A.I. Wars (The Insect Mind)

SUMMER 2016 CONTEST RESULTS
Contest Discussion Here

UPDATED to version 5.7.3! A.I. Wars (The Insect Mind) v5.7.3 is FREE for individual use. No strings attached — registration is no longer needed!

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[A.I. Wars WEB]

Tactical Neuronics hosted a monthly tournament for almost 13 years (May 2012 – March 2025)! Click here for Tournament results!

Organizations that wish to use it for educational purposes please see the 'Site License' section below.

Download A.I. Wars TODAY!

Note: Looking for AI War: Fleet Command? That is a completely different game! Visit Arcen Games to learn more about it.

IF you like AI Wars, check out this project produced by a player of A.I. Wars!:

LOGIC BOTS

A unique challenge awaits you!

A.I. Wars is a game designed for people who receive satisfaction from building something. In this case, you design and build the Artificial Intelligence of a war machine called a Cybug. The A.I. of this virtual cybernetic insect is the center of the game. The challenge that every player of this game faces, is in their ability to design a winning logical strategy for their Cybug to follow, while prudently managing its resources and system limitations.

Every Cybug comes with a complement of ammunition for many weapons (guns, missiles, grenades and energy discharges) that can be either offensive or defensive, along with fuel that you must properly ration to ensure your Cybugs survival in battle simulations. Cybugs have shields that offer some protection but they generate heat that can cause a Cybug to shutdown if left up for too long. It's up to you to tackle and master these possibilities and to create a Cybug that can win on the battlefield.

A.I. Wars offers many battlefield simulations to choose from along with a way to create your own. Many battle simulation options are available giving you the chance to dream up thousands of possible scenarios for you to master. Cybugs can be configured to be Hive (Team) Leaders which can share logic and information with other Cybugs. They can be designated as Queen Cybugs making them valuable targets for your opponent! With add-on packages like the BattleShell, Cybugs can compete for land on a global map! Cybugs can link up and pass resources and program code to one another, to help out team mates who are low on ammunition or fuel, or to pass a code virus on to their opponents!

If you are interested in programming in an integrated development environment specifically designed for this game and enjoy the satisfaction of creating something that's more than the sum of its parts, then this game is for you. Get ready to sink your teeth into something that can enthrall and consume your every waking moment! Dream big, experiment often, tinker to your hearts content, and then, when you are ready, unleash your creations in to the world and enjoy the excitement of learning of your creations exploits in tournaments and contests held between others like you.

A.I. Wars is a game of games — not for the timid, not for those who like action over strategy, not for those who want to jump and shoot their way though a game. It's a game for people like you: gamers who want to use their mind, creativity and imagination!

A story of our future...

The risks of warfare will be bloodless ones! Our willingness to commit troops will be a simple matter of economy and production. Militaries worldwide are developing automated intelligent fighting machines. These machines will be much harder to stop than the typical human soldier and will be able to react and move with speeds and agility that will be impossible for its human opponents to match or mimic. For example, we'll see aircraft that can travel and turn so fast they'll generate G-forces that would liquefy its pilot (if it had one.) These machines are not science fiction, and are currently in development today. They have no fear, and will show no mercy...

Tactical Neuronics has introduced its new line of automated all terrain six legged fighting machines code named: Cybugs.

Original blueprint CB-081199-BP17

You are now the proud owner of A.I. Wars (The Insect Mind) — Cybug battle simulation software. This simulator allows potential Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) programmers to perfect the strategies necessary to take our Cybug A.I. to a level that could adaptively compete on the modern battlefield.

The Cybug is a programmable mobile platform, with six legs that have been incorporated for stability on multiple terrain types (the original two and four legged designs proved too unstable to withstand the blast forces from explosions on or near its center of balance). The Cybug is an all weather assault platform loaded with an internally concealed missile and grenade launching system and an external projectile weapon located in the center of its fluid cooled Cybrain appendage (head). The Cybug carries an internal power source that uses a crystalline fuel converter to power its engines and internal electronics. This power system also runs a cooling system that can help keep the Cybug cooled but it can be overheated if items like the shield generator run for an extended period of time. This power system can be discharged through the shielded armor shell of the Cybug, but this discharge will also slightly damage this shell as well (note: this discharge can be set high enough to self destruct the Cybug if the need arises). Its CPU runs single commands transmitted from a remote Battle Simulation Coordination Processor (BSCP). The BSCP negotiates commands in packets that are weighted based on their resource consumption. Movement commands are considered heavier than scan commands, and logic commands are simple and can be utilized in larger quantities. The internal power source can convert Ammilian alloy (an explosive metallic substance) into usable ammunition. The Ammilian converter can produce simple projectiles easily but requires more alloy to create items like mines, grenades and missiles. Grenades and missiles also utilize fuel to propel them to their targets. The Cybugs can gather resources (fuel and ammo) while on the battlefield by collecting flagged replenishment packs. Cybugs can also transfer resources to each other by connecting their resource ports located in the rear of the Cybug. There is also a data port that has a communications link where commands can be inserted manually into the Cybugs CPU for maintenance reasons (Warning: our engineers fear that this port may be a security risk if enemy Cybugs can gain access to it.)

Cybug squads (Hive formations) are possible since each unit can transmit an IFF code. This code identifies a Cybug's secret team name; multiple Cybugs with the same code are on the same team and can identify each other as friendly units to avoid accidental friendly fire damage. Cybugs that have the same IFF codes can transmit data to each other using the hive variables on the BSCP. All Cybugs have access to the global BSCP system variables that are considered common knowledge among all Cybugs in a simulation.

Goal orientation can be utilized in a simulation via the use of Queen Cybugs and the Strategy Node. The BSCP can be set to terminate the battle when a Queen is killed, typically awarding the killer with a large number of points. The strategy node can be used as a refueling and ammo depot as well as its ability to grant award points to any Cybug occupying it for a predetermined amount of time.

Your goal as a Cybug A.I. developer is to develop competent Cybug reflexes, plus offensive and defensive strategies to ensure the survival of your Cybug or your team of Cybugs in a battle simulation. You will be able to develop their A.I. using the Cybug A.I. Command Language (CAICL) provided. The A.I. editor comes complete with a description of each command, as well as code verification and debugging tools. Cybug A.I. files can be encrypted and password protected for transport outside of the BSCP.

Interface Screen Shots


Battle Simulation Setup	Advanced Simulator Settings	Recorded Battle Player	2D Recorded Battle Viewer

2D Debug Mode Battle	2D Volcano Battle	Battle Summary Screen	Tournament Mode Setup Screen

Cybug Programming Screen Shots

CAICL Editor

Graphical Editor

3D Mode Screen Shots

3D Mode System Requirements

Windows
DirectX 8 or higher
DirectX compatible Sound / Graphics Acceleration

Download A.I. Wars (The Insect Mind)

Download A.I. Wars TODAY!

This game forces your logic skills to the limit and it's a neat way to develop programming skills even for people who've never programmed before!

A.I. Wars comes with its own integrated A.I. language development environment and several battle arenas and a map editor for limitless battle possibilities! I hope your unit is smart enough to navigate its way around almost any possibility!

The A.I. Units (Cybugs) come fully loaded with scanners, shields, sensors, energy cells, friend or foe beacons, mines, grenades, fuel, ammo, missiles and even a self destruct mechanism for those really sticky situations!

Remember: "Smart bugs never die!" & "May your A.I. Bugs be without A.I. bugs!"

A.I. Wars

A.I. Wars Player Community

Tactical Neuronics hosted a monthly tournament for almost 13 years (May 2012 – March 2025). Click here for Tournament results!

We encourage A.I. Wars tournament web sites!

Tutorials — Developing a Cybug is an art that grows in complexity as your skills develop. Learn from those who have come before you!
A.I. File Library — Upload and download all of your favorite Cybug AI files here.

A.I. Wars Tools

BattleShell — A.I. Wars global battle simulation where Cybugs attempt to grab as much land as possible.
User Guide — print this out or purchase the printed book version.

FREE Educational / School Site License — GRANTED to ALL!

This A.I. Wars Site License exists for educational groups or schools who want to conduct a tournament or use A.I. Wars as part of their curriculum. This license grants the right to install A.I. Wars on any PC in your organization and to distribute it in any format you wish to your students. You are also granted rights to print unlimited copies of the user guide.

Great for educators who want their students to experience programming at any level. The included Graphical Programming Interface allows kids (or those new to programming) to program their Cybugs by stringing Icons together, and then allows them to see it in action with a click of the 'Test' button.

For those who are more advanced, they can use the 'Source' button to see how it would look in actual CAICL code and, when ready, they can step-up and use the text based CAICL editor to program their Cybugs using the actual CAICL language. Note that CAICL was designed to have simple commands for beginners and allows for more advanced programming techniques as players grow more proficient.

The true strength in its CAICL language is its ability to allow your programs to build commands in memory and run them while the program is executing! Creative Cybug authors make Cybugs adaptive to their actual situation by using this technique!

Player Feedback

I downloaded this yesterday as I was snowed in and I can't think of a better way to spend 5 hours. This game is really good. It reminded me of the old Origin game OMEGA or that Microprose robot game. I had my first program written within 15 minutes of printing the language docs, and defeated my first opponent within an hour. Very very cool game. I plan on putting up a site on my club's web page to support it with designs we come up with.

About the game, as I've experienced it so far: Language is easy with a couple of quirks to watch out for. The combat options are to either shoot the main gun (range, 5 grid points), launch the missile (no range limitation, but slow and expensive in terms of resources), or zap your local vicinity. All robots are the same, so there aren't the hull/weapons/gadgets mods you could do in a game like OMEGA, which in my mind is fine because its a battle of wits when all other things are equal.

You can also text-encode (even password protect) your designs and send them via email or post them on your web site. This alone I think will help make this game very popular.

A lot of people aren't up to the challenge of writing code and then sitting back waiting to see how their robot fairs, so I have doubts this will become as widespread as say DOOM, but it has all of the elements to become the most popular Program-Your-Own-Robot game out there. More so than C-Robots and Bolo IMHO.

--Pete, BattleGroup Boston Miniatures Wargaming Club

American Computing Magazine A.I. Wars Review! Graded "A+"

"Smart Bugs Never Die" is the motto of one of the most exciting games this geek has seen since the Castle Smurfenstein hack of the early 80's. When I say "exciting" I don't mean "Quake-type exciting", I mean "this-could-be-important exciting." The game, entitled "AI Wars: The Insect Mind" involves programming, play testing, and strategy. As a basic programming tool, or foray into artificial intelligence, this game has intellectual exercise written all over it.

Your task is simple, yet compelling. Develop an insect using the included AI language such that your insect will survive. Sounds simple, eh? Only if you do it wrong. My first instinct was to develop a simple set of instructions with absolutely no intelligence but lots of strategy. When I pitted it one on one in an open field against other insects it did quite well. However, when placed in one of the many included terrains it faired worse. When pitted against the included missions (multiple opponents on increasingly challenging terrains), it got the crap blown out of it. Oh yes, this game has action in the form of mines, missiles, blasts, and energy discharges. A self-destruct mechanism is included as well for the Pyrric-minded among us. Soon I began to develop intelligent insects and the result, which I call Predator, will soon be ready for prime time.

-J. Scott Bushey, Editor, American Computing Magazine

"Love your game AI Wars... I have recently downloaded your game and am getting really attached to it" — Marty Lawson

"Just wanted to tell you how much I've enjoyed AI Wars. I've been waiting for a game that requires brains instead of fast "twitch" reflexes. Hope that the game spreads fast; the more bug developers, the better." — Bheckel

"I, for one, never heard of the game before being asked to review it — and it's a shame; I seldom see games this challenging these days!" — Dan Gemmer, Reviewer, The Games Domain (TGD)

"Just want to say that the game is great! I think that u have hit something big here... Then again to a computer science student like me this is a gold mine!!" — ZWANG888

"kudos for AI Wars it is excellent... overall the program is really really good.. Again, kudos, ai wars rocks" — Ashley Rolleston

"My name is Vladimir and I am computer sciences student from Belgrade, Yugoslavia. I downloaded AI wars yesterday, and boy, I was _thrilled_. I've been waiting for something like this for ages. And it has always been my dream to make something like this but never had neither nerves nor the time to devote myself to it. I congratulate you for a job well done." — Vladimir

"I downloaded a copy of AI War a few days ago - I think it is brilliant - ...My first bug is having a ball, though a couple of the scenarios are impossible for him to win. Never mind. Once again, great game." — James Marshall (UK)

"Just wanted to quickly say that your A.I. Wars game friggin' rules! I'm having a blast! *sigh* I'm still learning to program ;)" — Richard Kee

"Thank You, I really enjoy your game." — Tony Dwyer

"I downloaded a copy of Ai Wars and I think it's ace." — Marc Williams

"I have just downloaded AI Wars and registered it... It is the most excellent piece of software I have ever seen!" — Brian Wiren

"I have been up for three days playing AI Wars and will absolutely register as soon as I return to the US from India. Thanks for putting it together!" — Toryalai Hart

"GREAT game!!" — Jordan Ellis

"Excellent work you do. Very entertaining." — Ray Hawk

"Hi, I'm from Malaysia. I downloaded AI Wars some time ago and found it to be very interesting... Good Work!" — Perry Loh

"I really like your excellent AI-wars game, you've got me addicted! :)" — Sander "Fredman" Hollebrand

"As a student of Computer Science I was very interested in the AI-Language you used for AI-Wars. I think that it is a quite good language..." — Frank Karl

"Since a few days I am having very much fun with AIwars!" — Cor Smal (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

"I recently downloaded AI Wars and found myself up until 3:00 this morning with my roommate in an arms race. I like it very much." — Pete Mancini, BattleGroup Boston, VP

"I am very interested in this game. I enjoy programming and always thought I would like to write a game where you program the characters instead of just control them with a joystick or mouse." — James L. Strunk

"I recently downloaded AI Wars from Cnet.com and was very impressed. At this very moment, my first insect, which I call 'Spinner' is battling through Mission #3." — J. Scott Bushey, Editor of American Computing Magazine

"Today I just found AI Wars from ZDNet! WOW! This program is great! As a programmer, I am very interested in Artificial Intelligence, and upon seeing the description, I immediately downloaded it!" — Greg Cormier