FAQ

PREFACE: be aware that posting in the forum (forum.darwinbots.com) will probably get you a faster response. --Numsgil 20:52, 14 Jan 2006 (MST)

The advantage of also posting here is: the info is then available to all new users
so they don't have to reinvent the wheel. One can't easily tell what questions have or
have not been asked on the forum or in what thread they might be.
If we also put them here ... they are archived for any future users.
Griz^talk 05:21, 30 Jan 2006 (MST)

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For your complaints, snivelings, whinings, deparate calls for help ...

what you would like to see corrected, fixed, implimented ...

what goes wrong ...

problems you have encountered ...

the cures to such problems if you have indeed found them ...

all that kind of stuff.

just put it here ...

and hopefully someone else has experienced the same ...

and may have a way to steer you back onto track.

please be as specific as possible when describing a problem

Our helpful Associate Consultants are available 24 hours a day.

[well ... they may drop by on occasion] ;)

NOTE: anyone can edit this page, add their comments and/or fixes.

thank you for your contributions.

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Sysvars 2.21

I downloaded the installer and the patch that said "new users start here".
I don't have sysvars2.21.txt and none of the three download pages [2 of which are the same,
and the third doesnt' work] list the file...
Maybe I missed something, but I went up and down that installation_guide multiple times and have
gone through the download page multiple times and have yet to find sysvars2.21.txt

I have a feeling that I forgot to include sysvars2.21.txt in the zip file for the latest 2.37 version when I uploaded it. Sorry about that. Here is the sysvars file. Just save it into your DarwinBots main directory and it should all work just fine. Sysvars2.21

Updating Versions

Hi, I have a problem when updating to the lastest versions.
Ver 2.1 works great, then I saw theres many new versions so I tried to update.
I downloaded v2.4, copied the .exe and sysvars2.21.txt. Also I downloaded the 
new default.set and put it into the settings folder, overwritting the old one. 
Edited the line with the correct path for the robots, and put hunter V2.2 in the 
robots folder.
Now I open the program, start a new default simulation and all the bots fall 
down very fast.
I've tried to update a couple of times, because I thought I was doing something 
wrong, but it remains the same.
Also, I've tried with version 2.37.6, and everything seems ok (had to use sysvars2.21 
from the 2.4 zip file, because theres none in that versions zip file 
(I've read theres backwards compatibility with that)) and when I start a new simulation, 
the screen gets full of bots in a couple of seconds, so the program runs very slow.
What am I doing wrong?
I'd like to make 2.4.A work fine (with the default options set, to see how its meant 
to be before starting to tweak things). Any ideas of what im doing wrong?
thank you very much. great program!

from PY:
As far as the sysvars file goes, the one in the 2.4 version is more or less the same as the one for 2.37.6. It may contain one or wo extra syvar codes but they will not effect the way the game runs.

It seems as if you may be giving your bots too much energy per cycle from your settings. Also Hunter 2.2 was designed as a formula one combat bot with a tendency to breed as fast as possible. Just give him a good food source and you get a full screen in a few hundred cycles.

Try something a little more sedate like Circumversor Cantharis. he was a pretty good bot a few versions back and still runs reasonably well.

Even better, download my tutorial from the DarwinBots.com site if you haven't already worked through it. It contains various versions of "Simplebot" from the very basic to the complex along with explanations of how it works.

Finally, here is a copy of the default settings file that I use. You will probably need to change the robots though.

Bots falling down in 2.4 means you need to turn off gravity. It's under the physics and costs tab. While you're there open up the costs panel and hit the default costs button so bots spend energy when they do stuff.

Load/Save Sim

The most important thing (IMO) is that one should be able to load a simulation previously saved. That doesn't work for me in version....2.37.....whatever... Either nothing happens when trying to load or I get a crash.

I have experienced the same. I suspect it mght be because you are trying

to load in a sim that was not previously saved with Version 2.37.6.

This happens for me and simply freezes up my computer.

So I suggest you select 'new sim' and once you have it set up ...

save it under a name of 2376_whaterver.sim ...

this is what I do now ... and when I load this one in ... it works.

And one must also have the required bots, settings, sims in the correct

folder ... ie ... the Settings, Robots, Saves folders in the same DarwinBotsII

folder as your executable.

Don't know if this helps but ... when i follow the above, 2.37.6 functions ok for me. Griz^talk 09:31, 14 Dec 2005 (MST)

-> Simulator Settings -> Physics and Cost -> Advanced Cost

I have version 2.4.A and i have the following problem: When i try to edit the values in "Advanced Cost" tab and set "Body Upkeep" to other then zero as default (Why? They live forever when not moving or shooting!?) i try "1" and they die immediately. Ofcourse i lower the settings to "0,01" or "0,1" for example but when i run it and want to change it again it says zero again! Why does it reset like this? Does it have to be a whole number? Then they surely die too fast. Please help, as i do not like them to live forever and mess up with evolution. It should cost for them to only exist, then they die off if they are lazy ;)

I believe this is an issue with American and International number conventions, which is most unfortunate, and I'm only now realizing. You must do 0.01 and 0.1 instead of 0,01 and 0,1 To the program, 0,01 is some weird string and not a number, so it will push it back to 0 (which is the default "I have no idea what to do" value). --Numsgil 20:21, 14 Jan 2006 (MST)

League

Ver 2.4.A
Can't load League without it crashing ... either a New or existing league. run error 91. Griz^talk 10:45, 17 Dec 2005 (MST)