The MIT Battlecode Programming Competition kicked off in early January, and MSMS students were eager to jump on board.

The event is a programming competition sponsored by MIT that is described by the competition’s website as “a real-time strategy game, for which you will write an AI player. In Battlecode, two teams of virtual robots roam the screen managing resources and executing different offensive strategies against each other.”

“The theme is a little bit different every year, and this year, the theme is ‘Escape to Mars!’” shared MSMS senior Gary Nguyen.

Nguyen led the formation of teams for the competition at MSMS.

“I heard about Battlecode from an MIT admit through a Facebook group that was looking to form a team,” Nguyen said. “Interested in taking on this opportunity to gain programming experience, I found out more about the competition through its website and past tournaments. I decided to share the information with the student body in hopes of catering to anyone interested in computer science. Though there are many opportunities for competitive STEM experiences at MSMS, there are few, if any, that incorporate computer science.”

His recognition of a desire for involvement in the field of computer science has been proven correct by the participation from the student body.

“Based on what I’ve heard so far, there are three teams from MSMS that are currently competing, all of whom have shown enthusiasm in capitalizing this opportunity to expand on their programming skills,” Nguyen said.

“To register for the tournament, all there is to do is find a team, or go solo, and make an account. You can then download the necessary software and start coding right away – with no experience necessary. There’s a lecture series geared toward beginner and intermediate programmers that is given throughout the competition to guide you through the process of writing an AI player.”

The competition will commence in the Final Tournament at the end of January on the campus of MIT. The top performing teams will be rewarded with up to $50,000 in prizes.

“Even though it’s past the start date, it’s not too late to participate, so if you’re still interested, I encourage you to head on over to the Battlecode main website,” Nguyen shared.