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-   -   AI files (http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=8873)

Hrothgar March 15th, 2003 10:34 AM

AI files
 
I've found info on how to modify everything in SEIV, except the AI files. Probably because they're so simple any moron ought to be able to do it; however, THIS moron is having trouble.

I really would like to hear anything anyone cares to post about the topic, but, specifically, I've run into one problem that I thought even I could figure out on my own--fat chance! I'm trying to make a race, and I wanted to change the default Fleet formation, both so that the AI would use something more effective than "Arrow" [is there anyhing that isn't?], and so that, when I'm playing the race, I wouldn't always have to change the fleet formation/strategy everytime I made a new fleet.

I found the lines in the AI_Fleet file that establish what the default formation and strategy will be, and changed them, but, my race still defaults to "Arrow" and "Optimal Weapons Range." It does so when I'm playing them, and, when I let the AI run them in order to test how they're doing, I'll still see them in Arrow formation whenever there's combat between them and me.

Anyone have any ideas about what I might be doing wrong, or any suggestions about other things involoved in making AI files?

Thanks.

Fyron March 15th, 2003 11:20 AM

Re: AI files
 
Did you set the empire file up to "use AI style from selected race", or use one of the default AI types?

DavidG March 15th, 2003 03:02 PM

Re: AI files
 
Quote:

Originally posted by Hrothgar:
I've found info on how to modify everything in SEIV, except the AI files. Probably because they're so simple any moron ought to be able to do it; however, THIS moron is having trouble.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I suspect the real reason is not that they are simple but that they are comlex. (unless I'm a moron too http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif )

oleg March 15th, 2003 03:54 PM

Re: AI files
 
Modding AI is the most difficult task in SE. The best way is to study the files ofthe best TDM races and learn by trials and errors http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

How to you load your race ? If you generated .emp file before changing fleet.txt file, AI will not use it. Come information is stored with empires. AFAIK it includes settings.txt, strategies.txt, fleets.txt and anger.txt files. Other files are read by AI at the beginning of each turn. If this is the case, scrap .emp file and generate a fresh one. For this purpose start new game with large number of random empires and you playing some other race. In game pulldown check "races" and see if the race in question was chosen. Switch it to your control and save empire. This way it will record modified files.

If this is not the source of the problem, there must be some error in your fleets and/or strategies files.

Hrothgar March 16th, 2003 05:34 PM

Re: AI files
 
Thanks a lot, gentlemen. I will check both of your suggestions, but I'm almost certain that I altered the AI files after I had already created the emp file. I'll have to fix that.

Thanks again. I appreciate your help.

Hrothgar June 4th, 2003 06:23 PM

Re: AI files
 
I've finally gotten things straightened out [thanks for your help, Imperator Fyron, DavidG, and Oleg], except for one thing--I made a new Research.txt file for my race, but it's not working properly. As far as I've been able to determine, research projects are chosen by the AI in the order I desire, but research points are not divided as I thought they would be. My impression was that, if you indicated 50% as the Tech Area Minimum Percent, that another project could also be added to the research queue AND be researched simultaneously. However, when I check the research queue while the game is in progress with my race under computer control, although two projects will appear on the queue, only the first gets any research points--until it's down to its Last turn, at which point excess research points will flow over to the next research project. Perhaps this is what's supposed to happen, in which case I guess my race is working properly, but, like I said, I thought that assigning 50 as the Minimum percent would allow two projects to each receive half of the current research points. Here's a couple lines from my Research File, in which, if there's an error, I'd really appreciate suggestions:

================================================== =====================================
*BEGIN*
================================================== =====================================

AI State := Exploration, Infrastructure, Prepare for Attack, Attack, Secure Holdings After Attack, Incursion, Prepare for Defense, Defend (Short Term), Defend (Long Term)
Tech Area Name := Applied Research
Tech Area Level := 2
Tech Area Min Percent := 50

AI State := Exploration, Infrastructure, Prepare for Attack, Attack, Secure Holdings After Attack, Incursion, Prepare for Defense, Defend (Short Term), Defend (Long Term)
Tech Area Name := Ship Construction
Tech Area Level := 2
Tech Area Min Percent := 50

If there are no errors, and it's just impossible to get the AI to divide research points among different projects, then I guess I'll have to live with things as they are.

Thanks.

Rollo June 4th, 2003 06:56 PM

Re: AI files
 
The AI never devides points. It always researches in sequence.

Here is some additional info about AI research: http://www.shrapnelgames.com/cgi-bin...;f=23;t=004096

Rollo

[ June 04, 2003, 18:04: Message edited by: Rollo ]

oleg June 4th, 2003 08:53 PM

Re: AI files
 
yes, AI never divides points (Thank God for that ! Or more precisely Aaaron http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif ). You are not entirely correct how AI select projects though. It does not simply go all the way down the list. On every turn, it reads the file from the beginning and assigned projects according to "minium percent" - that is add 1, 2, or more projects listed sequentially.

Hrothgar June 4th, 2003 09:23 PM

Re: AI files
 
Thanks Rollo and Oleg.

I've had so much trouble making this race work properly that I assumed I had done something else wrong. It's good to know that it's working as it's supposed to, altho I think I would have liked to be able to have the AI research more than one project at a time.

oleg June 4th, 2003 09:54 PM

Re: AI files
 
Just took a glance on Hrothgar' profile:
member # 98, registerd Feb.2000, 27 Posts...
HOW IS IT POSSIBLE ???
Have you been on a round trip to Alpha Centauri with sub-light speed ??? That is the only logical explanation I see for the time paradox http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif

Jack Simth June 4th, 2003 11:20 PM

Re: AI files
 
Quote:

Originally posted by oleg:
Just took a glance on Hrothgar' profile:
member # 98, registerd Feb.2000, 27 Posts...
HOW IS IT POSSIBLE ???
Have you been on a round trip to Alpha Centauri with sub-light speed ??? That is the only logical explanation I see for the time paradox http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">You know what's really odd? I just did a search for his member number and got 43 hits.

Hrothgar June 5th, 2003 12:07 AM

Re: AI files
 
Oleg,

I'm not sure to which "time paradox" you're referring--perhaps the small number of Posts compared to how long I've been registered. I guess I registered with Shrapnel a while ago, but because of a different game ["Horse & Musket"]. It's been less than a year since I discovered space 4x games. I used to focus strictly on historical wargames, e.g., Steel Panthers, the Great Battles series [I still think that these are fun and could be "great" with just a bit of modification to the system], the Battleground Civil War and Napoleonic Games, etc., but since around Last September, I've been spending most of my time on space 4x. "SEIV" is my favorite, and the one I've played most since I found it, but I also like "GalCiv," "Starships Unlimited:Divided Galaxies," and "Reach for the Stars" [yeah, I know, everybody else hated it, but I think it's pretty decent]. I got interested in space 4x by downloading the original "MOO" from http://www.the-underdogs.org/ [a fantastic site], which immediately got me hooked and started me hunting for similar games. Eventually, I found SEIV, which is my overall favorite--altho there are specific elements in other games which keep me interested in them.

But, since I'm still a relative newcomer to "SEIV," I don't post a lot, because I don't have much expertise to share. When I read thru the FAQ or the Strategy Articles, I'm always amazed at the insights expressed by many of the contributors, approaches which seem perfectly clear after reading them, but which hadn't even occurred to me. So, I basically read the Posts when I can, looking for things I can use, but I don't post much. Also, I was working on a Ph.D. at Georgetown, which was pretty time consuming, and then came the attacks on September 11, which, since I'm in the National Guard, have forced me to put my academic life on hold for various missions in connection with Bush's neverending war on terrorism. In the next few weeks I should be leaving for a long-term overseas mission. So, the military has also been taking a great deal of my time, leaving less for posting, or even playing. So, I guess I am sort of stuck on a sub-lightspeed trip to Alpha Centauri and back--at least it sometimes seems that way.

narf poit chez BOOM June 5th, 2003 03:07 AM

Re: AI files
 
another strange thing is i recognize the name.

Hrothgar June 6th, 2003 01:31 AM

Re: AI files
 
I've used the same name other places, e.g., the "GalCiv" forum. Maybe you saw it one of those other places.

p.s. If anyone is already using this avatar, let me know and I'll drop it. I don't remember seeing it elsewhere.

[ June 06, 2003, 00:34: Message edited by: Hrothgar ]

Suicide Junkie June 6th, 2003 02:16 AM

Re: AI files
 
I seem to recall that avatar was used by Ed Kolis before he switched to his current avatar from Red Dwarf.

narf poit chez BOOM June 6th, 2003 07:39 AM

Re: AI files
 
*shrug* don't know. don't go to galciv forums, these are the only ones i post in.


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