Introducing AI Snowboarders!
This update adds AI opponents that you can race against
The AI Snowboarders are still a work in progress. Keep in mind that there are a few known issues. The AI snowboarders might have some small problems, like getting stuck, forming a conga line at the start of a round, or crashing into walls at mach speed. But it shouldn't take long for them to become a little smarter!
How does it work?
The AI works by using a "Feedforward Neural Network" paired with "Fitness-Based Selection".
The "Feedforward Neural Network" is a very simple algorithm. To keep it brief, it takes information as an input layer, then uses so-called "weights", which act as some kind of DNA for our AI, to change around the input data and then use that shuffled input data to perform tasks inside the output layer. There are multiple so-called "hidden layers" in which the information is being shuffled. Every AI agent has a different set of weights. The AI that performs best will have its weight passed on to the next generation. Where its weights have a slight random amount subtracted from or added to them. This is commonly referred to as a "mutation". And this process is repeated and tweaked until our AI more or less performs the way you want it to. In this current version of the game, the AI has its weights from approximately Generation 200, which is comparatively unadvanced.
Then this was combined with "Fitness-Based Selection"; a common method in machine learning where an AI agent gets rewarded a certain "fitness score" when it performs well and gets points deducted when it performs badly. At the end of a generational cycle, the AI agent with the best score passes on to the next generation.
So, to sum it up, we have a "Feedforward Neural Network" that processes environmental data and generates button presses. The weights of the network are adjusted through evolutionary processes like "Fitness-Based Selection" and mutation. The fitness scores, obtained through "Fitness-Based Selection", determine which individuals pass their weights on to the next generation, leading to the evolution and improvement of AI agents over time.
What is it for?
If you wish to practice and enhance your racing skills in multiplayer races, add a competitive edge to your gameplay experience when playing with friends, or seek challenging competition even when playing alone, this update is for you.
There is much more to come. Wishlist the game to keep updated for new features!