Robocraft, developed for 6.370, is a real-time strategy game. Two teams of robots roam the screen collecting resources and attacking each other with different kinds of weapons. However, in Robocraft each robot functions autonomously; under the hood it runs a Java® virtual machine loaded up with its team's player program. Robots in the game communicate by radio and must work together to accomplish their goals.
Teams of one to three students enter 6.370 and are given the Robocraft software and a specification of the game rules at the beginning of IAP. During January, each team develops a player program, which will be run by each of their robots during Robocraft matches. At the end of the month, the players are pitted against each other head-to-head in a tournament. The final rounds of the tournament are played out in front of a live audience, with the top teams receiving cash prizes.
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