AwSim 4 CnCTA - new

crackfed

I'm pleased to introduce AwSim, a new toy to the CnCTA community. It is a script but it is not a browser script but a Windows script. It has been two years in the making and I am confident it is as bug-free as can be. Runs under Win 10 for sure.

Oh, what does it do? Not much, really. It moves units around the formation grid. I would classify it as a labor-saving software device. If you have CTS or arthritis it will be a godsend.

It doesn't use any server data and in fact is not actually a network app, though it would be useless without a game tab open. It would also be useless without TABS V2, so be sure you have that. dl it to any dir where Controlled Access is not enabled. You can dl it from https://discord.gg/Gfu9wHc

If you like it, pass the word around. This is version 1 (2020.07.04)

crackfed

gamerdruid

What makes this different from the sims (including the built in one) that are already available? The technical differences are the important ones, the visual and operating ones are.

crackfed

Well, this isn't a simulator which processes and presents the data. It's more of a bot which moves units about guided by an algorithm. The simulator, TABS V2 for example, caches the best sims and when a better one is found saves it. It's a step by step process I would liken to reversing entropy. There is no user interface while AwSim is operating. And there is no direct communication with the game server.

gamerdruid

So it selects the best attack layout from a series of sims?

crackfed

Not exactly, no. That job is done by the simulator script, TABS V2, which is one of the few that feature caching of sims.

AwSim simply invokes TABS' refresh function which recalls the one TABS decided was most optimal. The next time AwSim swaps some units about, if one permutation is determined by TABS to surpass the previous best, then it gets moved to the highest place in the cache for that particular structure target.

AwSim possesses no awareness of the outcome of any swap; that is all handled by TABS V2. In fact, AwSim cannot differentiate a good sim from a poor one, nor a Mammoth from a Commando, or even an empty space.

If you think of how entropy operates, by one random action of disorganization at a time, and then reverse that, you will have a sense of what AwSim actually does.

jbl3ck

so... this is an attack formation helper / rt saver... only thing required is a proper army

could u please just share the dl link only and not the invite to the org y / church / whatever da u want to call it that the current link leads to?

crackfed

That link leads to one thing and that is the is the Discord AwSim server/file repository. The files are under 'download-this'. You can login without authentication.

crackfed

The post about AwSim in the German forum stimulated some outcries that called for a response. Anyone with similar feelings here might find this enlightening.

The author responds:

The first thing to understand is that AwSim does nothing that any individual cannot do. And in fact it does very much less than what any individual can do, and it does it more slowly. It does not take data from the game server. It does not attempt to guess at which swap will result in a better formation. It does not launch attacks. In fact, it does not know the difference between an Avatar and a Zone Trooper, or even an empty space in the formation grid. The true effectiveness of AwSim resides in TABS V2 for the caching and refresh capability it provides. AwSim takes no action which changes the current status of the game.

The power of AwSim rests in the algorithm that guides it. Here is an excerpt from the FAQ:

FAQ: I don't use Windows. Am I left out?

Answer: Maybe, but maybe not. Just because you can't run AwSim on your system doesn't mean you can't get the same results of lower RT and more one- shot kills. All you have to know is how the AwSim Engine works and you can reproduce it yourself manually. In fact, you can probably get better results since you are not limited by the fixed timing as AwSim is.

FAQ: Cool. How do I do it?

Answer: The algorithm AwSim uses is extremely simple to learn and has proven to be highly effective. To use it manually will still require having a TABS V2 based simulator script to handle the caching and refresh. It works like this: Pick any 3 units at random, A, B and C. Then, from these 3 pick one at random, call it A. The only unit you need to move is A. Move A to B, then to C, then back to A, then B again, then C again. That makes 5 swaps. If one of those is better than the previous best it will be placed at the top of TABS V2 cache. Hit refresh for the column of the target building you prefer and it will be made the current formation. Repeat that process and over time your formation will get better and better.

I know for a fact that a large number of players are of what you might call the older generation. One of the facts of being in this group is the tendency to have decreased manual dexterity due to ailments such as arthritis and CTS. CnCTA is known as a strategy game, but for the purpose of simulation being able to use a pointing device rapidly over an extended period is definitely a plus. If anything, AwSim evens the playing field for these players. You may not gain any benefit from it now, but one day you may be thankful it exists.

crackfed

crackfed

A new version of AwSim (2020.08.21) is available with improvements and additions:

Added De-act Engine (disables units to reduce RT)
Added World Distance Calculator
Added Defense Upgrades
Improved Menu and Help visually

dl from https://discord.gg/Gfu9wHc

First time users need the zip file; otherwise, just replace the bat file.

Report your results and feedback here.