README.md

# Orbit Wars v14 — 1224-Elo Reference Agent + Cross-Game Fix

## What happened with v13

v13 scored **579 Elo** (below starting 600) because of a critical bug: the **opponent profiler mutated global constants across games**. On Kaggle, the agent process persists across multiple matches. After a few games against passive opponents, the agent's defense ratio dropped to 0.15 (from 0.28) and stayed there — making it defenseless against real opponents.

## What v14 is

v14 is the **proven 1224-Elo reference agent** (Builder-Neekhil/orbit-wars-agent) with one critical addition: a **cross-game state reset**. When a new game starts (detected by obs.step resetting), ALL global parameters and the profiler state are reset to defaults.

## Key features (3,588 lines)

- **settle_plan**: Iterative ship-count refinement (tests multiple ship counts to find optimal)
- **best_probe_aim**: Multi-probe targeting (generates 15+ candidate ship counts per shot)
- **min_ships_to_own_by**: Binary-search exact ownership requirement at any future turn
- **Gang-up missions**: Attack after inter-enemy battles
- **Elimination missions**: Focused kill of weakest enemy (1.5x bonus in 4P)
- **Rescue missions**: Save planets before they fall
- **Recapture missions**: Retake just-lost planets
- **Crash exploit**: Arrive after inter-enemy fleet collisions
- **Opponent profiler**: Adapts 20+ parameters mid-game (with proper cross-game reset)
- **Total war endgame**: Dump all ships at weakest enemy in final 55 turns
- **finalize_moves**: Safety net preventing over-sending

## Test results

| Matchup | Result |
|---|---|
| V14 vs Random | Eliminated in ~100 steps |
| V14 vs Starter | Eliminated in ~166 steps |
| V14 vs V12 | 2/2 wins |
| Multi-game stability | All globals reset correctly between games |

## Download

```
submission.py
```

Upload this file to Kaggle as your submission.