Gladiabots - Bot arena programming game

[Gilberreke]

Seems like a lot of people are playing Gladiabots on Discord, so I figured we could use a topic here too :)

I'm totally addicted to this game, almost completed the single player campaign.

Feel free to send me private match invites, I'll usually reply with my main AI (I'm working on a simple AI too, but it's not done yet). My ingame name is Gilberreke, as expected.

Here's a link to the game for those interested (if you wait for next week, there's apparently also going to be a Steam release): https://gfx47.itch.io/gladiabots

[kregoth]

I've actually played this long before it ever made it to PC, it was originally an Android game. Nice to see it got ported to PC. good little game for understanding very basic programming for anyone interested.

[Gilberreke]

very basic programming

I'm not sure if I'd call it basic. It's a very weird language with only conditional branches and return statements. It lets you write some decently complex state machines, but it takes a while to wrap your brain around if you're used to regular languages. Combined with the fact that you have to write some decently complex code that has more emergent behavior than direct control, it's quite the exercise even for experienced programmers.

So basically, the language is simple, but esoteric, the stuff they make you write in it is complex. In that regard, I think it has a Zachtronics vibe. It reminds me of TIS-100 :)

[kregoth]

So basically, the language is simple, but esoteric, the stuff they make you write in it is complex. In that regard, I think it has a Zachtronics vibe. It reminds me of TIS-100 :)

Hmm interesting, there wasn't a whole lot of stuff you could make when I first played it, I guess the developers must have really added to it, it's been a long time since I have played the game. Maybe I'll have to check it out again.

[Daisjun]

I gave it a shot but just refunded it then.

I love Zachtronics games so I thought I'd really like this, but I just couldn't get into it.

I really don't think there's enough in the tutorial to get you started. Yeah it takes you through the basics but after that? You're left to fend for yourself.

With Shenzhen and the like it gives you everything you need to get to even the most difficult solutions so there's always that feeling that there's a solution waiting if you just beat your head against the wall long enough.

With this though it feels like there's no way I'm going to get there unless I look up some guides which really breaks the immersion for me. The learning curve is just way too steep for me, found it frustrating more than anything.

Not to turn people off it as it seems to have great reviews and the people who like the game seem to love it, just wasn't for me.

[Gilberreke]

Oh for sure, this game is brutal in learning curve. You get a small tutorial, but then the campaign curb stomps you starting from like the third level and the final chapters of the campaign, well, let's just say my grandmaster AI can't beat all of the levels near the end.

That said, it's similar to BTW in that regard, imagine someone getting BTW blind, even if they played Minecraft previously.

The big problem with more teaching aids is that it's trivial once you know how the game works to write AIs. I personally have a 10 node big AI that gets up to like chapter 8 in the campaign and almost grandmaster level in ranked play, so if you were to teach people things "the right way", you just skip past the entire early-mid game. If you teach them things the wrong way, well, you might just not bother at all, which is what the game does :)

[CrimsonStorm]

Can someone explain what the relation between the android and steam versions is? Is it the same game, just different interfaces, or are there more fundamental differences? Is there "cross-play"?

[kregoth]

I'm doubt there is much of a difference, but the Android version is free with in app purchases (like sandbox mode and private matches). I'm pretty sure the PC version is the entire game without any of that. I don't know if there's cross-play.

[Gilberreke]

Can someone explain what the relation between the android and steam versions is? Is it the same game, just different interfaces, or are there more fundamental differences? Is there "cross-play"?

They're basically the same game yes, and there is crossplay. I'm not sure how the Android version works though, I know there's a regular and a pro version and there's in-app purchases and stuff. I would never try a game like this on my phone though, it's already too small to read for my computer (I wish I could have multi-monitor support).

[CrimsonStorm]

I would never try a game like this on my phone though, it's already too small to read for my computer (I wish I could have multi-monitor support).

Maybe on a tablet or chromebook though!

[Gilberreke]

Maybe on a tablet or chromebook though!

Tablet is certainly do-able, the interface is very touch-friendly it seems. Chromebook, yes, that would be awesome :)

I've never owned a tablet, I keep forgetting those things exist

[Gilberreke]

The full game is now out and on sale, for those on the fence :)