Changelogs various bots (f.e. Hockeybot)

[ThePAP]

Hello everyone,

First a short introduction. If you're not interested, just skip to the Changes section. Keep in mind though, that I can only list the changes I have made.


== Introduction ==
Recently I've returned to TW after a long period of inactivity, and I've joined the TWDev team, as a Bot Dev, shortly after that. Through this thread, I want to keep you all informed of any changes I make to certain bots. Primarily to keep you all informed, but also to allow you to send your hate to the right person and to request your help. My main nicks are ThePAP and Trancid.

Since some of the bots I'm working on are for team events, they can be rather difficult to fully test. This means that certain bugs can appear when changes to a bot go live, which weren't visible during the testing. Here I would want to request your assistance, that when you find such a bug, to please report it. Either via the ticket system, by contacting me, or through a reply in this thread. Please be smart though, if you find an exploit or a game breaking bug, send it in a private way if you can. Feedback and suggestions, preferably constructive, are always welcome of course.

Please keep in mind, that I'm just a normal member in the team. This means that I cannot put any changes I make active straight away on the live server, which is a smart thing. I need the time and patience of a senior member for this, so sometimes it may take a bit before you see upcoming changes live.


== Changes ==
Please note, the changes mentioned under "Upcoming Changes" are generally close to being done and only need to have a final test run or are awaiting to be put live.
Future changes are changes I've barely or not yet started on. Some of the things mentioned in there might not be implemented at all.


= Basebot =
Changes:
- Attempted to fix the 'lag' at the end of a game. This unfortunately failed, but the scoreboard does no longer lag behind by one second.

Future Changes:
- Another attempt at fixing the 'lag' at the end of a basing game.


= Hockeybot =
Bugfixes:
- Fixed certain stats not being counted correctly.
- Fixed the scoreboard to display the stats at the end of the game.
- Fixed small bug in !help.
- Fixed !sub breaking the game when used during the "adding players" period.
- Fixed !np not working. (!notplaying was working.)

Changes:
- Added new captain command: !timeout. Can only be used during the face off period after a goal, to allow you some time to fix your team.
- Added a few new host commands. ZH+, please consult your help menu for this.
- Added a few shortened commands, generally host-related.
- Added the determining and displaying of the MVP.
- Penalty time only decreases now during actual game time. (Used to also decrease during face off.) Yes, this does mean you're in the box for a bit longer.
- The bot auto-starts now. (The host can start adding captains straight away.)
- Tightened the pre-game lineup checks. During live play a nuisance appeared in this system. (See upcoming changes.)

Upcoming Changes:
- Making the bot not restart the game when the lineup check fails. Instead it will return to where it was in the setup phase.
- Another new host command.
- More fuzzy name checks for everyone who loves to not fully type someone's name.
- Some first attempts at tackling the DC problems of the bot.
- Making the bot 'less' spammy towards the players at the end of the game.

Future Changes:
- Add even more commands.
- Fix the DC problems.
- More stat tracking during the game.
- Looking up your total stats, across multiple games.
- Reactivating the second goalie (lanc).
- Possibly more and better penalty checks. (Sorry folks, solving the phasing issues will be too hard to tackle at this moment.)


= Matchbot =
Bugfixes:
- The bot shouldn't message you twice now, when you !remove a player.


= Scramble =
Bugfixes:
- The bot wasn't accepting any answers through private messages.

That's all for now. Like I said, I've only been in the Bot Dev team for a few weeks tops, so there isn't a lot yet.
Please, if you find any bugs in the above bots, especially when related to changes I've made, then let us know. We cannot fix something if we don't know it's broken.


PS.
Due to my memory, it is quite realistic that I forgot to mention a change or two.

[Crescent Seal]

[ThePAP]

Has been a few weeks, so going to bother folks with an update on the changes.
Quite a few have been made, but most are more of the behind the scenes kind, that you'll never notice. (Yes, the bot dev team does try to improve the game
Since the biggest changes have been made to the hockeybot, and a steady group of players enjoy playing a game with it, I'll just list those changes this time.
These changes have been gradually put in over the last few weeks, have been tested and are currently live on the server.

= HockeyBot =
Bugfixes:
- Fixed incorrect lineups at the start resetting everything. Now it goes back to where the teams left off during the picking.
- Fixed the bot going into an infinite loop caused by the fix above, when the 10 minutes setup time would expire.
- Fixed a bug with the newly introduced spawn killing detection system, where the first kill would be detected as spawn killing.
- Fixed being unable to remove or sub a player if he/she left the game.
- Fixed the bot not always correctly removing the ball from play, during timeouts, face offs and a few other scenarios.
- Fixed the ball ending up in the penalty box.
- Fixed bot disconnecting when trying to !remove a player who is in the penalty box.
- Fixed various other minor bugs and bot DC problems.

Changes:
- Added the Lancaster as an alternative goalie ship.
- Overhauled the detection system for penalties. It should be faster and a tiny bit more accurate now, but this should be barely noticeable by the players. It still isn't perfect!
- Added an illegal check system. This triggers and gives out penalties or removes players from the game if the player is excessively spawn killing or killing the goalie.
- Added various stats, like shots on goal.
- Added an own goal being awarded to a player of the opposing team.
- Altered the ratings algorithm.
- Altered the mechanism on who's turn it is to pick a player during the setup phase.
- Smoothed out the spam at the end of a game, by delaying some of the stat displays.
- Added a penalty command for the host. Staff, please refer to the !help of the staff commands on how to use this.
- Added a final goal review system. A 15 second window after the final goal is used to review it. In this period, the host or any staff can cast their vote, players cannot vote at this time. Staff, please refer to the help of the staff commands on how to use this.
- Altered the behavior of the overlay display in the top right of the screen.
-- Added countdown timer during the setup phase, so that captains now how much time they have left.
-- Added game timer to show the actual active game time that has passed.
-- Added the ability to display custom team names.
-- Added the ability to display scores higher than 7.
-- Removed sending unnecessary packets. Unfortunately, this means whenever the bot crashes or DCs mid-game, you have to re-enter the arena to properly clear the display.
- Added custom team names (max 20 chars). Captains, please refer to the !help of the captain commands on how to use this.
- Added the initial framework for alternative game modes and game targets.
- Probably added a few other minor things, which I'm forgetting now.

Future Changes:
- Fully implement alternative game modes. These might be the following:
-- Game until X goals.
-- Game until X minutes, with or without shootouts.
-- Official game, with shootouts and three 20 minute periods.
-- Practice game.
- Even more stat tracking.
- Persistent stats, and the ability to look them up.
- Illegal check penalty for attacking the goalie, to replace the illegal check penalty for killing the goalie.
- Fine-tuning the spawn killing detection and the player ratings.
- Multi-layered penalty system. Different box times for different penalties, and repeated penalties will be punished harder.
- Voting system on every goal, possibly even accessible to normal players. (By request of a sysop)

That's all again for now. If you find any new bugs, go ahead and blame me , but more importantly, report them, so they can be fixed! Suggestions, within reason, are of course also more than welcome.
Keep in mind though, I can only change things bot-wise. Settings like the speed, energy and damage of a ship aren't within my control, neither is altering the graphics of ships or the arena.

Hope you enjoy these changes!