Benchmarks are crucial for assessing multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) algorithms. While StarCraft II-related environments have driven significant advances in MARL, existing benchmarks like SMAC focus primarily on mi-cromanagement, limiting comprehensive evaluation of high-level strategic intelligence. To address this, we introduce HLSMAC, a new cooperative MARL benchmark with 12 carefully designed StarCraft II scenarios based on classical stratagems from the Thirty-Six Stratagems. Each scenario corresponds to a specific stratagem and is designed to challenge agents with diverse strategic elements, including tactical maneuvering, timing coordination, and deception, thereby opening up avenues for evaluating high-level strategic decision-making capabilities. We also propose novel metrics across multiple dimensions beyond conventional win rate, such as ability utilization and advancement efficiency, to assess agents' overall performance within the HLSMAC environment. We integrate state-of-the-art MARL algorithms and LLM-based agents with our benchmark and conduct comprehensive experiments. The results demonstrate that HLSMAC serves as a robust testbed for advancing multi-agent strategic decision-making.

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Facing a growing threat from China, the Navy envisions drone ships keeping an electronic eye on enemy forces across the vast Pacific Ocean, extending the reach of firepower, and keeping sailors out of harm's way. The Navy is speeding development of those robotic ships as an affordable way to keep pace with China's growing fleet while vowing not to repeat costly shipbuilding blunders from recent years. The four largest drone ships are being used together this summer during a multination naval exercise in the Pacific Ocean.

Defense Specialist Allison Barrie has the latest information on micro-bots and milli-bots, the next generation of drones that will be smarter, faster and deployable in powerful swarms. In future battles, new American warriors may be the size of a baseball, the size of a bumble bee – even the size of a grain of sand. Micro-bots and milli-bots may be small in size, but they are giant in terms of impact. This next generation of drones will also be smarter, faster and deployable in powerful swarms. The futuristic intelligence on these machines is mind-boggling and will make current "autonomy" look positively prehistoric.