User:Rednaxela/SaphireEdge

SaphireEdge is the nickname for the new gun I'm working on. There will be a variety of gun research componants before SaphireEdge comes together as a whole, the first being perfecting the VCS techniques that will be incorperated as a part of SaphireEdge.

VCS Series

This series is a test of my VisitCountStats, which (to my knowledge) uniquely antialias upon writing and interpolates upon reading. It's also to my understanding the only VCS gun to use precise antialiased botwidth when writing bins. Only uses a single buffer. It's also the first time I've even touched bins at all. Keep in mind that VCS is only one componant of the new gun and there will be so much more to it later.

Challenges

Targeting Challenge 2K7 (Fast Learning)

Name	CC	RMX	SHA	WS	WOE	Surf	DM	FT	GG	RMC	WLO	No Surf	Total	Comment
VCS01	60.89	59.16	53.36	58.13	59.51	58.21	88.71	78.05	83.31	79.36	82.09	82.30	70.26	121.0 seasons
VCS02	57.98	57.45	51.93	54.82	56.59	55.75	89.03	78.06	83.61	79.22	82.82	82.55	69.15	110.0 seasons
VCS03	64.56	67.29	58.01	62.57	62.54	62.99	87.95	78.56	83.47	79.17	82.15	82.26	72.63	110.0 seasons
VCS04	63.08	62.64	54.80	60.26	59.64	60.08	88.63	79.25	83.38	79.22	82.60	82.62	71.35	110.0 seasons

Targeting Challenge RM

Name	Based on	Aspd	Sprw	Fhqw	Yngw	FlMn	EASY	Tron	HTTC	RnMB	DlMc	Grbb	MEDIUM	SnDT	Cgrt	Frtn	WkOb	RkMc	HARD	TOTAL	Diff from base	Comments
VCS04	VCS02	94.06	96.64	94.40	97.38	93.10	95.12	88.18	89.14	86.41	88.63	83.38	87.15	80.55	84.92	79.25	82.60	79.22	81.31	87.86		110.0 seasons
VCS05	VCS04	93.88	96.71	94.16	97.32	93.30	95.07	87.72	89.43	86.72	88.72	84.18	87.35	78.99	86.33	79.71	82.94	79.14	81.42	87.95	+0.09	110.0 seasons
VCS06	VCS04	93.21	97.25	94.63	97.79	94.01	95.38	87.97	88.73	88.01	88.96	83.98	87.53	80.18	85.28	79.39	82.89	79.20	81.39	88.10	+0.24	110.0 seasons
VCS07	VCS06	93.96	96.79	94.16	97.60	92.98	95.10	88.29	89.23	86.75	88.80	85.26	87.67	78.52	85.28	79.86	82.71	80.10	81.29	88.02	-0.08	110.0 seasons
VCS08	VCS06	93.29	97.24	95.08	97.47	93.92	95.40	88.00	89.58	87.59	88.92	84.49	87.72	79.88	85.86	79.64	83.78	80.07	81.85	88.32	+0.30	110.0 seasons
VCS09	VCS08	90.60	95.98	93.35	97.29	92.47	93.94	85.88	87.98	85.85	86.48	82.09	85.66	75.95	82.94	78.37	81.54	78.43	79.45	86.35	-1.97	110.0 seasons
VCS10	VCS09	92.09	96.43	94.71	97.24	92.68	94.63	85.16	86.94	85.88	86.51	82.56	85.41	75.91	83.90	78.15	80.43	77.79	79.24	86.42	+0.07	110.0 seasons
VCS11	VCS10	92.44	97.38	96.75	97.44	92.96	95.39	86.46	87.81	86.93	87.37	83.77	86.47	80.80	83.07	79.72	83.08	79.61	81.26	87.71	+1.29	110.0 seasons
VCS12	VCS11	95.06	98.57	97.55	97.87	94.73	96.76	89.93	89.89	89.34	88.85	86.23	88.85	84.86	86.73	80.70	85.14	81.08	83.70	89.77	+2.06	110.0 seasons
VCS13	VCS11	93.16	97.30	96.29	97.53	92.87	95.43	86.86	86.34	87.57	86.40	83.08	86.05	80.49	83.51	78.49	82.11	78.71	80.66	87.38	-0.33	110.0 seasons
VCS14	VCS12	95.42	98.51	97.43	97.98	95.05	96.88	90.79	89.45	89.20	89.53	86.14	89.02	84.97	86.09	80.12	85.49	80.67	83.47	89.79		89.0 seasons (more running)
VCS15	VCS12	95.31	98.26	97.38	97.75	94.80	96.70	89.52	88.58	89.07	90.09	85.63	88.58	85.74	85.61	81.21	85.01	80.43	83.60	89.63		89.0 seasons (more running)
VCS16	VCS12	94.86	98.43	97.04	98.12	95.00	96.69	88.91	89.82	89.50	89.42	86.26	88.78	85.23	86.77	81.72	86.88	81.59	84.44	89.97		88.7 seasons (more running)
Comparisons
Raiko		91.45	97.80	95.65	97.49	92.62	95.00	84.68	85.97	88.63	87.14	82.85	85.86	79.08	82.37	79.43	86.70	78.18	81.15	87.34		110.0 seasons
SingleBufferBee	Bee	92.60	98.03	96.91	98.24	91.71	95.50	87.34	84.27	89.85	85.55	84.14	86.23	81.55	82.90	79.76	86.17	80.70	82.22	87.98		110.0 seasons

Versions

• 01: A segmentation configuration kind of based on CassiusClay's slow buffer, EXCEPT accidentally have too many slices in backwards wall distance. Uses tickwaves at full weighting. No rolling, so expected to be abysmal against surfers.
• 02: Based on VCS01. Reduce backwards wall distance segmentation.
• 03: Based on VCS02. Dramatically increase the granularity of segmentation by well over 50%
• 04: Based on VCS02. Fix it to ACTUALLY be virtually like CassiusClay's segmentation (before there was a misunderstanding where I thought slice numbers in CassiusClay were the segment centers, when they were actually the segment edges). This should give a good baseline segmentation config.
• 05: Based on VCS04. Give firing waves 5x the weight as non-firing (same as Bee does)
• 06: Based on VCS04. Switch from my botwith based bin insertions, to smoothed bin insertions of the style Bee uses.
• 07: Based on VCS06. Try a kind of hybrid of bin insertion methods.
• 08: Based on VCS06. Try a hybrid again, with the numeric constants tweaked a bit differently.
• 09: Based on VCS08. Disable antialiasing and interpolation across dimensions.
• 10: Based on VCS09. Don't fire unless gun is rotation is within half a botwidth of complete.
• 11: Based on VCS10. Add an acceleration segment that I forgot. DOH! Now it's actually segmented nearly exactly the same as CassiusClay.
• 12: Based on VCS11. Re-enable antialiasing and interpolation across dimensions.
• 13: Based on VCS11. Give firing waves 5x weight again, and default to the same GF as Bee when there is no data.
• 14: Based on VCS12. Try adding an advancing velocity segment.
• 15: Based on VCS12. Try adding a "distance last 9" segment.
• 16: Based on VCS12. No new types of segmenting over VCS12, but tweak the segment divisions around a bit.

Conclusions and Comments

(Fellow Robowikiers: Feel free to add your own comments in this section)

Based on VCS01-03 It's seeming that increasing granularity of segmentation of this current gun configuration dramatically increases anti-surfer performance (not that that is very good) however causes a small but notable decrease in performance against random movers (or not?). What I wonder now however is, how strong is possible against non-surfers with only a single pure-tickwave VCS buffer? I see bots in that challenge with scores notably better in the non-surfer category, however half are DC (Chalk and DCResearch) and the other half are multi-buffer (Phoenix & Dookious). Anybody else have any thoughts about how strong single-buffer VCS can get? --Rednaxela 07:53, 20 December 2008 (UTC)

IMO a single buffer can only ever be so strong against surfers (although perhaps your inter-segment smoothing will help with this) due to the fact that your segmentation is rarely exactly the same as them. A single buffer can be very strong against non-adaptive movement though, just look at Raiko. --Skilgannon 17:57, 20 December 2008 (UTC)

I'd agree that a single buffer is rather limited in how it can do against surfers, what I'm speaking about for now is against non-adaptive movement. I suppose my next step will be switching over to TargetingChallengeRM and and benchmarking Raiko, Bee modified to use a single buffer only, VCS04, and VCS04 modified to remove antialiasing/interpolation. Having those three should give quite a solid "baseline". Before I move beyond gun beyond single-buffer VCS (and I intend to move it far beyond that), I want to get the single-buffer VCS componant nailed down realllllly solid (in other words: Build the best damn single-buffer VCS gun there has ever been (against non-adaptives)). Right now I have the temptation to do a mad scientist laugh. Anyone else ever had that feeling when robocoding? :) --Rednaxela 02:20, 21 December 2008 (UTC)

Okay, so this is stronger thank Raiko, however is slightly weaker still than a version of Bee modified to use only a single-buffer. Next I'll try weighting my firing waves higher than non-firing as that may help. --Rednaxela 00:37, 23 December 2008 (UTC)

Woah, it seems that switching to smoothed bin insertions certainly helped overall. I think next I'll try a hybrid method of bin insertion that is smoothed but takes botwidth into account too. --Rednaxela 19:24, 23 December 2008 (UTC)

Well, from now on I'll remember this: Bin insertion shape makes a BIG difference and the optimal is certainly not a rectangle across the botwidth like I first presumed. VCS09 is kind of troubling yet uplifing at once. On one hand it demonstrates that my antialiasing/interpolation scheme is of much value, but on the other hand I need to figure out why it's so far behind SingleBufferBee without it. I can't think of any reason for it to be so much weaker considering both are very similarly natured. I wonder how much better than VCS08 it will be though once I fix whatever problem it has and re-enable antialiasing/interpolation... :) --Rednaxela 17:50, 24 December 2008 (UTC)

Wowzers! It seems VCS12 is very strong in TCRM! The things I know of that beat it, are DrussGT, Dookious, and some experimental versions of RougeDC's gun that never saw the rumble. Now.... if I can just get it past the 90 barrier, then just a little further to beat DrussGT's TCRM score and make the best anti-random-movement gun yet using only a single (though fancy) VCS buffer. Only then will I be satisfied with my take on VCS and be able to proceed to the next stage of Project SaphireEdge! *cackles like a madman* Wonder what it will take to make the final steps to making SaphireEdgeVCS the king of TCRM... Well first I'm going to find out just why VCS12 still underperforms SingleBufferBee... this will be VCS13's job. In retrospect, maybe I should have given seperate version numbering to the versions with and without antialiasing/interpolation? --Rednaxela 02:16, 28 December 2008 (UTC)

Well VCS13 failed to demonstrate improvement, and VCS11 is close enough to SingleBufferBee anyways, so in VCS14-16 I focused on improving ontop of VCS12 more. Seems that VCS16 is quite good, nearly passing the 90 mark! --Rednaxela 06:17, 29 December 2008 (UTC)