Dominions 2. AI. Suggestions, that how to fix it.

[LordArioch]

Originally posted by MStavros:

1. The AI is preferring light troops. -> not good. Light troops are very weak compared to the heavy troops. This is why it is so easy to crush the AI.
2. The AI should summon more creatures.
3. The AI should use more assassins.
4. The AI should guard his mages / commanders better.
5. The AI should use better battlefield tactics.

In my normal AI experience (mostly against Mictlan)

1. The AI does seem to overuse light units. IMO, the best way to fix this would be to better balance light troops. AI did a decent job of throwing in jaguar warriors/sun warriors. And Mictlan doesnt really have heavy troops.
2. I've seen the AI cast more blood summons than I have. Mictlan never seems to move without having a few fiends of darkness and assorted demons about. I don't find most summons more than a decent way to spend gems anyway, the low level ones usually don't turn the tide of battles (anymore)
3. The AI assasinated my pretender and a researching mage and made about 4+ other attempts. If anything he should use assasains less since they usually aren't well equipped enough. (pretender died due to bug)
4. This has always been true, but at least removal of attack commanders makes it harder to abuse. Be nice if any commander got 1-2 troops always set to guard. I started doing this to my mages when he started assasinating them.
5. His battlefield tatics aren't ingenious but I have yet to see anything stupid from the AI here. Usually just a general troops go forward archers shoot kind of thing. Not wonderful but general purpose and usually pretty effective.

[Gandalf Parker]

I have a suggestion to "fix" the AI. I think the choices of AI should link directly to the next page where the game selections are made.

If easy AI is selected then the next page should default settings such as independents to 2 or 3 so that the tactics used by the AI match the game.

If a hard setting of AI is selected then a default setting such as indeps to 6 or 7 would make it less likely that people would force the AI to play stupidly.

Of course all of the game settings apply, and too bad that map size cant be taken into account also. The other fixes are good also but this might be quicker and sooner plus take care of many of the complaints.

[Aristoteles]

We have lot of problems with the strategic AI.

My list about the strat. AI problems:

1. The AI is massing weak troops
2. The AI wont protect his pretender/commanders/priests/mages
3. The AI wont build forts
4. The AI's battlefield tactics could be better
5. The AI is making very odd things. IE. wandering around with his pretender alone etc.
6. The AI won't stay in a province, it is always moving his armies.
7. The AI won't make complex strategic maneuvers. IE. Making a focused attack against a province.
8. The AI won't equip his supercombatants..at least I've never seen that in the demo.

(((((Feel free to add more, please continue with number 9.)))))))

[Zerger]

Originally posted by Aristoteles:
We have lot of problems with the strategic AI.

My list about the strat. AI problems:

1. The AI is massing weak troops
2. The AI wont protect his pretender/commanders/priests/mages
3. The AI wont build forts
4. The AI's battlefield tactics could be better
5. The AI is making very odd things. IE. wandering around with his pretender alone etc.
6. The AI won't stay in a province, it is always moving his armies.
7. The AI won't make complex strategic maneuvers. IE. Making a focused attack against a province.
8. The AI won't equip his supercombatants..at least I've never seen that in the demo.

(((((Feel free to add more, please continue with number 9.)))))))

I agree with this TOTALLY .
Just a question: the developers are keeping an eye on this thread at all? Especially JK, who scripted the AI..??

[Gandalf Parker]

Originally posted by Aristoteles:
We have lot of problems with the strategic AI.

Maybe you do. Im still trying to figure that out.
I dont see the problems you are having but then Im not forcing the AI to play its hard-game strategies on easy game settings so that I can rush them while they are still building up. Some of these "bad tactics" you see are perfectly good tactics but being used in the wrong game.

I know that the hard AI works well in hard games. Im kindof curious now if the easy AI might not do better than the hard AI when played in games of light settings

[ November 01, 2003, 21:52: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]

[st.patrik]

JK posted Last week that he was going to be away until Sunday. So no, he probably hasn't been reading this thread the Last few days

I'm sure he'll see it when he gets back - it seems the devs are usually pretty good about keeping up with stuff that's being talked about.

[Zerger]

Originally posted by st.patrik:
JK posted Last week that he was going to be away until Sunday. So no, he probably hasn't been reading this thread the Last few days

I'm sure he'll see it when he gets back - it seems the devs are usually pretty good about keeping up with stuff that's being talked about.

Actually that was Kristoffer if I am correct. JK is Online quite a lot -> just check out that who is Online, his name is there usually.

[PvK]

Actually, I wonder how many of the people who are having an easy time with the AI, are already expert human players.

Personally, I am getting nailed by the AI!

PvK

[Zerger]

Originally posted by PvK:
Actually, I wonder how many of the people who are having an easy time with the AI, are already expert human players.

Personally, I am getting nailed by the AI!

PvK

Odd, I am not a vet, but I can easily beat the dominions 2. impossible AIs.
The AI is very weak in many ways.

[ November 01, 2003, 22:15: Message edited by: Zerger ]

[-Storm-]

Originally posted by Aristoteles:

1. The AI is massing weak troops
2. The AI wont protect his pretender/commanders/priests/mages
3. The AI wont build forts
4. The AI's battlefield tactics could be better
5. The AI is making very odd things. IE. wandering around with his pretender alone etc.
6. The AI won't stay in a province, it is always moving his armies.
7. The AI won't make complex strategic maneuvers. IE. Making a focused attack against a province.
8. The AI won't equip his supercombatants..at least I've never seen that in the demo.

Period. Fix these, and we will be happy.

Just a little addition for 1. -> The AI should recruit heavy/elite units, and make complex/varied armies.

[ November 01, 2003, 22:28: Message edited by: -Storm- ]