Simon Willison released version 14 of Battledrones, introducing a new four-player online map called Compass Rose. The update expands the project’s previous two-player limits to support up to four human participants or a mix of humans and AI bots. Willison provided an initial prompt asking for rotational symmetry and WebSocket compatibility, which Claude Opus 4.5 interpreted to create a new layout using the ice biome. The design features purple and green robots alongside the existing blue and red teams. Players now join via share links or QR codes, allowing more people to test the mechanics of the game in a single session.
This change demonstrates how large language models can generate specific functional code for multiplayer networking and asset generation within a short timeframe. The shift from two to four players alters the strategic depth of the simulation without requiring manual map design from the developer. The project continues to show that AI can handle complex logic like rotational symmetry and network protocols directly from natural language instructions.
* New teams use purple and green colour schemes
* Access is provided through share links or QR codes
* The layout features four-way rotational symmetry
