AI just Broke Trackmania's most Legendary Record

Summary

This video chronicles the journey of an AI trained to master Trackmania's iconic A01 track, challenging both human records and Tool Assisted Speedruns (TAS). Starting with random actions, the AI learns through reinforcement, gradually discovering advanced techniques like speed-drifts and surpassing top human players. Despite approaching TAS-level precision, AI faces limitations that prevent it from fully replicating the perfect run. Through experimentation and a subtle track misalignment, the creator crafts a new strategy, combining AI and human-guided techniques to set a record-breaking run. The story highlights the blend of technology, creativity, and community collaboration in pushing the limits of competitive gaming.

Takeaways

• 🚗 The video explores training an AI to drive the iconic Trackmania track A01 and challenge human world records.
• 🧠 The AI uses reinforcement learning, gradually improving through trial and error to develop driving strategies.
• ⏱ After thousands of attempts, the AI matches and eventually surpasses human performance, discovering advanced techniques like speed-drifts.
• 🎯 Precision is crucial; the AI’s performance is limited by technical constraints, such as action updates only 20 times per second.
• 🔧 Additional tools, like an auto-drift program, significantly enhance the AI’s consistency and ability to approach the track's limits.
• 📊 Segmented runs are used to optimize the AI’s performance on specific track sections, mimicking tool-assisted speedrun (TAS) strategies.
• 🏁 Despite AI improvements, TAS runs remain superior due to frame-perfect precision and deep understanding of game physics.
• 💡 Discovering previously unnoticed track features, like a misaligned road piece causing a jump, enabled setting new speed records beyond existing TAS runs.
• 🧪 Bruteforce methods and experimentation were used to find optimal jumps and strategies, illustrating the blend of randomness and strategy in TAS creation.
• 🌟 The AI surpasses human precision but not creativity, highlighting the ongoing potential for human ingenuity in speedrunning.
• 🎥 The video emphasizes community support via Patreon for behind-the-scenes content and further AI experimentation on more complex tracks.

Q & A

What is the primary goal of training the AI in the script?

The primary goal of training the AI is to challenge the world record for the iconic A01 track in Trackmania, aiming to improve its performance and see if it can surpass the best times set by human players.

How does the AI initially start its training process on the A01 track?

At the beginning, the AI has no prior experience with the game. It picks actions randomly, leading to limited progress. The AI is then trained using Reinforcement Learning, where it receives rewards based on how fast it completes sections of the track.

What role does 'Reinforcement Learning' play in the AI's development?

Reinforcement Learning allows the AI to improve by rewarding it for faster progress on the track. The AI learns through trial and error, refining its driving strategy with each attempt based on the rewards it receives.

What major breakthrough does the AI achieve during its training?

A key breakthrough occurs when the AI discovers a strategy for the Downhill section of the track. By releasing the accelerator before jumping, it gains more speed, which allows it to perform better throughout the race.

How does the AI improve its performance after beating the developer’s target time?

After beating the developer's target time, the AI further refines its performance by implementing advanced techniques such as speed-drifting. This rediscovery of the speed-drift technique allows the AI to accelerate faster, improving its time significantly.

Why does the AI initially struggle to beat Eddie's record despite using similar techniques?

The AI struggles to beat Eddie's record because it doesn’t use the second speed-drift at a critical point on the track. This second drift, although complex and difficult, is essential for gaining the final speed boost required to surpass Eddie's record.

What changes are made to help the AI perform the second speed-drift?

To help the AI perform the second speed-drift, additional rewards are given whenever the AI attempts the drift. This change in the reward system encourages the AI to adopt the drift in its strategy, leading to improvement over time.

What is the significance of the AI eventually beating Eddie's record?

The AI beating Eddie's record signifies that it has not only learned the necessary techniques but has also refined its performance to such a degree that it can outperform one of the top human players, pushing the limits of what is possible on the track.

What is the 'Tool Assisted Speedrun' (TAS) and how does it differ from human-driven runs?

A Tool Assisted Speedrun (TAS) is a method where players use external tools to create the ideal sequence of actions, often frame-by-frame. This allows for the discovery of perfect moves that humans cannot achieve, resulting in times that are faster than those set by human players.

What new discovery does the AI make during the final part of the video?

Towards the end of the video, the AI discovers a new strategy to push the limits of the A01 track by utilizing a previously overlooked bug called the 'blue-bug.' This bug allows the AI to gain extra speed by triggering a jump at a critical point on the track, potentially surpassing the limits of the TAS.