New Ideas for race AI

[Deathstalker]

Thought I would start a new topic on my latest obsession. Race AI modding. There are already tonnes of options for modding/creating a race but I would love to see some more , (I'm sure the TDM guys would too, they've been at this alot longer than me).

Here are some ideas I've been kicking around lately:

1. Racial Rivalry line for the Anger txt., This could be something like ___ will never make peace with ___. Or a certain amount of 'bonus' anger points vs. a certain race (EEE vs. Drushokka) that goes down in time with good relations after first contact. With this we could design races that truely compete against one another.
2. MegaEvilEmpire 'flags' for each race in their own AI files. That way each race could be modded to either join against the MEE, or stay allied too. (Allies don't change THAT fast).
3. Anger points for certain weapons being used. ex, all races anger vs ___ goes up when it uses 'plague bombs'.(which it SHOULD).
4. Racial Unit Strategy, for Mines/Bases/Fighters/Sattelites on where to place them (planet/wormhole/other), imagine warping into a batch of fighters, or finding that the Phong mined their homeworld waiting for your fleet.
5.Ship Designations. By this I mean: Support, Frontlines, Sector, Outrider(scout), FleetOnly, EscortDuty, etc. This way certain ships will NEVER be seen outside a fleet. Or never leave the sector(home guard).

Well, just a few ideas, I know others out there will have more. Hopefully MM can think about these/include in future patchs.

All in all this will make the AI deadlier (IMO) and Smarter (IMO again),


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"The Empress took your name away," said Chance.
Owen smiled coldly. "It wasn't hers to take. I'm a Deathstalker until I die. And we never forget a slight or an enemy." -Owen Deathstalker.

[Q]

All very good ideas. I hope they will be realized sometimes.

[Deathstalker]

Thanks, thought of another Last night (it came to me in a dream )
How about a command line in the Vehicle Creations txt for building a specific ship? Not just 'attack ship' or 'defense ship' etc but 'attack ship alpha', 'attack ship beta', 'defense ship alpha' etc (in other words, attack/defense ship ______, so specific ships can be built at certain times, not just giving a race four ship types and hoping all of them are used.)

[Coal]

I do agree with you that the AI needs to be a little more real. And I do have a sugestion.

You idea with the races getting angry over weapons use shouldn't work with all of the races. Some of them should be the type that like useing plague bombs. In most strategy games, everyone gets mad when you use the 'evil' weapons, even the ones that are really mean, and that seems wrong. Some races should react positively too someone useing plague bombs and such, since they would see someone who thinks the same as they do.

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Rules? What rules?

[jimbob55]

Sounds like you want to impliment a 'racial outlook' type feature for the AI.
Something like big endians and little endians from starships unlimited. You're more likely to get on with a species that shares your core beliefs.

Maybe making more than 2 or 3 outlooks would be more interesting.
The criteria for cooperation should really revolve around environment (which it does already) and 'values'. Maybe pick 2 or 3 precepts about the universe for your race :-
The universe is
1. hostile, 2. filled with resources to be exploited, 3. OURS, 4. fascinating in its complexity
Our species members are
1. Disposable for the common good, 2. Resources to be exploited, 3. the progenitors of our glorious future, 4. valued for their unique perspectives

Alien species are
1. Dangerous, 2. Useful as potential laborforce, 3. OURS, 4. sentients to learn from.

Sort of like one of those attrocious 'personality tests' from a magazine. Each shared value increases ease of diplomacy, each value that differs by more than 1 points decreases ease of diplomacy. any difference of 1 makes no odds to diplomacy.
It's a very rough draft, but you get the idea. I think MOO3 is doing something like this but with Theology. SMAC had something similar. It allows for 'love at first sight' and 'hate at first sight' between species.

Mad rambling finished for the moment

[Deathstalker]

bump, Q's 'Fleet_Design_Creations.txt' idea would make a GREAT addition to the AI files for creating challenging AI's.

summary: fleet txt for including fleet composition (ie, fleet 1:4 attack ships, 3defense ships, 2 mine sweepers and 3 troop transports and 1 repair ship)......

Here's for wishing........

[mac5732]

I agree with Maverick, I like the idea on the use and repercussions of using the "nasty weapons". However, not all races should find this offensive, any race that is xenophopic (i don't think this is spelled right) or berserker types wouldn't hate anyone for using plague or planet destorying weapons, but neutrals, merchants, peaceful, etc. would be outraged to their use. Good ideas

just some ideas mac

[CheshireKatt]

About anger vs plague weapons -- it would seem to me that Mechanical races wouldn't care one way or the other about plague weapons. Being immune to them, they never would have found the distaste for biological weaponry that biological races have, because, to them, it might seem as natural a weapon development as a DUC.

And even beyond that, biological weaponry could simply be seen as a pragmatic and efficient way of both killing an enemy AND demoralizing them at the same time (which it is) by warrior races or exceptionally unemotional or intellectually detached ones.

Hmm -- another idea. Maybe a race follows the principles of entropy in a somewhat abstract way (essentially, they believe in the eventual crumbling and disassociation of matter) -- and they get mad whenever you CREATE a planet, but like you for blowing them up. It'd make you some strange allies, all the while your current ones like you less for smashing entire worlds.

--Chesh

[This message has been edited by CheshireKatt (edited 20 May 2001).]