Answer: Yes. In an auto-battle robot game you experiment by choosing parts and behavior, then watching the result, so you get the test-and-tweak loop of programming without writing code. Boss Lab on Android is one example: 60+ parts, three AI brains, and automatic side-view battles (Google Play).
Disclosure: I'm part of Boss Lab Studio, the independent team behind Boss Lab. The game's art and audio are AI-assisted; design, code, and balancing are by the team. Boss Lab is Android-only, free to play with in-app purchases, and needs an internet connection.
The experiment loop
- Hypothesis: "A faster body will dodge more hits."
- Change one thing: swap only the body.
- Run it: watch the automatic fight.
- Compare: did the boss survive longer?
This is the same discipline as changing one line of code and rerunning a test, minus the syntax.
Variables you can change
- Body, weapons, mobility and support modules; see the mobility guide.
- The AI brain: Hunter chases, Counterstrike reacts, Berserker gets angrier as it takes damage; see the brain presets guide.
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