TI-AI - Will Stokes
FAQ --- Current Progress --- Downloads --- Source Code --- Contact The Group

Updated: March 11th, 2000

FAQ
  • What is TI-AI?
    For years people have been making games and other assorted programs for Texas Instruments graphing calculators. For a while many of these programs were simple puzzle games. Recently games like Mario, Marble Madness, and many more have shown the calculators are capable of incredible graphics for a machine running at only 6Mhz.

    While graphics are nice, the area of AI (artificial intelligence) has never really been explored on TI's calculators. TI-AI is an attempt to bring more attention to the realm of AI and the incredible things that are possible on the TI graphing calculators.

  • Why this? Why now?
    Well, on my way home from my second year of college at Cornell University I found myself stranded in Pittsburgh's airport for 5 hours after my flight was cancled. All I had with me was my turboed TI-85 and with nothing else to do I figured I would make a game.

    What I began I now call Sea Wars II. I made a game called Sea Wars 4 years ago. It was written in basic, a simple battle ship game that is all. It was fun to play, but incredible easy. This time around I thought I would not so much make a great game, but code a real good AI for battleship, so good it would be hard for me, the creator, to beat. About 20-30 hours later I had "completed" Sea Wars II which can be downloaded below. Sea Wars II is in no way an attempt to make a great game (heck, it is written in Basic). However, it is very fast, and the computer is quite smart. Currently, the computer is about 50-50. I wins half the games is plays but it is getter smarter and smarter. And I will continue to revise the AI to make it even better each and every time I can figure out more logic I can hack into it.

  • Why and how should I help?
    Well, I'm a sophomore at Cornell University. That just about zaps all of my time. So work on this project will go quite slow. My intent is not to make a few good games, it is to start a lot of people on making a lot of good games, with GOOD AI. That means you and anybody you know that likes to program and would like to give birth to something that is truely enjoyable to play. It is an amazing feeling to play a computer AI that you gave birth to. It's like playing yourself!!!

  • What are the goals for the project?
    To produce a line of great games utilizing excellent AI for all of TI's graphing calculators. This project is and will continue to be open source. All work on the project must be provided with accompanying source code and documentation.

    Current Progress
    Date:Description:Screen hots:
    March 11th, 2000
  • Added documentation on how the AI works in Sea Wars II. Read it!!!
  • Fixed link so you can now see the Battleship main program in text format.
    • March 10th, 2000 Ok, so I was very suprised and quite happy to see so many people interested in the TI-AI project. I'm very busy right now, and about to go on spring break, but when I get back on campus tomorrow I'll write up documentation for the CSEL.85p program. This is the key to Sea Wars II. CSEL stands for computer selection routine. Basically, this is the AI. CSEL already implements a LOT of the features you all have been mentioning, but it is my fault for not documenting it just yet. Yes, it "randomly shoots", but it logically does this, and when hits have occured it strategically searches around those hits and removes hits from the board once a ship has been sunk. Some of the hardest parts of the game to code are the ship-removal algorithms. One of my goals is to write an expected-value algorithm such that the computer can literally get back a constant and hit the spot that has the highest expected value. If this is all getting over your head, relax, I'll write a very clear document outlining how the AI and future versions will work. Also, anyone is welcome to work on the code, under the strict rule that they update the documentation for every thing that they have done. All individuals that help out will get credit. Just wait until I get this documentation out.

    On another note, a few people have sent me messages regarding games they have written that have AI qualitites. Each and every program that does "think" on its own is exactly what I am looking for. I will add these as I become aware of them! =)

    March 8th, 2000Released Sea Wars II for the TI-85 in basic form.

    Downloads
    Filename:Description:Release Date:
    seawarsII.85gLatest Version of Sea Wars II. Only the TI-85 basic version right now.March 8th, 2000

    Source Code
    Sea Wars II
  • seawarsII.85g
  • BATTLESH.85P
  • CSEL.85P
  • DMAP.85P
  • MMM.85P
  • PICK.85P
  • PICK2.85P
  • SPOT.85P
  • USEL.85P
  • BATTLESH.txt
  • CSEL.txt
  • DMAP.txt
  • MMM.txt
  • PICK.txt
  • PICK2.txt
  • SPOT.txt
  • USEL.txt
  • AI-README.txt
  • README.txt

    • Contact the Group
    So you want to help out or have a project of your own? If so please write Will Stokes @ wstokes@gingi.uchicago.edu.