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

[Zerger]

Hm we all know that the AI won't build forts, or just very rarely. No wonder that the AI will recruit weak troops and militias than.

The AI on impossible level is expanding very fast, even with indep. str. +9.
His home province with the fort is very far usually.
The AI is recruiting heavy troops in his home province, but it won't make 1-2 stronger armies from them. It is making lot of wandering armies with a few heavy units in all of them.

I think the these things should be tweaked first:
- Enforce the AI with a script to build more forts in strategic locations. ((strat. loc.: province which is surrounded by other provinces of the AI, near mountain ranges, do not build a fort next to an other fort, etc..))
- Enforce the AI with a script to recruit more heavy troops/sacred troops&priests/summon more monsters.

I think these are the most important things to fix first of all.
Ther are many more, the list of Aristoteles is well written about them.

[Gandalf Parker]

OK maybe this will address some of the issues about AI. Or at least clarify some. 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.

[ November 03, 2003, 17:18: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]

[ywl]

Originally posted by Richard:
From what I have seen the beta testers have still been complaining about the AI. So this is not an issue of a late change that has crippled things, those testers STILL are getting their butts beat.

What I do see here is mostly veteran dom I players who know how to beat the game through practical experience from the first game. I also think some folks have judged it from limited playing time. Some people reported "THE AI IS THE WORST EVER!!!" within hours of the demo being released. Now tell me how you determine that from one game.

I am sure there are ways we can make the game better, but to say such things with such little to back it up is silly. If you have complaints, feel free to post them here, but it is much more productive to give specific examples and email files to Illwinter.

Now to the other stuff. Some people need to grow up on both sides. This is a game, not the WWF. Stop calling names or I will have to deal with that issue, and I don't want to have to do that.

If you want to get results, do this the right way. We have no problem working with people if they can PROVE there is an issue and work with the developer to fix it. Just posting constantly that you think the AI sucks and your are 3l33t won't get you anywhere.

It's a fair post.

I've played a few more games and in cases saw my major armies destroyed by the AIs. In one example, my favorite Pythium elite Emerald guards got totally wiped out by Jotun giants - I managed to got out alive only because Jotun got backstabbed by Man .

I've played Dom 1 for more than a year and of course, I would usually beat *all* the AIs if I put effort. But I guess, I could probably only do it in 3 out of 4 games.

But I also agree that the list of suggestions are quite constructive and useful for the program.

[DominionsFan]

Originally posted by Gandalf Parker:
OK maybe this will address some of the issues about AI. Or at least clarify some. 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.

Whatcha done with the map file? Post some details plz.

[Alneyan]

EDIT: Sorry, silly double post.

[ November 03, 2003, 18:03: Message edited by: Alneyan ]

[Alneyan]

Originally posted by Kristoffer O:
The AI is not cheating on normal level. At higher levels it gets more design points and earns more money. Thats about it.

Thanks for the answer Kristoffer. I will say good job with the AI then, AI that does not rely in heavy cheating are becoming rarer and rarer. Mainly because it is much easier to give an AI a lot of additional resources than scripting an effective AI I would tend to believe, and AI isn't exactly considered as a priority by most publishers. But I digress.

Obviously, there is always room for improvement, but that's another topic, well covered in this thread. All I wanted to say was merely an encouragement for using an AI that isn't keen on using many advantages.

[DominionsFan]

Yeah, it is cool that the AI won't cheat, however it is not very effective right now.

I had a game today with 5 impossible AIs, independent str was 6, and I've killed 2 AIs before turn 40.

Kris, copy and paste that list by Aristoteles, and try to fix those problematic points step by step. Oh and don't foget to reply here, that how is it going!

[DominionsFan]

Damn, sorry for the double post.

[ November 03, 2003, 19:46: Message edited by: DominionsFAN ]

[licker]

I think the more I fool around with the Demo the less concerned I am about the AI. I still think that making the AI better should be a high priority, but the doom and gloom aspect of it hasn't been apparent to me, at least in the types of games I've been playing (cramped maps, 6 or 7 indie strength). I've seen big armies with a solid HI core. I've seen seasonal spirits in the armies, I've seen maurading pretenders (though not always well defended...)

There is alot of good information and suggestions in this thread though, I hope that the discussion has helped the devs to look at some of the issues being brought up, and given them some thoughts on how to approach those issues.

I would still like to know if there's any way to externalize AI parameters so that modders can try their hand at various things...

[DominionsFan]

Someone had mentioned that a special debug mode would be cool to inspect the AI. [Checking out the AI's actions in his turns.]
I like this idea too. However we have many good suggestion already.