Any improvements in the tactical part of the game?

[Gandalf Parker]

True. Unlike most of the formulas this would have to be more subjective. Watching battles and then trying to decide if the formula would have made a difference in that specific battle.

Abit more difficult in this case. But the "test it" method has helped alot in the past to show us times when a fomula on paper didnt tend to work out that well if you tried to robotically follow it for all nations

[Twan]

I think the best way to make such tests possible would be to release a round per round dom3 combat engine (functionning like the heroes serie or MoM tactical combat, you choose the spells casted during the fight) as a minigame. It may be very usefull for testing AI scripts as well as a good addition to the game (I imagine that many players would be happy to make duels on this mini game, and it may even be made a game option to use this round per round engine for normal combat resolution -of course only in non pbem games-). The other possibility being of course a scriptable AI you can test with the normal combat engine. But I know the chances to see one of the other thing released in an easy to use by players form are very small considered the lot of work needed.

Anyway making working formulas without the hability to test them is hard, so I can't propose anything precise, but I may list some factors I hope to be considered for the value of each spell when the AI have to make a choice.

General :
- the fatigue level of the mage (any spell making the mage reach more than x fatigue should be discarded first). If the game allow more player choices I hope this x to be based on a player choice (not for each mage as it's too much microgestion, but why not having general consign for all our mages like "rest if your are tired" -your mages will hold if their fatigue is 80 or more-, "stay active as long as possible" -the mages won't cast any spell making them reach 100 fatigue, except if they can't cast anything else-, "be prudent in spellcasting" -the mages won't cast any spell making them reach 130 fatigue-, "use your powers" -the mages will use any spell they juge usefull without fatigue limit-.
- the gem use compared to the number of gems the mage has (as well giving the player the hability to give a consign for his mages about gem use will be appreciated)

Summoning spells : your number of troops and their relative power compared to the ennemy number of troops and their relative power (the more you are outnumered the more a summoning spell is valuable) the losses of the last round ; in storm castle situations the size of the gates for the spells summoning melee troops.

Dammage spells : the number/relative power of ennemy troop you may affect at best (at good range / in the ideal area of effect -if your precision roll is successfull-), their natural resistance against this kind of spell (but not their resistance improved by spells the ennemy had casted -or it's too much an advantage for offensive casters).

Resistance/defensive buff spells : the nature of the spells or attacks used against your troops in the last round, the dammage taken by attack/spell type * the number of troops the spell may improve at best (ie if the troops with an earth mage had suffered 40 melee dammage and 80 mind burn dammage last round, the iron will spell will have a bigger value than iron warriors, but legion of steel or marble warriors will be preferred as they affects far more troops)

Offensive buff spells (strength, flaming arrows, weapons of sharpness etc) : number of affected troops, quality of the improvement, may be determined by the dammage your troops may have done with this spell if active last round (ie if last round with "weapons of sharpness" your units would have made 50% more dammage and with "strength of giant" 20% more, "weapons of sharpness" will be chosen in priority).

Heal spell : number of troops affected, the medium dammage they have taken, the % of their hp the spell will give back * the offensive power of these troops (it's more interesting to give back 20% of his hp to a spring hawk than to give back 3% to a vine ogre).

Personnal melee preparation/shield spells : the proximity of the closest ennemy and his speed, the presence of flyers and cavalry in the ennemy army, the number of ennemy troops compared to yours (if you have more troops and the ennemies are far away and with no flyer nor cavalry, your mages have no reason to use "astral weapon" or other "fire shield").

Of course the big difficulty is to have all these formulas based on these very different factors giving final numbers in the same range, comparable by the tactical AI to make a choice, this game needs a genious biclassed mathematician /AI programmer to really reach all its potential in the tactical area.

I don't think the AI can be programmed to actually make clever choices. I think for every scenario where it makes the right choice based on such rules there's another (or more) scenario where it totally screws up because of that.

One thing i'd really like to see that'd kinda fix this problem is the possibility to script ongoing order for troops. I.e.: cast (specific soell) ad infinitum.
Or maybe less specific "only cast support/damage/summon/protection spells".