Really strange decision about how Coders Strike Back league system is introduced! So I can’t just copy-paste my good code from contest and improve it further. I first need to downgrade it, by removing reads of missing game data, and by implementing reads of simplified game data of Wooden league.
And then, after getting to the Legend league, I need to reimplement it back. Not so interesting!
3 Likes
yea, that’s what we’re talkin about - the best idea is to hide all the simplified inputs into a skippable tutorial, place it instead of the wood league for novice players, and starting from the bronze league there’d be the full inputs
Another idea for fellow strongmen/women of CSB contests is to be able to jump league depending on the ranking you had on csb?
Another Idea for a flexible game like CSB would be multiple disciplines, i.e. totally independent settings based on the same game engine:
- Classical CSB: 2 vs 2, first Pod wins race for his team
- Classical 1 vs 1: Like the current silver league with input like in CSB
- Just Race: 1 vs 1, No collision, just racing. Best racer wins
- Optimization: Finish a set of hidden validators in minimal time, no collisions, no enemy team
- Survival/Arena: 2-4 players, no racing, if you leave the arena, you loose. Kick your enemies out of the arena. Last team standing wins the game
- Reversed: Classical 1 vs 1 where one team has a reversed order on the checkpoints
POINT BASED GAMES:
- Capture the Flag: Steal the flag from the enemy base, return to own base. Hit enemy pod to return your flag to your base.
- Game of Zones: Like Game of Drones, with fewer zones. Each owned zone gives 1 Point per gameturn
- Token: Collect the token, each turn you own the token, you get 1 point. Hit the pod with the token to steal the token, protect your token pod with your other pod.
2 Likes
and the same amount of copy-pasted movement engine code, with fixing a bug in each game in a row
that’s a good idea, but first it needs a possibility to divide your code into different files
At this point I think the best solution would be to give up completely on the full set of input. Add the last rules (2 pods, maybe additional rules…) but don’t add any input information that we can compute with the current inputs. For example do not give the pod speed, do not give the list of checkpoints…
The opponent’s next checkpoint is questionable. We can try to guess it after lap 1, but it will always be only a guess…
On the other hand, an example of information which could be useful but cannot be computed atm (afaict) is the number of laps required to complete the race.
They would make it a totally different game, the CG staff needs to keep some freedom of movement for future contests.
Also, for game of zones, you would want a game of drones with physics? Isn’t GoD already complex enough as-is? 
No, I was thinking like 1-2 pods and 2-3 Zones that are too small to be occupied by more than 1 pod at a time. This would remove most of the complexity of Game of Drones and it would be more like classical CSB than GoD 
maybe like 1-2 pods per player, and 5-8 random zones? it’ll be like Capture and defend
Does CSB AI give multiplayer points too or is it just a tutorial ?
Just like a multi
1 Like
My idea is to make this ‘demo’ leagues optional now and in the future league contests/games for everyone (or experienced players only) and to make complete and fixed rules in the ‘real’ leagues.
Your idea seems to be in the different angle. For example, I prefer doing real solution in the next contest right away instead of wasting some time on the ‘demo’ leagues (with 1 hour promotion delay, it hurts).
By experienced I mean all codingamers that have some rank or some number of cg points or whatever not related to puzzle in question.
So now the gold league is here. This is the first time ever i’m frustrated because of CodinGame. I’m supposed to be here for fun but there’s no fun at all here:
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I had to works on a silver code. It’s just 30 minutes. But it’s totally useless 30 minutes because the silver code can’t works in the gold league. Inputs are not the same. I’ll just burn my silver code. No fun at all. I’m glad i have not worked on the silver league like some others coders.
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My contest code will works in gold league (even if i don’t use the boost and i have to change a constant from 200 to 100). But i can’t works on this code. Because i can’t be sure if this code will works in the legend league. So i’m just supposed to wait …
Not fun -
The CSB ladder will never be the same as the CSB contest ladder. Because many players will never comes backs on CSB just to reach the legend league by doing useless code and just discover that their contest code will not be as good as during the contest. I’ll never know if by improving my code i can beat the same top 10 as during the contest.
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The new thrust maximum (100) will reduce the difference between the good AI’s and the bad AI’s. Use a 200 thrust is hard but use a 100 thrust is easier. But maybe this rule will change in legend league so it’s a temporary problem
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If the legend league inputs are differents from the gold league (like from the silver league to gold league), i really think i will be done with CodinGame. I’m not gonna re-code again CSB from scratch. If i want frustration with refactoring/obsolete code because of specifications changes, my job is already here.
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I have to wait 24h for the gold league. Seriously ?
I don’t know where CodinGame is going. Maybe CodinGame wants to be bigger and seduce beginners and newbies. But it’s really a bad idea for professional/good coders.
TL:DR; The reasons i’m on CodinGame are fading away.
3 Likes
my 10 lines of code written in 1-2 minutes constanly beated the silver boss
and why do u write workS? it’s “i work” without ‘s’
but i agree with u, the only good place for simplified inputs is a skippable tutorial instead of wood league
@Magus totally agree with you.
@SaiksyApo @CvxFous I just used Maddy’s solution to beat the silver boss because I just don’t want to waste my time on doing real solution for this so called silver (but actually wood). And still need to wait 12h to make to the gold.
For real, CG stuff, do you think the boss that can be beaten by 10 lines of code even worth calling himself ‘silver’?
Actually, for the bosses in bronze/silver/gold I have an idea: basically they could be implemented in any-time algo (say MCTS) and just have the different time limits on them – 10%/100%/1000% of time allowed to player. So, same boss, same logic, same mechanics, just different handicaps for the skill difference. And by using that approach you could actually launch all the leagues at once.
10 lines of codes to beat silver boss ?
you’re definitivly better than me.
This should be an optimisation puzzle : lowest number of char to beat silver boss ; it will be a nice challenge !
that wasn’t 10 lines, that was 7 lines of the default code with solution in 3 lines
here’s my suggestions for the league system:
- Move bronze-silver to the wood league
- Make the wood league skippable (as a tutorial for newbies)
- Make the simplified inputs only in the wood league
- Make the full inputs in bronze-legend
Suggestions for the bosses:
- Bronze boss: the AI in 10 lines(maybe with simple improvements), and with BOOST at the 0th turn
- Silver boss: a simple bruteforce; rotating to the next checkpoint before reaching the current checkpoint
- Gold boss: Silver boss with a simple defender bot and improved bruteforce
about chat: u can restore the IRC chat(as an extra chat) until your own chat’ll work without such bugs/crashes
@ Magus I understand your point of view, but i can’t be Agree:
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i’m “new” on codingame, discovered it just before “Code vs Zombies”… Actualy Multiplayers game are the copy/paste of previous contest, and that’s fun (was waiting for CSB to see what i have could done if i had the full time to do it, just had the last WE to do it)
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I seen multiplayers, and stay frustrated that i missed them: i actualy “working”
on Platinum rift (to bad i wasn’t here, I like this style of game…) but there is no competition: ppl already copy paste their code, and i play against “ghost” of what ppl have done…
Contest are Contest: the time you have to do it is the most Important part of the thing… you have to manage it.
So atm… Multiplayers Game are Bonus pts for ppl that have done the contest, (and maybe have improve there IA few days after) and are frustrating ppl like me that have to do them like puzzles (with more pts at the end) to stay competitive for global ranking
For exemple: Code Vs Zombi: 3963 ppl have done it but multiplayer game code vs Zombi: only 1530 ppl have complet it… So less interesting than the contest that only near than 1 ppl on 3 have take the time to just go in… (no need to copy past, code was already here, just have to push)
So… Magus and other "Old"Codingamers: Please understand that contest must stay contest, and multiplayer puzzles (where we have all the time) can gain some interest by being refresh, and become what thay should be: “contest” between players on long term… with more difficulty, and some benefits for new ppl (and/or low lvl dev that want to play against other to check their lvl (speaking about Wood league… it’s nice, for ppl that are on this lvl)
Once again, i understand that “Old” codin gamers want to stay on the top, and seeing more than 100K ppl arriving last few month can make some ppl want to keep their advantage…
@ Magus specialy: I think that when Codingame will be abble to do 1 contest/month or more, they will put from 3 “best results” on contest to 5, 10 or more, and you will have the real benefits you deserve regarding your result on contest… but for now, they can’t (it take half a year fo someone to just have the opportunity to make 3 contest)
@ al_ Realy good idea on Game mods… Legend League deserve thing like that: being abble to adap to the game mode…
@All Cg team: Thx for your work, please continue, and plz, do it to ALL multiplayer Games
2 Likes
It’s not about “staying on the top”. If i want to farm points, i can do clashes or achievements, it will be faster 
I don’t really understand what is the link with contests points here. The contest is done and we can’t change the ranks now. So my contests points won’t change with the multiplayer puzzles. The multiplayer puzzle will gives me points. But points are not the main reason i want this puzzle. My plan was not to just copy/paste my code. I want to rework it according to what i have learn from pb4608 and Jeff06 at the end of the CSB contest. I want to put that in pratice. But at the moment i can’t because of this league system.
If you take Code VS Zombie for example, when the optimization puzzle appeared, i have rewrite all my code to implements the contest winner strategy. My old code for Code VS Zombie is probably dead somewhere i don’t think i kept it.
https://www.codingame.com/contests/finished - there were 14 contests in 2014
what do u want? to make CSB AI game like not the same contest to make ppl like Magus write an AI for it again?
and i’m playing PR1-2 too, u can battle against my AI