PROJECT:
Omega 2000


PROBLEM:
How to implement a multi-user, networked game in which players can
program their own tanks and/or manually control a tank in a simulated
battlefield.


OVERVIEW:
Omega is an old PC game in which players could program the AI for a
tank, then pit their creation against other programmed tanks in a
simulated battlefield. Omega 2000 is an expansion of this idea which
includes a 3D view of the battlefield and networking to allow multiple
players to manually take control of tanks in the field. Tanks will
be programmed in C with special functions to allow for gathering of
data about the environment (i.e. battlefield) as well as control of
the tank. The language will also include basic console I/O functions
to allow the user to program a tank which, in essence, will be
manually controled. During simulation, each tank will be assigned a
group, and the language will include functions to allow tanks to
communicate with other tanks (if any) in their group. The environment
will be displayed in 3D as a first-person view from a user-specified
tank.


USERS:
Target audience is people who enjoy programming and competitive
games.


FEATURES:
- users will be able to program the AI for tanks
     - programming language is C with special functions to
          - allow data gathering specific to the game
          - control the tank
          - manipulate basic console I/O
          - allow tanks to communicate with others in its team
     - compiler/translator to convert AI programs into a
       form suited for the project's battlefield simulator
          - compiler/translator will report any syntax errors
            it encounters
     - integrated development environment to [3]
          - compose and compile tank AIs [3.1]
          - basic debugging [3.2]
- users will be able to test the fitness of their creations using
  a simulator
     - simulator executes compiled AI for each tank in a fair
       manner
          - one instruction per tank is executed per cycle
     - simulated battlefield has
          - mutable obstacles [2]
               - trees -> clear when shot or run over [2.1]
               - house -> rubble when shot [2.2]
               - wall -> rubble when shot [2.3]
          - varying terrain which affect the tank [1]
               - water (not traversable) [1.1]
               - road (increased speed) [1.2]
     - simulation displayed in first-person perspective of a
       user specified tank (whose console I/O is activated)
     - simulator will include networking code to allow multiple
       users to provide console I/O to different tanks in the
       simulation


PRIORITIES:
All items with []'s designate optional features whose priority is
given in the brackets (with higher numbers indicating lower
priorities). All items without priority numbers indicated in []'s
are essential features of the project and MUST be implemented --
in essence, they are priority 0 on the priority scale.