Improvements for AI Opponents

MaxWilson · #1 July 8th, 2008, 04:07 PM

Hopefully the current (secret) Illwinter project will turn out to be as much fun as Dom3.

KO is always hinting at the current project and I want to know what it is. Hopefully within a year or so.

-Max

HoneyBadger · #2 July 8th, 2008, 04:10 PM

Illwinter doesn't even need to improve the AI themselves, we just need the tools to program it. I'm completely confident that there are people in the forum who will positively salivate over the idea of improving the AI.

NTJedi · #3 July 8th, 2008, 04:16 PM

Quote:

HoneyBadger said:
Illwinter doesn't even need to improve the AI themselves, we just need the tools to program it. I'm completely confident that there are people in the forum who will positively salivate over the idea of improving the AI.

Yes a scriptable AI would be a huge improvement and it's worked wonderfully for many other games. Unfortunately we probably won't see this feature until DOM_4. With JK and KO working another project it may take 5 years or more before we see DOM_4, but I believe it will arrive. Stardock is releasing a fantasy TBS game during 2009, the developer responding to my email shows this game has a bright popular future.

Gandalf Parker · #4 July 8th, 2008, 06:15 PM

Quote:

HoneyBadger said:
Illwinter doesn't even need to improve the AI themselves, we just need the tools to program it. I'm completely confident that there are people in the forum who will positively salivate over the idea of improving the AI.

We would like to think so but many offers have been made for AI improvement projects by "the AI sucks" experts. Few have ever bothered. They mostly just want Johan to fix it.

On lists of AI fixes about half tend to be "we can do that now", then theres a bunch of "can you lay that out more exactly and maybe Johan can look at it", some that are IMHO not even good things to put into the game, and then a few possibly workable good ideas.

Maybe the problem is that Im not sure what list such things should go on to get Johans attention. Maybe the AI needs its on wishing shortlist.

MaxWilson · #5 July 8th, 2008, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Gandalf Parker said:
We would like to think so but many offers have been made for AI improvement projects by "the AI sucks" experts. Few have ever bothered. They mostly just want Johan to fix it.

Gandalf,

What does this mean? I've never seen Illwinter offer to let anybody else touch the AI. Are you talking about the map-editing projects like SemiRandom, for giving AI pretenders better scales?

-Max

Gandalf Parker · #6 July 9th, 2008, 12:19 AM

Well that would be one.

Also calls to lay out specific AI instructions the way its in the game. We gave info on looking at the debug code, then giving specific suggestions. The AI is linear and general so most peoples suggestions tended to be too specific. Altho I do remember one that gave very specific suggestions for better castle building which seems to have been put in. Also some suggested changes to spell sequence, and unit building.

MaxWilson · #7 July 9th, 2008, 12:23 AM

Hmmm. Did these discussions take place on the mod forum or here in the main forum? If the mod forum I must have missed them.

I've been thinking lately that the AI seems to be better than it used to be, and I wonder if this is why.

-Max

Loren · #8 July 9th, 2008, 12:41 AM

*PART* of #3 could be implemented easily:

Check to see if the commander will benefit from the item. When I take an air-breathing item off an air-breathing commander, something's wrong.

I would also divide all commanders into caster or non-caster. Items would be flagged as to whether they are for casters/non-casters or both.