Re: The AI Pretender design is insane!
 

You can also put designed pretenders in at the start using map editing. I don't know much about this, but other people know lots.

Re: The AI Pretender design is insane!
 

For the AI you'll want to arrange a pretender of size 2 or less... otherwise you risk the AI sending its pretender into the arena death match. AI's should be programmed to NEVER send its pretender, but until then size 2 or less. I recommend some type of immortal so it stays stronger longer. When choosing its magic paths and blessings be aware of what spells will be made available... you don't want to provide the AI with a global which will do it severe harm such as Utterdark or Astral Corruption. Also I advise against a nature_9 or higher as the beserk usually does more harm to the AI.

Re: The AI Pretender design is insane!
 

Very true... the best help an AI can recieve are strong positive scales which can be done by editing the .map file. Inside the Dominions doc folder is a PDF which explains how to edit the .map file.

Re: The AI Pretender design is insane!
 

Personnally when I buff AIs I use a mod to give them researchbonus on an immobile pretender or recuperation+immortality on a combat chassis + I set the god with max dominion and crazy scales.

And I only give them high earth magic (eventually other paths but with low levels only), so the AIs will only cast global without drawbacks for them (riches from beneath, mechanical militia, earth blood deep well...). Giving high water, air or death may be ultra detrimental to an AI (ex : Man casting eternal storm and wasting the archers, or a sea nation trapping its troops with "Sea of Ice" + all high death AIs tend to cast "Burden of Time" and "Utterdark").

Ie :

Mod

#newmonster 2800
#copystats 158
#name "AI Oracle"
#researchbonus 30
#end

#newmonster 2801
#copystats 156
#name "AI Cyclops"
#immortal
#regeneration 10
#heal
#end

Map
#god x "AI Oracle" (or "AI Cyclops")
#dominionstr 10
#mag_earth 10
#scale_chaos -3
#scale_lazy -3
#scale_unmagic -3
#end

Re: The AI Pretender design is insane!
 

I understand with water, air, blood and death, but why only earth?

Fire - Second Sun might be bad for some, but should be fine for heat2-3 nations and cold blooded nations. I don't think Kindly Ones attack the caster's commanders. My armies often consist of a lot of undead/demons so a surprise Purgatory could hurt bad. Although this path is not quite as potent as Astral or Nature for the AI.

Astral - An immobile high level astral mage (doesn't need to be the pretender) may go feeble to Strands of Arcane Power, but give it the chalice & it will heal itself. In addition, SoAP helps the AI find magic sites which is a big weakness for the AI. If the AI has a lot of territory & casts SoAP watch the gem income graph spike, especially from a mage with other minor multiple paths. That means not only more gems, but it can start recruiting special units (like trogs, etc) from those sites. Arcane Nexus & Wrath of God are also quite good.

Nature - I don't see any downside globals. Imagine Lanka or a giant nation with Gift of Health. Since the AI's power is heavily influenced by gold income that also makes Gift of Nature's Bounty quite valuable for the AI. Haunted Forest is also quite good for an AI to better defend itself.

Re: The AI Pretender design is insane!
 

How do you switch all the players to AI once the game has started?

Re: The AI Pretender design is insane!
 

Options -> Become computer controlled

Though I don't know what level it sets at and if you can change it.

Re: The AI Pretender design is insane!
 

It sets it to default AI. That is, neither aggressive nor defensive, and with no bonuses.

Re: The AI Pretender design is insane!
 

Yes I tried setting up the AI myself one game and then switching it to computer. While the self-destructive scales were absent so were any bonuses it seems, and the AI was really inadequate. I aborted the game and effort.

I am really intrigued by adjusting the map itself by placing the Pretenders and Scales manually. I read the modding guide but I guess I really am too old! It seems woefully incomplete to me and I don't even know where to begin. Hasn't anybody modded the map files as suggested here by NTJedi and Twan among others? Where can I download them? Or can anyone post a complete example as a guide to copy and adjust?

Confused.

Re: The AI Pretender design is insane!
 

Earth just look better for most nations, and has some synergy with AI strength (huge armies of chaff needing some buffs or some solid summons to complete).

Fire has no good summons out of uniques and may cause the AI pretender to chain cast fire from afar when gems are available (an annoying spell but not really cost efficient). May be good for nations with good sacred anyway (as well water is good for land AI nations with good sacred).

Nature >8 would make sacred berserks, so it's bad for nations with holy mages. Nature 8 may be good (except when the AI poison its troops with bog beasts).

I don't trust the AI for using astral well, I fear to see AI pretenders feebleminded by some spells they may cast, or an immobile pretender teleporting somewhere and then never building a lab to return home (never seen this happen anyway, but with the AI I always imagine the worst case).