🚀 DevLog #6: Hyper-Optimization, Core Threat Integration, and New
Swarm Archetypes
⚙️ Optimization: The Fight for Nanoseconds
With the transition to a full 3D environment and manual entity
manipulation, the load on the CPU and memory bus grew exponentially. So we tried to optimize as much as possible.
👾 Integration: Enemies in the Core Loop
Previously, hostile entities existed only as isolated test units (testbench). Now,
enemy fleets are officially hardcoded into the base simulation loop.
-
Autonomous Background AI: Enemy behavior is no longer bound to
the player’s viewport. Strategic fleets live their own lives in the
background—conquering systems and harvesting resources—even if you are
editing a galaxy millions of light-years away. -
Dynamic Pathfinding: The toughest challenge was stabilizing AI
during manual manipulation. If you grab a planet and toss it in front of
an enemy dreadnought, the pathfinding algorithm instantly recalculates a
safe bypass vector based on the newly altered gravitational signature
of that sector.
🛸 New Threat Archetypes: The Utility-Driven AI
Each
enemy now operates on a Utility AI system, calculating its next
move based on distance, health ratios, and—most importantly—the
Player’s Attention.
We have categorized the hostile forces into six distinct tactical
archetypes:
t_neglect > 15.0). High speed
(20.0) allows for quick hit-and-run ops.
The Invisible
Stealth Saboteur
Adaptive Camouflage:
Maintains $0.05$ visibility. Only reveals itself when the player’s
cursor “scans” over it or during brief power-grid flickers.
The Scavenger
Opportunistic Parasite
Pack Mentality:
Heavily prioritizes stars that are already under attack by other units
to “steal” the resources.
The Backstabber
Chaos Agent
Infighting: If it detects a
fellow enemy with $<35%$ HP, it will betray its own kind to secure
the kill for itself.
The Coward
Skittish Scout
Self-Preservation: Immediately
generates an escape vector if the player’s “God-Hand” (cursor) gets too
close or a Tank enters its vicinity.
🧠 The “Attention Map” Integration
The most advanced part of this integration is how these entities
interact with the Lunar-Frontend. We don’t just track positions; we
track the player’s focus:
-
d_mouseFactor: Enemies calculate their distance to your
cursor. Thieves and Cowards use this to decide when to flee or
stay in the shadows. -
t_neglectMetric: The simulation tracks how long it’s been
since you last interacted with a specific star. The longer a sector is
neglected, the higher the “utility” for an invasion force to move in.
⚔️ Combat Mechanics: Physical Projectiles vs. Direct Damage
To keep the simulation performant while maintaining visual fidelity:
-
Star Assaults: Enemies fire physical
Projectileentities. Each
has its own speed, radius, and damage value, allowing players to
potentially intercept them or warp them with gravitational anomalies. -
Internal Infighting: When enemies like the Backstabber turn
on their allies, the damage is processed via an optimizedEnemyDamage
buffer, bypassing heavy projectile physics for internal “swarm”
calculations.
Note: ISP issues and local routing to the Hack Club site still
make uploading updates feel like sending signals through a dense
asteroid belt.
