AI spell casting priorities

[Twan]

Gems won't be spent after round 5.

Hum there should perhaps be exceptions for some evocation spells (namely shadow blast, fire storm, niefel flames, shimmering fields). A player may want to have someone (probably a communion master or high level pretender) chain casting large area evocations as long he has gems, even after 5 rounds. As well there should be an exception for astral healing.

Banned buffs:


Only when scripted (because these are personal buffs more suitable for thug/sc units):

Astral Shield
Fire Shield
Personal Quickness
Flight (caster-only)
Water Shield

I disagree. They should be very low priority but not blacklisted. As they can't harm you they are something a mage should cast if nothing else -nothing not worse for your troops- can be done. And flight, giving more survavibility to a mage if his army is routed, should rather be in the "usefull buffs" list.

Blink
Breath of Winter
Charge Body
Soul Vortex
Barkskin (for poor Abysia)
Stoneskin (there are units with chill aura and Earth)
Ironskin (reduce lightning resistance)
Invulnerability (Ironskin should be enough for mages, and there might be earth mages with poison aura)
Personal Regeneration

These ones may be harmful for the mage or your troops and should be blacklisted. All protection spells give weakness against one element, so I include ironskin (especially bad in endgame, when the ennemy expect you to use army of lead/gold and so use shock dammage as much he can) only the player should decide to use one of them.

Preferred buffs:
Buffs mages SHOULD cast, if they can:

Summon Water Power
Summon Storm Power
Phoenix Power
Summon Earthpower
Strength of Gaia
Air Shield
Personal Luck
Mistform
Twist fate
Mirror Image
Iron Will/Resist Magic
Eagle Eyes
Flight (personnal)

Mistform should be higher priority than anything else (and airshield in land battles). Resist magic is usable only if the army isn't protected by antimagic, so should be high priority too as it may save the mage. In + magic buffs, summon earthpower should be 1st priority as it gives reinvigoration. Flight should get a good value when the mage's army as suffered a lot of losses.

Combat spells
Preferably, any buff spells/gem-expensive spells would have higher priority in the beginning, and would drop below direct damage spells of the same priority level in few turns. Thus, mages start by casting Luck/Body Ethereal, then quickly change into mind burn/paralyze or better spells.

Astral:
never unless scripted: Blink, Returning, Vortex of Returning, Solar Brilliance, Astral Healing, Soul Drain, Unraveling,

Astral Healing is one of the rare gems spell someone may hope to see used after round 6, except that agree.

Doom, Battle Fortune, Will of the Fates, Antimagic, Arcane Domination, Master Enslave, Astral Tempest.

I would include Doom and Astral Tempest in the black list. Doom is a waste if you destroy the ennemies, astral tempest kill your own guys.

Will of the Fates should be highest priority if a mage can cast it, and Antimagic as well. Mass enslave spells aren't that good if the ennemy has used antimagic and the caster has no penetration item, and casting one probably mean a powerful mage will be uncounscious, so they should not be valued as much as a defensive BE.