VOLL-AI
A downloadable game for Windows and macOS
A 1v1 competitive volleyball game with an AI opponent made using Unity ML-Agents and reinforcement learning.
Controls
- Z / A BUTTON on Xbox controller - Jump, Dash while mid-air
- X / X BUTTON on Xbox controller - Hit the ball
- ARROW KEYS / LEFT STICK on Xbox controller - Move, Aim the dash
Tips
- You can press the hit button before the ball is within radius and still hit the ball - the hitbox stays active for a few frames after the initial button input.
- You can only hit the ball 3 times consecutively. Using all three touches before hitting the ball over is a good way to set yourself up for spikes.
- Dashing up to block the ball from coming over to your side of the court is a great aggressive strategy.
Made as a Bachelor's Thesis Project at University of Tartu.
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Comments
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Machine Learning is cool
pls change control
Hello! Would you mind telling me what exactly you didn't enjoy about the controls? How do you feel they should be changed?
I agree with the controls being a bit difficult, esp on keyboard. Maybe arrow key up to jump, z to dash and x to throw would be good. With the current setup I have to think of 3 different inputs just to do a simple jump and throw. Adding some grace to the jump (when you input before landing that it counts to the next jump) would be good as well. Perhaps having a stronger visual indication when the ball enters your reach would also be nice.
Awesome game, though! The AI felt very human-like to play against. Good luck with the thesis!
Thank you so much for the feedback! I really appreciate it.
It is a bit worrying that the controls are not very intuitive, because this probably affects the AI's win-rate by a lot in their favor. The AI may seem more intelligence than it actually is because of this.
If I may ask further - do you feel that the issue is solely in the controls or is the inherit mechanic of how the player interacts with the ball hard to control/play with? I hope to revisit the controls some time after the thesis is complete, so the game could be more enjoyable as a "game" and less as just an "experimental thesis project".
Hey! It's hard to say, but it's mostly just a lack of feedback and not a lot of room for error I think. Maybe helping the player along in some parts. (eg: slow the ball down when it's in range, adjust the aim a bit in your favour, etc) to make it less precise and more fun :)