Early version of an AI you can practice TFM against

[AReallyGoodName123]

I created an AI that can play games. It's uses typical lookahead tree search and neural net state evaluation standard in these types of games. It's about 100x better than the steam AI.

To play against it find friends and add 'tfmbot' to your friends list. The bot will auto accept. Only friends can see the games. https://imgur.com/a/DfWTWOE

Then navigate to the Terraforming Mars home page and search for real time games https://imgur.com/a/c2pJJIq

Then join the game you should see in that list vs tfmbot https://imgur.com/a/nx1I2GD

Please propose to abandon any games that you no longer wish to play. The AI will always accept and since this is setup as an unranked friendly game there's no reason not to.


Feel free to call out any blunders made (early days yet and it needs more training and has bugs at this stage but if you state them I'll get it fixed).

Expansions soon.

[cigma]

Please note: https://boardgamearena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=48784 and https://boardgamearena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=45645

[rambling_coherently]

Very cool project! Gives people a chance to play by themselves without using the solo mode, similar to the AI on Steam

Please note: https://boardgamearena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=48784 and https://boardgamearena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=45645

I mean, both those threads are not super relevant for this. It's not about developing games using AI, it's a bot that plays Terraforming Mars on BGA.

It's also not about using AI/engines to help people cheat at games (which has happened before on BGA), it's just a bot that you can play against. Also, at the level this bot plays at, it would not be a good tool for cheating.

[Jellby]

Maybe these are more relevant?
https://boardgamearena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=50307
https://boardgamearena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=49256
https://boardgamearena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=33790

TL;DR: bots, AI or not, are generally not allowed and will be banned. I you want one, you have to ask permission first.

[ArchDevious]

FYI to play you have to search for turn based games

[Peach 2d]

The games are all in Friendly mode and so no one gains or loses Elo - seems fine to me for people wanting to play a game against what is in essence a chess computer equivalent for TfM. I cannot speak for BGA, but it seems no one gets an unfair advantage in any way from playing this bot, and it simply offers people a new kind of competitive solo game. No one gets duped into playing against AI while believing they are up against a real human.

The usual reasons for banning use of AI bots (unfair on other players, rigs Elo and win rates etc) don't apply from what I can see. Perhaps anyone has other reasons to object, but those reasons would need separate articulation and not simply a reference to other threads.

Still early days for the bot - it seems to play a methodical game, but without typical "human caution" and with a moderate performance ceiling. I tried one game against it, and it funded two awards early in which it had a clear lead at the time, and I flipped them both in the end. The bot built a decent engine, a solid economy, doubled me on milestones, but even if it had won all the awards it funded, it would have gone to a 100VP/12 generation score, and scores for other games it's played that I see are pretty modest as well. Getting into higher scoring ranges would take a further upgrade. Indeed not the bot you can use to cheat your way to a tourney victory - but a fun initiative.

[tsukareteru]

Cool initiative!

I played a few games against the bot and think it seems like a good way to practise for beginners.

It seems around 200 elo ish level? It generally seems to understand which cards are good so drafting skills seem alright but it doesn’t really formulate a coherent strategy and plays whatever cards are available at the moment.

Seems to have some bugs such as saboing its own steel gen 1 as mining guild or 20 funding banker in the final gen while being 20 down with no follow up.

I definitely would be against it if someone managed to
make a bot that was as good as, or better than, humans and was using it to play in arena or tournaments, but this one certainly isn’t. Just seems like a nice way for newbies to practise in a low stakes environment or a bit of a punching bag to let off steam if you’re more experienced.

[Robinoost]

Played a game against it. It might fund early when he is ahead enoug. He was ic and funded miner right away. He had zero follow up or production. Sit on 20 steel till gen 4/5 then just used it.

[Lytical]

https://boardgamearena.com/table?table=885533409

Bot hit himself with virus.

This is perfect for me, awesome can't wait for the colony expansion and 3/4p options

One thing I noticed is that the bot doesn't prioritize milestone enough. Sometimes it even ignoring funding it for the players to steal.

[cigma]

Maybe these are more relevant?
https://boardgamearena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=50307
https://boardgamearena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=49256
https://boardgamearena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=33790

TL;DR: bots, AI or not, are generally not allowed and will be banned. I you want one, you have to ask permission first.

Thank you, Jellby! I knew there was more, but I couldn't find them, because you can't search for "AI" in the forums.