Introduction:
What if you could watch the strategic and complex world of ants play out in a virtual space? Hive Mind is my passion project that brings this idea to life. As a hobby programmer with a love for both gaming and machine learning, I wanted to create a realistic and captivating simulator where players can observe and influence the life of ants. Here’s what Hive Mind is all about.

What Is Hive Mind?
Hive Mind is an ant colony simulation game built in Unreal Engine 5.4. It brings the microscopic world of ants into a visual, interactive platform. Using machine learning and AI, the simulation focuses on replicating the behaviors of two ant colonies with unique traits: one excels at finding food, and the other is skilled in defending its territory.

Key Features of Hive Mind:

• Realistic Simulation of Ant Behaviors: From foraging for food to defending their nest, ants in Hive Mind behave based on AI algorithms powered by reinforcement learning.
• Diverse Environments: The simulation includes an intricate blend of underground chambers and above-ground paths that are designed to replicate real ant habitats.
• Adaptable AI: Each colony’s behaviors evolve over time as they respond to their environment and competition, making each simulation unique.
• Dynamic Gameplay: The two colonies differ in strengths: one colony is equipped with better food access strategies, while the other boasts superior combat skills. The interplay between them makes for interesting outcomes.

Tech Stack & Tools:
My favorite part of working on Hive Mind is the diverse tech stack it uses:

• Unreal Engine 5.4 for rendering and game logic.
• Python (with TensorFlow) for the machine learning aspects.
• WSL2 with Ubuntu for flexible development on Windows.
• NVIDIA RTX 4070 GPUs: One for high-end graphics and the other for running ML models in parallel.
• JetBrains Rider for C++ and PyCharm for Python development.

Current Status and Future Goals:
Right now, I’ve set up a blank simulation project and am building the logic for basic ant behavior, like finding food. The next steps include refining the AI and creating interactions between the colonies. I plan to blog about my progress every two weeks, sharing technical insights and development challenges.

Why This Project?
I’ve always been fascinated by nature’s efficiency, especially ants’ ability to work as a cohesive unit. Combining that interest with my background in supply chain, logistics, and machine learning, Hive Mind is my way of bringing these elements together in a compelling way.

Conclusion:
Hive Mind isn’t just a game; it’s an experiment in simulating complex systems. Whether you’re a developer interested in AI and Unreal Engine or someone who loves watching how small creatures conquer challenges, this project has something for you.

Stay tuned for more updates and stories about the development journey of Hive Mind!