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AI in the Game of Diplomacy: AiServer 0.38~1.1 Release Notice

Read the AiServer 0.38~1.1 Conditions of Use before use.

The Product

AiServer Release 0.38~1.1 (a.k.a. AiServer 0.38~1.1) is released as separate zip files of the binary and source.

Binary

The binary may be downloaded from johnnewbury.me.uk/diplomacy/downloads/aiserver/aiserver-0.38~1.1-binary.zip .

It comprises:

• aiserver-0.38~1.1-release-notice

  • This Release Notice.

• aiserver-0.38~1.1-conditions-of-use.htm

  • Conditions of Use

• AiServer

  • A folder containing a binary version of the Windows program and associated files.

Source

When permitted by David Norman, the source may be downloaded from johnnewbury.me.uk/diplomacy/downloads/aiserver/aiserver-0.38~1.1-source.zip .

It comprises:

• aiserver-0.38~1.1-release-notice.htm

  • This Release Notice

• aiserver-0.38~1.1-conditions-of-use.htm

  • Conditions of Use

• AiServer

  • A Microsoft Visual Studio 6 project containing all files of the source (Visual C++).

Requirements

The following auxiliary products are also required, all obtainable via links form johnnewbury.me.uk/diplomacy/downloads.

• MARS 1.1.

  • Only required for automation of multiple games.

• AiMapper 0.41~1.1.

  • A version of AiMapper is only required if manual monitoring is required. Not currently used by MARS, but the source contains some hooks to use it. Any release and version of AiMapper should suffice if not used via MARS, unless certain game variants are used.

• Clients

  • One or more of AiMapper and bot clients must be installed (on some computer). All those listed and enabled in the SAGA_2 database must be installed in the required location on the same computer as for MARS for MARS use. Disable any that are unavailable.

All the above run under Microsoft Windows. They should all work on Windows XP onwards.

Status

All the above components, including all bots listed in the SAGA 2.0 database, have been run successfully in Windows 7, albeit testing has been very limited so far. All have passed Norton Antivirus checks.

Changes from previous release

For users:

• Fixed control files for some game variants.

• Logs version number.

• Logs game parameters.

• Appends port number to tcpip.log to allow contemporaneous games without confusion.

• Disabled creation of .clg files.

• Disabled display of fatal error messages; easier and more informative to check the logs when the reason is not obvious.

• Logs errors also in main (tcpip_note.log) log, thereby showing context.

• Added further information in some error messages.

• Rationalized version number displayed in Server.

• Added new parameters :

  • Max times a power may disconnect before being considered to be in permanent Civil Disorder (CD).

  • Max times a power may fail to submit orders on time before being considered in permanent Civil Disorder (CD).

  • Max game-years before a game ends in a DIAS draw due to stasis; meaning no power widened its range of supply centres since start of game of last power was eliminated. (too often kill is insufficient).

• Renamed kill to impasse (since stasis is also a kind of kill condition).

• Displays the above conditions in the final game summary.

• Kills a game if no non-CD players have any supply centres (and hence no units) at the end of a year.

• Tidied the help on the command line when an invalid argument is given.

• All options now available on command line and window interface.

• Improved ability to count down timer during high system load or high load from clients. (MARS also helps here by running clients at lower priority.)

• Assigns powers in alphabetic order of connection when using fixed_powers.

For developers:

• Fixed bugs that occur in Debug versions.

• Avoids several sources of memory leak.

• File and line number now displaced on dumps of memory leak blocks in Debug mode.

• Inhibited display of TO DO pragmas.

• Improved logging facilities

  • Argument substitution

  • Millisecond times on log records

  • Power token, rather than connection number, on log records

Known Issues

• There is no install/setup program for AiServer 0.38~1.1.

Documentation

The fullest documentation is available at johnnewbury.me.uk/diplomacy, or via links from there. In case of server unavailability (temporary otherwise), if you intend to use or develop AiServer, you are advised immediately to download a copy of the current web pages; and new ones as they become available. (Major updates will be announced in DipAi.) Installation and running instructions may be needed.

Acknowledgements

AiServer_0.38~1.1 is derived almost entirely from that originally produced by David Norman. It also depends on the products of the many bot developers – see johnnewbury.me.uk/diplomacy/bots.htm for details. Furthermore, the development of MARS, and all these other products, are what they are today thanks to discussions by the members of the Yahoo DipAi group.

Grateful thanks to all concerned, in many cases without whom this product would have been impossible (and irrelevant).