AI Modding 101?

[Litcube]

Exactly. It's funny that you've noticed that I've been pulling out my hair over trying to Mod AI. There's alot of "re-inventing" the wheel going on out there, and it's a shame.

I've managed to get the basics of the design files and construction files down. If you look at the quantum reactor on your list (10000Kt), you only need one in a ship. There's a minimum of one, so anything ammount of KT over the ammount of the largest ship, will result in a maximum & minimum of one on a ship.

I've also managed to find out how to get the AI to design more than one types of attack ships. I still don't understand Oleg's method of using the "must have", and with my experimentatino, it doesn't work as well as I would have thought. Using boarding ships, kamakazie ships seems to work well. There's alot of hardcode in the AI. "Easy modding" my ***.


My biggest problem right now is the lack of momentum the AI seems to show. With no logical reason whatsoever, the AI will simply give up doing much of anything after a certain point in time. They quit expanding. I have no idea why.

[Fyron]

These might be of some use:

AI Cheat Sheet

Generic AI Excel Spreadsheet

*sigh* where did all of these people go?

[ February 22, 2004, 05:53: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

[spoon]

The "AI cheat sheet" Fyron links to really is excellent. Check it out!

[Rollo]

yes, you guys are right. The documentation is hard to find. It is mostly bits and pieces that can be found on the board.

I think the biggest help to start with is Atraikius Design Cheat Sheet (thanks for digging that up Fyron):

Originally posted by Atraikius:
Here is an update of the Cheat Sheet I made back before the Gold Version.

1040385338.zip

I'll try to dig up some more helpful stuff.

[hicksz]

I just got back from eating. I took a quick look at the AI Cheat Sheet. It looks very helpful with explaining the AI_DesignCreation. I have look through the "Modding and other help tool" Posts but pass on this one becuase it was just called "cheat sheet." When you unzip it, you find the doc called AI_DesignCreation_CheatSheet. Thank you Imperator Fyron. I must give a special thanks to Atraikius for creating it. I'll look harder through these Posts to make sure I didn't miss anything else. I going to bed now so I'll read the whole doc tomorrow but from what I seen so far is gold. This document should be connected to the other mod tutorials and not buried in a post.

Rollo, anymore help you can provide regarding AI Modding would be appricated.

Litcube, thanks for the help regarding the 10000Kt issue. I'm not familiar with Oleg's method of using the "must have" so I don't know
what to tell you. I'm interested though and would like to know more if you can point me to the information. As far as your AI slowing in momentum, I'm not a mod expert and without more information on your setup, maybe either your AI can't research something or they are not adding all of the correct components they need for their unit or ship? Maybe maintenance is eating up all of the AI resources? Maybe a ship is too expensive to build and taking too many extra turns to get out of the space yard. I'm just guessing but when the AI doesn't act right for me, I play a couple of more turns and then goto Game Menu -> Players -> and uncheck the AI in question and play him for a turn to see what's going on.

[Rollo]

alright, here is what I was looking for:

This thread along with the design sheet should help you to get started:
AI Text Files Tips & Hints

and here is something to explain how research works:
AI modding: research.txt

Feel free to post additional specific questions, though. I totally agree that an AI modding 101 would be a great thing.

[ February 22, 2004, 08:10: Message edited by: Rollo ]

[hicksz]

Thanks again Rollo for all of your help. There is a lot of great info here to sort through.

I got to, got to, go to bed but I had one quick questions before I'm gone. I read through your excellent AI Modding Research.txt and I have a quick question about "Not Connected" AI State.

I looked at what Tampa_Gamer (your second link)also said about AI Modding Research.txt:

(6) Make sure you test your races “Not Connected” research tree - some people actually play this option and they may want your race to do more than sit on its thumbs for 100 turns.

This is taken from one of the AI Reseach.txt file:

AI State := Not Connected
Tech Area Name := Rock Planet Colonization
Tech Area Level := 1
Tech Area Min Percent := 100

I notice all of the "Not Connected" AI States use a "Tech Area Min Percent" of 100.

Is "Not Connected" the AI's way of saying it's researched everything that is important and it's going to now just research one tech regardless of what is actually happening in the game?