AI for Mages Using Gems

DonCorazon · #1 April 13th, 2008, 11:57 PM

I am trying to figure out how many gems I need to give a mage who is going to cast 2 low level buffs for which he has the skill and then a big spell that costs 3 gems and will need 1 gem to give him the skill necessary to cast (buffs and big spell are all in the same school).

So if I give the mage 4 gems, will that be enough? My fear is that the AI sees he has the relevant gems in his inventory and uses them to reduce the fatigue cost of the 2 buffs he is casting so when it comes time for the big spell he won't have enough gems.

In that case, I guess I would need 6 gems - 2 that the AI will burn on his buffs (even though that is not what I would want), 1 to boost him so he can cast the big spell, and 3 for the big spell itself.

Thanks

Saulot · #2 April 14th, 2008, 12:17 AM

If the important spell is the first one scripted, you can go with just the base gem requirement. In your example and otherwise, it's generally a good idea to give extra.

IIRC, it's also an important thing to consider that mages won't use more gems than their level for certain purposes.

AI gem use is a tricky subject, and mostly receives complaints when it does something you didn't want, but nobody considers it when it does what you do want.

DonCorazon · #3 April 14th, 2008, 12:30 AM

I need the buffs to protect me from the big spell so I may not be able to do it given the gem shortage.

Thanks.

Amhazair · #4 April 14th, 2008, 07:30 AM

Which are the minor buffs you want to cast? If they are in the 20/30 fatigue region my experience is that they won't use extra gems most of the time. If it's going towards 50, they will almost certainly use a gem for it.

Zeldor · #5 April 14th, 2008, 02:58 PM

The bad thing is that they get gems left they can cast some really ugly spells, like mass protection against abysia

So better script them some gem-using spell after the one that you want to cast. So if they have gems cast they waste it on that, not something dangerous. And if not - at least they will pick instead another spell that does not require gems.

Tuidjy · #6 April 14th, 2008, 05:23 PM

I have always been amazed how the AI has no concept of harming its own men.
I have had an Arco human mage in a huge human army cast rain of stones against
enemies that were absolutely no match for my guys, killing some mages and about
a hundred of my archers. Yes, he also wiped out the Maverni opposition, but
who cares? They would have been dead anyway.