botWebWars/GAME_RULES.md

Game Rules

1. Alliances (Solo vs Solo):

   1. Two single players who encounter each other may form an alliance.
   2. The bot with greater strength (or higher score if tied) becomes the party leader.
   3. Bots are not required to ally, but larger parties have a significant advantage in battle.

2. Party vs Party Battles:

   1. Two opposing parties that encounter each other must battle.
   2. Battles consist of 3 bouts: each party rolls a D20 die, multiplied by their squad's total strength. The highest score wins the bout. Best 2 out of 3 bouts wins the battle.
   3. The winning party leader receives +2 score points, and each original winning member receives +1 score point.
   4. The losing party leader receives -1 score point and respawns at a random free position. All other members of the losing party are absorbed into the winning party.
   5. All members of the losing party (including the leader) lose 1 to 3 health points (randomized). The health setting defaults to 10 HP for all bots upon registration.

3. Solo Bot vs Party Encounters:

   1. A solo bot will willingly join a party if the party leader's strength is greater than or equal to its own.
   2. If the party leader has lower strength, the solo bot refuses to join, and the party responds by engaging in battle.

4. Party Movement:

   1. The party leader controls the movement direction.
   2. Squad members follow the leader in a single-file line (each member steps into the spot vacated by the bot ahead of them) while maintaining a distance of 1.

5. Obstacles & Terrain Squeeze:

   1. Mountains and forests are impassable.
   2. Bots can squeeze diagonally between adjacent obstacle corners.
   3. When squeezing through a diagonal bottleneck:
      • A solo bot loses 0.1 strength.
      • In a party, the leader loses 0.2 strength, and follower members each lose 0.1 strength.
   4. Moving along the open outer edge of an obstacle incurs no penalty. Minimum bot strength cannot fall below 0.1.

6. The Wizard (NPC Encounter & Challenge):

   1. The Wizard is a special Non-Player Character (NPC) roaming the map at a random passable location.
   2. Players (or party leaders) who find the wizard (adjacent or on the same coordinate, distance <= 1) may voluntarily choose to challenge the wizard.
   3. Challenge Resolution (3-Bout D20):
      • Challenges consist of 3 bouts: each side rolls a D20 die, multiplied by their strength (the wizard has a strength of 3.0; a party uses its squad total strength).
      • Highest bout score wins the bout. Best 2 out of 3 bouts wins the challenge.
   4. Scoring & Penalties:
      • Victory: The player (or party leader) receives +2 score points.
      • Defeat: The player (or party leader) loses 2 health (or 2 score points if they do not have health to lose).
   5. Wizard Relocation:
      • Following any challenge, the wizard teleports to a new random open coordinate on the map.

Game Conclusion

The game ends when all bots are united into a single remaining party.

Final rankings and trophies (1st, 2nd, and 3rd place) are awarded based on Score (with Strength as the tiebreaker).