Overview

Bots

Read the bot model the same way the project docs describe it: built-in versus external, clear submission rules, and performance expectations.

Bot ecosystem overview

Bots are where LocalGen becomes more than an offline strategy game. They power quick solo matches, make LAN sessions more interesting, and turn the project into a genuine playground for AI experimentation. Better yet, the project docs explicitly invite new bot contributions.

The upstream documentation distinguishes two major categories:

  1. Built-in bots

    • stored in src/bots/
    • compiled into the LocalGen executable
    • written in C++ for deep integration and speed

  2. External bots

    • separate executables written in any language
    • connected through a network-facing protocol
    • intended to broaden participation beyond C++ contributors

Current built-in bot roster

BotEnabledComplexityApprox. turn costSummary
DummyBotNoLow$O(n)$Example heuristic greedy
SmartRandomBotYesLow$O(n)$Largest-stack greedy baseline
XrzBotNoLow$O(n)$Focused random greedy
ZlyBotYesMedium$O(n)$Single-focus BFS heuristic
ZlyBot v2YesMedium$O(n \log n)$Memory-aware weighted search
ZlyBot v2.1YesMedium$O(n \log n)$Dual-focus defensive search
SzlyBotYesMedium$O(n)$Terrain-weighted BFS heuristic
GcBotYesMedium$O(n)$Adaptive heuristic BFS
XiaruizeBotYesHigh$O(kn^2)$Multi-source strategic search
KutuBotYesHigh$O(n \log n)$Unified strategic objective planner
LyBotNoHigh$O(n^2)$Multiplayer objective planner
oimBotYesHigh$O(n^3)$Stance-based strategic planner

Reading the complexity column

Let $n$ denote the number of relevant tiles a bot inspects during a turn, and let $k$ denote the number of frontier candidates or strategic branches it keeps alive.

$$ T_{\text{match}} \approx \sum_{t=1}^{s} T_{\text{bot}}(n_t) $$

That shorthand is why a jump from $O(n)$ to $O(n \log n)$ can become visible in long simulator runs: the per-turn difference compounds over hundreds of steps, especially when you are benchmarking many games instead of playing just one.

src/bots/MyBot.cpp
├─ include src/core/bot.h
├─ derive from BasicBot
├─ implement init(...)
├─ implement requestMove(...)
├─ register the bot via the documented macro
└─ add the file to PROJECT_SOURCES

Built-in bot submission checklist

The upstream built-in bot README expects every bot in src/bots/ to satisfy all of the following:

  1. The implementation is written in C++17-compatible code.
  2. The full bot lives in a single *.cpp source file.
  3. That file includes src/core/bot.h.
  4. The class inherits from BasicBot and overrides compute.
  5. The bot is registered through the REGISTER_BOT macro.
  6. The source file is added to PROJECT_SOURCES in the top-level CMakeLists.txt.

What a strong bot contribution includes

  • tests, replays, or benchmark evidence
  • clear notes about performance and memory behavior
  • strategy deeper than a placeholder random walker
  • for external bots, setup instructions plus supported runtime / OS details

Ready to build something smarter?