BZRobots/API BZRobots vs Robocode

Overview

This page is to describe the changes that have been made to the RoboCode-compliant part of the API to accommodate how BZFlag works.

Differences between Robocode and BZRobots

Game model

• Robocode game model assumes you have only one life; in BZFlag, you get to respawn
  • onWin/onBattleEnded are applicable to a league match only
  • onDeath simply means you die, but you will spawn shortly after
  • There is a new onSpawn/SpawnEvent in the BZRobots API

Time-based-movement

• Robocode 'turns' are in discrete ticks; BZFlag is real-time, which has the following implications:
  • Time is in decimal seconds; instead of turn 0,1,2, you get 1.5 seconds, 1.8 seconds, 2.34 seconds, etc.
  • Because of the above, getTime() returns a double instead of a long
  • Blocking functions such as execute have a small time delay, dependent on how long you executed
  • For now, there is no limitation on how long you may execute your "turn"

Fixed Radar and Gun

• Robocode has movable radar and gun; BZFlag does not
  • setAdjustGunForRobotTurn and similar have no effect
  • turnGunLeft/turnRadarRight/etc. have no effect
  • getGunHeading/getRadarHeading will always match the robot's getHeading
  • BZFlag's radar effectively sweeps 360 degrees each 'tick/turn'

3rd dimension

• Robocode is 2D, but BZFlag is 3D; this means that:
  • Methods named xxxHeight are renamed to xxxLength.
  • Methods named xxxHeight will return a Z-dimension
  • Objects having a getX() and getY() now have a getZ() as well
  • For simplicity, getVelocity() still refers only to X-Y velocity

Energy

• Robocode bots have "energy"; BZFlag does not
  • The API now has onBulletFired(BulletFiredEvent e) so you can detect a fired shot
  • A bullet's energy will always be 3, regardless
  • A robot's getEnergy always returns 16 (Per the Robocode Damage Formula with a bullet power of 3, since a single shot kills)
  • Changing power in void fire(double power) and similar will have no effect

Bullets

• In Robocode, bullet speed is a function of energy, but in BZFlag bullet velocity is fixed

See Also

• BZRobots/API