TRAINING & CURRICULUM

Before entering Arena competitions, it is recommended to complete foundational levels in CodeCombat that introduce key programming concepts. These concepts are essential for success in the Arena:

Introduction to Programming Basics

• Movement and Coordinates: Learn to move characters using coordinates.
• Basic Syntax: Understand how to write and structure code in Python or JavaScript.
• Loops: Use loops to repeat actions efficiently.
• Conditionals: Control the flow of the game using if-statements.

Combat and Strategy Levels

• Attack and Defense: Learn how to code character attacks and defense mechanisms.
• Targeting Enemies: Target specific enemies based on health, distance or type. 
  

Problem-Solving and Algorithmic Thinking

• Pathfinding: Direct characters to move efficiently around obstacles or toward objectives.
• Resource Management: Manage resources like gold or mana to achieve in-game goals.
• Hero and Skill Levels: It is important to understand how different heroes' abilities work and learn to use them strategically in Arena battles.
  

The Coding Olympiad offers 2 training arenas designed to help participants build coding skills and prepare effectively for the Arena Exam: 

1. The Golden Goal Championship Arena: A globally accessible arena open to all 6 million CodeCombat users, offering a competitive environment to practice AI-based strategy and logic in a soccer-themed setting.

2. Farmscape Blitz Arena: An exclusive arena available only to Coding Olympiad participants, providing a focused and tailored training experience.

Farmscape Blitz Arena is a fast-paced AI coding challenge set on a digital farm. In this arena, participants must write smart, efficient code to navigate obstacles, collect boosts, optimize resource use and demonstrate strategic farming decisions.

This arena is specifically designed to test and develop core programming skills such as logic, decision-making, adaptability and optimization, all critical for performing well in the Arena Exam.

By practicing in Farmscape Blitz, participants sharpen not only their coding syntax and structure but also their ability to think algorithmically and react to dynamic game environments, making it the ideal preparation ground for this competition.

What to do: 

• Control a farmer character using Python or JavaScript
• Understand and manipulate a grid-based coordinate system
• Move around the map, avoiding haystacks, fences and traps
• Collect speed boosts, energy packs and other helpful items
• Use coding logic to beat other players or AI opponents 
  

Goals:

• Gather more boosts than other opponent
• Avoid getting stuck or wasting moves
• Create smarter, faster strategies each round
• Learn and improve coding and logic skills 
  

Tips for Success:

• Start simple: just make your farmer move around safely
• Use if statements and loops to make smarter decisions
• Watch replays of matches to see what worked and what didn’t
• Keep improving the code for better performance 
  

Throughout the learning process, it is important to practice writing clear, efficient code using loops, functions, conditionals and logical structures. Success in the Arena Exam relies not only on writing correct code, but also on developing strong strategic thinking and the ability to adapt to changing conditions during matches. It is equally important to test your code and refine your strategies based on results to continuously improve performance.

On the exam day:

Students will be introduced to a new competition arena. Arena details will be provided at the start of the exam. Students will have 36 hours to write, improve and submit their code before the simulation begins.
During this time, students will be able to test and refine their strategies based on the newly revealed arena rules and layout. Once the submission window closes and the arena is locked, no further changes will be allowed. Simulation battles will then begin and rankings will be determined based on student performance in the live Arena Battle. Winners will be selected based on the final simulation results. 

CodeCombat offers a progressive curriculum designed to take learners from foundational programming skills to advanced coding techniques. Through engaging lessons and interactive gameplay, students develop the problem-solving and coding abilities needed to succeed in both challenges and the Arena Exam.

The curriculum is organized into 3 main categories:

• Computer Science Units (6): Basic Syntax, Arguments, Strings; While Loops, For Loops, Variables; Functions, Parameters, Algorithms; If Statements, Boolean Logic, Input Handling; Break/Continue Statements, Arrays, Object Literals; Arithmetic, Math Library Operations, Graphics, Vectors, Recursion
• Game Development Units (3): Placing game objects and constructing mazes; Creating playable and shareable games; Event data, basic game AI, Functions, If Statements, Basic Input Handling
• Web Development Units (2): Front-end design and functionality; Interactive web applications (details tailored to CodeCombat's curriculum) 
  

The Arena Exam is a live coding challenge where participants’ programs compete directly against others. Training is recommended to start with Computer Science 1 (CS1), covering Syntax, Variables, Loops and Functions, essential skills for both game development and competitive arenas. From there, learners progress through the remaining Computer Science units, then explore Game Development and Web Development to broaden their creative and technical expertise.