WIP: Initial task oriented example.

[clemens-tolboom]

Meta

• branch https://github.com/ErmiyaEskandary/Slither.io-bot/tree/feature/task-execution
• PR Feature/task execution #292

Description

As discussed in #266 but not completed yet here is my first stab.

My basic implementation uses a tasks list with priorities. I have added a few task

• CheckForFood: Trigger food scan. It has a changing priority to allow other tasks to be performed.
• MoveToXY move to the given waypoint
• AvoidCollisionEnemySnake: Avoid collision with other (enemy) snakes. It using existing code.
• ListTasks: List the current set of tasks. Has lowest priority

Motivation and Context

Problem

Adding new behaviour is difficult as this is hard coded. With A* it was still coded but easier to add new behavior. Furthermore we have a check for food triggered by a window timer which makes it harder too. It is not possible to add behaviour by another user script either.

Solution

This branch decouples the code

// Main bot
go: function() {

by replacing the parts mentioned above into a task scheduler. This allows for prioritise / (de)activate / adding tasks so the behaviour is more dynamic and alterable from outside this project (ie console).

It adds menu entries to toggle tasks to test particular behaviour.

Features

// Activate task
window.scheduler.getTask('MoveToXY').active = true;

// Set new point
window.scheduler.getTask('MoveToXY').point = {x: 21600, y: 21600};

// Prepare a new Task
var newTask = window.scheduler.newTask('dummy')

// Add new task
window.scheduler.addTask(newTask);

// Cannot add duplicate task ID
window.scheduler.addTask(window.scheduler.newTask('dummy'));

// Delete task
window.scheduler.deleteTask('dummy');

// Report on tasks
window.scheduler.getTask('ListTasks').execute();

Task list

window.scheduler.listTasks()

CheckForFood Active: true Priority: 397 Trigger food scan
AvoidCollisionEnemySnake Active: true Priority: 0 Avoid collision with other (enemy) snakes
_default Active: true Priority: 0 This is the default task which cannot be deactivated.
MoveToXY Active: false Priority: 300 Move to the given way point

Screenshots (if appropriate):

Menu

MoveToXY

Types of changes

• Bug fix (non-breaking change which fixes an issue)
• New feature (non-breaking change which adds functionality)
• Breaking change (fix or feature that would cause existing functionality to change)

Checklist:

• My code adheres to the code style of this project but most importantly of all to the things mentioned in CONTRIBUTING.md and PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md.
• My change requires a change to the documentation.
• I have updated the documentation accordingly.

TODOs

• Fix priority for MoveToXY (stop when reached; lower priority when nearing P(x,y)?
• MoveToXY is now hard coded as move to center and never looses priority. It makes the bot reaching center.
• Add surround algorithm from A* branch
• Add more from A* branch
• Receive lots of feedback
• Provide task getter function getTaskByID
• Add default task
• Remove ListTasks as that is no actual task
• Add task.active boolean
• Check task structure so far.
• Add schedule.init() when entering game
• Do not set target while checking for collisions #285 Create issue when PR lands regarding __ AvoidCollisionEnemySnake __ as mentioned in WIP: Initial task oriented example. #275 (comment)
• Split collision detection into snake collision and wall collision #284 Create issue when PR lands to split collision snake and wall

[Defimatt]

Ok so I've been trying to test this branch. As per the example in the code, I ran...

bot.gotoXY = {x:10, y:10, active: true, priority: 300};
Object {x: 10, y: 10, active: true, priority: 300}

I then got the following error:

VM118:107 Uncaught TypeError: Cannot read property 'x' of undefined
window.canvasUtil.mapToMouse @ VM118:107
window.bot.tasks.execute @ VM118:936
window.bot.executeTasks @ VM118:1001
window.bot.go @ VM118:1012
window.userInterface.oefTimer @ VM118:1429

The whole game froze, and not only that I could only close the tab by killing chrome.exe. @clemens-tolboom what's going on?

[ermiyaeskandary]

@MattDuffin What's the specific line of code? Don't currently have access to a computer :(

[Defimatt]

@ermiyaeskandary I think I've figured it out. The code example in bot.tasks --> MoveToXY is bot.gotoXY = {x:X, y:Y, active: true, priority: 300}; but when I read through the code, it should be something like bot.gotoXY = {point: {x:X, y:Y}, active: true, priority: 300}; . That resulted in the mapToMouse function barfing.

@clemens-tolboom Can you please keep the code comments / examples updated as you change the code? It's annoying to have to kill the whole browser.

[ermiyaeskandary]

@MattDuffin Great - so the example should be :
bot.gotoXY = {point: {x:20000, y:20000}, active: true, priority: 300};
(20000,20000) is the middle

[Defimatt]

@ermiyaeskandary correct.

[ermiyaeskandary]

@clemens-tolboom @MattDuffin Currently going towards the middle but doesn't check for food alot but a great start!

[Defimatt]

Ok, so having tested this out, I like the idea. It's fun to watch the bot act like it's got a sense of purpose in going to a specific position, and if I want to chill out by one of the walls for a while so I'm not bothered by other snakes, I can set {x: 100, y: 100} or whatever instead of going to the middle.

It's good that it looks out for food a bit when it can (and you see the target coordinates change as it's doing so) then goes back to its target, but it misses out on a lot of dead snake food that's right in front of it. I guess you can override that by changing the priority.

However, it does tend to crash into snakes a lot more when going to a coordinate, and I think that collision avoidance should be its first priority, even when navigating.

The code is a good start though! 👍

[clemens-tolboom]

Thanks for testing that fast. Awesome.

This issue has some TODOs of which the moveToXY definitely needs a fix

I add the following to the issue summary

• Provide task getter function getTaskByID
• Add default task
• Add task.active boolean
• Check task structure so far.
  Then the general structure could be OK.

And removed

• Add surround algorithm from A* branch
• Add more from A* branch
  as these otherwise could block the PR to be.

[clemens-tolboom]

• Task MoveToXY now gets inactive when reached the point. (That open ups new Task Waypoints to feed MoveToXY)
• MoveToXY is refactored deleting bot.GotoXY as that was a silly idea and another global var.
• While working on the CRUD for tasks it probably would be better to move all task related stuff out of the bot and into its own window.task variable.
• One big issue is task are cross game statefull: When ie MoveToXY is deactivated it will not be activated for the next game. Which implies I have to do one more refactoring.
• Some example code (still in the branch as it activates move to center by default. Should we do that.

// Activate task
bot.getTask('MoveToXY').active = true;

// Set new point
bot.getTask('MoveToXY').point = {x: 21600, y: 21600};

// Add new task
bot.addTask(bot.newTask('dummy'));

// Cannot add duplicate task ID
bot.addTask(bot.newTask('dummy'));

// Delete task
bot.deleteTask('dummy');

// Deleted correct item?
console.log('No dummy found!', bot.getTask('dummy'));

// Report on tasks
bot.getTask('ListTasks').execute();

[clemens-tolboom]

I'm satisfied now

scheduler.init();

// Activate task
scheduler.getTask('MoveToXY').active = true;

// Set new point
scheduler.getTask('MoveToXY').point = {x: 21600, y: 21600};

// Add new task
scheduler.addTask(scheduler.newTask('dummy'));

// Cannot add duplicate task ID
scheduler.addTask(scheduler.newTask('dummy'));

// Delete task
scheduler.deleteTask('dummy');

// Deleted correct item?
console.log('No dummy found!', scheduler.getTask('dummy'));

// Report on tasks
scheduler.getTask('ListTasks').execute();

[clemens-tolboom]

The schedule.init() must be called somewhere when entering the game. Dunno where :-( Please fix

[ermiyaeskandary]

When do you want it to run ?

[clemens-tolboom]

When a new game starts.

[clemens-tolboom]

[ermiyaeskandary]

Does it need to run continuously ?
Doh - schedule.init() - it only runs once

[ermiyaeskandary]

If it only needs to be ran once, stick it somewhere here - https://github.com/ErmiyaEskandary/Slither.io-bot/blob/master/bot.user.js#L1359

[clemens-tolboom]

Whenever a new play starts.

[ermiyaeskandary]

Perhaps in https://github.com/ErmiyaEskandary/Slither.io-bot/blob/master/bot.user.js#L1306 as the scores also get updated whenever a new play starts ?

[ermiyaeskandary]

I've also invited you to Gitter at clem****@build2be.com - most of the dev talk goes on here!

[Seple]

You can add to the menu the key ?

[clemens-tolboom]

Two bots directed to the same location (upper right)

[Seple]

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you team programer 👍
Thank you!

[clemens-tolboom]

@Seple adding one key is not an option as we want to toggle all available tasks. I'll try to use number keys to attach the task. Then we have a start.

[Seple]

key or window look ---> http://s33.postimg.org/ilte1amxr/image.jpg