"AI Balance" mod idea - feedback appreciated !

Gandalf Parker · #1 April 15th, 2004, 01:36 AM

Is there a way to mod ai's only? Or will this turn into a "cheats" boost for player nations?

The things you mention not seeing settings for are available to maps. I did a thread along the same line for boosting AI's thru map commands. Designed gods, scales, selected castles, additional castles, additional starting troops of the type the AI doesnt seem to spend enough on, magic sites, starting spells we would like to see used more.

Maybe you could do both mod and map.

PDF · #2 April 14th, 2004, 02:36 PM

Gandalf,
Mod apply to anyone playing, AI or not. With one mod per nation it won't be hard to enable the "good" ones.
It could be used as a cheat, I've no problem with that, but in MP it won't go unnoticed !

I know that map command can solve many issues, but the problem is that you can't easily apply a set of map command to any/all of your games, whereas it's quite easy with mods.

Tinkthanks
I don't claim I'll make the AI competence increase, just give them cheaper/more stuff

A +1 Research bonus is moddable : giving it to each nation's lowest mage is a good idea, will try that !

For Rainbow mages it could be done by creating a specific unit and putting it in the starting forces, but I'm not sure the AI will use it for searching... There's no way to test AI searches, except by guessing through gem income.
Thx for the praise anyway

Peter Ebbesen · #3 April 14th, 2004, 03:00 PM

PDF, at the risk of a shameless plug, might I suggest you try running the Orania War Nasty Edition vs 16 impossible AIs?

It obviously does not address your main point, but it shows some ways in which even the AI can be pretty nasty if it has some decent resources on hand to start with.

MStavros · #4 April 14th, 2004, 11:12 PM

Well, WOW! I havent been on these Boards for ages now, and I stopped playing Doms 2 because of the weak AI.
I thought that after some patches it will be improved, but as I see the AI still very weak.
Still the same old problems?
[Mass LI armies, etc..]

What a shame! The devs should focus on the AI in the next patch.

MStavros · #5 April 14th, 2004, 11:17 PM

Hm...I wonder..what if someone makes a mod without LI?

Than the AI wont be able to build weak armies!

Tuna-Fish · #6 April 14th, 2004, 11:28 PM

MStavros: try playing a map with some (like 5 for every player, starting under indie control) preset good (fortified city) castles. You'll be suprised how much better the ai handles it's recruiting when it has some extra castles lying around.

Alternatively, try Orania Nasty Edition, made by Peter Ebbesen (I think). If OraniaNE isn't enough, ally all the computers in it together...

PDF · #7 April 15th, 2004, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by MStavros:
Hm...I wonder..what if someone makes a mod without LI?

Than the AI wont be able to build weak armies!

Great idea ! I'd incorporate that in my mod

At least I'd fire all the "totally useless" Light units (Cardaces, Slingers, Velites, Archer Lt Cav...), but keep the better ones (Peltasts, Archers obviously).
It won't prevent the AI from building Indy militia though...

And indeed Nasty Orania, and some other maps, are a real challenge. But what I want is to have a "better" AI independently of any map.

Lastly I'd add 2 features
- Increase the starting armies so that AI nations will have a usable force right from the start (let's say some 50 units, with HI, missile, and some cav if possible)
- Give all nations an extra Astral site (2 gems or so) and maybe a Gold or Resource site. As I don't think a province can have more than 4 sites adding 2 won't be doable for all nations, but 1 should be ok. Drawback is that a player will get that stuff if he invades the province... No self-destruction flag exists !