Re: [glob2-devel] Optimal Unit Assignment

[Leo Wandersleb]

Bradley Arsenault wrote:
> The optimal assignment system is single task based, where a single task 
> is carrying a single-resource. Basically, we develop exactly what a unit 
> is going to do, carry a single resource (or other possible tasks), and 
> calculate the exact distance it will cover to do that task. If its 
> carrying a resource, this is just distance to the building, if its not, 
> it calculates distance to resource, and from that spot, distance to 
> building. Its important that the algorithms and gradients we use here 
> are the same as the ones the unit will actually use to determine its 
> path. Time is the only factor affecting efficiency, and distance is the 
> major factor affecting time (we could take walking/swimming speed, and 
> even harvest speed into account if we wanted to).

did you ever look into my unit allocation system? it does take into account 
walk/swim/harvest speed. the comment says it all:

/* To choose a good unit, we get a composition of things:
1-the closer the unit is, the better it is.
2-the less the unit is hungry, the better it is.
3-if the unit has a needed ressource, this is better.
4-if the unit has a not needed ressource, this is worse.
5-if the unit has not a needed ressource and is close to a needed one, this is 
better
score=
        (hasRightRes*100/d
        +hasNoRes*80/(d+dr)
        +wrongRes*25/(d+dr))/walk
        +sign(timeleft>>2 - (d+dr))*500
        +100/harvest
*/
        int r; //carriedressource
        int noRes; //1 if unit has no ressource
        int rightRes; //1 if unit is carrying the right ressource
        int wrongRes; //1 if unit is not carrying the right but another 
ressource
        int distBuilding; //distance to the building
        int distResource; //distance to the ressource
        Map * map;
        int penaltyWalk; //value depending on the distance to walk and the walk 
speed
        int penaltyLoosingResource;//value of not loosing the wrong ressource 
carried
        int penaltyHarvest; //the faster the unit can harvest the better it is
	int penaltySwim;//swimmers are shifted down in score so they are free for 
swimmer-only jobs. Maybe free slots in pools should be taken into account so all 
can learn to swim.

> To be truly optimal:
> We then consider all buildings, all building unit combinations, and find 
> the one that fills all possible slots that ends up with the lowest 
> overall distance covered. This could be run as often as wanted to take 
> care of changing circumstances.

i guess we will always need a heuristic. if there are many free globs our 
present heuristics are both acceptable while i'm sure the above mentioned one is 
better.
if there are no free workers we must switch roles: workers choose among free 
tasks.

hopefully i will