AI bots on webDiplomacy: Skynet edition!

[ColinR]

DeepMind's just weighed in with their own reinforcement learning agents for no-press Diplomacy: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2006.04635.pdf

They report outperforming the Paquette et al. bots now implemented on WebDiplomacy.

Their agents are not yet open-sourced, but they promise to do so if their paper is accepted for publication (p.7).

[datapolitical]

Is there any interest among the devs at implementing the Deepmind bots as well once they become available?

[bo_sox48]

We would need a lot more development help than we currently have to make that happen on any predictable timeline.

[wpfieps]

Has anybody solo'ed against the bots while playing Austria? If so, would you care to share the link to your game? I'm starting to wonder if it's even possible.

[Matticus13]

Has anybody solo'ed against the bots while playing Austria? If so, would you care to share the link to your game? I'm starting to wonder if it's even possible.

https://webdiplomacy.net/board.php?game ... #gamePanel

[Calmar]

I soloed as Austria in “Botty 3”

There was a stalemate in the Balkans with Turkey for several years with the same moves ordered over and over. In frustration, I ordered supporting moves for Turkey to take a Russian centre at the risk of losing one of mine but it worked. Turkey then took on Russia and I helped him until I was in position to stab him and go on to solo.

[Napoleon of Oz]

A quick solo as Austria against the bots - appreciate there is real luck in some of the eastern powers moved - and it sounds like that is the real issue:

http://www.webdiplomacy.net/board.php?g ... #gamePanel

[DougJoe]

Has anybody solo'ed against the bots while playing Austria? If so, would you care to share the link to your game? I'm starting to wonder if it's even possible.

...appreciate there is real luck in some of the eastern powers moved - and it sounds like that is the real issue:

I've got 3 solos in 15 tries:
http://webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=275264
http://webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=310300
http://webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=324171

The third solo was interesting because I guessed wrong and moved Vie->Tri... but Germany moved Mun->Tyo and bounced Rom->Ven->Tyo... and France moved to Pie. So Italy stopped attacking me and went to deal with impudent France. I didn't take an Italian center until the last turn of the game (all 3 Italian home centers!)

Of the other 12 games, Italy didn't attack in 1901 in three of them:
One was going decently and I got to 11 before Germany soloed
One I think I stabbed Italy too soon and I got sort of stuck and Germany won
One I was doing OK but made a tactical mistake and lost a SC to Russia the same turn Italy stabbed and took Trieste in 1904.

That leaves 9 games where Italy attacked in the Spring of 1901 which is 60%, slightly worse than a coin flip odds if you are playing Austria. I have not figured out what to do in those situations. I suspect Turkey is the ally of choice at that point, even though powering up Turkey seems wrong strategically, but Russia seems less actively (rather than passively) able to help against Italy... but figuring out how to convince the bot of that quickly enough seems easier said than done.

Interesting enough, in the 90 bot games I've played where I wasn't Italy, the bots have exactly 2 wins as Italy and both of those did involve an attack on Austria in 1901 (one in Spring, the other Autumn). As a contrast, I'm up to 9/17 solos for Italy and I have yet to try attacking Austria in 1901.

[nathan1312]

I just atarted a FvsA against a bot. But the game doesnt proceed to the next round after pressing "ready".

A known issue atm?

[Claesar]

I just atarted a FvsA against a bot. But the game doesnt proceed to the next round after pressing "ready".

A known issue atm?

Your game has proceeded.

[Talanthalos]

Am I doing something wrong or are the bots broken? Game is not proceeding.

[dargorygel]

Am I doing something wrong or are the bots broken? Game is not proceeding.

We are having some bot issues. It is being worked on. Hopefully finished soon!

[kestasjk]

The bots are just developing more rapidly than we had anticipated.. Now they’re getting bored with games they’re losing and going into CD, next they’ll start meta-gaming with each other, then multi-accounting. :S

Edit: but the issue should now be resolved.

[Ogion]

The bots are just developing more rapidly than we had anticipated.. Now they’re getting bored with games they’re losing and going into CD, next they’ll start meta-gaming with each other, then multi-accounting. :S

Edit: but the issue should now be resolved.

In other words, they're on the cusp of passing the Webdip Turing Test.

[Octavious]

The bots are just developing more rapidly than we had anticipated.. Now they’re getting bored with games they’re losing and going into CD, next they’ll start meta-gaming with each other, then multi-accounting. :S

Edit: but the issue should now be resolved.

In other words, they're on the cusp of passing the Webdip Turing Test.

Dangerous times indeed. Many of our members would struggle to pass the Turing Test.