Re: SP AI definitely still questionable.
 

Hm actually "probing attacks" can be good you are correct. Perhaps you are right, and the AI is doing it with a purpose. However yeah, pretenders shouldn't take a part in probing attacks.

The other thing what should be upgraded is the AI pre-game nation design algorithm. AIs shouldn't take very bad scales, especially not the difficult -> impossible AIs.
Also, they should take the proper magic paths what are the best for the given nation. [Example: EA Agartha -> earth, fire, death mainly]

Overall I am absolutely impressed about the AI really. It is building lot of castles, and fielding massive/strong armies.
Today I don't have time to play sadly, but tomorrow I will try to play a long game, and check the endgame AI tactics. I wonder if it is gonna summon units properly or not for example. Maybe that part of the AI has been upgraded also.

Re: SP AI definitely still questionable.
 

This isn't such an issue though, since it's much, much harder to diversify, and having a bit of say nature magic on an agarthan pretender is actually quite good, since with a bit of searching, maybe some tribal shamans and empowerment... The problem I see with AI pretender design is that it takes magic between six and nine which is weird. Six casts allmost all spells, and nine gives bless. Why would anyone take in between? Except if you've calculated things and a rushing for utterdark or something. But the computer doesn't think that deeply, so those are waster points, and in some cases (say, death magic on a great sage, or something they don't start with) it can be a LOT of points.

Re: SP AI definitely still questionable.
 

Well, people would take styff like Ghost King with Water 1 Fire 1 Earth 3 Air 2 to get acces to almost all of the buff spells...

Re: SP AI definitely still questionable.
 

Well I meant, that sometime the AI is taking magic paths what is making no sense with the given nation. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/smile.gif
I agree with your statement, that the AI also shouldn't take magic between 6 and 9. It should be coded like, 6 or 9. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/cool.gif

Re: SP AI definitely still questionable.
 

What if you want Nature-8, for Regeneration, with Berserk messing with your mages?
What about taking Death-7 + the 2 death boosters (assuming both are still in dom3 and no new ones were added) so you can cast Utterdark?
There are other cases where you might want just 8 or 7, so just hard-coding 6 or 9 isn't that good of an idea. Perhaps make the AI less likely to take 7 or 8, depending on nation and/or standard/agressive/defensive.

Re: SP AI definitely still questionable.
 

Maybe not as a black and white rule, but still, it's not really worth it, since the computer will rarely do sensible things with them. Bless effects aren't that much better at eight as opposed to six (+1 attack, defence, 5% extra regen etc) comparedd to the points needed. wrt path boosting, there are other ways around that - Death six mage can forge scepter of dark regency, and then cast utterdark. Without artifacts: ring of sorcery, skullface and skull staff - more expensive, and needs an astral mage, but hey - computer probably won't forge sensible path boosters in any event.

Re: SP AI definitely still questionable.
 

Well if I can get 8, then I surely wouldn't skip 9.
You are right however theres a small point in taking 7 or 8, but still, it is much better to take 9 for full bless effect.