Storing Data
Yup I think I may have to investigate switching guns depending on the amount of data in my dataset to improve performance in early rounds (or in round 1). At the moment I only am using a DC gun.
I dont know, but I have a hunch that a preloaded GF simple segmented GF gun may be more accurate for the first few shots compared to an almost-empty DC gun *shrug*. My gun at the moment has a noticeable increase in accuracy between 35 rounds to 100. :/
Are there any tricks to make a DC gun better in the first few rounds that I am missing?
Pre-loading of any sort I'll give you, but I consider fast learning one of the strengths of DC over VCS. As you get more data, it automatically tightens its bounds and uses more relevant data. To achieve the same with VCS you need to layer buffers of different complexities or dynamically segment.
Circular targeting or RetroGirl/Gun certainly outperform a DC gun with no data, and I am crazy enough to have such a gun just for that purpose... But from what I recall, it's like 2-5 data points (like 50 ticks into round 1) where my DC gun starts outperforming them.
Wolfman,
I would say, don't worry about the first round so much. I don't know much about megas, but I don't think that missing two shots due to a lack of data would do any noticeable damage to your score.
Probably true it's something to save for later, but there's good reason to put extra emphasis on those early ticks/rounds. There are a lot of mid-range bots that have a chance at taking a round from (e.g.) Diamond early on, even if Diamond will reliably crush them every round after round 5. That 1 round is big in percent score. Every shot counts! :-)
<Squinting Fry> Can't tell if agreeing or disagreeing with me... :-)
Totally agree that improving the accuracy of the first few shots is only a tiny (but measurable) improvement to Diamond's already state of the art gun. That it's measurable only lends credence to the notion that Wolfman is right to put some emphasis on performance in the first few rounds (not necessarily ticks) in his still early in development gun.
You added a very powerful pre-loaded gun to an extremely powerful learning gun, and you got an improvement of .15% APS. That's significant when you're grappling for the throne, but I don't really think that it's worth Wolfman's time.
If I were you, Wolfman, I would focus on making a gun that works extremely well in the last 34 rounds, before worrying about squeezing every last point out of the first.