GSoC Questionnaire

Questionnaire

Please note that many of the questions have been answered on the previous page and this page is simply to supplement, not reiterate.

Basics

My preferred email address is tim (dot) vinc (at) gmail.com. I want to participate in summer of code because I am very enthusiastic about open source, I love Battle for Wesnoth, and I'd like to be able to work in my field of interest (Computer Science) this summer.

Experience

I have not participated in GSoC before, but I'm really looking forward to it.

I plan on using XP programming. It is my preferred method of programming and I think it will be very effective in this situation as I will be communicating with the player community often and constantly testing little parts of the AI as I build it.

Gaming Experience

Yes, I would consider myself a gamer. I play all kinds of games, my favorites include: Mass Effect, the Exile series, the Civilization series, Master of Orion II and III, the original Unreal Tournament, any game by Blizzard, any Prince of Persia game, Super Mario Bros All Stars (since its got all the best Mario games other than Mario 64), the Elder Scrolls series, Halo II, Gears of War, NBA Inside Drive, and Fight Night: Round 3.

As you can see my gaming tastes range far. I usually prefer playing against AI controlled opponents, but in shooters, sports, and many strategy games, I really enjoy playing against live opponents.

I'm interested in both story and gameplay. As a writer, I do look for a great story though.

Yes, I've played Wesnoth, mostly single player. I've played a couple online, but I generally play single player as I don't have to worry about sitting still for several hours.

Communication Skills

I am very fluent in written English (as I'm an English minor and it is my first language).

I consider myself very good at interacting with other players.

I fell that I can give and receive advice well, and I can consider the merits of advice I am given.

Project

Yes, I plan on working on the AI project.

I chose this project because I am very interested in AI, and I feel that I would excel in the area.

I think I would only need a short time (say a week) to observe and discuss strategies with other players. (I think I would be able to continue this as the weeks go on in my spare time) Then over the next 3 to 4 weeks I would construct the foundation of the Planner I will use, possibly extending the FormulaAI. Then in the remaining time I would implement a specific AI with strong strategies, decision making, and adaptability. It is hard to gauge the amount of time necessary, and I can see this time line shifting as the project progresses.

I plan to gain experience not only programming on a large project, but researching for the project through the player base.

The fact that the game is so fun, and that I have played a part in it would make me want to stay working on BfW. Also I would like to improve the AI even further after the project and become the Wesnoth AI expert.

Practical Considerations

Yes I am familiar with SVN, C++, and Python, though my Python skills are not as fine tuned as they can be. I usually use Objective-C in Apple's Xcode IDE for development, because I find them elegant and powerful.

I am fluent in English and able to communicate in Spanish and some Japanese.