.com ( 2 satanclaws 279 93/ 7/ 0 3 hesiden@Stoner.COM (Mark Hesidence) 3 raystonn 262 87/ 12/ 1 78 svincent@zippy.sonoma.EDU (Sam Vincen 4 crawl 205 68/ 31/ 1 118 blikror@inet.uni-c.dk (Morten Piil) 5 bequid 201 67/ 33/ 0 188 dennis@computek.net (Cox Dennis Jame 6 killkillkill 177 58/ 39/ 3 180 cfodor@megatek.com (Chris Fodor) 7 black_nite 156 52/ 48/ 0 24 nite@pc164153.oulu.fi (Hannu Kotipalo 8 randwalk 150 50/ 50/ 0 153 hanwen@stack.urc.tue.nl (Han-Wen Nien 9 drunk 148 49/ 50/ 1 1 drz@cybercomm.net (Tim Newsome) 10 conan 144 48/ 52/ 0 61 tdavis@gate.net () 11 white_nite 142 47/ 52/ 1 23 nite@pc164153.oulu.fi (Hannu Kotipalo 12 ittybittykitty 121 39/ 57/ 4 205 hansk@netcom.com (Hans Kellner) 13 doubleshooter 117 36/ 55/ 9 167 Mario.DeWeerd@elis.rug.ac.be (Mario D 14 damned1 115 38/ 61/ 1 175 hesiden@Stoner.COM (Mark Hesidence) 15 inyourface 114 38/ 62/ 0 184 hesiden@Stoner.COM (Mark Hesidence) 16 terror 111 37/ 63/ 0 211 robc@bigb.stortek.com (Rob Creager x2 17 poka_first 107 33/ 59/ 8 25 baruch@actcom.co.il (Baruch Even) 18 hobbsbot 95 29/ 63/ 8 6 hobb0001@gold.tc.umn.edu (Mike Hobbs) 19 tracker 92 28/ 64/ 8 192 rrognlie@vtsu.prc.com (Richard Rognli 20 abby 91 27/ 63/ 10 189 dennis@computek.net (Cox Dennis Jame -- /\/\/\ | Richard Rognlie / Pr. Computer Analyst / PRC Inc. / McLean, VA / \ \ \ | E-Mail: rrognlie@qnet.com rrognlie@vtsu.prc.com \ / / / | Phone: (Home) (703) 361-4764 (Office) (703) 556-2458 \/\/\/ | (Fax) (703) 556-1174 From: lyle@MadVax.mo.ti.com (Lyle Murphy) Subject: Can someone direct me to a FAQ and DOC? Date: 1995/08/09 Message-ID: <40arj0$9o4@superb.csc.ti.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Well? __ __ __ ___ __ | lyle@madvax.mo.ti.com / / __ __/ /__ / |/ /_ _________ / / __ __ | AGS Midland College / /__/ // / / -_) / /|_/ / // / __/ _ \/ _ \/ // / | Phi Theta Kappa /____/\_, /_/\__/ /_/ /_/\_,_/_/ / .__/_//_/\_, / | Nuclear Trained Navy /___/ /_/ /___/ | Tread where others fear! From: bremermr@expert.cc.purdue.edu (Myer Bremer) Subject: p-space Date: 1995/08/10 Message-ID: <40dij0$pe3@expert.cc.purdue.edu>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Greetings. Are the new p-space instructions going to be included in any new hills soon? Much thanks for the idea and development. Seems I was reading about them on the group not too long ago and now pmars has already implemented them. Impressive. M R Bremer From: pk6811s@acad.drake.edu Subject: Re: My favorite algorithm :) Date: 1995/08/10 Message-ID: <1995Aug10.083822@acad.drake.edu>#1/1 references: <01HTLR4A451E003I4D@OCVAXA.CC.OBERLIN.EDU> <1995Aug4.084318@acad.drake.edu> <406943$rgi@enterprise.america.com> <40blsb$c4v@mikasa.iol.it> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar bezzi@iol.it (Beppe Bezzi) writes: > js@wolfe.net (Jay W. Summet) wrote: > > [large mov 0,5 imp discussion] > > Using a large number in stead of 5 may be you will copy a mov over the > gate, killing it, but a single bomb or decrement hitting the stream > between the front instruction and the one in execution, a large target > now, will kill the imp stream. I have not tested it but I don't think > will work. > Right. An imp is most powerful when most of the time it moves itself to the next location to be executed. When there is a delay between moving the code and executing it, that instruction sits out there exposed to opponent-attack. Paul Kline pk6811s@acad.drake.edu From: bezzi@iol.it (Beppe Bezzi) Subject: Re: My favorite algorithm :) Date: 1995/08/10 Message-ID: <40blsb$c4v@mikasa.iol.it>#1/1 references: <01HTLR4A451E003I4D@OCVAXA.CC.OBERLIN.EDU> <1995Aug4.084318@acad.drake.edu> <406943$rgi@enterprise.america.com> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar js@wolfe.net (Jay W. Summet) wrote: > Here is an idea I have had, but never used.... >mov 0, 5 >mov 0, 5 >mov 0, 5 >mov 0, 5 >mov 0, 5 >mov 0, 5 >mov 0, 5 >(I'm not sure if that is correct, had the idea a long time ago...) > The basic idea is that it will MOV the current instruction along FIVE >spaces...so that it will overwrite five spaces ahead of itself. (of >course, in a real application, 12-15 spaces might be better...) > This would overwrite a "stomper" before it was able to stomp out the >actual executing MOV statement, right? It won't work against a simple gate gate spl 0,<-12 dat <-13,<-13 whem the mov 0,5 train reaches the address decremented by the gate (gate -12) one of the mov 0, n is decremented and, when it's executed, will copy itself *not* before the top mov The following mov will copy at b leaving a gap in the imp stream that will kill it. mov 0, 5 mov 0, x (< 5) will not copy at a mov 0, 5 will copy at b mov 0, 5 mov 0, 5 a dat 0, 0 remains unchanged b dat 0, 0 Using a large number in stead of 5 may be you will copy a mov over the gate, killing it, but a single bomb or decrement hitting the stream between the front instruction and the one in execution, a large target now, will kill the imp stream. I have not tested it but I don't think will work. >Jay -------- Beppe Bezzi bezzi@iol.it Gaudeamus igitur.. From: wilkinso@metronet.com Subject: (no subject) Date: 1995/08/11 Message-ID: <40gq9t$ccd@feenix.metronet.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar For those who asked: here's the location of the corewars FAQ... http://www.stormking.com/~koth/corewar-faq.html Attention stormking guys: do to the nature of these questions, perhaps it would be best to post the corewars FAQ into rec.games.corewar more often. From: stst@vuse.vanderbilt.edu (Stefan Strack) Subject: Core War Frequently Asked Questions (rec.games.corewar FAQ) Date: 1995/08/11 Message-ID: newsgroups: rec.games.corewar,rec.answers,news.answers Archive-name: games/corewar-faq Last-Modified: 95/08/06 Version: 3.4 These are the Frequently Asked Questions (and answers) from the Usenet newsgroup rec.games.corewar. A plain text version of this document is posted every two weeks. The hypertext version is available as _________________________________________________________________ Table of Contents 1. What is Core War 2. Is it Core War or Core Wars? 3. Where can I find more information about Core War? 4. Core War has changed since Dewdney's articles. Where do I get a copy of the current instruction set? 5. What is ICWS'94? Which simulators support ICWS'94? 6. What is the ICWS? 7. What is TCWN? 8. How do I join? 9. What is the EBS? 10. Where are the Core War archives? 11. Where can I find a Core War system for ...? 12. I do not have FTP. How do I get all this great stuff? 13. I do not have access to Usenet. How do I post and receive news? 14. Are there any Core War related WWW sites? 15. When is the next tournament? 16. What is KotH? How do I enter? 17. Is it DAT 0, 0 or DAT #0, #0? How do I compare to core? 18. How does SLT (Skip if Less Than) work? 19. What is the difference between in-register and in-memory evaluation? 20. What does (expression or term of your choice) mean? 21. Other questions? _________________________________________________________________ What is Core War? Core War is a game played by two or more programs (and vicariously by their authors) written in an assembly language called Redcode and run in a virtual computer called MARS (for Memory Array Redcode Simulator). The object of the game is to cause all processes of the opposing program to terminate, leaving your program in sole posession of the machine. There are Core War systems available for most computer platforms. Redcode has been standardized by the ICWS, and is therefore transportable between all standard Core War systems. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ Is it "Core War" or "Core Wars"? Both terms are used. Early references were to Core War. Later references seem to use Core Wars. I prefer "Core War" to refer to the game in general, "core wars" to refer to more than one specific battle. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ Where can I find more information about Core War? Core War was first described in the Core War Guidelines of March, 1984 by D. G. Jones and A. K. Dewdney of the Department of Computer Science at The University of Western Ontario (Canada). Dewdney wrote several "Computer Recreations" articles in Scientific American which discussed Core War, starting with the May 1984 article. Those articles are contained in two anthologies: Author: Dewdney, A. K. Title: The Armchair Universe: An Exploration of Computer Worlds Published: New York: W. H. Freeman (c) 1988 ISBN: 0-7167-1939-8 Library of Congress Call Number: QA76.6 .D517 1988 Author: Dewdney, A. K. Title: The Magic Machine: A Handbook of Computer Sorcery Published: New York: W. H. Freeman (c) 1990 ISBN: 0-7167-2125-2 (Hardcover), 0-7167-2144-9 (Paperback) Library of Congress Call Number: QA76.6 .D5173 1990 A.K. Dewdney's articles are still the most readable introduction to Core War, even though the Redcode dialect described in there is no longer current. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ Core War has changed since Dewdney's articles. Where do I get a copy of the current instruction set? A draft of the official standard (ICWS'88) is available as . This document is formatted awkwardly and contains ambiguous statements. For a more approachable intro to Redcode, take a look at Mark Durham's tutorial, and . Steven Morrell (morrell@math.utah.edu) is preparing a more practically oriented Redcode tutorial that discusses different warrior classes with lots of example code. Mail him for a preliminary version. Michael Constant (mconst@csua.berkeley.edu) is reportedly working on a beginner's introduction. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ What is ICWS'94? Which simulators support ICWS'94? There is an ongoing discussion about future enhancements to the Redcode language. A proposed new standard, dubbed ICWS'94, is currently being evaluated. A major change is the addition of "instruction modifiers" that allow instructions to modify A-field, B-field or both. Also new is a post-increment indirect addressing mode and unrestricted opcode and addressing mode combination ("no illegal instructions"). ICWS'94 is backwards compatible; i.e. ICWS'88 warriors will run correctly on an ICWS'94 system. Take a look at the ICWS'94 draft for more information. You can try out the new standard by submitting warriors to the '94 hills of the KotH servers. Two corewar systems currently support ICWS'94, pMARS (many platforms) and Redcoder (Mac), both available at ftp.csua.berkeley.edu. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ What is the ICWS? About one year after Core War first appeared in Sci-Am, the "International Core War Society" (ICWS) was established. Since that time, the ICWS has been responsible for the creation and maintenance of Core War standards and the running of Core War tournaments. There have been six annual tournaments and two standards (ICWS'86 and ICWS'88). [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ What is TCWN? Since March of 1987, "The Core War Newsletter" (TCWN) has been the official newsletter of the ICWS. It is published quarterly and recent issues are also available as Encapsulated PostScript files. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ How do I join? For more information about joining the ICWS (which includes a subscription to TCWN), or to contribute an article, review, cartoon, letter, joke, rumor, etc. to TCWN, please contact: Jon Newman 13824 NE 87th Street Redmond, WA 98052-1959 email: jonn@microsoft.com (Note: Microsoft has NO affiliation with Core War. Jon Newman just happens to work there, and we want to keep it that way!) Current annual dues are $15.00 in US currency. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ What is the EBS? The Electronic Branch Section (EBS) of the ICWS is a group of Core War enthusiasts with access to electronic mail. There are no fees associated with being a member of the EBS, and members do reap some of the benefits of full ICWS membership without the expense. For instance, the ten best warriors submitted to the EBS tournament are entered into the annual ICWS tournament. All EBS business is conducted in the rec.games.corewar newsgroup. The current goal of the EBS is to be at the forefront of Core War by writing and implementing new standards and test suites. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ Where are the Core War archives? Many documents such as the guidelines and the ICWS standards along with previous tournament Redcode entries and complete Core War systems are available via anonymous ftp from (128.32.149.19) in the /pub/corewar directories. Also, most of past rec.games.corewar postings (including Redcode source listings) are archived there. Jon Blow (blojo@csua.berkeley.edu) is the archive administrator. When uploading to /pub/corewar/incoming, ask Jon to move your upload to the appropriate directory and announce it on the net. Much of what is available on soda is also available on the German archive at iraun1.ira.uka.de (129.13.10.90) in the /pub/x11/corewars directory. The plain text version of this FAQ is automatically archived by news.answers. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ Where can I find a Core War system for . . . ? Core War systems are available via anonymous ftp from ftp.csua.berkeley.edu in the /pub/corewar/systems directory. Currently, there are UNIX, IBM PC-compatible, Macintosh, and Amiga Core War systems available there. It is a good idea to check for program updates first. CAUTION! There are many, many Core War systems available which are NOT ICWS'88 (or even ICWS'86) compatible available at various archive sites other than ftp.csua.berkeley.edu. Generally, the older the program - the less likely it will be ICWS compatible. Reviews of Core War systems would be greatly appreciated in the newsgroup and in the newsletter. Below is a not necessarily complete or up-to-date list of what's available at ftp.csua.berkeley.edu: MADgic41.lzh - corewar for the Amiga, v4.1 MAD4041.lzh - older version? MAD50B.lha - corewar for the Amiga, beta version 5.0 Redcoder-21.hqx - corewar for the Mac, supports ICWS'88 and '94 (without extensions) core-11.hqx - corewar for the Mac core-wars-simulator.hqx - same as core-11.hqx? corewar_unix_x11.tar.Z - corewar for UNIX/X-windows, ICWS'86 but not ICWS'88 compatible koth31.tar.Z - corewar for UNIX/X-windows. This program ran the former KotH server at intel.com koth.shar.Z - older version kothpc.zip - port of older version of KotH to the PC deluxe20c.tar.Z - corewar for UNIX (broken X-windows or curses) and PC mars.tar.Z - corewar for UNIX, likely not ICWS'88 compatible icons.zip - corewar icons for MS-Windows macrored.zip - a redcode macro-preprocessor (PC) c88v49.zip - PC corewar, textmode display mars88.zip - PC corewar, graphics mode display corwp302.zip - PC corewar, textmode display, slowish mercury2.zip - PC corewar written in assembly, fast! mtourn11.zip - tournament scheduler for mercury (req. 4DOS) pmars08s.zip - portable system, ICWS'88 and '94, runs on UNIX, PC, Mac, Amiga. C source archive pmars08s.tar.Z - same as above pmars08.zip - PC executables with graphics display, req 386+ macpmars02.sit.hqx - pMARS executable for Mac (port of version 0.2) buggy, no display MacpMARS.10.cpt.hqx - port of v0.6 for the Mac, with display and debugger MacpMARS.10s.cpt.hqx - C source (MPW, ThinkC) for Mac frontend ApMARS03.lha - pMARS executable for Amiga (port of version 0.3.1) wincor11.zip - MS-Windows system, shareware ($15) [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ I do not have FTP. How do I get all this great stuff? There is an ftp email server at ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com. Send email with a subject and body text of "help" (without the quotes) for more information on its usage. If you don't have access to the net at all, send me a 3.5 '' diskette in a self-addressed disk mailer with postage and I will mail it back with an image of the Core War archives in PC format. My address is at the end of this post. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ I do not have access to Usenet. How do I post and receive news? To receive rec.games.corewar articles by email, join the COREWAR-L list run on the Stormking.Com list processor. To join, send the message SUB COREWAR-L FirstName LastName to listproc@stormking.com. You can send mail to corewar-l@stormking.com to post even if you are not a member of the list. Responsible for the listserver is Scott J. Ellentuch (tuc@stormking.com). Another server that allows you to post (but not receive) articles is available. Email your post to rec-games-corewar@cs.utexas.edu and it will be automatically posted for you. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ Are there any Core War related WWW sites? You bet. Each of the two KotH sites sport a world-wide web server. Stormking's Core War page is ; pizza's is . A third WWW site is in Koeln, Germany: . Last but not least, Stephen Beitzel's "Unofficial Core War Page" is . All site are in varying stages of construction, so it would be futile to list here what they have to offer. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ When is the next tournament? The ICWS holds an annual tournament. Traditionally, the deadline for entering is the 15th of December. The EBS usually holds a preliminary tournament around the 15th of November and sends the top finishers on to the ICWS tournament. Informal double-elimination and other types of tournaments are held frequently among readers of the newsgroup; watch there for announcements or contact me. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ What is KotH? How do I enter? King Of The Hill (KotH) is an ongoing Core War tournament available to anyone with email. You enter by submitting via email a Redcode program (warrior) with special comment lines. You will receive a reply indicating how well your program did against the current top programs "on the hill". There are two styles of KotH tournaments, "classical" and "multi-warrior". The "classical" KotH is a one-on-one tournament, that is your warrior will play 100 battles against each of the 20 other programs currently on the Hill. You receive 3 points for each win and 1 point for each tie. (The existing programs do not replay each other, but their previous battles are recalled.) All scores are updated to reflect your battles and all 21 programs are ranked from high to low. If you are number 21 you are pushed off the Hill, if you are higher than 21 someone else is pushed off. In "multi-warrior" KotH, all warriors on the hill fight each other at the same time. Score calculation is a bit more complex than for the one-on-one tournament. Briefly, points are awarded based on how many warriors survive until the end of a round. A warrior that survives by itself gets more points than a warrior that survives together with other warriors. Points are calculated from the formula (W*W-1)/S, where W is the total number of warriors and S the number of surviving warriors. The pMARS documentation has more information on multi-warrior scoring. The idea for an email-based Core War server came from David Lee. The original KotH was developed and run by William Shubert at Intel starting in 1991, and discontinued after almost three years of service. Currently, KotHs based on Bill's UNIX scripts but offering a wider variety of hills are are running at two sites: "koth@stormking.com" is maintained by Scott J. Ellentuch (tuc@stormking.com) and "pizza@ecst.csuchico.edu" by Thomas H. Davies (sd@ecst.csuchico.edu). Up until May '95, the two sites provided overlapping services, i.e. the some of the hill types were offered by both "pizza" and "stormking". To conserve resources, the different hill types are now divided up among the sites. The way you submit warriors to both KotHs is pretty much the same. Therefore, the entry rules described below apply to both "pizza" and "stormking" unless otherwise noted. Entry rules for King of the Hill Corewar: 1) Write a corewar program. KotH is fully ICWS '88 compatible, EXCEPT that a comma (",") is required between two arguments. 2) Put a line starting with ";redcode" (or ";redcode-94, etc., see below) at the top of your program. This MUST be the first line. Anything before it will be lost. If you wish to receive mail on every new entrant, use ";redcode verbose". Otherwise you will only receive mail if a challenger makes it onto the hill. Use ";redcode quiet" if you wish to receive mail only when you get shoved off the hill. (Also, see 5 below). Additionally, adding ";name " and ";author " will be helpful in the performance reports. Do NOT have a line beginning with ";address" in your code; this will confuse the mail daemon and you won't get mail back. In addition, it would be nice if you have lines beginning with ";strategy" that describe the algorithm you use. There are currently seven separate hills you can select by starting your program with ;redcode-b, ;redcode-94, ;redcode-94x, ;redcode, ;redcode-icws, ;redcode-94m or ;redcode-94xm. The former three run at "pizza", the latter four at "stormking". More information on these hills is listed below. 3) Mail this file to koth@stormking.com or pizza@ecst.csuchico.edu. "Pizza" requires a subject of "koth" (use the -s flag on most mailers). 4) Within a few minutes you should get mail back telling you whether your program assembled correctly or not. If it did assemble correctly, sit back and wait; if not, make the change required and re-submit. 5) In an hour or so you should get more mail telling you how your program performed against the current top 20 (or 10) programs. If no news arrives during that time, don't worry; entries are put in a queue and run through the tournament one at a time. A backlog may develop. Be patient. If your program makes it onto the hill, you will get mail every time a new program makes it onto the hill. If this is too much mail, you can use ";redcode[-??] quiet" when you first mail in your program; then you will only get mail when you make it on the top 20 list or when you are knocked off. Using ";redcode[-??] verbose" will give you even more mail; here you get mail every time a new challenger arrives, even if they don't make it onto the top 20 list. Often programmers want to try out slight variations in their programs. If you already have a program named "foo V1.0" on the hill, adding the line ";kill foo" to a new program will automatically bump foo 1.0 off the hill. Just ";kill" will remove all of your programs when you submit the new one. The server kills programs by assigning an impossibly low score; it may therefore take another successful challenge before a killed program is actually removed from the hill. SAMPLE ENTRY: ;redcode ;name Dwarf ;author A. K. Dewdney ;strategy Throw DAT bombs around memory, hitting every 4th memory cell. ;strategy This program was presented in the first Corewar article. bomb DAT #0 dwarf ADD #4, bomb MOV bomb, @bomb JMP dwarf END dwarf ; Programs start at the first line unless ; an "END start" pseudo-op appears to indicate ; the first logical instruction. Also, nothing ; after the END instruction will be assembled. Here are the Specs for the various hills: ICWS'88 Standard Hill Specs: (Accessed with ";redcode", available at "stormking") hillsize: 20 warriors rounds: 100 coresize: 8000 max. processes: 8000 duration: after 80,000 cycles, a tie is declared. max. entry length: 100 minimum distance: 100 instruction set: ICWS '88 ICWS Annual Tournament Hill Specs: (Accessed with ";redcode-icws", available at "stormking") hillsize: 20 warriors rounds: 100 coresize: 8192 instructions max. processes: 8000 per program duration: After 100,000 cycles, a tie is declared. max. entry length: 300 minimum distance: 300 instruction set: ICWS '88 ICWS'94 Draft Hill Specs: (Accessed with ";redcode-94", available at "pizza") hillsize: 20 warriors rounds: 100 coresize: 8000 max. processes: 8000 duration: after 80,000 cycles, a tie is declared. max. entry length: 100 minimum distance: 100 instruction set: extended ICWS '94 Draft ICWS'94 Beginner's Hill Specs: (Accessed with ";redcode-b", available at "pizza") hillsize: 20 warriors rounds: 100 coresize: 8000 max. processes: 8000 duration: after 80,000 cycles, a tie is declared. max. entry length: 100 minimum distance: 100 instruction set: extended ICWS '94 Draft max. age: after 100 successful challenges, warriors are retired. ICWS'94 Experimental (Big) Hill Specs: (Accessed with ";redcode-94x", available at "pizza") hillsize: 20 warriors rounds: 100 coresize: 55440 max. processes: 10000 duration: after 500,000 cycles, a tie is declared. max. entry length: 200 minimum distance: 200 instruction set: extended ICWS '94 Draft ICWS'94 Draft Multi-Warrior Hill Specs: (Accessed with ";redcode-94m", available at "stormking") hillsize: 10 warriors rounds: 200 coresize: 8000 max. processes: 8000 duration: after 80,000 cycles, a tie is declared. max. entry length: 100 minimum distance: 100 instruction set: extended ICWS '94 Draft ICWS'94 Experimental (Big) Multi-Warrior Hill Specs: (Accessed with ";redcode-94xm", available at "stormking") hillsize: 20 warriors rounds: 100 coresize: 55440 max. processes: 10000 duration: after 500,000 cycles, a tie is declared. max. entry length: 200 minimum distance: 200 instruction set: extended ICWS '94 Draft If you just want to get a status report without actually challenging the hills, send email with ";status" as the message body (and don't forget "Subject: koth" for "pizza"). If you send mail to "pizza" with "Subject: koth help" you will receive instructions that may be more up to date than those contained in this document. At stormking, a message body with ";help" will return brief instructions. If you submit code containing a ";test" line, your warrior will be assembled but not actually pitted against the warriors on the hill. All hills run portable MARS (pMARS) version 0.8, a platform-independent corewar system available at ftp.csua.berkeley.edu. The '94 and '94x hills allow three experimental opcodes and addressing modes currently not covered in the ICWS'94 draft document: SEQ - Skip if EQual (synonym for CMP) SNE - Skip if Not Equal NOP - (No OPeration) * - indirect using A-field as pointer { - predecrement indirect using A-field } - postincrement indirect using A-field [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ Is it DAT 0, 0 or DAT #0, #0? How do I compare to core? Core is initialized to DAT 0, 0. This is an "illegal" instruction under ICWS'88 rules and strictly compliant assemblers (such as KotH or pmars -8) will not let you write a DAT 0, 0 instruction - only DAT #0, #0. So this begs the question, how to compare something to see if it is empty core. The answer is, most likely the instruction before your first instruction and the instruction after your last instruction are both DAT 0, 0. You can use them, or any other likely unmodified instructions, for comparison. Note that under ICWS'94, DAT 0, 0 is a legal instruction. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ How does SLT (Skip if Less Than) work? SLT gives some people trouble because of the way modular arithmetic works. It is important to note that all negative numbers are converted to positive numbers before a battles begins. Example: (-1) becomes (M - 1) where M is the memory size. Once you realize that all numbers are treated as positive, it is clear what is meant by "less than". It should also be clear that no number is less than zero. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ What is the difference between in-register and in-memory evaluation? These terms refer to the way instruction operands are evaluated. The '88 Redcode standard ICWS'88 is unclear about whether a simulator should "buffer" the result of A-operand evaluation before the B-operand is evaluated. Simulators that do buffer are said to use in-register evaluation, those that don't, in-memory evaluation. ICWS'94 clears this confusion by mandating in-register evaluation. Instructions that execute differently under these two forms of evaluation are MOV, ADD, SUB, MUL, DIV and MOD where the effective address of the A-operand is modified by evaluation of the B-operand. This is best illustrated by an example: L1 mov L2, mov.i #0,impsize Bootstrapping Strategy of copying the active portion of the program away from the initial location, leaving a decoy behind and making the relocated program as small as possible. B-Scanners Scanners which only recognize non-zero B-fields. example add #10,scan scan jmz example,10 C Measure of speed, equal to one location per cycle. Speed of light. CMP-Scanner A Scanner which uses a CMP instruction to look for opponents. example add step,scan scan cmp 10,30 jmp attack jmp example step dat #20,#20 Color Property of bombs making them visible to scanners, causing them to attack useless locations, thus slowing them down. example dat #100 Core-Clear code that sequentially overwrites core with DAT instructions; usually the last part of a program. Decoys Bogus or unused instructions meant to slow down Scanners. Typically, DATs with non-zero B-fields. DJN-Stream (also DJN-Train) Using a DJN command to rapidly decrement core locations. example ... ... djn example,<4000 Dwarf the prototypical small bomber. Gate-busting (also gate-crashing) technique to "interweave" a decrement-resistant imp-spiral (e.g. MOV 0, 2668) with a standard one to overrun imp-gates. Hybrids warriors that combine two or more of the basic strategies, either in sequence (e.g. stone->paper) or in parallel (e.g. imp/stone). Imp Program which only uses the MOV instruction. example MOV 0, 1 or example MOV 0, 2 MOV 0, 2 Imp-Gate A location in core which is bombed or decremented continuously so that an Imp can not pass. Also used to describe the program-code which maintains the gate. example ... ... SPL 0, mov.i #0,impsize Mirror see reflection. On-axis/off-axis On-axis scanners compare two locations M/2 apart, where M is the memory size. Off-axis scanners use some other separation. Optimal Constants (also optima-type constants) Bomb or scan increments chosen to cover core most effectively, i.e. leaving gaps of uniform size. Programs to calculate optimal constants and lists of optimal numbers are available at ftp.csua.berkeley.edu. Paper A Paper-like program. One which replicates itself many times. Part of the Scissors (beats) Paper (beats) Stone (beats Scissors) analogy. Pit-Trapper (also Slaver, Vampire). A program which enslaves another. Usually accomplished by bombing with JMPs to a SPL 0 pit with an optional core-clear routine. Quick Scan 2c scan of a set group of core locations with bombing if anything is found. Both of the following codes snips scan 16 locations and check for a find. If anything is found, it is attacked, otherwise 16 more locations are scanned. Example: start s1 for 8 ;'88 scan cmp start+100*s1, start+100*s1+4000 ;check two locations mov #start+100*s1-found, found ;they differ so set pointer rof jmn attack, found ;if we have something, get it s2 for 8 cmp start+100*(s2+6), start+100*(s2+6)+4000 mov #start+100*(s2+6)-found, found rof found jmz moveme, #0 ;skip attack if qscan found nothing attack cmp @found, start-1 ;does found points to empty space? add #4000, found ;no, so point to correct location mov start-1, @found ;move a bomb moveme jmp 0, 0 In ICWS'94, the quick scan code is more compact because of the SNE opcode: start ;'94 scan s1 for 4 sne start+400*s1, start+400*s1+100 ;check two locations seq start+400*s1+200, start+400*s1+300 ;check two locations mov #start+400*s1-found, found ;they differ so set pointer rof jmn which, found ;if we have something, get it s2 for 4 sne start+400*(s2+4), start+400*(s2+4)+100 seq start+400*(s2+4)+200, start+400*(s2+4)+300 mov #start+400*(s2+4)-found-100, found rof found jmz moveme, #0 ;skip attack if qscan found nothing add #100, -1 ;increment pointer till we get the which jmn -1, @found ;right place mov start-1, @found ;move a bomb moveme jmp 0, 0 Reflection Copy of a program or program part, positioned to make the active program invisible to a CMP-scanner. Replicator Generic for Paper. A program which makes many copies of itself, each copy also making copies. Self-Splitting Strategy of amplifying the number of processes executing a piece of code. example SPL 0 loop ADD #10, example MOV example, @example JMP loop Scanner A program which searches through core for an opponent rather than bombing blindly. Scissors A program designed to beat replicators, usually a (B-field scanning) vampire. Part of the Paper-Scissors-Stone analogy. Self-Repair Ability of a program to fix it's own code after attack. Silk A replicator which splits off a process to each new copy before actually copying the code. This allows it to replicate extremely quickly. This technique is only possible under the '94 draft, because it requires post-increment indirect addressing. Example: spl 1 mov.i -1, 0 spl 1 ;generate 6 consecutive processes silk spl 3620, #0 ;split to new copy mov.i >-1, }-1 ;copy self to new location mov.i bomb, >2000 ;linear bombing mov.i bomb, }2042 ;A-indirect bombing for anti-vamp jmp silk, {silk ;reset source pointer, make new copy bomb dat.f >2667, >5334 ;anti-imp bomb Slaver see Pit-Trapper. Stealth Property of programs, or program parts, which are invisible to scanners, accomplished by using zero B-fields and reflections. Stone A Stone-like program designed to be a small bomber. Part of the Paper-Scissors-Stone analogy. Stun A type of bomb which makes the opponent multiply useless processes, thus slowing it down. Example is referred to as a spl-jmp bomb. example spl 0 jmp -1 Two-Pass Core-Clear (also spl/dat Core-Clear) core clear that fills core first with SPL instructions, then with DATs. This is very effective in killing paper and certain imp-spiral variations. Vampire see Pit-Trapper. Vector Launch one of several means to start an imp-spiral running. As fast as Binary Launch, but requiring much less code. See also JMP/ADD Launch and Binary Launch. This example is one form of a Vector Launch: impsize equ 2667 example spl 1 ; extend by adding more spl 1's spl 1 djn.a @imp,#0 ; jmp @ a series of pointers dat #0,imp+(3*impsize) dat #0,imp+(2*impsize) dat #0,imp+(1*impsize) dat #0,imp+(0*impsize) imp mov.i #0,impsize [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ Other questions? Just ask in the rec.games.corewar newsgroup or contact me (address below). If you are shy, check out the Core War archives first to see if your question has been answered before. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ Credits Additions, corrections, etc. to this document are solicited. Thanks in particular to the following people who have contributed major portions of this document: Paul Kline, Randy Graham. Mark Durham wrote the first version of the FAQ. The rec.games.corewar FAQ is Copyright 1995 and maintained by: Stefan Strack, PhD stst@vuse.vanderbilt.edu Dept. Molecular Physiol. and Biophysics stst@idnsun.gpct.vanderbilt.edu Rm. 762, MRB-1 stracks@vuctrvax.bitnet Vanderbilt Univ. Medical Center Voice: +615-322-4389 Nashville, TN 37232-6600, USA FAX: +615-322-7236 _________________________________________________________________ $Id: corewar-faq.html,v 3.4 1995/08/06 21:38:09 stst Exp stst $ From: wilkinso@metronet.com Subject: (no subject) Date: 1995/08/11 Message-ID: <40gqcc$elr@feenix.metronet.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar For those who asked: here's the location of the corewars FAQ... http://www.stormking.com/~koth/corewar-faq.html Attention stormking guys: do to the nature of these questions, perhaps it would be best to post the corewars FAQ into rec.games.corewar more often. From: manorton@aol.com (MANorton) Subject: tutorial.1.z and tutorial.2.z Date: 1995/08/11 Message-ID: <40eqma$h0j@newsbf02.news.aol.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar I couldn't get them to uncompress. Are they, or an alternative, out there uncompressed? M From: tom@halls1.cc.monash.edu.au (Tom Paton) Subject: Re: corewar book Date: 1995/08/11 Message-ID: #1/1 references: <3vstjt$841@feenix.metronet.com> <3vua2a$63j@hermes.cair.du.edu> <3vve40$358@feenix.metronet.com> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar In article <3vve40$358@feenix.metronet.com> wilkinso@metronet.com writes: >From: wilkinso@metronet.com >>[idea to write a book about Corewars and use the profits to fund the >>ICWS] >> >>>Sounds cool. But, what is TeX? >> >> Yes, it sounds like a good idea. It would be nice to have a dual >>(Windows/Mac) format CD with several Corewars progs with the book. Or >>just use a couple of floppies. >Alrighty, but what it TeX? as far as I know it is a typesetting description sort of language/ program. similar to postscript I suppose. very portable, will run on almost any computer, print to any printer etc etc. I think it's all public domain too. -Tom From: asland3@aol.com (Asland3) Subject: Corewars Date: 1995/08/12 Message-ID: <40jr46$t7n@newsbf02.news.aol.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar I just finished reading the Core-wars faq file, and I was wondering about how far past that corewars currently is. Does anyone still use the ICWS 88 standard? or has everyone moved to the IWCS 94 standard? Thanks... John deeny From: stst@idnsun.gpct.Vanderbilt.Edu (Stefan Strack) Subject: Re: p-space Date: 1995/08/12 Message-ID: <9508121548.AA00582@idnsun.gpct.Vanderbilt.Edu.noname>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar bremermr@expert.cc.purdue.edu wrote: >Are the new p-space instructions going to be included in any >new hills soon? [..] pMARS 0.8 is running at both stormking and pizza now, and P-space is available on all '94 hills. -Stefan From: Jonathan West <73742.1715@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Re: ICWS '88 standard document Q Date: 1995/08/13 Message-ID: <40lvdc$lic$2@mhafm.production.compuserve.com>#1/1 references: <3vr8o4$ei9@news.ycc.yale.edu> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Strange Sig. (So is mine) -- This is a .sig virus. Please copy me into your signature From: Jonathan West <73742.1715@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Re: Can someone direct me to a FAQ and DOC? Date: 1995/08/13 Message-ID: <40lvap$lic$1@mhafm.production.compuserve.com>#1/1 references: <40arj0$9o4@superb.csc.ti.com> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Nice Sig. How do you like mine? -- This is a .sig virus. Please copy me into your signature From: tuc@news.stormking.com (Scott J. Ellentuch) Subject: Re: (no subject) Date: 1995/08/13 Message-ID: <40jnme$crm@valhalla.stormking.com>#1/1 references: <40gq9t$ccd@feenix.metronet.com> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar wilkinso@metronet.com wrote: : For those who asked: here's the location of the corewars FAQ... : http://www.stormking.com/~koth/corewar-faq.html : Attention stormking guys: do to the nature of these questions, perhaps : it would be best to post the corewars FAQ into rec.games.corewar more : often. Stefan (stst@vuse.vanderbilt.edu) is the maintainer, but I am not sure what the schedule is. I would HOPE that people are seeing the weekly standings from STORMKING.COM with a note to visit : http://www.stormking.com/~koth If is isn't there....(Then I don't know about it and would welcome an email with a suggestion!) Scott -- * --- --- |Scott J. Ellentuch, Pres | The Telecom Security Group * * | | | |Comm. and Comp. Security | (Storm King family of Companies) * * | |__|__ |Consultants and Engineers | P.O. Box 69, Newburgh, NY 12551 * From: peter@carme.sect.civ.hw.ac.uk (Mr. Peter Ivanyi) Subject: Just another "new boy on the field" Date: 1995/08/14 Message-ID: <9508142229.AA03762@sect.civ.hw.ac.uk>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Please read it all, or PgDn!!! I am still trying to get on the standard Koth hill, but one question just has arised in my mind. Is there any NEW method for "warriors" what have not been invented yet? Let me explain. For a short moment, let's make a comparison between a warrior program running on MARS and a virus running on PC. As I understood, the most important thing (for both of them) is to cheat. I mean, that in case of a virus, it is important not to be noticed and cause as much trouble as it can, and in case of a "warrior program", to destroy the enemy completely with an unknown method (is there any new?) or with a method, which has not been taken into account during the writing of the program, so the enemy is not "trained" against it (see paper - scissors - stone). But the redcode assembly and the MARS system is simple if you compare it with a PC. I am hearing the voices of those who say, that with redcode you can make any kind of program. Yes, that's true, you can use it for whatever you want, you can make calculators, or simulators of artificial intelligence, but these programs are NOT efficient warriors. PLEASE deny it. According to my little experience, the most efficient warrior program was ECSTACY. It beats vampires, papers, stones, scissors, even imps. So, is there anything left for the newcomers to invent, or we have to combine the the old tactics to make good warrirors? As I saw on the hill, every program is a combination. I am curious: Can ECSTACY kill them? I think, yes. Here is my second question: Is it allowed to send somebody else's program to the Hill, of course, with the original author name for testing? Thanx for the answers in advance, Pedro P.S.: Sorry, if this kind of questions have already been answered!! -------------------------------------- Peace in World or World in Pieces !!! -------------------------------------- From: KOTH Tourney Server Subject: SKI-ICWS: Status - Standard Date: 1995/08/14 Message-ID: <199508140400.AAA02852@valhalla.stormking.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Weekly Status See up to the second scores at http://www.stormking.com/~koth *READ ALL ABOUT IT* - pMARS 0.8 released : http://www.stormking.com/~koth/pmars.html Current Status of the StormKing Industries Standard KotH CoreWar Hill : # %W/ %L/ %T Name Author Score Age 1 28/ 12/ 60 Cannonade P.Kline 144 87 2 38/ 31/ 31 Keystone t21 P.Kline 144 74 3 30/ 20/ 50 Test Wayne Sheppard 139 76 4 28/ 18/ 53 CAPS KEY IS STUCK AGAIN Steven Morrell 138 53 5 30/ 22/ 48 Der Zweiter Blitzkrieg Mike Nonemacher 138 82 6 27/ 17/ 56 Blue Funk 88 Steven Morrell 137 51 7 26/ 15/ 59 Peace Mr. Jones 137 61 8 36/ 36/ 29 Miss Understanding Derek Ross 136 10 9 41/ 47/ 12 bigproba nandor sieben 136 75 10 26/ 16/ 58 jmp/add crasher Randy Graham 135 11 11 37/ 39/ 23 Christopher Steven Morrell 135 52 12 35/ 36/ 29 Giskard v0.5 Ken Mitton 134 25 13 37/ 41/ 22 Beholder's Eye V1.7 W. Mintardjo 134 131 14 37/ 41/ 22 Request v2.0 Brant D. Thomsen 133 23 15 24/ 15/ 61 ttti nandor sieben 133 37 16 39/ 45/ 16 Iron Gate Wayne Sheppard 132 181 17 25/ 20/ 55 Hydra Stephen Linhart 130 161 18 19/ 10/ 71 Imps! Imps! Imps! Steven Morrell 128 98 19 31/ 42/ 28 Old Tire Swing Randy Graham 120 12 20 12/ 9/ 79 Cotton v.9a Wilkinson 115 1 21 1/ 76/ 23 More RABBIT Peter Ivanyi 26 0 From: KOTH Tourney Server Subject: SKI-ICWS: Status - Multiwarrior Experimental 94 Date: 1995/08/14 Message-ID: <199508140400.AAA22317@valhalla.stormking.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Weekly Status See up to the second scores at http://www.stormking.com/~koth *READ ALL ABOUT IT* - pMARS 0.8 released : http://www.stormking.com/~koth/pmars.html Current Status of the StormKing Industries MultiWarrior Experimental 94 CoreWar Hill: # Name Author Score Age 1 TimeScapeX (0.1) J. Pohjalainen 3554 30 2 Lucky 13 Stefan Strack 3553 32 3 jaded M R Bremer 3126 1 4 Paperone Beppe Bezzi 2921 15 5 life Nandor Sieben 2735 31 6 Illusion-94/55 Randy Graham 2702 9 7 Miss Treatment Derek Ross 2361 10 8 lifedwarf Nandor Sieben 2321 7 9 Shwing! T. H. Davies 2174 26 10 Miss Understanding Derek Ross 2027 6 11 Whirlwind Bob Uhl 1986 17 12 Piggy 3 Bob Uhl 1920 3 13 AB Scanner 2.9 Chris Hodson 1863 19 14 Piggy 2 Bob Uhl 1676 5 15 Whirlwind 2 Bob Uhl 1569 18 16 MuDwarf G. Eadon 1410 20 17 Miss Carry Derek Ross 1306 11 18 Veeble Jr. T. H. Davies 1208 27 19 Unknown Anonymous 1207 8 20 Bloody! G. Eadon 947 23 21 Unknown Anonymous 802 2 From: KOTH Tourney Server Subject: SKI-ICWS: Status - MultiWarrior 94 Date: 1995/08/14 Message-ID: <199508140400.AAA24874@valhalla.stormking.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Weekly Status See up to the second scores at http://www.stormking.com/~koth *READ ALL ABOUT IT* - pMARS 0.8 released : http://www.stormking.com/~koth/pmars.html Current Status of the StormKing Industries Multiwarrior 94 CoreWar Hill: # Name Author Score Age 1 Die Hard P.Kline 2612 1 2 Silkworm 1.1 Beppe Bezzi 2534 11 3 test 2 P.Kline 2466 18 4 Son of Imp Steven Morrell 2460 14 5 TimeScape (1.1) J. Pohjalainen 2426 59 6 Marcia Trionfale 2m Beppe Bezzi 2352 12 7 Paperone Beppe Bezzi 2348 36 8 nobody special Mike Nonemacher 2290 76 9 jaded M R Bremer 2228 3 10 B-Panama X Steven Morrell 2163 43 11 Die Hard P.Kline 0 2 From: wilkinso@metronet.com Subject: Re: Corewars Date: 1995/08/14 Message-ID: <40mumr$83r@feenix.metronet.com>#1/1 references: <40jr46$t7n@newsbf02.news.aol.com> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar asland3@aol.com (Asland3) wrote: >I just finished reading the Core-wars faq file, and I was wondering about >how far past that corewars currently is. Does anyone still use the ICWS 88 >standard? or has everyone moved to the IWCS 94 standard? > >Thanks... >John deeny ICWS 94 is in a state of fairly constant flux, which makes it interesting... I've only begun to use it, however, you can see from the KotH hills that both standards are currently in use. From: tuc@news.stormking.com (Scott J. Ellentuch) Subject: Re: Can someone direct me to a FAQ and DOC? Date: 1995/08/15 Message-ID: <40q4p9$fcr@valhalla.stormking.com>#1/1 references: <40arj0$9o4@superb.csc.ti.com> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Lyle Murphy (lyle@MadVax.mo.ti.com) wrote: : Well? A place where you get water, or a system in Calif.... What about it? http://www.stormking.com/~koth/ -- * --- --- |Scott J. Ellentuch, Pres | The Telecom Security Group * * | | | |Comm. and Comp. Security | (Storm King family of Companies) * * | |__|__ |Consultants and Engineers | P.O. Box 69, Newburgh, NY 12551 * From: peter@carme.sect.civ.hw.ac.uk (Mr. Peter Ivanyi) Subject: Re: Re: Just another "new boy on the field" Date: 1995/08/16 Message-ID: <9508161803.AA14843@sect.civ.hw.ac.uk>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Michael Constant wrote: > If you ask, I'm sure you can get many people here to send > you programs they have written that are more modern, which you can use to > test against. > Well, this time I would like to ask: Everyone, who can send me *modern* warrior program, please send it to my email address. I already downloaded a lot of file from the FTP.CSUA.BERKELEY.EDU, but I have not enough time to look through all of them. So, if someone can tell me, where I can find the above mentioned *modern* warriors among the files, please, tell me. Pedro ------------------------------------------------- Reviewing mistakes is good, avoiding them better. ------------------------------------------------- From: peter@carme.sect.civ.hw.ac.uk (Mr. Peter Ivanyi) Subject: self-replicant Date: 1995/08/16 Message-ID: <9508161750.AA14829@sect.civ.hw.ac.uk>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Andy Pierce wrote: > >There are also techniques which have been theorized about, but never made > >viable -- the prime example of this is the self-repair program. If you are > >interested, you could try to construct a competitive self-repair program. > >This has not been done before, although people have tried. > Heh. Strange of you to say this. The archetypal self-repairing > program is the imp-spiral. The simplest instance of a self-repairing > program, it is also by far the most successful. Unfortunately, I have to agree. I can't imagine more simpler self- replicant as an IMP. As a beginner, I wrote a simple warrior program, which try to replicat itself, while it is bombing, and that what IMPs as well can do very well. So, here is the program: ;redcode verbose ;name Jumpy Little Sucker (v 0.0) ;author Peter Ivanyi ;strategy Turn it off before the s... hits you! start MOV target, #1/1 references: <9508142229.AA03762@sect.civ.hw.ac.uk> <40rtmf$sj6@agate.berkeley.edu> <40t2ec$v58@bigblue.oit.unc.edu> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Andrew Pierce wrote: > For me, the point of deciding that "nothing further was possible" with >corewars happened after the imp-spirals. I still think it's true (at >least with '88). I have to say that this is a little irrational of you. Just because someone comes up with a major advance in technology does not mean that there are no more major advances to be made! Remember that imp-spirals were possible under the original '86 standard, and consider how long it was before imp-spirals were discovered. If you wait a similar amount of time from when '94 was first put on the hills, I'm sure there will be another breakthrough. >Michael Constant wrote: >>There are also techniques which have been theorized about, but never made >>viable -- the prime example of this is the self-repair program. If you are >>interested, you could try to construct a competitive self-repair program. >>This has not been done before, although people have tried. > > Heh. Strange of you to say this. The archetypal self-repairing >program is the imp-spiral. The simplest instance of a self-repairing >program, it is also by far the most successful. You are correct. However, my point remains that other forms of self-repair are very much unexplored, and perhaps some of these forms could be made into effective warriors. I would say that corewar is still advancing. However, if it is too stagnant for your tastes, I might suggest a game called RoboWar. The premise is similar to C-Robots and C++Robots in that you are programming a robot to fight in an arena. However, the game itself is much more like corewar, because you get to program your robot in a very low-level language (somewhat like assembler). It is similar to corewar in many ways, and it certainly does not suffer from any slow pace of development. I enjoy RoboWar myself -- I just don't play it much because it is currently only for the Mac :-( One of the things I would like to do, sometime, is (with the permission of the author) port RoboWar to other platforms. The current version of RoboWar is 4.1, I believe. RoboWar is shareware and costs $15. -- Michael Constant (mconst@soda.csua.berkeley.edu) From: ajpierce@med.unc.edu (Andrew Pierce) Subject: Re: Just another "new boy on the field" Date: 1995/08/16 Message-ID: <40t2ec$v58@bigblue.oit.unc.edu>#1/1 references: <9508142229.AA03762@sect.civ.hw.ac.uk> <40rtmf$sj6@agate.berkeley.edu> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar In article <40rtmf$sj6@agate.berkeley.edu>, Michael Constant wrote: >Mr. Peter Ivanyi wrote: >> So, is there anything left for the newcomers to invent, or we have to >>combine the the old tactics to make good warrirors? >I'm sure there are techniques left to invent. Remember that imp-spirals, >which were possible even under the original '86 rules, were not invented >until well after '88 was standard. CMP-scanners, while not as dramatic an >example, illustrate the same point. There are probably techniques that are >possible with '88 that are still undiscovered -- not to mention what must >be possible with '94. Keep in mind that people have been saying for years >that corewar would soon reach the point where there were no new programs to >write... it hasn't happened yet. Look at any of the hills for evidence! For me, the point of deciding that "nothing further was possible" with corewars happened after the imp-spirals. I still think it's true (at least with '88). There is no doubt however, that corewars has advanced significantly since the days when XTC was "king of the hill". I do think though that imp spirals were the last great conceptual advance, which isn't so say that further refinement and optimization of currently extant techniques cannot occur; I'm just not interested in it. >There are also techniques which have been theorized about, but never made >viable -- the prime example of this is the self-repair program. If you are >interested, you could try to construct a competitive self-repair program. >This has not been done before, although people have tried. Heh. Strange of you to say this. The archetypal self-repairing program is the imp-spiral. The simplest instance of a self-repairing program, it is also by far the most successful. -Andy Pierce ajpierce@med.unc.edu From: mconst@soda.CSUA.Berkeley.EDU (Michael Constant) Subject: Re: Just another "new boy on the field" Date: 1995/08/16 Message-ID: <40rtmf$sj6@agate.berkeley.edu>#1/1 references: <9508142229.AA03762@sect.civ.hw.ac.uk> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Mr. Peter Ivanyi wrote: >According to my little experience, the most efficient warrior program was >ECSTACY. It beats vampires, papers, stones, scissors, even imps. Well, your experience is probably with outdated programs. Ecstacy, while a good warrior in its time, has aged to the point where it is no longer really viable. If you ask, I'm sure you can get many people here to send you programs they have written that are more modern, which you can use to test against. I don't think anyone would mind if you submitted Ecstacy to the hill now (as long as you killed it off right afterwards), but you should know that the current hill is rather vulnerable to scanners of any sort. Ecstacy's score against the current hill would, therefore, be rather inflated. Look at Agony II to see what happens when someone puts a good, *modern* scanner on the hill... :-) > So, is there anything left for the newcomers to invent, or we have to >combine the the old tactics to make good warrirors? I'm sure there are techniques left to invent. Remember that imp-spirals, which were possible even under the original '86 rules, were not invented until well after '88 was standard. CMP-scanners, while not as dramatic an example, illustrate the same point. There are probably techniques that are possible with '88 that are still undiscovered -- not to mention what must be possible with '94. Keep in mind that people have been saying for years that corewar would soon reach the point where there were no new programs to write... it hasn't happened yet. Look at any of the hills for evidence! There are also techniques which have been theorized about, but never made viable -- the prime example of this is the self-repair program. If you are interested, you could try to construct a competitive self-repair program. This has not been done before, although people have tried. Also, there is a lot of work to be done perfecting the current techniques. This may sound silly, but I think much of the point of corewar is perfection and optimization. Your code is running under incredible time, space and unreliability constraints, and there is a lot of work that can be done to make relatively old ideas work better. (I'm *still* working, when I have the time, on writing a new vampire to fill Pyramid's shoes. It annoys me that there are no good vampires any more! :-) ) Finally, with the addition of P-space to the hills and to pMARS, a whole new class of warriors becomes possible -- warriors which learn and adapt. This is an unexplored area. I hope this answered your questions and concerns. Long live corewar! -- Michael Constant (mconst@soda.csua.berkeley.edu) From: wilkinso@metronet.com Subject: Re: Just another "new boy on the field" Date: 1995/08/16 Message-ID: <40rprf$r7i@feenix.metronet.com>#1/1 references: <9508142229.AA03762@sect.civ.hw.ac.uk> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar peter@carme.sect.civ.hw.ac.uk (Mr. Peter Ivanyi) wrote: >Please read it all, or PgDn!!! >against it (see paper - scissors - stone). But the redcode assembly and the >MARS system is simple if you compare it with a PC. I am hearing the voices of >those who say, that with redcode you can make any kind of program. Yes, that's >true, you can use it for whatever you want, you can make calculators, or >simulators of artificial intelligence, but these programs are NOT efficient >warriors. PLEASE deny it. According to my little experience, the most >efficient warrior program was ECSTACY. It beats vampires, papers, stones, >scissors, even imps. Ecstacy does not beat out any really big imp spiral. Also, stones which spread lots of decoy dats will slow ecstacy to the point of uselessness. It dies big time against Cannonade, and most of the programs that I've sent to the hill... > So, is there anything left for the newcomers to invent, or we have to >combine the the old tactics to make good warrirors? As I saw on the hill, >every program is a combination. I am curious: Can ECSTACY kill them? I think, >yes. Here is my second question: Is it allowed to send somebody else's program >to the Hill, of course, with the original author name for testing? I just made something that I'd never seen before earlier today... It only scored 99, and didn't make it onto the field, but I'm still working on it. From: tuc@news.stormking.com (Scott J. Ellentuch) Subject: Re: (no subject) Date: 1995/08/17 Message-ID: <410kog$n34@valhalla.stormking.com>#1/1 references: <40v27g$l9h@feenix.metronet.com> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar wilkinso@metronet.com wrote: : I challenged the 94-m Hill, and made it on. However, as I looked : over the results it sent me, I'm baffled. What do those number along : the bottom represent? : "Number of wins with X other winners and losses" is highly ambiguous... : >Program "Marcia Trionfale 2m" (length 99) by "Beppe Bezzi" : >(contact address "bezzi@iol.it"): : >;strategy Silk, Timescape like, and some bombing : >;strategy v1m v2m changed spacers : >Number of wins with zero, one, two, .., 10 other winners and losses : >0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 2 39 140 16 : >Total score: 1944 Hi, Only because of laziness it appears that way. I'm still working on Release 2 of the software. What it means is : Number of wins with 0 other winners : 0 Number of wins with 1 other winners : 0 Number of wins with 2 other winners : 0 Number of wins with 3 other winners : 0 Number of wins with 4 other winners : 0 Number of wins with 5 other winners : 1 Number of wins with 6 other winners : 0 Number of wins with 7 other winners : 2 Number of wins with 8 other winners : 2 Number of wins with 9 other winners : 39 Number of wins with 10 other winners : 140 Number of losses : 16 Scott -- * --- --- |Scott J. Ellentuch, Pres | The Telecom Security Group * * | | | |Comm. and Comp. Security | (Storm King family of Companies) * * | |__|__ |Consultants and Engineers | P.O. Box 69, Newburgh, NY 12551 * From: ruhl@phoebe.cair.du.edu (Robert A. Uhl) Subject: Redcoder?? Date: 1995/08/17 Message-ID: <40vumh$i7v@hermes.cair.du.edu>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Anyone know how what the most current version of redcoder is? My version will only add.ab properly, does not have {}* or pspace. TIA -- +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Bob Uhl | Spectre | `En touto nika' + | | U of D | Baron Robert von Raetzin | http://mercury.cair.du.edu/~ruhl/ | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ From: pk6811s@acad.drake.edu Subject: Re: Just another "new boy on the field" Date: 1995/08/17 Message-ID: <1995Aug17.100213@acad.drake.edu>#1/1 references: <9508142229.AA03762@sect.civ.hw.ac.uk> <40rtmf$sj6@agate.berkeley.edu> <40t2ec$v58@bigblue.oit.unc.edu> <40tig1$lrp@agate.berkeley.edu> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar > Andrew Pierce wrote: >> For me, the point of deciding that "nothing further was possible" with >>corewars happened after the imp-spirals. I still think it's true (at >>least with '88). Sorry, our newsfeeder has been flakey lately and I missed the original message. Imp-spirals definitely shook things up, and it took a while for them to mature into the finely-tuned versions like Blue Funk and Night Crawler. But they in turn were run off the Hills by quick-scanners, which was also possible under '88 rules. I don't remember running tests, but I suspect quick-scanners (qscans) would have run Flash Paper off the Hill a couple of years ago. And Bunker was a self-repairing program that was on the Big Hill for a few months under '88 rules. Personally I don't feel that '88 was exhausted, '94 is still opening up, and pspace (shared and unshared) is a whole new arena - heck, the first two attempts on the '94 hill using pspace apparently both made it on. Paul Kline pk6811s@acad.drake.edu From: daredevl@enterprise.america.com (pagefault) Subject: self-repair Date: 1995/08/17 Message-ID: <410g9q$qo0@enterprise.america.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar I am trying to understand the theory behind self-repair. If I were to make a 'bootstrap' program that writes a copy of the main proggy to pspace, and when it became 'damaged' (some sort of checksum check? B fields + A fields = checksum?), replaced the offending instructions. Also, how would the repair module repair itself? This is the only working program of self-repair I ever made: An infinitely looping copy program, that copies the previous copy. But it was fallible to even the most common warriors (imp, flash paper, rave, dwarf, rotldng2) I simply do not understand how any warrior could survive the fast attack carpet bombers and scanners. -- --_ pagefault/DWA /* C/C++, VB, xbase */ |\ -_ UnseenTerror Dragon -==UDIC==- ---|_) http://www.america.com/~daredevl/web/home.html |/_- daredevl@america.com -- pagefault@ispace.com From: graham@hal.mathcs.rhodes.edu (Randy Graham) Subject: Pizza Date: 1995/08/17 Message-ID: <1995Aug17.080348.2825@rhodes>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Well, I've tried to not post, hoping things would work out, but they haven't. Monday I sent two entries to pizza, Tuesday I sent one, and last night I sent one. None of them have returned. Thinking the first three might have had some problems, I submitted an old warrior that was once on the hill. Still no reply. So, does anyone know if there is a problem with pizza? Randy From: wilkinso@metronet.com Subject: Re: Just another "new boy on the field" Date: 1995/08/17 Message-ID: <410c0q$52@feenix.metronet.com>#1/1 references: <9508142229.AA03762@sect.civ.hw.ac.uk> <40rtmf$sj6@agate.berkeley.edu> <40t2ec$v58@bigblue.oit.unc.edu> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar ajpierce@med.unc.edu (Andrew Pierce) wrote: > For me, the point of deciding that "nothing further was possible" with >corewars happened after the imp-spirals. I still think it's true (at >least with '88). There is no doubt however, that corewars has advanced >significantly since the days when XTC was "king of the hill". I do think >though that imp spirals were the last great conceptual advance, which >isn't so say that further refinement and optimization of currently extant >techniques cannot occur; I'm just not interested in it. > How can you say that? I mean, do you really believe that every possible program has already been imagined, or just that no one will ever create anything -better- than an imp spiral? > -Andy Pierce >ajpierce@med.unc.edu P.S., did you ever go to school in Ft.Worth, Texas? From: graham@hal.mathcs.rhodes.edu (Randy Graham) Subject: People and Circle of Friends Date: 1995/08/17 Message-ID: <1995Aug17.150517.2827@rhodes> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Well, they both made it on the first try. I still have towork with People (I don't think I will do much with Friends - anyone else is welcome to it), but here is source for my 2 pspace warriors. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ;redcode-94 ;name People ;kill People ;author Randy Graham ;strategy Trying this pspace thing - combine imp/stone and a scanner. ;strategy check every few rounds and alter which to use. ;assert 1 CHECK equ 5 ;how often to check SWITCH equ 3 ;how many wins to keep current strategy _RESULT equ #0 ;predefined register of last result _COUNTER equ #71 ;counter for between round checks _WINS equ #81 ;count our wins for determining switch _STRATEGY equ #64 ;which strategy to fight with DUELTO equ (psetup+720) STONETO equ (psetup+840) IMPTO equ (STONETO+128) for 0 I have had stones that worked well in the past, but there is always the problem of beating paper with them. So, since we now have pspace, I am using one of these stones, but using a switch to change to a scanner if I lose too much as a stone. rof psetup ldp _RESULT, #0 won ldp _WINS, #0 timer ldp _COUNTER, #0 strategy ldp _STRATEGY,#0 add.ab #1, timer jmz.b chkstrat, psetup djn.b chkstrat, psetup ;consider change if not a win add.ab #1, won ;we won, so increase counter chkstrat slt.ab #CHECK-1, timer ;have we played enough to change? jmp.a memory, #0 ;no, so just store what we have mov.ab #0, timer ;reset our counter slt.b won, #SWITCH ;change if we haven't won enough jmp memory, #0 ;stay how we are switch sub.b strategy, #1 mov.b switch, strategy mov.ab #0, won ;reset our wins memory stp won, _WINS stp timer, _COUNTER stp strategy, _STRATEGY begin djn.b moveston, strategy moveduel mov.i }final, >final for 12 mov.i }final, >final rof final mov.i adder, DUELTO jmp.a DUELTO, #0 moveston mov.i }last, >done mov.i }last, >done mov.i }last, >done last mov.i stone, >done spl.a STONETO+1,>done done mov.i smover, STONETO mov.i imp, IMPTO spl i spl i31 i12 spl imp2 imp1 jmp >0, IMPTO i31 spl imp1 imp3 jmp >0, IMPTO+5334 i spl i12 spl imp3 imp2 jmp >0, IMPTO+2667 imp mov.i #1143, 2667 OPT equ 66 ;mod 2 LEN equ (14) DIFF equ 12 BOMBS equ (DIFF+2) ;how many bombs to lay OFF equ -410 ;djn stream offset for long run BEST equ -410 ;best I've found so far in length of run ENDAT equ 78147 ;how long BEST runs adder add.f spltrp, cmper ;adjust our compare sites cmper sne.i adder-DIFF-OPT, adder-OPT ;see if they differ add.f spltrp, cmper seq.i *cmper, @cmper slt.ab #LEN+BOMBS, cmper ;different, only bomb if not us djn.i adder, final for 12 mov.i }final, >final rof final mov.i adder, DUELTO jmp.a DUELTO, #0 moveston mov.i }last, >done mov.i }last, >done mov.i }last, >done last mov.i stone, >done spl.a STONETO+1,>done done mov.i smover, STONETO paperimp djn.b moveimp, strategy movpapr spl 1, paper1 spl 1 spl 1 mov.i -1, #0 starter spl.a @0, PAPERTO mov.i >movpapr, >starter stopper dat.f <2667, <2667*2 moveimp mov.i imp, IMPTO spl i ;bluefunk imp launch spl i31 i12 spl imp2 imp1 jmp >0, IMPTO i31 spl imp1 imp3 jmp >0, IMPTO+5334 i spl i12 spl imp3 imp2 jmp >0, IMPTO+2667 imp mov.i #1143, 2667 OPT equ 66 ;mod 2 LEN equ (14) DIFF equ 12 BOMBS equ (DIFF+2) ;how many bombs to lay OFF equ -478 ;djn stream offset for long run BEST equ -410 ;best I've found so far in length of run ENDAT equ 78147 ;how long BEST runs adder sub.f spltrp, cmper ;adjust our compare sites cmper sne.i adder-DIFF+OPT, adder+OPT ;see if they differ sub.f spltrp, cmper seq.i *cmper, @cmper slt.ab #LEN+BOMBS, cmper ;different, only bomb if not us djn.i adder, paper1 getimps mov.i nonimp, >-550 novamp mov.i static, }399 again spl.a paper1, {paper1 nonimp dat.f <2667, <5334 static dat.f <1, <1 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Randy From: root Subject: (no subject) Date: 1995/08/17 Message-ID: <808684654.25384@pundit.demon.co.uk>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar I need a help getting Pmars to compile under Linux. Whenever I do a make command on the source code it claims that it needs something called libterm. Unfortunately libterm isnt part of the slackware linux distribution. Can somebody tell me another lib that works similarly or where I can find some binaries or source code that actually works under linux. Please mail me rather than replying here. Thanks! -- *** Salim Fadhley - Projects co-ordinator of University Radio Nottingham *** eMail: psykscf@unicorn.nott.ac.uk http://www.cs.nott.ac.uk/~scf From: graham@hal.mathcs.rhodes.edu (Randy Graham) Subject: Re: Pizza Date: 1995/08/17 Message-ID: <1995Aug17.121649.2826@rhodes>#1/1 references: <1995Aug17.080348.2825@rhodes> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Randy Graham (graham@hal.mathcs.rhodes.edu) wrote: : Well, I've tried to not post, hoping things would work out, but they : haven't. Monday I sent two entries to pizza, Tuesday I sent one, and : last night I sent one. None of them have returned. Thinking the : first three might have had some problems, I submitted an old warrior : that was once on the hill. Still no reply. So, does anyone know if : there is a problem with pizza? Well, about two hours after I posted, I got all my submissions, so they are running now. Thanks anyway. : Randy From: wilkinso@metronet.com Subject: (no subject) Date: 1995/08/17 Message-ID: <40v27g$l9h@feenix.metronet.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar I challenged the 94-m Hill, and made it on. However, as I looked over the results it sent me, I'm baffled. What do those number along the bottom represent? "Number of wins with X other winners and losses" is highly ambiguous... >Program "Marcia Trionfale 2m" (length 99) by "Beppe Bezzi" >(contact address "bezzi@iol.it"): >;strategy Silk, Timescape like, and some bombing >;strategy v1m v2m changed spacers >Number of wins with zero, one, two, .., 10 other winners and losses >0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 2 39 140 16 >Total score: 1944 From: wilkinso@metronet.com Subject: Re: self-replicant Date: 1995/08/17 Message-ID: <40ulu6$i4o@feenix.metronet.com>#1/1 references: <9508161750.AA14829@sect.civ.hw.ac.uk> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar > So, here is the program: > >;redcode verbose >;name Jumpy Little Sucker (v 0.0) >;author Peter Ivanyi >;strategy Turn it off before the s... hits you! > >start MOV target, MOV bomber, MOV split, MOV add8, MOV jump, MOV loop, JMP split > DAT #0 ;maybe help avoid the damage in early stage > DAT #0 > DAT #0 > DAT #0 > DAT #0 > DAT #0 > DAT #0 > DAT #0 > DAT #0 > DAT #0 > DAT #0 > DAT #0 >bomb MOV #0, #8 ;bomb, and a counter for copying >loop MOV @bomb, jump DJN loop, bomb >add8 ADD #8, bomb ;correct the counter >split SPL @target ;split to the new copy >bomber MOV bomb, target JMP bomber, #1000 > END start > >On the Hill it scored only 40 points. It was "good" (well, not bad) against >Imps, but against scanners and vampires it was very poor. It made a lot of >TIE! >Any comment is appreciated. Well, the most glaring error is that "MOV #0, #8" is a very poor bomb. Especially when used in a carpet fasion, I can't imagine how it could kill anything other than maybe something with a "JMP @x" statement, or imps. Most scanners or vamps are going to have multiple process, which would be extra difficult to kill this way... My advice is to scrap the first line of code and change "ADD #8, bomb" into "MOV #8, bomb". 'Course, there are better redcoders than me... maybe I'm still missing something. :) From: stst@idnsun.gpct.Vanderbilt.Edu (Stefan Strack) Subject: Re: CoreWar book Date: 1995/08/18 Message-ID: <9508181559.AA01807@idnsun.gpct.Vanderbilt.Edu.noname>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar (Scott, I've been trying to email this to you, but my mailer can't find your domain) Scott, you're most welcome to use whatever I wrote/copyrighted for your book. I think it's a great idea and long overdue. Let me know if I can be of assistance. -Stefan From: bezzi@iol.it (Beppe Bezzi) Subject: Re: Re: Just another "new boy on the field" Date: 1995/08/18 Message-ID: <199508181156.MAA14821@iol-mail.iol.it>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Paul Kline wrote > Andrew Pierce wrote: >> For me, the point of deciding that "nothing further was possible" with >>corewars happened after the imp-spirals. I still think it's true (at >>least with '88). >Personally I don't feel that '88 was exhausted, '94 is still opening up, I don't know 88 (I only use 94) but the 94 hill seems to me far from being exausted. It's not long time that programs like Whitershins Thrice and Porch Swing boomed into it, with a rather new strategy of indirect bombing/scanning. I dont know if it's a new concept or only a refinement but, after all, I don't care. The game is alive and I enjoy it :-) I don't think it's possible to say that "nothing will be discovered in future" in a fairly complex game like Corewar. Who knows what's still lying in redcode, just waiting for someone to discover and implement in a new winning warrior. I can only hope to be the one to do that, and score a 200 on the hill :-) >and pspace (shared and unshared) is a whole new arena - heck, the first >two attempts on the '94 hill using pspace apparently both made it on. Yes, p-space is *really* a new arena open to new strategies, I'm enjoying it a lot, but to have it we had to change rules so it's not a new discovery in Corewar. -------- Beppe Bezzi bezzi@iol.it Gaudeamus igitur.. From: bezzi@iol.it (Beppe Bezzi) Subject: P-space warriors Date: 1995/08/18 Message-ID: <199508181156.MAA14823@iol-mail.iol.it>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar I tried p-space and I made on the hill with two warriors (ptest01, soon killed, and ptest02, using different strategies), but both my attempts scored 10 points less than Marcia Trionfale that's a fighting component of both p-warriors (together with a stone I'm ashamed to publish as a part of a complex warrior too) Submitting Marcia alone with 50 lines of p-space stuff decoy would have scored a lot better than any of my p-warriors :-) I don't know if what I'm proposing is fair but, just for testing if p-space allows to make superwarriors, may be interesting to mix together some of the best warriors on hill, a bootable stone, a replicator and a scanner; assemble them with a simple rotating-when-lose strategy, see what happens and then kill it. I guess it should score near 60/20/20, a little less than best results of single components against their preferred prey. I'll share Marcia Trionfale; I can tune it to be deadlier against bombers even if more vulnerable to scanners (they won't be my opponents, I'll let them to the stone) and I have a functional, but far from optimal, rotating strategy block (similar to Randy Graham's one, just keep on fighting when ties) If someone is interested just send me his favorite component, or ask me for Marcia Trionfale, of course, and *any suggestion* for the strategic part, I remember is just for testing deeply p-space, not to have a warrior to dominate the hill. (I know, Paul can do the job alone, using only his warriors :-) Greetings -------- Beppe Bezzi bezzi@iol.it Gaudeamus igitur.. From: ajpierce@med.unc.edu (Andrew Pierce) Subject: Re: Just another "new boy on the field" Date: 1995/08/18 Message-ID: <410os9$mv8@bigblue.oit.unc.edu>#1/1 references: <9508142229.AA03762@sect.civ.hw.ac.uk> <40rtmf$sj6@agate.berkeley.edu> <40t2ec$v58@bigblue.oit.unc.edu> <410c0q$52@feenix.metronet.com> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar In article <410c0q$52@feenix.metronet.com>, wrote: >ajpierce@med.unc.edu (Andrew Pierce) wrote: >> For me, the point of deciding that "nothing further was possible" with >>corewars happened after the imp-spirals. I still think it's true (at >>least with '88). There is no doubt however, that corewars has advanced >>significantly since the days when XTC was "king of the hill". I do think >>though that imp spirals were the last great conceptual advance, which >>isn't so say that further refinement and optimization of currently extant >>techniques cannot occur; I'm just not interested in it. >How can you say that? I mean, do you really believe that every possible >program has already been imagined, or just that no one will ever create >anything -better- than an imp spiral? Corewars is a finite game. There will come a time at which its potentialities have been exhausted. I feel that, mainly due to King of the Hill, the evolutionary rate of corewars has increased to the point that the endpoint of corewars is near. Note that I was referring to '88. I believe that others also feel that corewars is near an evolutionary end, regardless of whether they actually realize this or not, and that this has been the driving force for reinventing corewars with the '94 standard, p-space, etc. There may be room for advancement in these new areas, but I *feel* that corewars, as originally conceived, has essentially been solved. I might be wrong; it's only my opinion. Don't let that discourage you from trying. -Andy ajpierce@med.unc.edu From: stst@idnsun.gpct.Vanderbilt.Edu (Stefan Strack) Subject: Re: Pizza's Being Weird... Date: 1995/08/19 Message-ID: <9508192346.AA02119@idnsun.gpct.Vanderbilt.Edu.noname>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar >Sorry, your corewar program did not compile successfully. Below is a brief >description of why and where the program failed to compile. > >Error in line 5: ';assert VERSION >= 80 && ROUNDS > 1' > Assertion in this line fails >Number of errors: 1 > > > > > >Why did pizza say that assertion failed? If pizza isn't using the >latest pMARS, or isn't running the battles consecutively, how did Randy's >programs work? > > The pizza/stormking scripts test-assemble submissions with pmars -r 0 warrior.red > assembly.msg and mail you "assembly.msg" before actually running your warrior with "-r 100". This is why the "ROUNDS > 1" term in ;assert fails. Simply leave it out or change it to something like ;assert VERSION >= 80 && ROUNDS != 1 -Stefan From: peter@carme.sect.civ.hw.ac.uk (Mr. Peter Ivanyi) Subject: Questions, questions, questions Date: 1995/08/19 Message-ID: <9508191839.AA01072@sect.civ.hw.ac.uk>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Please, read it all, or PgDn. At this time, I would like to compare corewar to chess. In chess, the great, well-known masters (at least to me) are Karpov and Kasparov, but of course there are a lot of others. Let's say, there are some master in corewar, as well. Oke! But, how much time do you need to be a corewar expert? In chess, there are a lot of different tactics, just for opening, for "real fight" and for giving checkmate. (I am sorry, I don't know the exact terminology.) What are those tactics, warrior programs, that you have to know in corewar (imp, vampire, stone, paper, scissors and so on)? Where is the ultimate collection of warriors, technics? Does every beginner has to reinvent "The Wheel"? I know, Steven Morell has started a book titled as "My first corewar book" and there are some collections of warrior programs somewhere in the Internet. From the book, I saw only 2 chapters (in spite of this maybe it is finished), and the problem with the collections is, that they are not really well-documented. It's true, that the good program is self-explanatory, but anyway... every joke is new for a baby. And, where are the books (files), which tells you the development of corewar and corewar programs from the beginning to nowadays? What is the modern style and what is old? If we really move to ICWS 94 standard, then we have to make documents about ICWS 88 and 86 standards. Here is another example: Every society has its own "hopefully and usually" documented history. Moreover, we are (at least I feel, I am) on the INFORMATION super HIGHWAY. Are we a society? or our motto is : Welcome to the JUNGLE! PLEASE survive! What is your opinion? Pedro ------------------------- Game is a serious thing ! ------------------------- From: wilkinso@metronet.com Subject: Re: p-space Date: 1995/08/19 Message-ID: <415kt7$ldn@feenix.metronet.com>#1/1 references: <9508121548.AA00582@idnsun.gpct.Vanderbilt.Edu.noname> <4154tl$svg@newsbf02.news.aol.com> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Everything you need to know can be found at http://www.stormking.com/~koth/ From: wilkinso@metronet.com Subject: Re: (no subject) Date: 1995/08/19 Message-ID: <415kml$ldn@feenix.metronet.com>#1/1 references: <40v27g$l9h@feenix.metronet.com> <410kog$n34@valhalla.stormking.com> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar >: I challenged the 94-m Hill, and made it on. However, as I looked >: over the results it sent me, I'm baffled. What do those number along >: the bottom represent? > >: "Number of wins with X other winners and losses" is highly ambiguous... > >: >Program "Marcia Trionfale 2m" (length 99) by "Beppe Bezzi" >: >(contact address "bezzi@iol.it"): >: >;strategy Silk, Timescape like, and some bombing >: >;strategy v1m v2m changed spacers >: >Number of wins with zero, one, two, .., 10 other winners and losses >: >0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 2 39 140 16 >: >Total score: 1944 >Hi, > > Only because of laziness it appears that way. I'm still working on >Release 2 of the software. What it means is : > >Number of wins with 0 other winners : 0 >Number of wins with 1 other winners : 0 >Number of wins with 2 other winners : 0 >Number of wins with 3 other winners : 0 >Number of wins with 4 other winners : 0 >Number of wins with 5 other winners : 1 >Number of wins with 6 other winners : 0 >Number of wins with 7 other winners : 2 >Number of wins with 8 other winners : 2 >Number of wins with 9 other winners : 39 >Number of wins with 10 other winners : 140 >Number of losses : 16 How about: Wins with 0, 1, 2... 10 other survivors: 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 2, 2, 39, 140 Losses: 16 From: agserm@aol.com (AGSerm) Subject: Re: p-space Date: 1995/08/19 Message-ID: <4154tl$svg@newsbf02.news.aol.com>#1/1 references: <9508121548.AA00582@idnsun.gpct.Vanderbilt.Edu.noname> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar stst@idnsun.gpct.Vanderbilt.Edu (Stefan Strack) writes: >>Are the new p-space instructions going to be included in any >>new hills soon? [..] > >pMARS 0.8 is running at both stormking and pizza now, and P-space is >available on all '94 hills. > >-Stefan Could somebody tell me where i could get pMARS 0.8.0, and i'd also appreciate it if somebody could tell me about p-space. I just started reading this newsgroup recently, and I have no idea what it (p-space) is. Thanks, Ansel From: wilkinso@metronet.com Subject: Pizza's Being Weird... Date: 1995/08/19 Message-ID: <414hge$6bj@feenix.metronet.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Return-Path: Date: Sat, 19 Aug 1995 00:02:55 -0700 From: Internet Pizza Server To: wilkinso@metronet.com Subject: King of the Hill Sorry, your corewar program did not compile successfully. Below is a brief description of why and where the program failed to compile. Error in line 5: ';assert VERSION >= 80 && ROUNDS > 1' Assertion in this line fails Number of errors: 1 Why did pizza say that assertion failed? If pizza isn't using the latest pMARS, or isn't running the battles consecutively, how did Randy's programs work? From: tuc@news.stormking.com (Scott J. Ellentuch) Subject: Re: (no subject) Date: 1995/08/20 Message-ID: <417c31$d88@valhalla.stormking.com>#1/1 references: <40v27g$l9h@feenix.metronet.com> <410kog$n34@valhalla.stormking.com> <415kml$ldn@feenix.metronet.com> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar : How about: : Wins with 0, 1, 2... 10 other survivors: 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 2, 2, 39, 140 : Losses: 16 Noted. Will look into it. Scott -- * --- --- |Scott J. Ellentuch, Pres | The Telecom Security Group * * | | | |Comm. and Comp. Security | (Storm King family of Companies) * * | |__|__ |Consultants and Engineers | P.O. Box 69, Newburgh, NY 12551 * From: everard@infi.net (M. Scott Everard) Subject: Re: Questions, questions, questions Date: 1995/08/21 Message-ID: <41b016$94m@allnews.infi.net>#1/1 references: <9508191839.AA01072@sect.civ.hw.ac.uk> <41ac95$g60@news.asu.edu> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar >: And, where are the books (files), which tells you the development of >: corewar and corewar programs from the beginning to nowadays? What is the >: modern style and what is old? If we really move to ICWS 94 standard, then >: we have to make documents about ICWS 88 and 86 standards. My new book will include the history of Core Wars, computer basics (cpu, core memory, machine language intro, assembly language, etc), The redcode instruction set (original, 88, and 94), warriors (program listings documented by the authors), tournaments, International Corewars Society information, Internet sources, the complete ICWS 88 and 94 standards, MARS source code, misc. articles concerning Corewars, and a complete glossary. All information contained in the book will be documented in the bibliography. > Also another document could contain a list of important warriors. Then >we can ask the authors of these warriors to write a detailed description >of the warrior. >Nandor. I am certainly open to any idea that would enhance my book. If anyone would like to contribute their warrior, articles, etc, for possible inclusion, please feel free to email it to me at the address below. All contributions that are included in the book will be noted in the bibliography. M. Scott Everard everard@infi.net From: sieben@imap1.asu.edu Subject: Re: Questions, questions, questions Date: 1995/08/21 Message-ID: <41ac95$g60@news.asu.edu>#1/1 references: <9508191839.AA01072@sect.civ.hw.ac.uk> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar : Internet. From the book, I saw only 2 chapters (in spite of this maybe it is : finished), and the problem with the collections is, that they are not really : well-documented. It's true, that the good program is self-explanatory, but : anyway... every joke is new for a baby. : And, where are the books (files), which tells you the development of : corewar and corewar programs from the beginning to nowadays? What is the : modern style and what is old? If we really move to ICWS 94 standard, then we : have to make documents about ICWS 88 and 86 standards. Here is another : example: Every society has its own "hopefully and usually" documented : history. Moreover, we are (at least I feel, I am) on the INFORMATION : super HIGHWAY. This is exactly my book idea. It definately should contain historical notes. We could start a document containing a collection of historical notes. This could be part of a book. Also another document could contain a list of important warriors. Then we can ask the authors of these warriors to write a detailed description of the warrior. I think the number of warriors in this list should not be too big. I'd say about 30 warriors should cover the important aspects of corewar. Nandor. From: everard@infi.net (M. Scott Everard) Subject: Re: CoreWar book Date: 1995/08/21 Message-ID: <41aehf$1rv@allnews.infi.net>#1/1 references: <9508181559.AA01807@idnsun.gpct.Vanderbilt.Edu.noname> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar >Scott, you're most welcome to use whatever I wrote/copyrighted for your >book. I think it's a great idea and long overdue. Let me know if I can be >of assistance. > >-Stefan Does anyone know Steve Morrells email address? A.K. Dewdney? From: KOTH Tourney Server Subject: SKI-ICWS: Status - ICWS Tournament Date: 1995/08/21 Message-ID: <199508210400.AAA13145@valhalla.stormking.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Weekly Status See up to the second scores at http://www.stormking.com/~koth *READ ALL ABOUT IT* - pMARS 0.8 released : http://www.stormking.com/~koth/pmars.html Current Status of the StormKing Industries Annual ICWS Tournament CoreWar Hill: # %W/ %L/ %T Name Author Score Age 1 59/ 10/ 31 Cannonade Paul Kline 207 45 2 55/ 32/ 13 Miss Understanding Derek Ross 179 1 3 53/ 31/ 16 Old Tire Swing Randy Graham 174 2 4 51/ 35/ 13 Miss Carry Derek Ross 167 9 5 52/ 40/ 8 Agony T Stefan Strack 163 46 6 47/ 32/ 21 Giskard v0.5 Ken Mitton 163 18 7 43/ 35/ 22 stone matthew householder 150 57 8 44/ 41/ 15 Maya v1.6 Christoph C. Birk 147 19 9 44/ 41/ 15 Miss Treatment Derek Ross 147 10 10 44/ 41/ 15 warrior 42 stefan roettger 146 58 11 44/ 41/ 15 Slaver v1.1i Christoph C. Birk 146 6 12 42/ 46/ 13 Illusion Randy Graham 138 4 13 43/ 51/ 6 xtc stefan roettger 134 50 14 36/ 47/ 17 scissors matthew householder 125 60 15 31/ 44/ 25 Intangible Dwarf 88.3 Campbell Fraser 118 48 16 35/ 53/ 12 Smartbomb 4.0 Devin Kilminster 116 44 17 29/ 45/ 26 Arschkarte V5.0 Thomas Nitsche 114 17 18 34/ 54/ 12 Cat v2.0 Tim Scheer 113 42 19 34/ 55/ 11 Smartbomb 4.0 Devin Kilminster 112 43 20 26/ 39/ 35 Logan John Lewis 112 27 21 18/ 46/ 36 gater v1.0 M.C.Diskett Bullfrog 90 0 From: KOTH Tourney Server Subject: SKI-ICWS: Status - Standard Date: 1995/08/21 Message-ID: <199508210400.AAA24913@valhalla.stormking.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Weekly Status See up to the second scores at http://www.stormking.com/~koth *READ ALL ABOUT IT* - pMARS 0.8 released : http://www.stormking.com/~koth/pmars.html Current Status of the StormKing Industries Standard KotH CoreWar Hill : # %W/ %L/ %T Name Author Score Age 1 36/ 32/ 32 Keystone t21 P.Kline 141 77 2 26/ 12/ 63 Cannonade P.Kline 139 90 3 26/ 18/ 56 CAPS KEY IS STUCK AGAIN Steven Morrell 135 56 4 28/ 21/ 51 Der Zweiter Blitzkrieg Mike Nonemacher 135 85 5 37/ 38/ 25 Christopher Steven Morrell 135 55 6 24/ 14/ 62 ttti nandor sieben 134 40 7 25/ 16/ 59 Blue Funk 88 Steven Morrell 134 54 8 27/ 20/ 53 Test Wayne Sheppard 134 79 9 40/ 48/ 12 bigproba nandor sieben 133 78 10 24/ 16/ 61 jmp/add crasher Randy Graham 131 14 11 23/ 15/ 63 Peace Mr. Jones 131 64 12 24/ 19/ 57 Hydra Stephen Linhart 129 164 13 19/ 9/ 72 Imps! Imps! Imps! Steven Morrell 129 101 14 19/ 10/ 71 Evol Imp v5a Wilkinson 129 1 15 35/ 41/ 24 Request v2.0 Brant D. Thomsen 128 26 16 37/ 47/ 17 Iron Gate Wayne Sheppard 127 184 17 35/ 43/ 22 Beholder's Eye V1.7 W. Mintardjo 127 134 18 32/ 37/ 31 Miss Understanding Derek Ross 126 13 19 31/ 38/ 31 Giskard v0.5 Ken Mitton 125 28 20 16/ 10/ 74 Evol Imp v1 Wilkinson 121 2 21 10/ 69/ 21 Come HOME, my little son! Peter Ivanyi 51 0 From: KOTH Tourney Server Subject: SKI-ICWS: Status - Multiwarrior Experimental 94 Date: 1995/08/21 Message-ID: <199508210400.AAA26222@valhalla.stormking.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Weekly Status See up to the second scores at http://www.stormking.com/~koth *READ ALL ABOUT IT* - pMARS 0.8 released : http://www.stormking.com/~koth/pmars.html Current Status of the StormKing Industries MultiWarrior Experimental 94 CoreWar Hill: # Name Author Score Age 1 TimeScapeX (0.1) J. Pohjalainen 3795 31 2 jaded M R Bremer 3267 2 3 Paperone Beppe Bezzi 3132 16 4 Lucky 13 Stefan Strack 3024 33 5 Illusion-94/55 Randy Graham 2671 10 6 life Nandor Sieben 2612 32 7 lifedwarf Nandor Sieben 2517 8 8 Hidden M.C.Diskett Bullfrog 2293 1 9 Whirlwind Bob Uhl 2112 18 10 Miss Carry Derek Ross 2109 12 11 AB Scanner 2.9 Chris Hodson 2061 20 12 Shwing! T. H. Davies 1999 27 13 Piggy 2 Bob Uhl 1926 6 14 Piggy 3 Bob Uhl 1616 4 15 Whirlwind 2 Bob Uhl 1582 19 16 Miss Understanding Derek Ross 1383 7 17 Miss Treatment Derek Ross 1330 11 18 MuDwarf G. Eadon 1256 21 19 Unknown Anonymous 952 9 20 Veeble Jr. T. H. Davies 895 28 21 Bloody! G. Eadon 869 24 From: KOTH Tourney Server Subject: SKI-ICWS: Status - MultiWarrior 94 Date: 1995/08/21 Message-ID: <199508210400.AAA17768@valhalla.stormking.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Weekly Status See up to the second scores at http://www.stormking.com/~koth *READ ALL ABOUT IT* - pMARS 0.8 released : http://www.stormking.com/~koth/pmars.html Current Status of the StormKing Industries Multiwarrior 94 CoreWar Hill: # Name Author Score Age 1 Die Hard P.Kline 2272 6 2 Son of Imp Steven Morrell 2201 19 3 60% Cotton Wilkinson 2134 2 4 75% Cotton v3b Wilkinson 2127 3 5 Paperone Beppe Bezzi 2091 41 6 90% Cotton v5c Wilkinson 2074 1 7 Cotton v C1 Wilkinson 2067 5 8 Silkworm 1.1 Beppe Bezzi 2066 16 9 test 2 P.Kline 2028 23 10 TimeScape (1.1) J. Pohjalainen 1957 64 11 Merge v1.1 M.C.Diskett Bullfrog 1597 0 From: morrell@jeeves.math.utah.edu (Steven C. Morrell) Subject: Re: CoreWar book Date: 1995/08/22 Message-ID: #1/1 references: <9508181559.AA01807@idnsun.gpct.Vanderbilt.Edu.noname> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar > Does anyone know Steve Morrells email address? A.K. Dewdney? Sorry, don't know either. Sorry for the long time replying, but my mail user is a bit flakey... :) -- Steven Morrell morrell@math.utah.edu From: ralf.ludwig@herne.netsurf.de (TrapDuck) Subject: PCROBOTS Date: 1995/08/22 Message-ID: <41ceoe$pji@ra.ins.de>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Hi Dudes !!! Anybody know the latest version of PCROBOTS ??? i just have version V1.30 ... is that the latest ? or is any other pascal robot simulator out there ??? like PcRobots ??? thx Ralf From: everard@infi.net (M. Scott Everard) Subject: Re: Questions, questions, questions Date: 1995/08/23 Message-ID: <41g9qu$bau@allnews.infi.net>#1/1 references: <9508191839.AA01072@sect.civ.hw.ac.uk> <41ac95$g60@news.asu.edu> <41b016$94m@allnews.infi.net> <41g6n1$id3@news.asu.edu> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar In article <41g6n1$id3@news.asu.edu>, sieben@imap1.asu.edu says: > >: I am certainly open to any idea that would enhance my book. If anyone >: would like to contribute their warrior, articles, etc, for possible inclusion, >: please feel free to email it to me at the address below. All contributions >: that are included in the book will be noted in the bibliography. > >Perhaps you could send the table of contents of the book to the net for a >discussion. > >Nandor. That's a good idea. All comments will be given serious consideration. Here goes: I. History of Corewars II. Computer Basics A. Hardware B. Software III. Redcode A. Instruction Set IV. Warriors A. Listings B. Tips V. KoTH A. Tournaments B. International Corewars Society C. Tournament Corewars Newsletter VI. Standards/Implementations A. 88 Standard B. 94 Standard VII. MARS VIII. Misc Articles Glossary Bibliography Index As I stated before, all comments are welcome and will be well received. If anyone has anything that they would like to offer for possible publication, please contact me at my email address. Thanks in advance. M. Scott Everard everard@infi.net From: everard@infi.net (M. Scott Everard) Subject: Tutorial Date: 1995/08/23 Message-ID: <41e3hl$h1o@allnews.infi.net>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar I'm trying to get in touch with Mark Durham, the author of two Corewar tutorials. Email me? Scott From: sieben@imap1.asu.edu Subject: Re: Questions, questions, questions Date: 1995/08/23 Message-ID: <41g6n1$id3@news.asu.edu>#1/1 references: <9508191839.AA01072@sect.civ.hw.ac.uk> <41ac95$g60@news.asu.edu> <41b016$94m@allnews.infi.net> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar : I am certainly open to any idea that would enhance my book. If anyone : would like to contribute their warrior, articles, etc, for possible inclusion, : please feel free to email it to me at the address below. All contributions : that are included in the book will be noted in the bibliography. Perhaps you could send the table of contents of the book to the net for a discussion. Nandor. From: ruhl@phoebe.cair.du.edu (Robert A. Uhl) Subject: Re: Questions, questions, questions Date: 1995/08/24 Message-ID: <41i6c7$5gh@hermes.cair.du.edu>#1/1 references: <9508191839.AA01072@sect.civ.hw.ac.uk> <41b016$94m@allnews.infi.net> <41g6n1$id3@news.asu.edu> <41g9qu$bau@allnews.infi.net> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar In article <41g9qu$bau@allnews.infi.net>, M. Scott Everard wrote: > >I. History of Corewars Mention Dewdney & al. He din't invent it, but rather popularised it. >II. Computer Basics > A. Hardware Any platform: PC, Unix and Mac all have the appropriate programs. I believe that Amigas do also. > B. Software pMars, Redcoder &c. >III. Redcode > A. Instruction Set Introduce both the '88 and '94 instruction sets. '88 is a perfectly useable set which was the last improvement upon the original Corewars instruction set; '94 was a radical change which has not yet been improved. I like it a lot. BTW, when will the ICWS approve '94? It seems that rgc has made the most recent changes (pspace, {}* &c). >IV. Warriors > A. Listings > B. Tips Introduce the three basic types (stone, paper, scissors) first, then go on to more advanced designs, such as the imp-ring, the self-repair &c. >V. KoTH > A. Tournaments > B. International Corewars Society I really need to get a membership to this. Include a form in your book. > C. Tournament Corewars Newsletter This is why. >VI. Standards/Implementations > A. 88 Standard > B. 94 Standard Good. Go into detail on the differences of the various standards; discuss both in the Insruction Set chapter. I would discuss '88 and '94 concurrently, notseperately. I would just like to comment that I hope that you include a Mac disk or a dual format (mac/PC) disk with your book. The Mac corewars tools are extremely nice. -- +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Bob Uhl | Spectre | `En touto nika' + | | U of D | Baron Robert von Raetzin | http://mercury.cair.du.edu/~ruhl/ | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ From: lordice@eskimo.com (Jason Kroll) Subject: Help! core no work on pizza/strm Date: 1995/08/24 Message-ID: #1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar a few years ago I played corewars (in 7th grade, early 8th) but quit. Recently I I was trying to upload some cores to the pizza & storm king servers but I kept getti getting error messages (I forgot what they were now, something like that my core wouldn't work on current settings. I forgot what command it was that I omitted, like assign or version or something weird that is not a part of Amiga or Mac corewars... My cores were set for an 8192 playfield... Is this wrong? What commands should be at the top of a core to ensure that it runs properly? ZZ From: stst@idnsun.gpct.Vanderbilt.Edu (Stefan Strack) Subject: FAQ frequency Date: 1995/08/24 Message-ID: <9508241558.AA03078@idnsun.gpct.Vanderbilt.Edu.noname>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Y'all: There've been lots of questions recently that are answered in the FAQ. The FAQ is currently posted every 14 days. I could have the faq server post it more frequently, say every 7 or 10 days. Please email me what you think. -Stefan From: msmoulton@aol.com (MSMoulton) Subject: Corewar Web Page? Date: 1995/08/24 Message-ID: <41i0rc$gfh@newsbf02.news.aol.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Is there a Corewar web page around? ********************************************* *Michael Moulton * *------------------------------------------------------* *Internet: MSMoulton@aol.com * * michael.moulton@gsh.com * *FidoNet: Michael Moulton (1:275/153)* *Prog-Net: Michael Moulton * ********************************************** From: rogbarn@Walden.MO.NET (Roger Barnes) Subject: Re: Questions, questions, questions Date: 1995/08/24 Message-ID: <41gulj$2ro@Twain.MO.NET>#1/1 references: <9508191839.AA01072@sect.civ.hw.ac.uk> <41ac95$g60@news.asu.edu> <41b016$94m@allnews.infi.net> <41g6n1$id3@news.asu.edu> <41g9qu$bau@allnews.infi.net> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Scott, Where am I going to be able to get this book? Are you actually going to publish it, or is it going to be an electronic publication. I eagerly await it's arrival, I'd like to try Corewars. Nate Barnes, using his father's account. From: graham@hal.mathcs.rhodes.edu (Randy Graham) Subject: Simple warriors. Date: 1995/08/25 Message-ID: <1995Aug25.222229.2832@rhodes> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Well, this probably isn't a real flash of insight, but while working on a program at work today (a "real" program, not a warrior ;-) I was struck by the thought of what makes the best warriors. Just like a good program in any other language, the best warriors are usually the simplest. Specialize and you tend to improve your results. Here's what I mean: Withershins Thrice is really a very simple program. Bomb a couple of spots, and check nearby areas. If nothing is there, move the target area up a little, bomb and check again. Once something is found, or a run around the world is made, start washing and disinfecting (hmm... seems like a new idea for a warrior on that last part). Aside from the vulnerabilty all single processes have against stones, the only weak spot for Withershins is if the sweep pointer gets messed up. And of cource, Paul protected against thi by having a backup and making the sweep run through a great number of passes. Agony II (which I haven't seen, but I think I am correct in what I am saying here) of course goes looking for others, and attacks (I'm guessing a spl carpet) whatever is found. Aside from the same weakness versus stones, Agony's only real weakness (I think) is attacking itself or decoys/colored bombs/djn-streams. As with any cmp-scanner, Agony probably has a small safe zone which never gets attacked. Agony's own decoy is designed (so I see in the ;strategy) to avoid self-triggers for a long time (more than twice the longest I ever got with Duel). And when set off by colored bombs or djn-streams Agony is at least protected against itself insofar as the attack pointers rarely are close enough to Agony to hurt it. I am guessing that Agony also has a two pass or perpertual core-clear now, but I don't know. Not much needs to be said about stones simplicity. I have had some stones that in theory were going to be really good, but in practice... They just were too dependant on too much static area. If one pointer got changed, they would fail. On the other hand, we have warriors like Juliet Storm and Blue Funk/Blue Funk 3. Not complex, but very complete and definitely strong opponents. Still susceptible to one good hit from other stones (that is, a standalone stone - obviously Blue Funk is okay if the stone gets hit), they at least can get a tie against imps most of the time (since most stones are self-splitting and have a good number of processes by the time an imp hits). And speaking of imps. How much simpler can you get. I think I need say no more on imps. Silk paper solves the problem of losing from a single hit by a stone, and can deal effectively with vamps and imps in a very small code space (Ryooki was only 7 lines after booting, I think). Of course, old style silks were vulnerable to scanners. Enter the new style which have even higher reproduction rates, and throw around more very small papers. The likes of TimeScape, Phoenix, and Marcia bomb or overwrite old copies fairly early, thus dealing well with their major weakness - scanners. And I'll never forget when I finally understood the power of the djn-stream. Here is a looping instruction that adds a simple attack to a warrior without adding size. I believe this is primarily responsible for the 10 point difference between Withershins and Porch. So why am I wasting so much space saying this? I don't really know. I wanted to get these thoughts down and ponder out loud, hoping someone might get a flash of insight somewhere. You see, I've also thought about why certain warriors don't do very well on the hills now. Vampires did well for a long time (first I saw was Cowboy, although I know there where some earlier). And then, Pyramid which was terrific on the hill for a while. Then, along came silk paper. They generated so many processes, and could also track down pits fairly easily with '94 (although Paul tracked down pits with '88, in '94 it is easier), that vampires quickly faded away. Why hasn't a successful one appeared lately? Well, they tend to be too complex if they are going to handle paper. To get a silk, a vamp now has to do at least two passes on the core clear. Not a problem in itself, but that is extra size, which makes them more vulnerable to scanners, losing what were easy points when they were smaller. Move the clear pointers away from the body to reduce size vs. scanners, and now they are more susceptible to stones (more components, spread out more - a stones delight). I hope someone gets the flash it will take to re-establish vampires as viable warriors. But I know I have tried and just can't get it. Some time back Paul presented an idea about faster warriors. I think it was a 0.6c hard stone and a faster jmz or jmn scanner. I haven't seen a warrior use these yet, I don't think. I'm guessing there is a problem of protecting oneself with either of these ideas. That stone looks great, but how will it handle paper, set up a core clear, or keep from self destructing. I think Tornado is an attempt at this, but it hasn't gone to high up the hill yet. Combining components is a problem in some cases too. Stone/imp and stone/paper make sense, and are not too hard to combine. However, try joining a stone and a scanner. Or a vamp and paper (although I think someone has done this successfully, it is not a common matching). It is just too hard for them to both be effective without getting in each others way. I tried a scanner/stone combo once. Avoiding the stone with the scanner wasn't too hard. But I couldn't figure out a bomb pattern for the stone that was effective but didn't get the stone or the scanner. And if the stone was self-splitting, the scanner became a molasses (sp?) machine. The combo was far inferior to either part. I have source to Bunker, a self-repair program Paul Kline wrote some time ago and posted. I haven't seen others, but have read about them. It seems the problem with self repair is many-fold. First, if you spend all your time checking yourself against copies, how can you attack anybody? If you increase the attack portion, now you loose the effectiveness of the self repair. Also, there is the problem of knowing which copy is correct when one finds an error in another. And then, there is the speed problem when one part gets hit by a spl carpet or overwritten by paper. And when you repair, do you do it in the same spot (where you might have to many processes running, which will mess you up), or do you move. If you move, where do you go. And finally, how in the world do you avoid getting yourself? I could go on with more, but I know everyone is tired of my rambling by now. I hope someone gets some inspiration from this. I am trying to simplify some ideas I have and see if I can get another warrior on the hill. If anyone gets an idea from this that they can share, or wants to wonder out loud also, please share. I am still hoping to find that idea that puts me on top which I can say is new, or even my own, rather than a tweaking of someone else's idea. Randy From: sriverhi@snowcrest.net (Ananda) Subject: Re: PCROBOTS Date: 1995/08/25 Message-ID: <41ln94$7ro@news.snowcrest.net>#1/1 references: <41ceoe$pji@ra.ins.de> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar In article <41ceoe$pji@ra.ins.de>, ralf.ludwig@herne.netsurf.de says... > >Hi Dudes !!! > >Anybody know the latest version of PCROBOTS ??? >i just have version V1.30 ... is that the latest ? Well, I realize this is way off topic, but since I came here looking for something similar... 1.41 is the newest. the filename is pcrob141.zip I will let you run an archie for it. -Ananda From: tuc@news.stormking.com (Scott J. Ellentuch) Subject: Re: Corewar Web Page? Date: 1995/08/25 Message-ID: <41kvfg$kh1@valhalla.stormking.com>#1/1 references: <41i0rc$gfh@newsbf02.news.aol.com> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar MSMoulton (msmoulton@aol.com) wrote: : Is there a Corewar web page around? http://www.stormking.com/~koth Tuc -- * --- --- |Scott J. Ellentuch, Pres | The Telecom Security Group * * | | | |Comm. and Comp. Security | (Storm King family of Companies) * * | |__|__ |Consultants and Engineers | P.O. Box 69, Newburgh, NY 12551 * From: bezzi@iol.it (Beppe Bezzi) Subject: Re: P-space warriors Date: 1995/08/25 Message-ID: <41j57m$bvb@mikasa.iol.it>#1/1 references: <199508181156.MAA14823@iol-mail.iol.it> <1995Aug22.195528.2829@rhodes> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar graham@hal.mathcs.rhodes.edu (Randy Graham) wrote: >Beppe Bezzi (bezzi@iol.it) wrote: >: I don't know if what I'm proposing is fair but, just for testing if >: p-space allows to make superwarriors, may be interesting to mix >: together some of the best warriors on hill, a bootable stone, a >: replicator and a scanner; assemble them with a simple >: rotating-when-lose strategy, see what happens and then kill it. I >: guess it should score near 60/20/20, a little less than best results >: of single components against their preferred prey. >There were two problems I ran into on assembling Circle of Friends. >One is (and this will probably be true for everyone for a while) >making a good algorithm for when to switch and to what... (part omitted) >... As anyone who saw >my source, my switching routine is very simple (and does something >wrong - 5 points extra credit to all who find it). I just gave a glance at Circle, but if you say so I will discover your error and add to Marcia Trionfale 5 of Porch swing's points jumping on top of the hill :-) >... A good switching >routing is necessary to keep the best component fighting as much as >possible. My warrior Know.. uses two components, half of Marcia Trionfale and Tornado, tests each one for some rounds and then selects the best to finish the fight. In practice Marcia fights bombers and paper leaving Tornado,(it is not as weak as it seem from his score, he has beaten Porch 56/42/2 and Whitershins 61/36/3, it's -very- specialized against some opponents and dramatically weak against replicators and imps, I made it so to be sure to leave Marcia fighting them) to fight the scanners Having scored a 130 with ptest04, I were thinking to add at least 10 points but something got wrong, 131.5 and some strange result to think at like the 14/83/3 against Rude Wind (less than Tornado alone, Marcia alone tied, 0/0/100 or something similar) I have some ideas on improving it, but I don't think to gain 10/15 points. Leave me some time, mainly to translate labels and remarks, and I'll publish Know your enemy. Apart Know I have tested another p-warrior, ptest05, with a switching routine similar to Circle, using but two components, and with similar low-average results and the bigger version of Know (three components, including a scanner not mine for testing, and a fairly shorter, space is a big problem, strategic routine) It's still under preliminary testing and I don't think it will appear too soon, mainly because I don't have a scanner and making a good one is not a joke. >The other problem is my components were fairly weak.... Me too :-) Or better Tornado is so weak that, wheh happens he fights the wrong opponent, the old good Marcia can do nothing to avoid a disaster. >.... >... Someone combining good components could probably make >an easy 15 point advantage over people, but I am not sure we will see >a 200-point pspace warrior too soon (but I hope someone proves me >wrong). I would say it will be a few weeks or maybe even a couple of >months before pspace warriors dominate the hill. It will happen, but >there is still a little to learn before the switch happens completely. I had prepared an article to oppose, in part, your arguments but, after receiving the poor results from my last p-warrior, I have to agree, making a p-warrior is not as easy as it may seem at first glance, at least for me. I'm curious to see endpoint, or a description of its strategy. P-space is a strong tool, but it's not (yet) the ultimate weapon; we have *a lot* to learn on how to use it before it will dominate the hill. Sure, in future, p-warrior combining higly specialized components will dominate the hill, but well made, balanced, standard warriors won't disappear soon. Delayed boot, I lose near 30 cycles to know what to do, and the size limit hinder heavily p-warriors and will keep the thing balanced for long. >Randy -Beppe -------- Beppe Bezzi bezzi@iol.it Gaudeamus igitur.. From: sieben@imap1.asu.edu Subject: Re: Questions, questions, questions Date: 1995/08/26 Message-ID: <41nr42$5i8@news.asu.edu>#1/1 references: <9508191839.AA01072@sect.civ.hw.ac.uk> <41ac95$g60@news.asu.edu> <41b016$94m@allnews.infi.net> <41g6n1$id3@news.asu.edu> <41g9qu$bau@allnews.infi.net> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar : I. History of Corewars : II. Computer Basics : A. Hardware : B. Software : III. Redcode : A. Instruction Set : IV. Warriors : A. Listings I think this is very important to choose the right ones. I think everybody should send his opinion on the choice. : B. Tips It seems this is the only space to say something about constant optimization. I think it deserves a section on his own. Also constant finding programs could be included. Mention the possibility using cdb macros for this purpose. Mention the possible equivalence of the two definitions of optima type constants. : V. KoTH : A. Tournaments I think tournaments should be separate from koth. There should be a sparate chapter Tournaments: ICWS tournaments (once a year, include at least the 3 winners, ask authors for description, include tournaments with the 86 standrad) EBS tournaments (mention different forms, double elimination, no elimination, white warriors, special assignments like prime finding) : B. International Corewars Society : C. Tournament Corewars Newsletter I'm not sure what this is. The newsletters are not for tournaments only. : VI. Standards/Implementations should menttion 86 standard and reasons for changing it. : A. 88 Standard : B. 94 Standard : VII. MARS : VIII. Misc Articles : Glossary : Bibliography Scientific American article, Dewdney: armchair universe, ???: Artifical Life, soda documents. : Index Nandor. From: pk6811s@acad.drake.edu Subject: Re: P-space warriors Date: 1995/08/26 Message-ID: <1995Aug26.151845@acad.drake.edu>#1/1 references: <199508181156.MAA14823@iol-mail.iol.it> <1995Aug22.195528.2829@rhodes> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar > would happen). Someone combining good components could probably make > an easy 15 point advantage over people, but I am not sure we will see > a 200-point pspace warrior too soon (but I hope someone proves me > wrong). I would say it will be a few weeks or maybe even a couple of > months before pspace warriors dominate the hill. It will happen, but > there is still a little to learn before the switch happens completely. > > : Beppe Bezzi > : bezzi@iol.it Actually, submitting old/excellent programs with non-working switching routines is one way they might dominate :-) For instance, my 'test' program just doesn't seem to be switching correctly. If I patch it so it runs the same routine every time, testing for all routines, I can see what I should expect for best result once switching is in effect. Unfortunately my switcher seems to sit on the last choice in the circle forever. Maybe someone can tell me what is going on (or maybe I can get pmars08 to compile on my Mac - just a few more days work...) Here's my switching code - much too long, cause Thermite is eating me up. Basically it runs a trial of some small number of battles, scoring 3 for a win, 1 for a tie and 0 for a loss. At the end of the trial it compares the score to some minimum acceptable number. If the trial is good it sticks with that strategy, else it tries the next one. Each trial starts with a zero score. At least that's how it is supposed to work :-) rndlmt equ 'some small number of trial rounds tscore equ 'the minimum acceptable score pzero equ 'someplace in pspace prndcnt equ (pzero+1) pscore equ (pzero+2) pstragy equ (pzero+3) presult equ 0 wrndcnt dat rndlmt,0 start ldp.a presult,wresult ; get result of last battle sne.a #-1,wresult ; check for very first battle jmp goforit ldp.a prndcnt,wrndcnt ; get trial round counter ldp.a pscore ,wscore ; get trial score ldp.a pstragy,wstragy ; get trial strategy wresult jmp @0,tlose dat 0 ,twin ; couldn't we make this scoring system dat 0 ,ttie ; just a little more difficult to manage?? twin add.a #2,wscore ttie add.a #1,wscore tlose djn.a goforit,wrndcnt wscore slt #0,#tscore ; trial score acceptable? jmp reset ; yes add.a #1,wstragy ; better try something else mod.a #str1-wstragy,wstragy ; start a new trial period reset mov.a #0,wscore ; set trial score to zero mov.a #rndlmt,wrndcnt ; set trial round count to rndlmt goforit stp.a wrndcnt,prndcnt ; remember these three stp.a wscore ,pscore ; " stp.a wstragy,pstragy ; " wstragy jmp @0,str1 dat str2 dat str3 str1 put a strategy here str2 put a strategy here str3 put a strategy here -- Paul Kline pk6811s@acad.drake.edu From: dgb4@haven.ios.com (David G. Bertagni) Subject: Location of FAQ and other articles of war? Date: 1995/08/26 Message-ID: <41ni61$44f@news.ios.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Please email response to dgb4@haven.ios.com or dgb4@vm.cac.psu.edu. Thanks! From: gl8f@fermi.clas.Virginia.EDU (Greg Lindahl) Subject: Re: FAQ frequency Date: 1995/08/26 Message-ID: #1/1 references: <9508241558.AA03078@idnsun.gpct.Vanderbilt.Edu.noname> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar In article <9508241558.AA03078@idnsun.gpct.Vanderbilt.Edu.noname>, Stefan Strack wrote: >There've been lots of questions recently that are answered in the FAQ. The >FAQ is currently posted every 14 days. I could have the faq server post it >more frequently, say every 7 or 10 days. Please email me what you think. I upped the rec.games.pbm faq to once every 7 days a few months ago, and we still get as many FAQs asked on the group. You can't win. From: pk6811s@acad.drake.edu Subject: Re: Simple warriors. Date: 1995/08/27 Message-ID: <1995Aug27.192545@acad.drake.edu> references: <1995Aug25.222229.2832@rhodes> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar and I thought I rambled :-) (Randy Graham) writes: >... > good program in any other language, the best warriors are usually the > simplest. Specialize and you tend to improve your results. Here's I've written complex programs that went to the top of KotH, like Eclipse and Imprimis. But they were tailored against specific opponents and as the Hill evolved lost their effectiveness. Like Keystone having a paper defense that works well against traditional paper but not Silk. Or having anti-vamp components that became dead weight when vamps disappeared. > > Withershins Thrice is really a very simple program. Bomb a couple of >... WT started out as a offshoot of Rude Wind, using the core sweep instead of a replicator after the first attack. Scan - Attack - Sweep. But I got discouraged trying to set all the important constants and dropped the middle Attack portion, it also just let a Silk get more out of hand. > > Agony II (which I haven't seen, but I think I am correct in what I am > saying here) of course goes looking for others, and attacks (I'm > guessing a spl carpet) whatever is found. Aside from the same > weakness versus stones, Agony's only real weakness (I think) is > attacking itself or decoys/colored bombs/djn-streams. As with any >... Another possibility is to drop DAT 1,1 bombs around hoping that Agony's djn will fall through and cause it to bomb it's own code. Also, put a few DAT 1,1's at the end of your code so his djn stream won't run over you before you get started. But really, to beat Agony consistently you have to be faster than he is without being much larger. And even then, sigh... both Withershins Thrice and PorchSwing lose to him big time. >... > And speaking of imps. How much simpler can you get. I think I need > say no more on imps. Say more! There's lots of imp stuff to be discovered. BTW maybe sometime Anders could find a minute and tell us what led to the discovery of imp-spirals? Since they were doable from the earliest corewars rules, it is funny that they took so long to appear. >... > > And I'll never forget when I finally understood the power of the > djn-stream. Here is a looping instruction that adds a simple attack > to a warrior without adding size. I believe this is primarily > responsible for the 10 point difference between Withershins and > Porch. Hmmm.. >... > delight). I hope someone gets the flash it will take to re-establish > vampires as viable warriors. But I know I have tried and just can't > get it. Well, Die Hard incorporates a determined vampire on the multi-hill. Along with a sort-of replicator thing and some other stuff :-) I think Silk has doomed standalone vamps, but they may reappear in adaptive warriors since they perform very well against certain opponents. Hmm... just had a thought about how a vampire might tie Silk... >... > Combining components is a problem in some cases too. Stone/imp and > stone/paper make sense, and are not too hard to combine. However, try > joining a stone and a scanner. Or a vamp and paper (although I think Leprechaun should be considered a stone/scanner, using a spl-bomb. And the one-shot's like WT and PS also. We can't expect the combinations to look much like the stand-alones. >... > > I have source to Bunker, a self-repair program Paul Kline wrote some > time ago and posted. I haven't seen others, but have read about them. > It seems the problem with self repair is many-fold. First, if you > spend all your time checking yourself against copies, how can you > attack anybody? If you increase the attack portion, now you loose the > effectiveness of the self repair. Also, there is the problem of > knowing which copy is correct when one finds an error in another. And > then, there is the speed problem when one part gets hit by a spl > carpet or overwritten by paper. And when you repair, do you do it in > the same spot (where you might have to many processes running, which > will mess you up), or do you move. If you move, where do you go. And > finally, how in the world do you avoid getting yourself? I was hoping _you_ could supply some of those answers :-) > ... Paul Kline pk6811s@acad.drake.edu From: everard@infi.net (M. Scott Everard) Subject: Call for Warrior Submissions for New Book Date: 1995/08/27 Message-ID: <41qnet$edt@allnews.infi.net>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Anyone interested in submitting successful warriors for possible publication in "Corewars, The Book" please send them to my email address below. All submissions should be completely documented so that newcomers can clearly see what your program is doing. If you have any interesting stories to submit as well, please feel free. Of course, all submissions will include the name of the author in the book. Thanks in advance. M. Scott Everard everard@infi.net From: stst@vuse.vanderbilt.edu (Stefan Strack) Subject: Core War Frequently Asked Questions (rec.games.corewar FAQ) Date: 1995/08/27 Message-ID: newsgroups: rec.games.corewar,rec.answers,news.answers Archive-name: games/corewar-faq Last-Modified: 95/08/06 Version: 3.4 These are the Frequently Asked Questions (and answers) from the Usenet newsgroup rec.games.corewar. A plain text version of this document is posted every two weeks. The hypertext version is available as _________________________________________________________________ Table of Contents 1. What is Core War 2. Is it Core War or Core Wars? 3. Where can I find more information about Core War? 4. Core War has changed since Dewdney's articles. Where do I get a copy of the current instruction set? 5. What is ICWS'94? Which simulators support ICWS'94? 6. What is the ICWS? 7. What is TCWN? 8. How do I join? 9. What is the EBS? 10. Where are the Core War archives? 11. Where can I find a Core War system for ...? 12. I do not have FTP. How do I get all this great stuff? 13. I do not have access to Usenet. How do I post and receive news? 14. Are there any Core War related WWW sites? 15. When is the next tournament? 16. What is KotH? How do I enter? 17. Is it DAT 0, 0 or DAT #0, #0? How do I compare to core? 18. How does SLT (Skip if Less Than) work? 19. What is the difference between in-register and in-memory evaluation? 20. What does (expression or term of your choice) mean? 21. Other questions? _________________________________________________________________ What is Core War? Core War is a game played by two or more programs (and vicariously by their authors) written in an assembly language called Redcode and run in a virtual computer called MARS (for Memory Array Redcode Simulator). The object of the game is to cause all processes of the opposing program to terminate, leaving your program in sole posession of the machine. There are Core War systems available for most computer platforms. Redcode has been standardized by the ICWS, and is therefore transportable between all standard Core War systems. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ Is it "Core War" or "Core Wars"? Both terms are used. Early references were to Core War. Later references seem to use Core Wars. I prefer "Core War" to refer to the game in general, "core wars" to refer to more than one specific battle. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ Where can I find more information about Core War? Core War was first described in the Core War Guidelines of March, 1984 by D. G. Jones and A. K. Dewdney of the Department of Computer Science at The University of Western Ontario (Canada). Dewdney wrote several "Computer Recreations" articles in Scientific American which discussed Core War, starting with the May 1984 article. Those articles are contained in two anthologies: Author: Dewdney, A. K. Title: The Armchair Universe: An Exploration of Computer Worlds Published: New York: W. H. Freeman (c) 1988 ISBN: 0-7167-1939-8 Library of Congress Call Number: QA76.6 .D517 1988 Author: Dewdney, A. K. Title: The Magic Machine: A Handbook of Computer Sorcery Published: New York: W. H. Freeman (c) 1990 ISBN: 0-7167-2125-2 (Hardcover), 0-7167-2144-9 (Paperback) Library of Congress Call Number: QA76.6 .D5173 1990 A.K. Dewdney's articles are still the most readable introduction to Core War, even though the Redcode dialect described in there is no longer current. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ Core War has changed since Dewdney's articles. Where do I get a copy of the current instruction set? A draft of the official standard (ICWS'88) is available as . This document is formatted awkwardly and contains ambiguous statements. For a more approachable intro to Redcode, take a look at Mark Durham's tutorial, and . Steven Morrell (morrell@math.utah.edu) is preparing a more practically oriented Redcode tutorial that discusses different warrior classes with lots of example code. Mail him for a preliminary version. Michael Constant (mconst@csua.berkeley.edu) is reportedly working on a beginner's introduction. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ What is ICWS'94? Which simulators support ICWS'94? There is an ongoing discussion about future enhancements to the Redcode language. A proposed new standard, dubbed ICWS'94, is currently being evaluated. A major change is the addition of "instruction modifiers" that allow instructions to modify A-field, B-field or both. Also new is a post-increment indirect addressing mode and unrestricted opcode and addressing mode combination ("no illegal instructions"). ICWS'94 is backwards compatible; i.e. ICWS'88 warriors will run correctly on an ICWS'94 system. Take a look at the ICWS'94 draft for more information. You can try out the new standard by submitting warriors to the '94 hills of the KotH servers. Two corewar systems currently support ICWS'94, pMARS (many platforms) and Redcoder (Mac), both available at ftp.csua.berkeley.edu. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ What is the ICWS? About one year after Core War first appeared in Sci-Am, the "International Core War Society" (ICWS) was established. Since that time, the ICWS has been responsible for the creation and maintenance of Core War standards and the running of Core War tournaments. There have been six annual tournaments and two standards (ICWS'86 and ICWS'88). [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ What is TCWN? Since March of 1987, "The Core War Newsletter" (TCWN) has been the official newsletter of the ICWS. It is published quarterly and recent issues are also available as Encapsulated PostScript files. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ How do I join? For more information about joining the ICWS (which includes a subscription to TCWN), or to contribute an article, review, cartoon, letter, joke, rumor, etc. to TCWN, please contact: Jon Newman 13824 NE 87th Street Redmond, WA 98052-1959 email: jonn@microsoft.com (Note: Microsoft has NO affiliation with Core War. Jon Newman just happens to work there, and we want to keep it that way!) Current annual dues are $15.00 in US currency. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ What is the EBS? The Electronic Branch Section (EBS) of the ICWS is a group of Core War enthusiasts with access to electronic mail. There are no fees associated with being a member of the EBS, and members do reap some of the benefits of full ICWS membership without the expense. For instance, the ten best warriors submitted to the EBS tournament are entered into the annual ICWS tournament. All EBS business is conducted in the rec.games.corewar newsgroup. The current goal of the EBS is to be at the forefront of Core War by writing and implementing new standards and test suites. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ Where are the Core War archives? Many documents such as the guidelines and the ICWS standards along with previous tournament Redcode entries and complete Core War systems are available via anonymous ftp from (128.32.149.19) in the /pub/corewar directories. Also, most of past rec.games.corewar postings (including Redcode source listings) are archived there. Jon Blow (blojo@csua.berkeley.edu) is the archive administrator. When uploading to /pub/corewar/incoming, ask Jon to move your upload to the appropriate directory and announce it on the net. Much of what is available on soda is also available on the German archive at iraun1.ira.uka.de (129.13.10.90) in the /pub/x11/corewars directory. The plain text version of this FAQ is automatically archived by news.answers. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ Where can I find a Core War system for . . . ? Core War systems are available via anonymous ftp from ftp.csua.berkeley.edu in the /pub/corewar/systems directory. Currently, there are UNIX, IBM PC-compatible, Macintosh, and Amiga Core War systems available there. It is a good idea to check for program updates first. CAUTION! There are many, many Core War systems available which are NOT ICWS'88 (or even ICWS'86) compatible available at various archive sites other than ftp.csua.berkeley.edu. Generally, the older the program - the less likely it will be ICWS compatible. Reviews of Core War systems would be greatly appreciated in the newsgroup and in the newsletter. Below is a not necessarily complete or up-to-date list of what's available at ftp.csua.berkeley.edu: MADgic41.lzh - corewar for the Amiga, v4.1 MAD4041.lzh - older version? MAD50B.lha - corewar for the Amiga, beta version 5.0 Redcoder-21.hqx - corewar for the Mac, supports ICWS'88 and '94 (without extensions) core-11.hqx - corewar for the Mac core-wars-simulator.hqx - same as core-11.hqx? corewar_unix_x11.tar.Z - corewar for UNIX/X-windows, ICWS'86 but not ICWS'88 compatible koth31.tar.Z - corewar for UNIX/X-windows. This program ran the former KotH server at intel.com koth.shar.Z - older version kothpc.zip - port of older version of KotH to the PC deluxe20c.tar.Z - corewar for UNIX (broken X-windows or curses) and PC mars.tar.Z - corewar for UNIX, likely not ICWS'88 compatible icons.zip - corewar icons for MS-Windows macrored.zip - a redcode macro-preprocessor (PC) c88v49.zip - PC corewar, textmode display mars88.zip - PC corewar, graphics mode display corwp302.zip - PC corewar, textmode display, slowish mercury2.zip - PC corewar written in assembly, fast! mtourn11.zip - tournament scheduler for mercury (req. 4DOS) pmars08s.zip - portable system, ICWS'88 and '94, runs on UNIX, PC, Mac, Amiga. C source archive pmars08s.tar.Z - same as above pmars08.zip - PC executables with graphics display, req 386+ macpmars02.sit.hqx - pMARS executable for Mac (port of version 0.2) buggy, no display MacpMARS.10.cpt.hqx - port of v0.6 for the Mac, with display and debugger MacpMARS.10s.cpt.hqx - C source (MPW, ThinkC) for Mac frontend ApMARS03.lha - pMARS executable for Amiga (port of version 0.3.1) wincor11.zip - MS-Windows system, shareware ($15) [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ I do not have FTP. How do I get all this great stuff? There is an ftp email server at ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com. Send email with a subject and body text of "help" (without the quotes) for more information on its usage. If you don't have access to the net at all, send me a 3.5 '' diskette in a self-addressed disk mailer with postage and I will mail it back with an image of the Core War archives in PC format. My address is at the end of this post. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ I do not have access to Usenet. How do I post and receive news? To receive rec.games.corewar articles by email, join the COREWAR-L list run on the Stormking.Com list processor. To join, send the message SUB COREWAR-L FirstName LastName to listproc@stormking.com. You can send mail to corewar-l@stormking.com to post even if you are not a member of the list. Responsible for the listserver is Scott J. Ellentuch (tuc@stormking.com). Another server that allows you to post (but not receive) articles is available. Email your post to rec-games-corewar@cs.utexas.edu and it will be automatically posted for you. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ Are there any Core War related WWW sites? You bet. Each of the two KotH sites sport a world-wide web server. Stormking's Core War page is ; pizza's is . A third WWW site is in Koeln, Germany: . Last but not least, Stephen Beitzel's "Unofficial Core War Page" is . All site are in varying stages of construction, so it would be futile to list here what they have to offer. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ When is the next tournament? The ICWS holds an annual tournament. Traditionally, the deadline for entering is the 15th of December. The EBS usually holds a preliminary tournament around the 15th of November and sends the top finishers on to the ICWS tournament. Informal double-elimination and other types of tournaments are held frequently among readers of the newsgroup; watch there for announcements or contact me. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ What is KotH? How do I enter? King Of The Hill (KotH) is an ongoing Core War tournament available to anyone with email. You enter by submitting via email a Redcode program (warrior) with special comment lines. You will receive a reply indicating how well your program did against the current top programs "on the hill". There are two styles of KotH tournaments, "classical" and "multi-warrior". The "classical" KotH is a one-on-one tournament, that is your warrior will play 100 battles against each of the 20 other programs currently on the Hill. You receive 3 points for each win and 1 point for each tie. (The existing programs do not replay each other, but their previous battles are recalled.) All scores are updated to reflect your battles and all 21 programs are ranked from high to low. If you are number 21 you are pushed off the Hill, if you are higher than 21 someone else is pushed off. In "multi-warrior" KotH, all warriors on the hill fight each other at the same time. Score calculation is a bit more complex than for the one-on-one tournament. Briefly, points are awarded based on how many warriors survive until the end of a round. A warrior that survives by itself gets more points than a warrior that survives together with other warriors. Points are calculated from the formula (W*W-1)/S, where W is the total number of warriors and S the number of surviving warriors. The pMARS documentation has more information on multi-warrior scoring. The idea for an email-based Core War server came from David Lee. The original KotH was developed and run by William Shubert at Intel starting in 1991, and discontinued after almost three years of service. Currently, KotHs based on Bill's UNIX scripts but offering a wider variety of hills are are running at two sites: "koth@stormking.com" is maintained by Scott J. Ellentuch (tuc@stormking.com) and "pizza@ecst.csuchico.edu" by Thomas H. Davies (sd@ecst.csuchico.edu). Up until May '95, the two sites provided overlapping services, i.e. the some of the hill types were offered by both "pizza" and "stormking". To conserve resources, the different hill types are now divided up among the sites. The way you submit warriors to both KotHs is pretty much the same. Therefore, the entry rules described below apply to both "pizza" and "stormking" unless otherwise noted. Entry rules for King of the Hill Corewar: 1) Write a corewar program. KotH is fully ICWS '88 compatible, EXCEPT that a comma (",") is required between two arguments. 2) Put a line starting with ";redcode" (or ";redcode-94, etc., see below) at the top of your program. This MUST be the first line. Anything before it will be lost. If you wish to receive mail on every new entrant, use ";redcode verbose". Otherwise you will only receive mail if a challenger makes it onto the hill. Use ";redcode quiet" if you wish to receive mail only when you get shoved off the hill. (Also, see 5 below). Additionally, adding ";name " and ";author " will be helpful in the performance reports. Do NOT have a line beginning with ";address" in your code; this will confuse the mail daemon and you won't get mail back. In addition, it would be nice if you have lines beginning with ";strategy" that describe the algorithm you use. There are currently seven separate hills you can select by starting your program with ;redcode-b, ;redcode-94, ;redcode-94x, ;redcode, ;redcode-icws, ;redcode-94m or ;redcode-94xm. The former three run at "pizza", the latter four at "stormking". More information on these hills is listed below. 3) Mail this file to koth@stormking.com or pizza@ecst.csuchico.edu. "Pizza" requires a subject of "koth" (use the -s flag on most mailers). 4) Within a few minutes you should get mail back telling you whether your program assembled correctly or not. If it did assemble correctly, sit back and wait; if not, make the change required and re-submit. 5) In an hour or so you should get more mail telling you how your program performed against the current top 20 (or 10) programs. If no news arrives during that time, don't worry; entries are put in a queue and run through the tournament one at a time. A backlog may develop. Be patient. If your program makes it onto the hill, you will get mail every time a new program makes it onto the hill. If this is too much mail, you can use ";redcode[-??] quiet" when you first mail in your program; then you will only get mail when you make it on the top 20 list or when you are knocked off. Using ";redcode[-??] verbose" will give you even more mail; here you get mail every time a new challenger arrives, even if they don't make it onto the top 20 list. Often programmers want to try out slight variations in their programs. If you already have a program named "foo V1.0" on the hill, adding the line ";kill foo" to a new program will automatically bump foo 1.0 off the hill. Just ";kill" will remove all of your programs when you submit the new one. The server kills programs by assigning an impossibly low score; it may therefore take another successful challenge before a killed program is actually removed from the hill. SAMPLE ENTRY: ;redcode ;name Dwarf ;author A. K. Dewdney ;strategy Throw DAT bombs around memory, hitting every 4th memory cell. ;strategy This program was presented in the first Corewar article. bomb DAT #0 dwarf ADD #4, bomb MOV bomb, @bomb JMP dwarf END dwarf ; Programs start at the first line unless ; an "END start" pseudo-op appears to indicate ; the first logical instruction. Also, nothing ; after the END instruction will be assembled. Here are the Specs for the various hills: ICWS'88 Standard Hill Specs: (Accessed with ";redcode", available at "stormking") hillsize: 20 warriors rounds: 100 coresize: 8000 max. processes: 8000 duration: after 80,000 cycles, a tie is declared. max. entry length: 100 minimum distance: 100 instruction set: ICWS '88 ICWS Annual Tournament Hill Specs: (Accessed with ";redcode-icws", available at "stormking") hillsize: 20 warriors rounds: 100 coresize: 8192 instructions max. processes: 8000 per program duration: After 100,000 cycles, a tie is declared. max. entry length: 300 minimum distance: 300 instruction set: ICWS '88 ICWS'94 Draft Hill Specs: (Accessed with ";redcode-94", available at "pizza") hillsize: 20 warriors rounds: 100 coresize: 8000 max. processes: 8000 duration: after 80,000 cycles, a tie is declared. max. entry length: 100 minimum distance: 100 instruction set: extended ICWS '94 Draft ICWS'94 Beginner's Hill Specs: (Accessed with ";redcode-b", available at "pizza") hillsize: 20 warriors rounds: 100 coresize: 8000 max. processes: 8000 duration: after 80,000 cycles, a tie is declared. max. entry length: 100 minimum distance: 100 instruction set: extended ICWS '94 Draft max. age: after 100 successful challenges, warriors are retired. ICWS'94 Experimental (Big) Hill Specs: (Accessed with ";redcode-94x", available at "pizza") hillsize: 20 warriors rounds: 100 coresize: 55440 max. processes: 10000 duration: after 500,000 cycles, a tie is declared. max. entry length: 200 minimum distance: 200 instruction set: extended ICWS '94 Draft ICWS'94 Draft Multi-Warrior Hill Specs: (Accessed with ";redcode-94m", available at "stormking") hillsize: 10 warriors rounds: 200 coresize: 8000 max. processes: 8000 duration: after 80,000 cycles, a tie is declared. max. entry length: 100 minimum distance: 100 instruction set: extended ICWS '94 Draft ICWS'94 Experimental (Big) Multi-Warrior Hill Specs: (Accessed with ";redcode-94xm", available at "stormking") hillsize: 20 warriors rounds: 100 coresize: 55440 max. processes: 10000 duration: after 500,000 cycles, a tie is declared. max. entry length: 200 minimum distance: 200 instruction set: extended ICWS '94 Draft If you just want to get a status report without actually challenging the hills, send email with ";status" as the message body (and don't forget "Subject: koth" for "pizza"). If you send mail to "pizza" with "Subject: koth help" you will receive instructions that may be more up to date than those contained in this document. At stormking, a message body with ";help" will return brief instructions. If you submit code containing a ";test" line, your warrior will be assembled but not actually pitted against the warriors on the hill. All hills run portable MARS (pMARS) version 0.8, a platform-independent corewar system available at ftp.csua.berkeley.edu. The '94 and '94x hills allow three experimental opcodes and addressing modes currently not covered in the ICWS'94 draft document: SEQ - Skip if EQual (synonym for CMP) SNE - Skip if Not Equal NOP - (No OPeration) * - indirect using A-field as pointer { - predecrement indirect using A-field } - postincrement indirect using A-field [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ Is it DAT 0, 0 or DAT #0, #0? How do I compare to core? Core is initialized to DAT 0, 0. This is an "illegal" instruction under ICWS'88 rules and strictly compliant assemblers (such as KotH or pmars -8) will not let you write a DAT 0, 0 instruction - only DAT #0, #0. So this begs the question, how to compare something to see if it is empty core. The answer is, most likely the instruction before your first instruction and the instruction after your last instruction are both DAT 0, 0. You can use them, or any other likely unmodified instructions, for comparison. Note that under ICWS'94, DAT 0, 0 is a legal instruction. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ How does SLT (Skip if Less Than) work? SLT gives some people trouble because of the way modular arithmetic works. It is important to note that all negative numbers are converted to positive numbers before a battles begins. Example: (-1) becomes (M - 1) where M is the memory size. Once you realize that all numbers are treated as positive, it is clear what is meant by "less than". It should also be clear that no number is less than zero. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ What is the difference between in-register and in-memory evaluation? These terms refer to the way instruction operands are evaluated. The '88 Redcode standard ICWS'88 is unclear about whether a simulator should "buffer" the result of A-operand evaluation before the B-operand is evaluated. Simulators that do buffer are said to use in-register evaluation, those that don't, in-memory evaluation. ICWS'94 clears this confusion by mandating in-register evaluation. Instructions that execute differently under these two forms of evaluation are MOV, ADD, SUB, MUL, DIV and MOD where the effective address of the A-operand is modified by evaluation of the B-operand. This is best illustrated by an example: L1 mov L2, mov.i #0,impsize Bootstrapping Strategy of copying the active portion of the program away from the initial location, leaving a decoy behind and making the relocated program as small as possible. B-Scanners Scanners which only recognize non-zero B-fields. example add #10,scan scan jmz example,10 C Measure of speed, equal to one location per cycle. Speed of light. CMP-Scanner A Scanner which uses a CMP instruction to look for opponents. example add step,scan scan cmp 10,30 jmp attack jmp example step dat #20,#20 Color Property of bombs making them visible to scanners, causing them to attack useless locations, thus slowing them down. example dat #100 Core-Clear code that sequentially overwrites core with DAT instructions; usually the last part of a program. Decoys Bogus or unused instructions meant to slow down Scanners. Typically, DATs with non-zero B-fields. DJN-Stream (also DJN-Train) Using a DJN command to rapidly decrement core locations. example ... ... djn example,<4000 Dwarf the prototypical small bomber. Gate-busting (also gate-crashing) technique to "interweave" a decrement-resistant imp-spiral (e.g. MOV 0, 2668) with a standard one to overrun imp-gates. Hybrids warriors that combine two or more of the basic strategies, either in sequence (e.g. stone->paper) or in parallel (e.g. imp/stone). Imp Program which only uses the MOV instruction. example MOV 0, 1 or example MOV 0, 2 MOV 0, 2 Imp-Gate A location in core which is bombed or decremented continuously so that an Imp can not pass. Also used to describe the program-code which maintains the gate. example ... ... SPL 0, mov.i #0,impsize Mirror see reflection. On-axis/off-axis On-axis scanners compare two locations M/2 apart, where M is the memory size. Off-axis scanners use some other separation. Optimal Constants (also optima-type constants) Bomb or scan increments chosen to cover core most effectively, i.e. leaving gaps of uniform size. Programs to calculate optimal constants and lists of optimal numbers are available at ftp.csua.berkeley.edu. Paper A Paper-like program. One which replicates itself many times. Part of the Scissors (beats) Paper (beats) Stone (beats Scissors) analogy. Pit-Trapper (also Slaver, Vampire). A program which enslaves another. Usually accomplished by bombing with JMPs to a SPL 0 pit with an optional core-clear routine. Quick Scan 2c scan of a set group of core locations with bombing if anything is found. Both of the following codes snips scan 16 locations and check for a find. If anything is found, it is attacked, otherwise 16 more locations are scanned. Example: start s1 for 8 ;'88 scan cmp start+100*s1, start+100*s1+4000 ;check two locations mov #start+100*s1-found, found ;they differ so set pointer rof jmn attack, found ;if we have something, get it s2 for 8 cmp start+100*(s2+6), start+100*(s2+6)+4000 mov #start+100*(s2+6)-found, found rof found jmz moveme, #0 ;skip attack if qscan found nothing attack cmp @found, start-1 ;does found points to empty space? add #4000, found ;no, so point to correct location mov start-1, @found ;move a bomb moveme jmp 0, 0 In ICWS'94, the quick scan code is more compact because of the SNE opcode: start ;'94 scan s1 for 4 sne start+400*s1, start+400*s1+100 ;check two locations seq start+400*s1+200, start+400*s1+300 ;check two locations mov #start+400*s1-found, found ;they differ so set pointer rof jmn which, found ;if we have something, get it s2 for 4 sne start+400*(s2+4), start+400*(s2+4)+100 seq start+400*(s2+4)+200, start+400*(s2+4)+300 mov #start+400*(s2+4)-found-100, found rof found jmz moveme, #0 ;skip attack if qscan found nothing add #100, -1 ;increment pointer till we get the which jmn -1, @found ;right place mov start-1, @found ;move a bomb moveme jmp 0, 0 Reflection Copy of a program or program part, positioned to make the active program invisible to a CMP-scanner. Replicator Generic for Paper. A program which makes many copies of itself, each copy also making copies. Self-Splitting Strategy of amplifying the number of processes executing a piece of code. example SPL 0 loop ADD #10, example MOV example, @example JMP loop Scanner A program which searches through core for an opponent rather than bombing blindly. Scissors A program designed to beat replicators, usually a (B-field scanning) vampire. Part of the Paper-Scissors-Stone analogy. Self-Repair Ability of a program to fix it's own code after attack. Silk A replicator which splits off a process to each new copy before actually copying the code. This allows it to replicate extremely quickly. This technique is only possible under the '94 draft, because it requires post-increment indirect addressing. Example: spl 1 mov.i -1, 0 spl 1 ;generate 6 consecutive processes silk spl 3620, #0 ;split to new copy mov.i >-1, }-1 ;copy self to new location mov.i bomb, >2000 ;linear bombing mov.i bomb, }2042 ;A-indirect bombing for anti-vamp jmp silk, {silk ;reset source pointer, make new copy bomb dat.f >2667, >5334 ;anti-imp bomb Slaver see Pit-Trapper. Stealth Property of programs, or program parts, which are invisible to scanners, accomplished by using zero B-fields and reflections. Stone A Stone-like program designed to be a small bomber. Part of the Paper-Scissors-Stone analogy. Stun A type of bomb which makes the opponent multiply useless processes, thus slowing it down. Example is referred to as a spl-jmp bomb. example spl 0 jmp -1 Two-Pass Core-Clear (also spl/dat Core-Clear) core clear that fills core first with SPL instructions, then with DATs. This is very effective in killing paper and certain imp-spiral variations. Vampire see Pit-Trapper. Vector Launch one of several means to start an imp-spiral running. As fast as Binary Launch, but requiring much less code. See also JMP/ADD Launch and Binary Launch. This example is one form of a Vector Launch: impsize equ 2667 example spl 1 ; extend by adding more spl 1's spl 1 djn.a @imp,#0 ; jmp @ a series of pointers dat #0,imp+(3*impsize) dat #0,imp+(2*impsize) dat #0,imp+(1*impsize) dat #0,imp+(0*impsize) imp mov.i #0,impsize [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ Other questions? Just ask in the rec.games.corewar newsgroup or contact me (address below). If you are shy, check out the Core War archives first to see if your question has been answered before. [ToC] _________________________________________________________________ Credits Additions, corrections, etc. to this document are solicited. Thanks in particular to the following people who have contributed major portions of this document: Paul Kline, Randy Graham. Mark Durham wrote the first version of the FAQ. The rec.games.corewar FAQ is Copyright 1995 and maintained by: Stefan Strack, PhD stst@vuse.vanderbilt.edu Dept. Molecular Physiol. and Biophysics stst@idnsun.gpct.vanderbilt.edu Rm. 762, MRB-1 stracks@vuctrvax.bitnet Vanderbilt Univ. Medical Center Voice: +615-322-4389 Nashville, TN 37232-6600, USA FAX: +615-322-7236 _________________________________________________________________ $Id: corewar-faq.html,v 3.4 1995/08/06 21:38:09 stst Exp stst $ From: Peter Young Subject: Re: P-space warriors Date: 1995/08/27 Message-ID: <41of6k$o13@agate.berkeley.edu>#1/1 references: <199508181156.MAA14823@iol-mail.iol.it> <1995Aug22.195528.2829@rhodes> <1995Aug26.151845@acad.drake.edu> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar I've messed around with corewars for about three years now, although I haven't been keeping up with new developments for about two years. Anyways, I've recently caught up with ICWS '94, but I don't know what P-space is. Is there anywhere I can find out about? And if the opcodes stp and ldp are not related to p-space, where can I find out about these as well? Thanks. From: mconst@soda.CSUA.Berkeley.EDU (Michael Constant) Subject: Re: Simple warriors. Date: 1995/08/28 Message-ID: <41t9nt$jte@agate.berkeley.edu>#1/1 references: <1995Aug25.222229.2832@rhodes> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Randy Graham wrote: >Why hasn't a successful [vampire] appeared lately? Well, they tend to >be too complex if they are going to handle paper. To get a silk, a >vamp now has to do at least two passes on the core clear. Not a problem >in itself, but that is extra size, which makes them more vulnerable to >scanners, losing what were easy points when they were smaller. [...] >I hope someone gets the flash it will take to re-establish vampires as >viable warriors. I'm trying ;-) I have a few ideas for new vampires, which I am trying find find time to write and test. I think I can write a vampire to do well against silk and stones... watch the hill! >I have source to Bunker, a self-repair program Paul Kline wrote some >time ago and posted. I haven't seen others, but have read about them. >It seems the problem with self repair is many-fold. Hmm. I wrote a pretty good self-repair engine a while ago (no attack component). Unfortunately, it was just barely not good enough to work as a viable warrior -- it could survive two or three scanner hits, and it could even sometimes survive scanner hits to two components at once, but eventually it would get hit in all components at once and it would lose. As you have pointed out, there is no room in a self-repair program for a fast attack -- so the repair really must be good enough to keep the program alive through its attack, which will probably be a looping spl/dat coreclear. If I find it, I will post the self-repair engine I wrote. It used '94 code and 4 identical components; each would scan the one ahead of it and repair using its own code if it found a discrepancy. One of the nice things about using 4 components is that even if one gets modified by a stray decrement or something, it will not corrupt the entire ring because it will take 3 repair-cycles before the component that is fixing the corrupt component is itself corrupted. Of course, this *could* theoretically lead to a situation where two halves of the ring are continually "fixing" each other, but this is very rare because the components are set up in the *opposite* manner of most corewar programs -- they are made to be extremely *vulnerable* to decrements, and most small changes will crash the component. Even the changes that do not crash it will almost certainly crash the copy it makes of itself. This ensures that small changes do not propagate. However, I stopped working on self-repair after finishing this engine and finding that it didn't work too well. I am working on vampires now, but if someone else wants to try self-repair I think it's a great idea. -- Michael Constant (mconst@soda.csua.berkeley.edu) From: wilkinso@metronet.com Subject: Re: (no subject) Date: 1995/08/28 Message-ID: <199508281809.OAA18818@valhalla.stormking.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar >Return-Path: >Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1995 12:54:43 -0400 >From: "Scott J. Ellentuch" >To: wilkinso@metronet.com >Subject: Re: (no subject) >Newsgroups: rec.games.corewar >X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] >X-Status: > >In article <41dq6i$1fq@feenix.metronet.com> you wrote: >: Is pizza down right now? I haven't gotten warriors back. > >: Hmmm... maybe I'm doing something wrong. > > >: Well, whether or not it's my fault, I have another question. How come >: half of the hills are at pizza? Why can't they all be at the same place? > >At one time there was only one hill run by Bill Schubert (Sp?) at Intel. >He originated the KotH scripts. I then decided to get into it and put up all >the hills at Stormking as well. I can't remember what happened first, but >either Pizza decided to put hills up and Bill decided to get out of it >or visa versa. Either way, Pizza and Stormking used to have the same hills. >We came to the agreement that this wasn't helping anyone since people >submitted the same warriors to both hills at the same time. So, I took 1/2 >and Pizza took half. It also helps promote the games by each of us deciding on new >hills to put up and services to offer. > > Scott >-- >* --- --- |Scott J. Ellentuch, Pres | The Telecom Security Group * >* | | | |Comm. and Comp. Security | (Storm King family of Companies) * >* | |__|__ |Consultants and Engineers | P.O. Box 69, Newburgh, NY 12551 * > > From: bezzi@iol.it (Beppe Bezzi) Subject: Know your enemy - Tornado Date: 1995/08/28 Message-ID: <199508281134.MAA00399@iol-mail.iol.it> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar After some trials I got to make one of my p-warrior function fairly well, I still have some little problem to fix (more about this later), but I'm satisfied of the results of Know your enemy enough to publish it. Know uses a very simple strategy, that proved good against most part of old (non p) warriors (at least in the limits i knew in advance) It is composed of two separate fighting parts, Marcia Trionfale and Tornado (more on it later) and tests each part against the enemy for some round, noting the results. Then it compares the results and uses the best strategy to finish the fight. Simple and effective even if it will be soon beaten by future adaptive warriors. The main problems I incurred are: A: When fighting replicators i score but 90 points because Tornado is *very* weak against them and Marcia, left fighting, scores 90 ties. B: I cannot contrast others adaptive warriors, if Tornado scores better than Marcia in the test rounds the adaptive warrior, soon or after, pits a paper against it, eating the poor in a single gulp. C: I scored a funny 4/94/2 against myself (I think it's the hill's worst record in corewar hystory) because happened one made the long fight with Tornado and the other with Marcia. Results: Porch swing 56/40/4 \ Whitershins 59/35/6 \ Thanks Tornado Agony II 53/38/9 / Miss Underst.. 49/35/16/ Copyright 36/55/9 Thermite 40/44/16 Catches ofter my boot Timescape 0/15/85 Test (Kline) 60/35/5 Is it Whitershins with non working p-stuff?;-) People 15/76/9 As foreseen Torch 51/30/19 Circle of F. 32/48/20 Marcia did the main fight Marcia T. 2/14/84 juliet storm 29/11/60 HeremScimitar 55/19/26 Die hard 0/9/91 Know (later) 16/4/80 Blue Funk 3 35/16/49 Rude Wind 0/13/86 Illusion 94 47/49/4 PC 9 3/4/93 Know (myself) 4/94/2 8-((( Overall 128.66 (changing the against myself in a 90 pts result will add 4, better more reversing it :-) Now the code. Sorry for the mess in the hill result presentation; any comment line beginning with ;strategy cause the daemon to report it in the warrior presentation. ;redcode-94 ;name Know your enemy ;author Beppe Bezzi ;strategy test single parts against for some rounds ;strategy choose best one to finish the fight ;strategy Starring: Marcia Trionfale (full size), Tornado 1.2 ;strategy 0.1 smaller strategic part, extended test time ;strategy 0.2 faster boot - 0.3 slight change in strategy ;strategy 0.4 fixed, i hope, a little bug ;kill Know ;assert CORESIZE == 8000 _RESULT equ #0 ;last round result _COUNTER equ #a ;round counter _STRAT equ #b ;-strategy to test _win0 equ #c ;score strategy 0 Marcia _win1 equ #c+1 ;score strategy 1 TornadoT. _BEST equ #d ;best strategy ;_win0 and _win1 need to be consecutive locations ;a,b,c,d can be everywhere in p-space ;I don't want you know where *I* am ;-) prove equ 9 ;n. of test to choose best endtst equ prove*2+1 ;end of test rounds org pensa ;---- Marcia part 1 A0 equ 3488 A1 equ 1860 A2 equ 3740 silk spl @0, }A0 ;split mov.i }-1, >-1 ;copy mov.i bomb, {123 ;bombing silk2 spl @0, }A1 ;split mov.i }-1, >-1 ;copy mov.i bomb, >1001 ;bombing mov.i bomb, }2042 ;A-indirect bombing mov.i {silk2, A2 ;jmp new copy bomb dat.f >2667, >5334 ;anti-imp bomb ;---Tornado step equ 52 count equ 665 away equ xxx ;something beetween 1500 and 2500 ;better not to tell my home address ;-) bootgt mov incr, away+60 mov bombd, away+30 boot mov clr, away+7 mov {boot, fast boot / -1 = 7999 cnt ldp _COUNTER,#0 ;increment a round counter add #1, -1 ;cnt contiene n. rounds break; stp1 stp.b -2, _COUNTER mov bomba, stp1 ;erase stp instructions sne.b cnt, #endtst ;round = 2*prove+1 ? jmp selwin ;yes select winning strategy ; ---- strategy testing and update str ldp _STRAT ,#0 ;load strategy ;0=Marcia 1=Tornado add.ba str, agg ;update strategy agg ldp _win0, #0 ;load results strategy jmz loss, res ;a zero indicates a loss in the last round djn tie, res win add.ab #2, agg ;3 points for win tie add.ab #1, agg ;1 points for tie loss ;str.b strategy - agg.b score update add.b str, stp5 ;pointer to strategy mov.ba agg, stp5 ;new result ;break stp5 stp #0, _win0 ;store result strategy rndcnt mov bomba, stp5 ;erase stp instructions sne cnt, #prove ;test each strat for prove rounds jmp change ;prove round then change str seq cnt, #prove*2 jmp select ;select next strategy selwin ;choose best strategy and save it ; score0 ldp _win0, #0 score1 ldp _win1, #0 slt.b score0, score1 jmp best0 ; jmp best1 ;s1 > s2 ;break best1 stp #1, _BEST mov.ab -1, best jmp gowin ;break best0 stp #0, _BEST mov.ab -1, best ; gowin ;best.b = winning strategy add.ba best, sel01 jmp sel0 change ;change strategy for next round ;break stp4 stp #1, _STRAT mov bomba, stp4 ;erase stp instructions ; select ldp _STRAT, #0 add.ba select, sel01 ; sel0 mov bomba, best0 mov bomba, best1 mov bomba, first mov bomba, stp1 sel01 jmp 2 jmp Marcia ;redundancy added some points against ;djn stream using warriors jmp Marcia jmp Tornado ;break first stp #-1, _BEST ;not yet a winning strategy mov bomba, stp4 ;erase stp instructions mov bomba, first jmp Marcia Marcia spl 1, <300 ;\ mov -1, 0 ;-\ generate 10 mov -1, 0 ;-/ consecutive processes spl 1, <400 ;/ spl silk, <1000 silka spl @0, }3620 ;split mov.i }-1, >-1 ;copy mov.i bomba, }113 ;bombing silk2a spl @0, }1270 ;split mov.i }-1, >-1 ;copy mov.i bomba, >1001 ;bombing mov.i bomba, }2042 ;A-indirect bombing mov.i {silk2a,-350 ;jmp new copy bomba dat.f >2667, >5334 ;anti-imp bomb end Final note to the code. I had to use some lines to erase stp instruction because in the big redcode mess caused by fights beetween Marcia and others replicators I happened to execute them, changing my best strategy location with devastating, for me, results (Timescape beated me 0/92/8) ----- Tornado. Tornado is a fast bomber, using its first bomb as a pointer for the last I achieved a bombing speed of 60% c, three bombs in a five instruction loop. I think it's the maximal speed possible for a pure bomber using a single add instruction in its loop. Randy in his discussion of simple warriors wrote >Some time back Paul presented an idea about faster warriors. I think >it was a 0.6c hard stone and a faster jmz or jmn scanner. I haven't >seen a warrior use these yet, I don't think. I'm guessing there is a >problem of protecting oneself with either of these ideas. That stone >looks great, but how will it handle paper, set up a core clear, or >keep from self destructing. I think Tornado is an attempt at this, >but it hasn't gone to high up the hill yet. I don't know this article, I took the inspiration of Tornado looking at the use Paul made of indirect addressing in Whitershins Thrice, at first I made Copyright notice (soon I'll publish code and story) a 50% c bomber that was a rediscovery of HeremScimitar, then I realized Tornado reaching 60%. Let's rewiew the main part of the code. ;bomb falls here start mov bombd, *stone mov bombd, @stone stone mov *(2*step)+1, *(3*step)+1 add incr+50, stone jump djn.b start, #665 bombs spl #step, #1 clr mov start-1, }start-5 ;bomb falls here incr dat 3*step, 3*step bombd dat #step, #1 incr and bombd are away from main code Of the three problems Randy speaks about I solved but the last two, handling paper is still my pain, even using bombs in stead of bombd, and it's one of the reasons Tornado never climbed high the hill. The other reason is that Tornado is 7 lines long (all vulnerable target), while a stone like Blue Fumk is but 4 (and disabled only by a hit in 2 of them) so the bombing speed/size ratio is at my disadvantage. I drop near 2000 bombs in 3330 cycles, in the meantime a ~30% c stone drops near 1000. I have a 2000*2/8000 = 50% chance to kill the stone while the stone has a 1000*7/8000 = 87.5% chance to kill me. Hard times indeed. I tried using a mod 5 pattern setting a 2 pass core clear, and I tried too, not very hard because I soon started playing with p-space, adding a djn stream and hitting the jump instruction to start the clear; results are not yet good, but I still believe in this guy. The version included in Know your enemy is optimized to kill scanners, in particular those using forward c-c, having not to worry about paper and stones, and, in doing this, performs better than any four lines stone I tried. I use it as a specialized weapon against a specific target. I have been too long so I greet you all. -Beppe From: pk6811s@acad.drake.edu Subject: Re: Simple warriors. Date: 1995/08/28 Message-ID: <1995Aug28.145916@acad.drake.edu>#1/1 references: <1995Aug25.222229.2832@rhodes> <1995Aug27.192545@acad.drake.edu> <1995Aug28.123645.2834@rhodes> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar (Randy Graham) writes: >... > Hadn't thought of this. It might be possible to get a decent warrior > on the hill that also beats up on Agony. But then, that warrior would > be specialized, and I expect when Agony falls off, that warrior would ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Not any time soon... beating up on the two top-ranked programs the way he does, he's not in any danger. >... >> Also, put a few DAT 1,1's at the end of your code so his djn stream >> won't run over you before you get started. > Tried that for a similar reason vs. Rude Wind II. But I didn't get any > better scores, so I dropped it, feeling it was a specialization that > wouldn't give continued payoff. And with RW2 low on the hill, it It's only good to protect your startup, since his attack takes so many cycles. >... >> Well, Die Hard incorporates a determined vampire on the multi-hill. > A WHAT vampire? What is that (always trying to learn)? Any hints you > can give? Determined: resolute; unflinching; firm. Also staunch, inflexible, unfaltering, unwavering. :-) Actually several copies of the fang-bomber. When Silk overruns some of these they get incorporated into the replication and get ties. On the multi-hill there are no stand-alone scanners, so you can get big and redundant and not get whipped. Paul Kline pk6811s@acad.drake.edu From: mconst@soda.CSUA.Berkeley.EDU (Michael Constant) Subject: Re: PCROBOTS Date: 1995/08/28 Message-ID: <41t69o$icm@agate.berkeley.edu>#1/1 references: <41ceoe$pji@ra.ins.de> <41ln94$7ro@news.snowcrest.net> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Ananda wrote: >ralf.ludwig@herne.netsurf.de says... >>Anybody know the latest version of PCROBOTS ??? > >Well, I realize this is way off topic, but since I came here looking for >something similar... Actually, discussion of PCRobots, C++Robots, RoboWar, etc. is welcome here. The rec.games.corewar charter says that this group is for the discussion of "corewar and related games". Just about any programming game qualifies as "related" to corewar, and it's not as if we're over- whelmed with traffic here anyway :-) -- Michael Constant (mconst@soda.csua.berkeley.edu) From: graham@hal.mathcs.rhodes.edu (Randy Graham) Subject: Re: Simple warriors. Date: 1995/08/28 Message-ID: <1995Aug28.123645.2834@rhodes> references: <1995Aug25.222229.2832@rhodes> <1995Aug27.192545@acad.drake.edu> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar > and I thought I rambled :-) Well, I know I said a lot, but I thought it might be helpful for others to hear some of my thoughts. Prepare for more rambling... > > My theorizing about simple programs] > I've written complex programs that went to the top of KotH, like Eclipse > and Imprimis. But they were tailored against specific opponents and > as the Hill evolved lost their effectiveness. Like Keystone having a paper > defense that works well against traditional paper but not Silk. Or > having anti-vamp components that became dead weight when vamps disappeared. Well, that's really what I was talking about. The long lasting warriors seem to be extremely good at one thing. For example, Iron Gate almost lived to 1000. And it is just a very good scanner (not meaning to belittle it - it is great at one thing). Vamps tend to be good against most opponents, except silk. As I said later in my message, making them effective against silks tends to make them more susceptible to scanners and stones. What I was saying is, the best way to get on the hill and stay seems to be do one thing extremely well, which hopefully will maintain a balance of getting things susceptible to your component a lot, and get a few wins against what normally gets you the most. Maybe a better way to say it is that a warrior should be as focused as possible on what it is trying to do. Be good in general, and the worst cases (scanner vs. stone) and the best cases (scanner vs. old silk) tend to balance out. > > Withershins Thrice is really a very simple program. Bomb a couple of > WT started out as a offshoot of Rude Wind, using the core sweep instead > of a replicator after the first attack. Scan - Attack - Sweep. But > I got discouraged trying to set all the important constants and dropped > the middle Attack portion, it also just let a Silk get more out of hand. I tried something similar using my PS front. Lead to a QVamp and then a stone with 2-pass core clear. But the stone was weak, getting the constants together in the minimum space was to difficult, and the core-clear was too easily disrupted by the right bomb from an enemy. This is exactly what I am talking about too. A few good components combined do not necessarily make a better warrior. If the parts are too hard to combine, it may make things worse, not better. > > [guesses about Agony II effectiveness] > Another possibility is to drop DAT 1,1 bombs around hoping that Agony's > djn will fall through and cause it to bomb it's own code. Hadn't thought of this. It might be possible to get a decent warrior on the hill that also beats up on Agony. But then, that warrior would be specialized, and I expect when Agony falls off, that warrior would go down too. Besides, why make a special bomb or attack routine for Agony when a good, quick, small stone does just fine? > Also, put a few DAT 1,1's at the end of your code so his djn stream > won't run over you before you get started. Tried that for a similar reason vs. Rude Wind II. But I didn't get any better scores, so I dropped it, feeling it was a specialization that wouldn't give continued payoff. And with RW2 low on the hill, it seems like that was a good choice. > But really, to beat Agony consistently > you have to be faster than he is without being much larger. And even > then, sigh... both Withershins Thrice and PorchSwing lose to him big time. Well, that blasted decoy of his... I wrote Old Tire Swing - a version of Porch Swing in '88 - and tried it on the ICWS and '88 hills. It is near the top of ICWS, but is gone now from the standard '88 hill. The big weakness of the PS/WT type warrior is the decoy and there are a lot of decoyed warriors on the '88 hill (this is a strategy note for others trying to get on the hill - using decoys properly will help against PS and WT). > Say more! There's lots of imp stuff to be discovered. BTW maybe sometime > Anders could find a minute and tell us what led to the discovery of > imp-spirals? Since they were doable from the earliest corewars > rules, it is funny that they took so long to appear. Well, I could say more on imps, but from a standpoint of how simple a warrior can be, I don't think I need to expand on the idea. Yes, there is lots about launching (I tried using a different, even shorter launch than vector launches, but it didn't quite work), using, and weaving imps. But once someone makes an imp work, I think they know what it means to write an effective warrior in the simplest manner possible. Besides, I'm not well versed enough on imps to go on. > > [my comments on Porch Swing's djn stream] > Hmmm.. Well, I can't explain it any other way. My bomb/scan only differs slightly from Wither's. And I thought others might want to keep this in mind. Of course, I still have the dat 1,1 weakness, so those who want to specialize to knock PS down can. > Well, Die Hard incorporates a determined vampire on the multi-hill. A WHAT vampire? What is that (always trying to learn)? Any hints you can give? > with a sort-of replicator thing and some other stuff :-) I think Silk > has doomed standalone vamps, but they may reappear in adaptive warriors > since they perform very well against certain opponents. Hmm... just > had a thought about how a vampire might tie Silk... You mean other than a single pass spl clear that overruns the wimp part of a vamp? Seems to me that a vamp beating Silk needs to figure out a compact, stable way to stop vamping before hitting itself. Then jump to a loop that runs a spl/dat core clear. Doing that without getting beat up on by stones and scanners is the tricky part. > Leprechaun should be considered a stone/scanner, using a spl-bomb. > And the one-shot's like WT and PS also. We can't expect the combinations > to look much like the stand-alones. Haven't seen Leprechaun. Good point about WT and PS though. I was thinking along the lines of Building Blocks (a stone/vamp I wrote that only made it halfway up the '94 beginner's hill). But I guess that is too narrow a view. With that in mind, I my try to improve BB. > > I have source to Bunker, a self-repair program Paul Kline wrote some > > time ago and posted. I haven't seen others, but have read about them. > > [lots of questions on self-repair programs] > I was hoping _you_ could supply some of those answers :-) You think if I could supply them that I would write ridiculously long letters like these when I could be optimizing a new warrior? ;-) I hope to see a self repair (other than an imp) make the '94 hill. But I just can't see how that could happen. Maybe someone relatively new to CoreWar will have the insight (just like it took a blind mathematician to conceptualize turning a sphere inside out - someone whose views aren't tainted by what they know might make the breakthrough). > Paul Kline > pk6811s@acad.drake.edu Randy From: KOTH Tourney Server Subject: SKI-ICWS: Status - ICWS Tournament Date: 1995/08/28 Message-ID: <199508280400.AAA16144@valhalla.stormking.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Weekly Status See up to the second scores at http://www.stormking.com/~koth Check it out for the latest in Core War information Current Status of the StormKing Industries Annual ICWS Tournament CoreWar Hill: # %W/ %L/ %T Name Author Score Age 1 63/ 10/ 27 Cannonade Paul Kline 216 46 2 59/ 32/ 9 Miss Understanding Derek Ross 186 2 3 56/ 31/ 12 Old Tire Swing Randy Graham 181 3 4 55/ 36/ 9 Miss Carry Derek Ross 173 10 5 55/ 38/ 7 Agony T Stefan Strack 172 47 6 49/ 32/ 19 Giskard v0.5 Ken Mitton 166 19 7 47/ 41/ 13 Maya v1.6 Christoph C. Birk 153 20 8 44/ 36/ 20 stone matthew householder 151 58 9 46/ 41/ 13 Slaver v1.1i Christoph C. Birk 151 7 10 45/ 41/ 14 warrior 42 stefan roettger 148 59 11 44/ 44/ 12 Miss Treatment Derek Ross 145 11 12 44/ 52/ 5 xtc stefan roettger 136 51 13 41/ 49/ 10 Illusion Randy Graham 133 5 14 40/ 51/ 10 Smartbomb 4.0 Devin Kilminster 128 45 15 38/ 48/ 14 scissors matthew householder 127 61 16 39/ 53/ 9 Smartbomb 4.0 Devin Kilminster 124 44 17 39/ 57/ 4 Tiny v1.0 M.C.Diskett Bullfrog 121 1 18 36/ 53/ 11 Cat v2.0 Tim Scheer 118 43 19 33/ 48/ 20 Intangible Dwarf 88.3 Campbell Fraser 118 49 20 30/ 46/ 24 Arschkarte V5.0 Thomas Nitsche 115 18 21 16/ 78/ 6 Nipper v1.3 A Trowers, BULLFROG 55 0 From: KOTH Tourney Server Subject: SKI-ICWS: Status - Standard Date: 1995/08/28 Message-ID: <199508280400.AAA27915@valhalla.stormking.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Weekly Status See up to the second scores at http://www.stormking.com/~koth Check it out for the latest in Core War information Current Status of the StormKing Industries Standard KotH CoreWar Hill : # %W/ %L/ %T Name Author Score Age 1 42/ 47/ 12 bigproba nandor sieben 137 78 2 37/ 38/ 24 Christopher Steven Morrell 136 55 3 23/ 12/ 65 Cannonade P.Kline 135 90 4 26/ 18/ 57 CAPS KEY IS STUCK AGAIN Steven Morrell 134 56 5 25/ 16/ 59 Blue Funk 88 Steven Morrell 134 54 6 33/ 34/ 33 Keystone t21 P.Kline 133 77 7 27/ 21/ 52 Der Zweiter Blitzkrieg Mike Nonemacher 133 85 8 39/ 45/ 16 Iron Gate Wayne Sheppard 132 184 9 26/ 20/ 54 Test Wayne Sheppard 132 79 10 23/ 14/ 63 ttti nandor sieben 131 40 11 37/ 42/ 21 Beholder's Eye V1.7 W. Mintardjo 131 134 12 33/ 36/ 31 Giskard v0.5 Ken Mitton 129 28 13 22/ 15/ 64 Peace Mr. Jones 129 64 14 35/ 42/ 23 Request v2.0 Brant D. Thomsen 129 26 15 32/ 37/ 31 Miss Understanding Derek Ross 127 13 16 23/ 19/ 58 Hydra Stephen Linhart 127 164 17 21/ 16/ 63 jmp/add crasher Randy Graham 126 14 18 17/ 9/ 74 Imps! Imps! Imps! Steven Morrell 124 101 19 16/ 10/ 74 Evol Imp v5a Wilkinson 122 1 20 13/ 10/ 77 Evol Imp v1 Wilkinson 115 2 21 6/ 53/ 41 Roaches m. scott everard 59 0 From: KOTH Tourney Server Subject: SKI-ICWS: Status - Multiwarrior Experimental 94 Date: 1995/08/28 Message-ID: <199508280400.AAA27937@valhalla.stormking.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Weekly Status See up to the second scores at http://www.stormking.com/~koth Check it out for the latest in Core War information Current Status of the StormKing Industries MultiWarrior Experimental 94 CoreWar Hill: # Name Author Score Age 1 TimeScapeX (0.1) J. Pohjalainen 3795 31 2 jaded M R Bremer 3267 2 3 Paperone Beppe Bezzi 3132 16 4 Lucky 13 Stefan Strack 3024 33 5 Illusion-94/55 Randy Graham 2671 10 6 life Nandor Sieben 2612 32 7 lifedwarf Nandor Sieben 2517 8 8 Hidden M.C.Diskett Bullfrog 2293 1 9 Whirlwind Bob Uhl 2112 18 10 Miss Carry Derek Ross 2109 12 11 AB Scanner 2.9 Chris Hodson 2061 20 12 Shwing! T. H. Davies 1999 27 13 Piggy 2 Bob Uhl 1926 6 14 Piggy 3 Bob Uhl 1616 4 15 Whirlwind 2 Bob Uhl 1582 19 16 Miss Understanding Derek Ross 1383 7 17 Miss Treatment Derek Ross 1330 11 18 MuDwarf G. Eadon 1256 21 19 Unknown Anonymous 952 9 20 Veeble Jr. T. H. Davies 895 28 21 Bloody! G. Eadon 869 24 From: KOTH Tourney Server Subject: SKI-ICWS: Status - MultiWarrior 94 Date: 1995/08/28 Message-ID: <199508280400.AAA18711@valhalla.stormking.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Weekly Status See up to the second scores at http://www.stormking.com/~koth Check it out for the latest in Core War information Current Status of the StormKing Industries Multiwarrior 94 CoreWar Hill: # Name Author Score Age 1 Die Hard P.Kline 2487 6 2 90% Cotton v5c Wilkinson 2485 1 3 Son of Imp Steven Morrell 2427 19 4 60% Cotton Wilkinson 2414 2 5 75% Cotton v3b Wilkinson 2406 3 6 Silkworm 1.1 Beppe Bezzi 2399 16 7 test 2 P.Kline 2388 23 8 Paperone Beppe Bezzi 2343 41 9 Cotton v C1 Wilkinson 2291 5 10 TimeScape (1.1) J. Pohjalainen 2259 64 11 looking P.Kline 0 0 From: msmoulton@aol.com (MSMoulton) Subject: Is John Perry out there? Date: 1995/08/29 Message-ID: <420j6a$d0g@newsbf02.news.aol.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Does anyone know John Perry's e-mail address? He's the author of the paper "Core Wars Genetics: The Evolution of Predation". I tried the address in the paper, but got no response. It was written a few years back, I just figured he was out of college. But I want to talk with him about his paper. ********************************************* *Michael Moulton * *------------------------------------------------------* *Internet: MSMoulton@aol.com * * michael.moulton@gsh.com * *FidoNet: Michael Moulton (1:275/153)* *Prog-Net: Michael Moulton * ********************************************** From: graham@hal.mathcs.rhodes.edu (Randy Graham) Subject: PSpace routine Date: 1995/08/29 Message-ID: <1995Aug29.112813.2835@rhodes>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar After looking at Paul's switching routine from a couple of days ago, I thought "Well, that's good, but it sure seems long." So, after hopefully solving Paul's problem (did you get my mail, and did it help?) I spent time rewriting his routine and using it in People. I cut it down to about 15 lines. I have to post it with EQU lines, since it won't work unless exactly the right values are used. And I know someone could make part of a core clear include an stp line to mess up my code. But, that's the price I pay for trying to help others ;). So, here it is. Complete except for the actual components. Execute it and see if it helps. Randy ------------------------------------------------------------ ;strategy new switching routine CHECK equ 6 ;how often to check SWITCH equ 8 ;what score needed to keep strategy _RESULT equ #0 ;predefined register of last result _ROUNDS equ #3 ;how many rounds before check strategy _STRATEGY equ #1 ;which strategy to fight with _SCORE equ #-1 ;our score to date for 0 A good switching routine is key to making pspace warriors. A group of moderate strength components can do great if the switching algorithm is good enough and quick. Below I present the routine I am now using for switching. This is an optimization of Paul Kline's switching routine. I use some "clever" PSpace locations to cut out some lines from Paul's routine. I know showing this opens me up to targeting from others, but I hope this helps others make switching routines. Enjoy and use what you need. -Randy rof psetup ldp.a _RESULT, checker ;put results on score jmp line sne.ab checker, memory ;this is the slick part - checker jmp @0, <4000 ;check how jmp works with sne above rounds ldp.ab _ROUNDS, #6 ;these a-fields are the adder for ldp.a _STRATEGY,strategy ;score keeper below ldp.ab _SCORE, score add.ab *checker, score djn.b memory, rounds score slt.ab #SWITCH, #0 add.a #1, strategy mod.a #2, strategy ;keep strategy a 0 or 1 mov.ab #6, rounds ;reset our counters mov.ab #0, score memory stp.b score, _SCORE ;store our results stp.b rounds, _ROUNDS stp.ab strategy, _STRATEGY strategy jmp @0, strat1 dat 0, strat2 strat1 jmp 0, 0 strat2 jmp 0, 0 From: agserm@aol.com (AGSerm) Subject: Beginner, needs help on first prog. Date: 1995/08/29 Message-ID: <41vj35$1bo@newsbf02.news.aol.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar I really like corewars, but my progs keep getting thrashed. I've been submitting progs to the beginner's hill at pizza (prox. 1/wk for 2 mo. or so), and in all that time, 1 program made it on, and then was pushed off by the next challenger. If anyone could suggest what i'm doing wrong, or a better idea for a warrior, I would really appreciate it. TIA - Ansel Greenwood Sermersheim Here's the source: ;redcode-b ;name IcicleV2 1.14 ;author Ansel Greenwood ;strategy Saturation bombing with SPL 1, JMP -1, and cleaning up with DAT ;assert CORESIZE == 8000 ;1 3039 3359 ;2 2234 3094 ;4 3044 3364 ;5 2365 3315 ;8 2376 2936 org bloop1 tmp dat #1000 lookat dat #1, #1 bnew spl 1, #1 bnew2 jmp -1, #1 bloop1 mov bomb, @lookat mute1 add #1, lookat mute2 mov bomb2, @lookat add #2375, lookat djn bloop1, tmp bjump2 jmp bloop2, #1 bomb spl 1, $0 bomb2 jmp -1, $0 bloop2 sub #3039, lookat cmp.b bomb, @lookat jmp bloop2, #1 mov lookat, @lookat jmp bloop2, #1 end From: "peter schaefer@mathpool.uni-augsburg.de" Subject: Re: PCROBOTS Date: 1995/08/29 Message-ID: #1/1 references: <41ceoe$pji@ra.ins.de> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar ralf.ludwig@herne.netsurf.de (TrapDuck) wrote: peter in .de writes: I have some PCrobots warriors on http://www.mathpool.uni-augsburg.de/~schaefer The best two are named d1 and d3 and are hidden somewhere in the PCROB archive ;-( There may also be an error in one of the 'bots because two initialization procedures have been exchanged. spoilers:You can use two of my units for targetting and steering. there are one or two non-fatal bugs in them, so it's not a BIG spoiler. They are written in Borland Pascal 6.0( objects ) . robot style. I have build robots with lots of shield energy and armor. d1 is an artillery, d3 is a hunting hound. d2 was the first try and has no strategy for movement. I also didn't include the map i used: It looked like this A . ----- ----- walls . ---- ------ ----- damage line ----- . ----- walls B . C = random blockers I have also changed the pascal interface to pcrobots to handle two things better: - message buffer overflow and no-message boolean result. FALSE is returned if the last two messages were 0/0 or identical. - robot initialization data fields holding data about shooting range of your robot, etc. The message bug may have been removed in Version 1.41, but I don't have it. Peter PS I might clean up my archive. So don't hurry. From: Dave Darling Subject: Re: Simple warriors. Date: 1995/08/29 Message-ID: <41vd8o$gvv@onramp.arc.nasa.gov>#1/1 references: <41t9nt$jte@agate.berkeley.edu> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar In article <1995Aug28.123645.2834@rhodes> Randy Graham, graham@hal.mathcs.rhodes.edu writes: >You mean other than a single pass spl clear that overruns the wimp >part of a vamp? I've been a little curious about this since I first heard the term--what is a "wimp"? --DD Dave Darling darling@simlab.arc.nasa.gov From: pk6811s@acad.drake.edu Subject: Re: Know your enemy - Tornado Date: 1995/08/29 Message-ID: <1995Aug29.100735@acad.drake.edu>#1/1 references: <199508281134.MAA00399@iol-mail.iol.it> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar (Beppe Bezzi) writes: >... (Know Your Enemy report) > Test (Kline) 60/35/5 Is it Whitershins with non working > p-stuff?;-) Thanks to you and Randy, my p-stuff is working ok. And it's not Withershins (too many losses to Agony :-). However in my last trial against KYE you scored 45/8/47 :-( > Of the three problems Randy speaks about I solved but the last two, > handling paper is still my pain, even using bombs in stead of bombd, > and it's one of the reasons Tornado never climbed high the hill. The > other reason is that Tornado is 7 lines long (all vulnerable target), > while a stone like Blue Fumk is but 4 (and disabled only by a hit in 2 > of them) so the bombing speed/size ratio is at my disadvantage. I drop > near 2000 bombs in 3330 cycles, in the meantime a ~30% c stone drops > near 1000. I have a 2000*2/8000 = 50% chance to kill the stone while > the stone has a 1000*7/8000 = 87.5% chance to kill me. Hard times > indeed. Keep in mind that in the early cycles Blue Funk gives up time to launch and operate his imp - advantage back to you. However you have no imp defense. Here's another bomb possibility: MOV 200,1 is usually just as deadly as a single DAT bomb and sometimes more so since if it hits a SPL #0 it alters that and the following instruction too. Paul Kline pk6811s@acad.drake.edu From: msmoulton@aol.com (MSMoulton) Subject: "Robots" games Date: 1995/08/29 Message-ID: <41v6j9$2jf@newsbf02.news.aol.com>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar I have CRobots, Pascal Robots 3.1, and PC Robots 1.41. Am I using the newest versions? Also, where can I get C++Robots and what is RoboWar? ********************************************* *Michael Moulton * *------------------------------------------------------* *Internet: MSMoulton@aol.com * * michael.moulton@gsh.com * *FidoNet: Michael Moulton (1:275/153)* *Prog-Net: Michael Moulton * ********************************************** From: bezzi@iol.it (Beppe Bezzi) Subject: Re: Beginner, needs help on first prog. Date: 1995/08/30 Message-ID: <199508301154.MAA02080@iol-mail.iol.it>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Ansel Greenwood Sermersheim wrote >I really like corewars, but my progs keep getting thrashed. I've been >submitting progs to the beginner's hill at pizza (prox. 1/wk for 2 mo. or >so), and in all that time, 1 program made it on, and then was pushed off >by the next challenger. If anyone could suggest what i'm doing wrong, or >a better idea for a warrior, I would really appreciate it. Let me try to help you and give some useful hint. Main problems of your program are: 1- it's too long, an easy target for opponents; 2- it's a bit slow in its bombing run. Let's try to fix the problems still keeping your strategy: bomb with spl 0/jmp -1 to slow opponent and then clear the core with dats to finish it. >;redcode-b >;name IcicleV2 1.14 >;author Ansel Greenwood >;strategy Saturation bombing with SPL 1, JMP -1, and cleaning up with DAT >;assert CORESIZE == 8000 > org bloop1 >tmp dat #1000 > >lookat dat #1, #1 ;you don't need that as pointer for bombs >bnew spl 1, #1 >bnew2 jmp -1, #1 >bloop1 mov bomb, @lookat >mute1 add #1, lookat ;better use indirect addressing a save a line >mute2 mov bomb2, @lookat > add #2375, lookat ;2365 is *far* better as bombing step > djn bloop1, tmp >bjump2 jmp bloop2, #1 >bomb spl 1, $0 >bomb2 jmp -1, $0 >bloop2 sub #3039, lookat ;In stead of this we'll clear core with 2 lines > cmp.b bomb, @lookat ;setting up an imp gate too > jmp bloop2, #1 > mov lookat, @lookat > jmp bloop2, #1 end ;name Icicle ;strategy spl 0 /jmp -1 bomber with core clear org bloop1 step equ 2365 ;better that 2375 bnew2 jmp -1, -1 lookat dat <-10, <-10 ;the < decrements kill imps dat 0,0 ;hit by spl 0 dat 0,0 ;hit by jmp -1 bloop1 mov bnew2, @mute2 ;puts a jmp -1 bomb 2365+3 cells away ;from mute2 mute2 mov bnew, *2365+3 ;puts a spl 0,in the cell pointed by ;the a-field of the jmp -1 ;i.e. just before it add #step, mute2 ;add and jump to repeat bombing run djn bloop1, #1599 ;hit by spl 0 we'll stop a bit before ;Now we have to clear the core and kill imps surviving the bombing. ;the spl #0 will generate processes to feed the mov instruction ;at last the mov will be overwritten but the spl will keep you alive bnew spl #0, <-9 mov lookat, TIA - Ansel Greenwood Sermersheim -Beppe Bezzi From: jwilkinson@utexas.edu Subject: Re: Simple warriors. Date: 1995/08/30 Message-ID: <422iqe$ddu@geraldo.cc.utexas.edu>#1/1 references: <1995Aug25.222229.2832@rhodes> <1995Aug27.192545@acad.drake.edu> <1995Aug28.123645.2834@rhodes> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar >> > I have source to Bunker, a self-repair program Paul Kline wrote some >> > time ago and posted. I haven't seen others, but have read about them. >> > [lots of questions on self-repair programs] >> I was hoping _you_ could supply some of those answers :-) >You think if I could supply them that I would write ridiculously long >letters like these when I could be optimizing a new warrior? ;-) I >hope to see a self repair (other than an imp) make the '94 hill. But >I just can't see how that could happen. Maybe someone relatively new to >CoreWar will have the insight (just like it took a blind mathematician >to conceptualize turning a sphere inside out - someone whose views >aren't tainted by what they know might make the breakthrough). What? Um are we talking a 3d being turning a 3d sphere inside out? I'm baffled... Back to corewars. :) If you want to give more intelligent warriors a chance on the hill, I propose a '94 change. Everytime a warrior attempts to alter a core location which was not most recently altered by that same warrior, then that warrior must spend 2 cycles in order to exact the change upon the location. Um, sorry if that run-on sentance was a little tough to read... Ah well, I think I made myself clear. The basic effect being that mindlessly attacking the core will be less efficient, whereas scanners, self-repairers could have a better chance. I dunno, in theory it sounds ok, but the practice might suck. Comments? From: jimc@mainelink.net Subject: Where do I get RedCode specs? Date: 1995/08/30 Message-ID: <420jkv$b1r@news.mainelink.net>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar I can't decode .z files. I need zips/text/etc. Thanks From: everard@infi.net (M. Scott Everard) Subject: Re: Is John Perry out there? Date: 1995/08/30 Message-ID: <422ea8$jrs@allnews.infi.net>#1/1 references: <420j6a$d0g@newsbf02.news.aol.com> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar In article <420j6a$d0g@newsbf02.news.aol.com>, msmoulton@aol.com (MSMoulton) says: > >Does anyone know John Perry's e-mail address? > Keep trying, I wrote to him at that address not too long ago and there was no problem. Scott From: stst@idnsun.gpct.Vanderbilt.Edu (Stefan Strack) Subject: For Scott Everent Date: 1995/08/30 Message-ID: <9508302250.AA04464@idnsun.gpct.Vanderbilt.Edu.noname>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Scott, I am unable to reply to your personal email because our name server doesn't know about infi.net or larry.infi.net. I need an alternate address or an IP number. -Stefan From: msmoulton@aol.com (MSMoulton) Subject: Pascal Robots - Newest version? Date: 1995/08/30 Message-ID: <4223an$o67@newsbf02.news.aol.com>#1/1 references: <420j6a$d0g@newsbf02.news.aol.com> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar What's the newest version of Pascal Robots? I've got 4.0. Also, was C Robots ever updated beyond the original release (c. 1985)? From: wilkinso@metronet.com Subject: How do I unsubcribe from Corewars-L? Date: 1995/08/30 Message-ID: <422h47$ddu@geraldo.cc.utexas.edu>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar How do I unsubcribe from Corewars-L? From: bezzi@iol.it (Beppe Bezzi) Subject: Re: Re: Know your enemy - Tornado Date: 1995/08/30 Message-ID: <199508301155.MAA02089@iol-mail.iol.it>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Paul Kline pk6811s@acad.drake.edu wrote: >(Beppe Bezzi) writes: >>.. >> other reason is that Tornado is 7 lines long (all vulnerable target), >> while a stone like Blue Fumk is but 4 (and disabled only by a hit in 2 >> of them) so the bombing speed/size ratio is at my disadvantage. I drop >> near 2000 bombs in 3330 cycles, in the meantime a ~30% c stone drops >> near 1000. I have a 2000*2/8000 = 50% chance to kill the stone while >> the stone has a 1000*7/8000 = 87.5% chance to kill me. Hard times >> indeed. >Keep in mind that in the early cycles Blue Funk gives up time to launch >and operate his imp - advantage back to you. However you have no imp >defense. Tornado 1.3 , hill version, (in the version in KYE I preferred to bomb mod4 and give some win to Blue Funk, Marcia will soon take revenge) has some imp defence, the clear is in the form: clr mov @1, >-25 djn.b clr, {-24 and it catches imps, but I still lose against Blue Funk and Juliet Blue Funk, i don't know Blue Funk 3, take little more than 50 cycles to boot and finish the imp launch; in the meantime Tornado drops 20 bombs, I have to boot too, so the chances to catch its 10 lines binary launch is *very* small, Juliet is even faster and smaller. >Here's another bomb possibility: > MOV 200,1 >is usually just as deadly as a single DAT bomb and sometimes more so >since if it hits a SPL #0 it alters that and the following instruction too. Looks good, I'll test it, thanx >Paul Kline -Beppe Bezzi From: jwilkinson@utexas.edu Subject: Re: Simple warriors. Date: 1995/08/31 Message-ID: <424gu8$lf3@geraldo.cc.utexas.edu>#1/1 references: <1995Aug25.222229.2832@rhodes> <1995Aug27.192545@acad.drake.edu> <1995Aug28.123645.2834@rhodes> <422iqe$ddu@geraldo.cc.utexas.edu> <424fqa$o9v@lastactionhero.rs.itd.umich.edu> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar >: Back to corewars. :) If you want to give more intelligent warriors a chance >: on the hill, I propose a '94 change. > >: Everytime a warrior attempts to alter a core location which was not most >: recently altered by that same warrior, then that warrior must spend 2 >: cycles in order to exact the change upon the location. >: The basic effect being that mindlessly attacking the core will be less efficient, >: whereas scanners, self-repairers could have a better chance. I dunno, in >: theory it sounds ok, but the practice might suck. Comments? > >There was a proposed command that protected core locations, this command would set >read only bit on the location. If the location= was modified with the bit on, it >would simply remove the bit. A second hit would be required to make any real >change. > >Your system is interesting in that to damage an opponent you need to "double tap" >the locations. Yeah, I have Stefan's Corewar 3.0 and maybe 3.1 or something... I wrote warriors that used PCT, the "protect" instruction. They never seemed to do very well... Although a nice string of PCT'd code would wipe out even the most tenacious imp spirals... However, what I'm proposing would be that the imp spiral wouldn't die immediately because it didn't know to double hit each core location. Rather, it would merely slow down 50% compared with imp spirals that didn't have to deal with double cycles to change new core locations. From: bezzi@iol.it (Beppe Bezzi) Subject: Re: Re: simple warriors Date: 1995/08/31 Message-ID: <199508311204.NAA00324@iol-mail.iol.it>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar Randy Graham wrote >Paul Kline wrote >> > [my comments on Porch Swing's djn stream] >> Hmmm.. >in mind. Of course, I still have the dat 1,1 weakness, so those who >want to specialize to knock PS down can. I made part of the testing of Tornado against Porch and Whiter, (testing it against Timescape made me but pain :-) and I discovered some ways to beat them. Unless one of you tells me not to do it, of course, I can publish some notes about it, full of useful hints for beginners. I don't believe you have to worry too much about it because an invasion of Tornado like programs doesn't look a real threat. You are obviously free to publish "how to beat Marcia Trionfale" :-), I'm interested in how to build a good scanner and complete my p-warrior. (The one in KYE 1.0 is a real ) >> Paul Kline >Randy -Beppe bezzi@iol.it From: jklewis@stimpy.us.itd.umich.edu (John Kipling Lewis) Subject: Re: Simple warriors. Date: 1995/08/31 Message-ID: <424fqa$o9v@lastactionhero.rs.itd.umich.edu>#1/1 references: <1995Aug25.222229.2832@rhodes> <1995Aug27.192545@acad.drake.edu> <1995Aug28.123645.2834@rhodes> <422iqe$ddu@geraldo.cc.utexas.edu> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar jwilkinson@utexas.edu wrote: : >> > I have source to Bunker, a self-repair program Paul Kline wrote some : >> > time ago and posted. I haven't seen others, but have read about them. : >> > [lots of questions on self-repair programs] : >> I was hoping _you_ could supply some of those answers :-) : >You think if I could supply them that I would write ridiculously long : >letters like these when I could be optimizing a new warrior? ;-) I : >hope to see a self repair (other than an imp) make the '94 hill. But : >I just can't see how that could happen. Maybe someone relatively new to : >CoreWar will have the insight (just like it took a blind mathematician : >to conceptualize turning a sphere inside out - someone whose views : >aren't tainted by what they know might make the breakthrough). : What? Um are we talking a 3d being turning a 3d sphere inside out? : I'm baffled... : Back to corewars. :) If you want to give more intelligent warriors a chance : on the hill, I propose a '94 change. : Everytime a warrior attempts to alter a core location which was not most : recently altered by that same warrior, then that warrior must spend 2 : cycles in order to exact the change upon the location. : Um, sorry if that run-on sentance was a little tough to read... Ah well, : I think I made myself clear. : The basic effect being that mindlessly attacking the core will be less efficient, : whereas scanners, self-repairers could have a better chance. I dunno, in : theory it sounds ok, but the practice might suck. Comments? There was a proposed command that protected core locations, this command would set a read only bit on the location. If the location was modified with the bit on, it would simply remove the bit. A second hit would be required to make any real change. Your system is interesting in that to damage an opponent you need to "double tap" the locations. John Lewis From: kb5kjn@PROBLEM_WITH_INEWS_DOMAIN_FILE (Bill Jones) Subject: Re: Pascal Robots - Newest version? Date: 1995/08/31 Message-ID: <4235kk$ipd@news.blkbox.com>#1/1 references: <420j6a$d0g@newsbf02.news.aol.com> <4223an$o67@newsbf02.news.aol.com> newsgroups: rec.games.corewar MSMoulton (msmoulton@aol.com) wrote: : What's the newest version of Pascal Robots? I've got 4.0. : Also, was C Robots ever updated beyond the original release (c. 1985)? Mr. Mack has got a unix version of crobots called tclrobots. I forgot were I found it, but I do not feel like learning a new language to play it. Bill From: jimc@mainelink.net Subject: Not getting response from KotH. HELP! Date: 1995/08/31 Message-ID: <422v35$s0u@news.mainelink.net>#1/1 newsgroups: rec.games.corewar I'm new to Core Wars. I have successfully gotten back mail using a "koth help" subject line, but have not gotten a single reply sending the "koth" subject and ";redcode-b verbose" first line (with program of course). Am I doing something wrong?