Meeting Notes 2023.01.19 - Brainstorming

[mklapp2]

• Carrier strat - can pass resources towards HQ OR transfer from a bot returning to HQ (steal resources towards HQ).
• Islands Prioritization - Choose from the known islands, the one that is the median distance from any HQ (or the anchor sending HQ). Presumably the median island is far enough to mean we can control a useful 'outpost' for healing but not so far that it is deep in enemy territory (next to their base).
• Use map symmetry to determine more island locations and send anchors without knowing IDs.
• Swarms can, when injured, move to the nearest owned island to heal.

[mklapp2]

Adding to this: Since we know the # of islands at the start, if symmetry is solved should consider an anchor rush.

Conditions:

1. Know all island positions.
2. Have number of HQs equal to number of islands needed to capture (technically could do less, but too risky).

Execution: Use starting resources to spawn 2 carriers, an anchor, and max launchers (1, plus one in 10 rounds or so). Send them to close islands first to plant the anchors. Then send all launchers to gather near the HQ that will create the last anchor. Escort the anchor and 2 carriers to the easiest/closest island.

This mostly works on maps where they give us 4 islands and 2 HQs on a small, obscured map.

If we know the HQ:island ratio is less than 1/2, then we can't afford to try this strategy (and our opponents can't either) and we should instead proceed as normal: burst-spawn carriers, launchers, and maybe a few amplifiers to start.