Neophyte

The Neophyte series started with two things I saw on the wiki: segmentation, as used in guess factor targetting, and rolling averages. I put the two together and came up with NeophyteSRAL. The SRAL stands for Segmented Rolling Average Linear (targetting). Sorry, but I can be a bit literal at times. Movement started with simple Stop and Go bullet dodging, then added some randomness to help against pattern matchers and finally became pseudo adaptive when I saw the inspired nano-sized direction * mode; onBulletHit? mode = -mode; stuff in Freddie.

NeophytePRAL (Predictive Rolling Average Linear) takes a similar idea, but changes the segemntation to what the enemy was doing the last time I fired, so it can better hit oscillating movement.

Both bots exhibit quite a high specialization index, because their targetting is strong against some movement and weak against others.

Initially I did my best to come up with something new and original. I tried hard to resist copying Weekend Obsession too closely, so it wasn't until SRAL and PRAL had gained a decent rank that I allowed myself to copy Eric's cool and small pattern gun to see how it would go with my modified Freddie movement. Though NeophytePattern is the strongest, I am prouder of SRAL and PRAL as they contain more of my own ideas. Needless to say I was a little upset when later careful analysis of some other good nanobots revealed that SRAL's targetting was not that original after all.

In the Hedgehog microbots it proved even harder be be original. --- John Cleland

I can't seem to find these bots to download. Any hints? -- Simonton