SP AI boost mods/nations?

Koral · #1 February 12th, 2011, 06:41 AM

Any recommendations for SP challenges? Maybe some CBM compatible mods that gives AI a boost. Or some overpowered nations that would help AI a bit. I seem to recall seeing a post about some improvements to AI scripts but can't find anything in the mod list.

Gandalf Parker · #2 February 12th, 2011, 10:59 AM

Im afraid we never did get a sticky for things applying to Solo play.

House Rules Against AI (improving the AI)
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=44783

Question Before Buying (is solo play any good?)
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=45092

Both of those threads list many of the things that can improve the out-of-the-box AI (usually referred to as vanilla AI).
And both threads also save everyone from reposting the inevitable solo-vs-mp arguments.

You will find that both sides of that coin tend to no longer play the game in a purely vanilla mode. And its a tendency to compare the heavily modded of one, to the vanilla mode of the other.

Soyweiser · #3 February 12th, 2011, 12:29 PM

You could create a nice page at the wiki devoted to improving the SP AI.

Somebody already made a nice start:
http://dom3.servegame.com/wiki/AI

Gandalf Parker · #4 February 12th, 2011, 12:36 PM

Yeah I know. DIY Thats been the response at me for years.

Well good intentions and all but Im not really up to it anymore. Even updating my own site. Feel free to rape the two posts for the updating the wiki

IF I were to jump back into the wiki for my particular areas of interest Id be targeting the HotKey page (there STILL is no one central page of all of the keypresses), servers, maps, and my own mods.

Oh well.
feci quod potui, faciant meliora potentes
"I have done what I could, those who can will do better"

rdonj · #5 February 12th, 2011, 02:38 PM

Take a look at Amos' nations (He has a modder profile in the mods list). Probably any one of them would do, except insectoids. I don't think the AI is intelligent to play that one at all. Anyway, his nations are pretty overpowered. Moreso in the hands of an actual player, but they should give a decent SP challenge as well.

Edi · #6 February 12th, 2011, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koral

Any recommendations for SP challenges? Maybe some CBM compatible mods that gives AI a boost. Or some overpowered nations that would help AI a bit. I seem to recall seeing a post about some improvements to AI scripts but can't find anything in the mod list.

Better Independents (linked from my sig) has some conflicts with CBM (namely the indies part) but does work with the CBM 1.6 Piecemeal edition if you leave the indies bit out.

The way it helps the AI is upping the costs of crappier indies so high you can't buy them, which forces the AI to use only good quality indies and far more national troops. Makes for a tougher and less monotonous AI.

BewareTheBarnacleGoose · #7 March 7th, 2011, 12:21 PM

On another thread, I saw a lot of argument about whether it was better to set the AI to impossible, or to design a competent pretender for them. Im very new to modding, but I think I have an idea that might allow for a compromise.

What about making a Research 0 global enchantment that grants the advantages of impossible (+100% gold, resources, gems)? That shouldn't be hard, right? There are already spells that improve income and resources. I dont think you could multiply gems, but you could at least grant a steady income of all types. The skill could be 1 Earth, since Earth is a good pick for SCs, and that's all the AI knows how to use.

With this, you could desgin a decent pretender, and then cast the spell a few turns in before setting the AI to computer controlled. The obvious limitation to this is that only one player could cast it; no good if you want to face multiple AIs. But that could be fixed by creating multiple varients- EconBoost1,EconBoost2, etc.

Can anyone think of anything Im missing? And does anyone know how to do this?

llamabeast · #8 March 7th, 2011, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BewareTheBarnacleGoose

On another thread, I saw a lot of argument about whether it was better to set the AI to impossible, or to design a competent pretender for them. Im very new to modding, but I think I have an idea that might allow for a compromise.

What about making a Research 0 global enchantment that grants the advantages of impossible (+100% gold, resources, gems)? That shouldn't be hard, right? There are already spells that improve income and resources. I dont think you could multiply gems, but you could at least grant a steady income of all types. The skill could be 1 Earth, since Earth is a good pick for SCs, and that's all the AI knows how to use.

With this, you could desgin a decent pretender, and then cast the spell a few turns in before setting the AI to computer controlled. The obvious limitation to this is that only one player could cast it; no good if you want to face multiple AIs. But that could be fixed by creating multiple varients- EconBoost1,EconBoost2, etc.

Can anyone think of anything Im missing? And does anyone know how to do this?

You can't really make new Global Enchantments, but you could certainly have a research-0 Gift of Nature's Bounty, the resource one I can't remember the name of, and indeed Forge of the Ancients. GoNB would certainly produce a pretty crazy AI! It might be quite fun as a nemesis for a couple of human players.

Soyweiser · #9 March 7th, 2011, 01:15 PM

I would rather have just special stronger AI nations. That have some standard mp tactics enabled that the AI never really seems to do. (Commanders that autocast the common buff spells would be nice for example).

Or a unit that just has the buffs that a good bless would have. (And that unit is autosummoned by immobile cap only units (which autodie during the first turn of combat so you cannot enslave them as a player)).

NTJedi · #10 March 8th, 2011, 12:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koral

Any recommendations for SP challenges? Maybe some CBM compatible mods that gives AI a boost. Or some overpowered nations that would help AI a bit. I seem to recall seeing a post about some improvements to AI scripts but can't find anything in the mod list.

It's easy to provide an extremely challenging AI... even for multiplayer veterans.

1) Set supplies at 300 during game creation to help prevent the AI from starving its units.

2) Use maps with only land unless you're only fighting water nations and EA:Argatha. AI land nations are *literally* brain dead and will almost never attack water provinces.

3) Use map edit commands to provide the AI opponent with healthy scales... especially a growth scale and order scale.

4) Use map edit commands to provide the AI opponent with an equipped and powerful pretender with good blesses.

5) Use map edit commands to setup multiple AI opponents as allies.

6) Use map edit commands to provide the AI opponents with extra magic sites and provinces and immobile researchers.

7) Finally if you're really feeling brave... then use map edit commands to provide the AI with its own SCs. It's the only way you'll ever fight SCs against an AI opponent. Start with 3 SCs and for each game you win add another 3SCs.

EA:Neifielheim has the potential to be the greatest late game threat. If he finishes his blood research he will even be killing the human players SCs.