KoLMafia Scripting Contest: Repair the Elves' Shield Generator

stannius · Jun 20, 2011

Does "break", you know, break out of a loop? E.g. would this (pseudocode so as not to spoil others' contest entries) work (by which I mean, adventure until one runs out of adventures, or hits Big-Time, whichever comes first)?

Code:

while(my_adventures() > 0)
{
     string visitResult = AdventureOnHamburglaris();

     if (visitResult .contains_text("Combat"))
     {
          run_combat();		
     }
     else if (visitResult .contains_text("Big-Time Generator"))
     {
          PlayPorko();
          break;
     }
}

Also, is it possible to lose the generator game, if you make the right (best) choice? It's a little tough to figure out because you can only win once per ascension...

Bale · Jun 20, 2011

Yes. Break will do that. It's a little inelegant though. I'd usually do it like this:

PHP:

boolean done;

while(my_adventures() > 0 && !done)
{
     string visitResult = AdventureOnHamburglaris();

     if (visitResult .contains_text("Combat"))
     {
          run_combat();		
     }
     else if (visitResult .contains_text("Big-Time Generator"))
     {
          PlayPorko();
          done = true;
     }
}

There is always a successful game.

Weatherboy · Jun 23, 2011

OK, I am having a very real problem with the Big-Time Generator and I absolutely cannot figure out why.

So, first, Big-Time Generator is a choice adv (#538) that has one choice, so I set_property("choiceAdventure#538","1") in the global declarations part of my script. So, now, when mafia hits Big-Time Generator, it should go directly to the Porko Board, where I load up the function that figures out which slot to play to win, and then create the visit_url with that index as the option=. Mafia consistently aborts with "encountered choice adventure with no choices". WTF am I doing wrong?

Code:

set_property( "choiceAdventure538", "1" );
int pickme;

int best_play() {
    string payouts =  get_property("lastPorkoExpected");
    string [int] payoutmap = split_string(payouts,":");
    pickme = 0;
    int max = to_float(payoutmap[pickme]);
    for index from 0 to 8 {
        float cur = to_float(payoutmap[index]);
        if ( cur > max ) {
            pickme = index;
            max = cur;
        }
    }
    pickme += 1;  // convert index of array to a slot number
    return pickme;
}

boolean repair_generator() {
    if (item_amount($item[e.m.u. unit]) > 0) equip($item[e.m.u. unit]);
    else return false;
    adventure(1,$location[Hamburglaris]);
    pickme = best_play();
    text = visit_url("choice.php?whichchoice=540&pwd&option="+pickme.to_string());
    if (contains_text(text,"you fall through one of those glowy-circle transporter things"))
        return true;
}

I think it's acting like best_play() isn't returning anything, but like i said, my porko script has exactly the same function and I don't have any problem with it there.

ETA: OK, so I went back over all the examples that are available and I think I might be an idiot.
Someone is gonna have to explain to me the reason for this extra (it seems extra)

Code:

 text = visit_url("choice.php")

before pickme = best_play()

stannius · Jun 23, 2011

My ultimate goal is to be the go-to spaaace script. How long do I have to wait before I incorporate the good ideas from others' scripts, without invalidating my own entry? By copyright law, I think I can incorporate their ideas as long as I don't use their code. By patent law, their ideas are protected as well.

lostcalpolydude · Jun 24, 2011

stannius said:
My ultimate goal is to be the go-to spaaace script. How long do I have to wait before I incorporate the good ideas from others' scripts, without invalidating my own entry? By copyright law, I think I can incorporate their ideas as long as I don't use their code. By patent law, their ideas are protected as well.

Contestants have until July the 31st to submit a script.

Probably then.

ralan · Jun 24, 2011

I'm trying my hand at this, but I've never written anything in ASH before. Fortunately I've learned Java, but I'm generally pretty new to this stuff.

Does ash work similarly to java? What I mean is this:

PHP:

void function_01() {
  <command #2>;
}

void function_02() {
  <command #3>;
}
void main() {
  command #1
  function_01();
  function_02();
  command #4
}

Will this execute the commands in the order I've written? Just want to make sure I'm not making a massive assumption here..

Also, why do people put main() at the bottom? Is that just convention?

thanks. Hope that wasn't a stupid question.

slyz · Jun 24, 2011

stannius said:
My ultimate goal is to be the go-to spaaace script.

Hey, my ultimate goal is to be the go-to spaaace script, the contest is just a front so I can steal everyone's ideas!

But yes, please wait until the end of the contest to release anything that incorporates other people's ideas/code.

slyz · Jun 24, 2011

The commands are going to be executed in the order you numbered them. The only thing I can add is that any command at the top level will be executed before the main(), so you can have this:

PHP:

<command #1>;

void function_01() {
  <command #3>;
}

void function_02() {
  <command #4>;
}

void main() {
  command #2
  function_01();
  function_02();
  command #5
}

ralan said:
Also, why do people put main() at the bottom? Is that just convention?

In ASH, main() has to be at the bottom, since it will call other functions, presumably, and those functions have to be defined before the Mafia ASH parser reaches main().

If you call a function before defining it, you will get this kind of message:

Code:

[COLOR="#ff0000"]Function 'function_02()' undefined. This script may require a more recent version of KoLmafia and/or its supporting scripts. (test.ash, line 3)[/COLOR]

That reminded me to add a link to the KoLMafia Wiki ASH Errors page.

ralan · Jun 24, 2011

Thanks! Now one more thing... is there any easy way to test my script, or do I just have to get feedback from others?

Weatherboy · Jun 24, 2011

ralan said:
Thanks! Now one more thing... is there any easy way to test my script, or do I just have to get feedback from others?

Ascend as quickly as possible, on multiple characters. :/ And ask your friends / guild to do the same. :/

stannius · Jun 24, 2011

slyz said:
In ASH, main() has to be at the bottom, since it will call other functions, presumably, and those functions have to be defined before the Mafia ASH parser reaches main().

It's similar to javascript, in that functions objects (?) are created as the parser encounters them as it traverses linearly through the file. (Though unlike javascript, AFAIK it doesn't do hoisting or anything.)

eegee · Jul 9, 2011

ralan said:
Thanks! Now one more thing... is there any easy way to test my script, or do I just have to get feedback from others?

I have a similar question. I would really like to have a stab at making a script for this competition. Unfortunately, I have already completed the quest and there is no (easy) way for me attempt the quest again.

I have only one character and no multi's. I have never ascended and I have no intention of ascending any time soon. So my real question is: do you think Jick would ban me if I create a whole bunch of new accounts, send meat from my account to each of the new accounts, and test and complete the space quest with each of them?

If there is another simpler/better way to participate in this competition, I'm open to suggestions.

Winterbay · Jul 9, 2011

You could ascend and do it again

Or you could ask for volunteers, I'll be breaking the prism again in 1 or 2 days and could test the script for you then if you want to.

slyz · Jul 10, 2011

As long as the multis don't benefit your main, I think it's ok. That's how spading multis work, and no one seems to frown on those.

Of course, I may be wrong ^^

eegee · Jul 10, 2011

Thanks Winterbay for the offer. I would take you up on the offer but I'll probably only start on the script next weekend.

slyz, I guess the multi's will be benefiting from my account since I plan to send them everything needed to do the quests. I've made an account on the KoL forums and I'm waiting for activation. I'll post a question there to see if what I want to do would be allowed.

lostcalpolydude · Jul 11, 2011

If you want a more meaningful answer than slyz's post, send a kmail to Multi Czar. That is the only useful answer that comes out of those threads.

Weatherboy · Jul 11, 2011

First, my rant in post 23... not completely without merit. After some more testing, I have determined that

Code:

adventure(1,$location[Hamburglaris])

isn't working. What does work is

Code:

visit_url("adventure.php?snarfblat=267")

Now, correct me if I'm wrong here, but shouldn't those two statements be functionally equivalent?

lostcalpolydude · Jul 11, 2011

Code:

> ash adventure(1,$location[Hamburglaris])

Visit to Spaaace: Hamburglaris Shield Generator in progress...
[color=red]You can't hit anything there.[/color]

After removing some +ML...

Code:

> ash adventure(1,$location[Hamburglaris])

Visit to Spaaace: Hamburglaris Shield Generator in progress...

I lost the fight due to this being some random character, but there was no problem with adventuring there. Is Hamburglaris in your list of locations in the Adventure window?

Weatherboy · Jul 11, 2011

Yeah, it is (in my list of locations in the Adventure Window). I don't know what the issue is, but it's the Big-Time Generator choiceadv that doesn't seem to fire if I get there from adventure() rather than visit_url().

So I should be more clear. For many versions the code in post 23, didn't work.

Code:

set_property( "choiceAdventure538", "1" );
adventure(1,$location[Hamburglaris]);
visit_url("choice.php?pwd&whichchoice=538&option=1"); 
text = visit_url("choice.php");

But when I change the adventure() to visit_url() as noted... the script runs perfectly thru the rest of its commands.

Veracity · Jul 11, 2011

Weatherboy said:
Yeah, it is (in my list of locations in the Adventure Window). I don't know what the issue is, but it's the Big-Time Generator choiceadv that doesn't seem to fire if I get there from adventure() rather than visit_url().

That is because ...

Big-Time Generator is a choice adv (#538) that has one choice, so I set_property("choiceAdventure#538","1") in the global declarations part of my script. So, now, when mafia hits Big-Time Generator, it should go directly to the Porko Board, where I load up the function that figures out which slot to play to win, and then create the visit_url with that index as the option=. Mafia consistently aborts with "encountered choice adventure with no choices"

... there is apparently something funky about how they made that button work such that it didn't look like the normal choice.php pages.

I'd have to see the HTML of the page with the single choice in order to figure out what the issue is.

KoLMafia Scripting Contest: Repair the Elves' Shield Generator

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