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BZRobots/API BZRobots vs Robocode
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Contents
Overview[edit]
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[edit]
Game model[edit]
- 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[edit]
- 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[edit]
- 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[edit]
- 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[edit]
- 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[edit]
- In Robocode, bullet speed is a function of energy, but in BZFlag bullet velocity is fixed