BATTLE lines have been drawn to find the University of Exeter's most talented computer gamer.

Created by university students, Toroid Wars is a competition that challenges participants' programming and gaming skills and introduces them to artificial intelligence (AI).

Tomorrow students will create virtual and programming players to take part in the challenge, which is based on the classic 2D game Tanks.

The virtual players will battle it out for four hours to find out which team has come up with the best strategy.

The winning entrant will receive a £50 cash prize and a visit to the base of leading computer game company Creative Assembly. Two runners up will be awarded £25 and a consolation prize will be awarded to the lowest scoring entrant.

The competition has been organised by two computer science PhD students, based in the university's School of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, Kent McClymont and Maximillian Dupenois.

Kent said: "This is a rare opportunity for students to get to grips with programming and artificial intelligence outside the lecture theatre."