Running races
To run a race, run
python3 utils/run-buggy-race.py
That will prompt for input, including the path for the race file you downloaded. The result of running the race is an updated copy of the race file — this one is the same as your download, except it now contains results and events.
Once you’ve got the results in a race file, upload the file.
Why races are run offline
The Buggy Racing project is really about the students developing their buggy editors. As such, the race server is really to help you manage and run that project. The races themselves are the context but it’s not where the focus is.
With this is mind, the details of how races are implemented has always been separate from how the students’ project is run. So although currently the races are run by a Python script, we anticipated races could be implemented in a variety of ways. You can customise or rewrite the Python script, or develop an entirely different race, using the buggy specs and race file as the input.
The buggy race, with its detailed input and output specifications, coupled with a customised player, could be an excellent games-dev project for final year students.
So the download → process → upload mechanism of race files is a very general way of leaving this open. For this reason, the race player (that animates the events from the race) is also entirely standalone, although the default one is included on the race server.
It’s even feasible for a creative class to run each race as table-top simulation, that is, not digitally — provided the results file is constructed and uploaded.
For more about the context of races as an incentive for students — specifically qualification for races — see about races: What the races show.
Made a race-runner? Let us know!
If you implement a buggy-racing mechanism please consider sharing it with us so other people can choose how to run the races when they run a Buggy Racing project.
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