Gandalf's Random Circus for Dom2 (was demo)

Gandalf Parker · #1 November 3rd, 2003, 09:47 PM

OK maybe this will address some of the issues about AI. Or at least clarify some. The AI gets more castles/temples/labs. It gets more high level troops. And it avoids some stupid things that can get it in trouble in a fast game. If nothing else its a VERY different game for the demo.

http://www.techno-mage.com/~dominion/Poke_Eye.map
http://www.techno-mage.com/~dominion/Poke_Eye.tga

OK the actual image is the same eye one. But the map file is very changed. The game is now called "a Poke in the Eye". Be sure to read the prophet announcements since they can be very interesting. And be sure to scout carefully even on indep settings of 2.

Download those 2 files to the maps directory under your dominions2demo game.

If you are interested in the programming code, just ask.
If you think its crap, show me the one you did and I would be interested.

[ December 05, 2003, 16:15: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]

DominionsFan · #2 November 3rd, 2003, 09:51 PM

I am not against this, I love challenges, but I really want to see a lot better core AI.
Of course Im trying this map of yours anyways.

Alneyan · #3 November 3rd, 2003, 09:56 PM

I will give it a look Gandalf as soon as possible.

At any rate, thanks for your efforts!

An idle technical question: how did you manage to tweak the AI behaviour? I don't ask you to get really technical, but merely what kind of programming/editing/coding/scripting you did. (If anyone is interested in the details, I am pretty sure you will be asked.

) And likewise, what are the possibilities (or rather, limits) of such changes in the AI demeanour? Not only for now, but in the future as well. Who knows, you may very well have different AI for different strategies for example.

Sorry if I didn't make much sense, as technical tweakings are usually far beyond my field of knowledge.

Keir Maxwell · #4 November 4th, 2003, 05:51 AM

oh goodie - downloading right now.

All hail Gandalf the Random!

Keir

apoger · #5 November 4th, 2003, 06:31 AM

>An idle technical question: how did you manage to tweak the AI behaviour? I don't ask you to get really technical, but merely what kind of programming/editing/coding/scripting you did

The core behavior wasn't tweaked. That will probably be up to Illwinter.

What has been done is that some AI players will not attack each other, plus heaps of random troops have been thrown everywhere (including starting provinces).

The AI doesn't play "better" but it often starts with funky resources. Add in the wild nature of the map, and you have a fun free for all game.

I played it a bit and it was actually some of the most fun I have had with the game so far.

Kudos to Gandalf!

Mortifer · #6 November 4th, 2003, 10:04 AM

Indeed, try Gandalf's map with indy str 9. Insane

I've got a new negative record with expanding.

Anyways scripts like this can help until the AI is being fixed.

Alneyan · #7 November 4th, 2003, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by apoger:
The core behavior wasn't tweaked. That will probably be up to Illwinter.

What has been done is that some AI players will not attack each other, plus heaps of random troops have been thrown everywhere (including starting provinces).

The AI doesn't play "better" but it often starts with funky resources. Add in the wild nature of the map, and you have a fun free for all game.

Yes, I misundersood Gandalph, nothing out of the ordinary here. Or perhaps I am wishing for a way to tweak the AI behaviour, which alters my understanding.

The map is definitively intriguing and fun from what I have been, but I do have to play it more.

Gandalf Parker · #8 November 4th, 2003, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Alneyan:
An idle technical question: how did you manage to tweak the AI behaviour? I don't ask you to get really technical, but merely what kind of programming/editing/coding/scripting you did.

I didnt really change the AI behavior. I cheated. As APoger properly deduced I just gave it access to things people said they thought the AI should have. Its really just the same sort of random scattering I used in my Dom1 maps with a couple of the new Dom2 commands added.

The AI's get an added commander randomly chosen from the 1010 possible. That commander has a high chance of also getting a random magic item. Also some troops assigned, and some personal bodyguards. Of course the way I do this is to give every province an additional commander etc etc. You also get one when you start. The random equip command doesnt seem to work the same in Dom2 as it did in Dom1 but its in there anyway.

Someone COULD do a map making sure that JUST the AIs got the additional armys and proper units for that race but to do that you would have to lock-down the starting positions for each AI which would take down the replay on it.

The AI gets more castles/temples/labs because I scattered a bunch over the map. Of course you get that advantage also but thats as close as I can get unless someone wants to do a manually edited map where only the AI's get this.

Since the provinces all get that surprise additional army you will find that the map must be played carefully even on indep of 2. Ever tried to take a province guarded by monoliths?

Avoiding stupid moves? Well the only thing I could come up with there is that there is a bunch of ally commands tossed in. Im not even sure who is allied with who. But it means that some of the AI's wont attack other AI's. Maybe that way by the time you get there they can have something more challenging waiting for you instead of banging against each other.

As for what programming was used..... I use BASIC to run these maps. YABASIC to be exact (Yet Another Basic). Its free and available for nearly any operating system. If I get bored of this map I can double-click the basic file and it generates a completely new .map file for me to play on with all new scatters.

If you want to try your hand at manually making a more challenging map by purposely giving the AIs what you feel they should have then go for it. The mapedit docs are part of Dom1 or can be downloaded with the preview mapkit for dom2. The .map files are just a text file and can be edited using notepad, or wordpad, or word. The images of the map (the .tga file) can be edited with many paint programs. You could download GIMP (a free paint program but possibly too powerful for most people to really want to play with).

If anyone requests it I can quickly re-generate that map to scramble things again. Or make my sloppy basic code available. Thanks for all the nice comments, I really just tossed this off thinking it wouldnt go over well.

[ November 04, 2003, 15:08: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]

Sammual · #9 November 5th, 2003, 01:23 PM

Gandalf,
I would like to see your code. I am currently working on a senaireo editor for the web right now and it could be a great deal of help.

Sammual

Gandalf Parker · #10 November 5th, 2003, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sammual:
Gandalf,
I would like to see your code. I am currently working on a senaireo editor for the web right now and it could be a great deal of help.

Sammual

OK but dont laugh. I didnt say it was GOOD code.

It doesnt like me posting it here for some reason. It reads it as html and doesnt like part of it. There are some other examples (.bas .yab)at http://www.techno-mage.com/~dominion/

There is also an Online java Version done by a friend of mine in alt.hacker at http://members.aol.com/mp0werd/web/DomMapGen.html