Shrubbery

Real name Steve Coope. A member of the RoyalBlue robocode cabal, will try to persuade more of the others to contribute to this site to enrich and preserve the history.

"Shrubbery" is a nickname I have used online for many games dating back to about 1993. Don't ask why, I'm not sure! Probably, as most people guess, Monty Python derived at least unconsciously if not deliberately. I was just trying to think of a name nobody else would have taken first. And failed, as it turned out, I've found a number of ISPs and forums where "Shrubbery" is already registered, so in most games I now call myself ShrubMiK?. Don't ask!

Author of two bots, Silver and Vapour.

As of 6th April 2005:

Currently working as an IT contractor for a London UK bank since a month or so after the IBM Robocode Rumble concluded. With little spare time, hence the complete removal of robocode from my PC around that time! I have written some "real live" Java software in my time here, so the effort that went into Robocode had a real payoff. Now I need to brush up my rusty coding again (TCL doesn't count) so am trying to find some time to dabble in RC once again.

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TCL counts too! Glad to hear you are planning a come back. -- PEZ

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Well, I've started at last. Restructuring and optimisation of Silver underway slowly at the moment with some improved Java techniques I was completely oblivious to first time round! Then Vapour. The code should end up much cleaner/more-readable too, with removal of loads of unnecessary embellishments and even completely unused code that I have noticed is still lurking in there. Spring cleaning always feels good! And at some point I may get to a stage where I can start to contemplate building something new. Don't hold your breath though - just looking at the list of all the techniques that are now regarded as mainstream does my head in, even without any effort at understanding them :) -- Shrubbery

Never mind that list. Just go GuessFactorTargeting and WaveSurfing for 1v1 and you're set. Melee is a different beast though. You're much more the expert than me there. -- PEZ

I'd be interested to know whether gun or movement is perceived as the main weakness of Vapour in 1v1. Or both :) I think the radar is okay ;) If anybody has taken notice of such a lowly 1v1 bot, of course! I must find time to play about with some of the challenges... -- Shrubbery

I recommend you try the RRGunChallenge first. It primary compares your gun against the topbots, but also gives an indication how your movement performs compared to miniRaiko's. Some other challenges require that you always shoot power 3.0 bullets, so that is more cleanroom testing instead of real-world. -- GrubbmGait

Aha! I see my previous response to this seems to have been lost! Thanks, sounds like a good idea, I'll look at that challenge. Optimisation and restructuring still has a way to go, with sparetime drying up a bit recently, although results look good so far - Vapour runs approximately 3 times as fast. Unfortunately I've broken something subtle so that it performs 10% less well in melee. Hopefully these two factors are not 100% correlated :) -- Shrubbery

You seem active and keep adding oldies to RR@H. Are you going to release some big bot in the near future? --lRem

Active yes, as much as limited time permits. Don't expect anything especially "new" in the near future though :) -- Shrubbery