Crazy Ideas

First, we initialize integer to 255 to save a byte. :)
Then, in the PM code we use (integer = integer >> 1), instead of (integer = integer - 1).

If I'm right (which I rarely am), this would be smaller, faster and smarter. How does it sound to you?

Sounds good. I did a geometric reduction of the key length in Toorkild as well, and it worked fine.

Hmm, for some reason, under Jikes, both of those changes add a byte of codesize. Any number above 127 takes an extra byte, and >> is one more byte than --

Were you using Jikes when you compiled Toorkild and got the weird savings from 255?

Yes, but I was using it for an array size, so that might have been something else happening.

So, if we do it just like Toorkild and use 64 as the initialization value, and use integer /= 2 instead of --integer, we should break even at 249 bytes, right?

Also, I think we should try using power-3 bullets, or at least go back to power 2.6667. I think 2.33333... is a little too soft for a bot with such an aggressive movement.

If the changes work, then go ahead and release version 1.0.4.

integer/=2 takes an extra byte from --integer, but if we switch our bullet power to 3 we have that byte to spare. I'll package it up and release.

Huh, for some reason it lost a lot against weak bots. Do you think this is because of the PM change, the bullet power change, or the movement change? I doubt it was because of the change to the random multiplier, because the RM shouldn't even be activated against weak bots.