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

[Aristoteles]

Yeah the AI should be more aggressive if you are at war with him, also the AI is mainly using cheap - weak units.

Just a question: Can't you guys contact with Adam West from Crosscut about scripting? Maybe he could help you scripting a better strategical AI, if hes got enough time for that.
Just a suggestion..

[-Storm-]

Originally posted by Pocus:
forgot something of importance:

Some of you wonder why the tac AI is so good, whereas the strat AI is average.

The main difference lie in a word 'cooperation'. Cooperating mechanisms in AI coding is one of the hardest thing to do well. It is even more difficult that learning behaviors.

A given leader/unit in the tac AI dont cooperate that much with the other. Sure, it evaluate that casting poison clouds everywhere if your army is not poison warded is detrimental, but a simple fitness function can tell him that. The tac Ai, for spell casting for example, browse all the spells at his disposal, and get a numerical appreciation on how the spell would be of interest.
With that in mind, with some serious tweaking and work, you can get a good AI for your mages.

The situation is completely different and much more complex for the strat AI. You cant simply tell him to start with biggest stack, seek the best objective for this army, then proceed to the next. I wont discuss further the issue, but believe me the devs made already a very good job with the dom AI.

so much for the 'why dont they do a strat AI as good as the tac AI'

That is true.
Anyways, the devs will figure out a way to improve the strategic AI, I am sure about that.

[Zerger]

Originally posted by MStavros:
Okay I decided to make this topic, since the AI is very weak.

As I see, the biggest problems are, that the AI:

1.) isnt recruiting enough units.
2.) is trying to operate with small 'blitz' armies, I never ever seen a bigger AI army in the demo so far.
3.) isnt protecting its provinces very well
4.} isnt making smart strategical moves


Tell me what you think. I think these are the major problems with the Doms 2. AI.

1 - I agree. However some AIs had nice amount of units in some of my games, but all of those were weak units. They were toast against my heavyweight army.

2. - Very true

3. - Hm I don't agree with this. This part is working well. When I leave a province with a small defense force only, the AI always trying to conquer it with a small army, and he is getting it almost every time.

4. - I agree. One of the biggest problem is, that the AI has no counter for any sort of
efficient strategy.


2 main problems with the AI:
* The AI won't recruit an effective army. Mostly it is trying to attack with tiny - mediocre armies.

** The AI has no counter for any sort of
efficient strategy.


Setting indy str to 7++. It helps a bit, that will slow down the human player, but it also slow down the AI. Also I noticed that when I set it to 7, 8 or 9, and I reach the AI, its hellish easy to conquer the AI's provinces, since the AI had killed the indy armies, and propably the forces of the AI are almost totally dead when I reach the freshly conquered provinces.

===>> This won't help at all in anything.

[ October 29, 2003, 12:54: Message edited by: Zerger ]

[apoger]

The main issue is that humans use very focused strategies, compared to the computer that tends to dabble in a bit of everything.

Sadly also (just like Dom I) it looks like the computer doesn't use it's pretender for anything beyond sitting in the capital doing research, casting rituals, and making magic items. It doesn't use the predtender for combat advantage the way a human would. As far as I can tell, it also doesn't use the pretender for site searching (in person).

On the impossible level Illwinter should have hardcoded more focused behavior. Only allowing certain units, certain research, and certain spells to cast. It wouldn't be as good as a human, but could mimic some human behavior.


Hey IW- If you guys want I could come up with a few simple rules for each nation. Perhaps you could code that into a new level of AI.

[ October 29, 2003, 13:06: Message edited by: apoger ]

[MStavros]

Yeah, if the indy setting is 7 or more, nothing will happen. The only difference is, that you cannot expand that fast.

I think we mentioned the biggest weaknesses of the strategic AI. It is up for the devs now, to upgrade it.

Oh and Kris, if you had some games against the AI, please post your opinion.

[MythicalMino]

ok, just won my first game...I was Pythium...2 AI's (Marignon and Jotun)....

Throughout the game, Jotun pretty much had the lead in army size and provinces...Marignon just never really got off the ground...I led the entire game in research, something I have NEVER done in Dom1....

It took about 20 or so turns to finally meet up with the Ai (Jotun)...Marignon soon followed....Marignon and Jotun seemed to be close, so perhaps they were fighting quite a bit, and that could be why Marignon just didn't do much.

Oh yeah, game settings: default indeps setting, Victory Points turned on (10 points wins the game)

Marignon, I never seen much of an army from them....Jotun, I seen several 50+ strong armies, BUT, mostly Militia. Some were Barbarian Horsemen, Barbarians, and the like...but, mostly militia. I did see several mages/priests...now i am not sure I remember.

Perhaps Jotum would have given me some trouble, but I went for an all or nothing push to the final VP's at turn 33. They were beginning to hit me in 2 different spots at that time, taking my provinces, and re-taking theirs that I took from them, but, it was too little too late. I had gotten close enough to that final 3 point Province, which was VERY poorly defended I thought for being one of the highest VP spots on the map.

I did see Jotun split a 60 man army, and start to attack in two different directions on one of my borders, but again, too little too late.

I am going to try bumping up the indeps a bit, maybe go up to 5 or 6...also perhaps play with 5 AI's this next game.

Anyways, that was my battle report....oh, I am kinda thinking that maybe the VP's kinda screws up the AI too....Jotun just didn't seem too concerned with that 3 point province they had...I boosted up the defense level up high, and built fortresses in my higher point provinces...

Oh well...will let you know about the next game when it is finished or time runs out....

[Kristoffer O]

Originally posted by MStavros:
Oh and Kris, if you had some games against the AI, please post your opinion.

I will be away for a couple of days, but I'll be back sunday.

The main issue is that humans use very focused strategies, compared to the computer that tends to dabble in a bit of everything.

Sadly also (just like Dom I) it looks like the computer doesn't use it's pretender for anything beyond sitting in the capital doing research, casting rituals, and making magic items. It doesn't use the predtender for combat advantage the way a human would. As far as I can tell, it also doesn't use the pretender for site searching (in person).

On the impossible level Illwinter should have hardcoded more focused behavior. Only allowing certain units, certain research, and certain spells to cast. It wouldn't be as good as a human, but could mimic some human behavior.


Hey IW- If you guys want I could come up with a few simple rules for each nation. Perhaps you could code that into a new level of AI.

Feel free to post them or send them to me. I can't promise that it will be implemented, but if and when we adress the AI it can be useful.