Atten Devs: AI (Rules-based dynamic scripting?) - Page 3

MaxWilson · #21 March 15th, 2007, 06:22 AM

Hmmm. Thanks for the inside information.

-Max

Ygorl · #22 March 15th, 2007, 01:43 PM

Arralen, external AIs (of many types) could work. You'd have a program that would take as input a .trn file, a .map file, and any .mod files in effect (if you were feeling mod-friendly). It would do its thing, and give back a .2h file. Now, training some types of AI could be harder, since it wouldn't have direct access to the battle resolution engine; it still wouldn't be impossible though (remember the battle simulator from Dom2? Or it could create a microgame on a special 3-province AI-map to test strategies, much as real humans sometimes do...)

mivayan · #23 March 16th, 2007, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Arralen said:
scripting
Modding isn't comparable with AI scripting, because the mod commands are simply read in and the 'standard values' (variables) replaced before a turns orders are evaluated.

Perhaps if dom4 happens we could mod a lot of numbers that are currently hardcoded. Like how important it is to spend gold on cavalry/infantry/mages. Make an ai nation more likely to research conjuration first.

Quote:

external AI
Because the turn results are basically re-created based on the game rules, active mods and the turns random seed(s), an external AI would need to do the same to get the full overview over a turns results: One would have to redo Dom3 in the AI code to be able to do that. Might as well use the game engine itself ..

Only the battle replays are re-created when viewing a turn. Not messages and such. When the wrong battle replay bugs happened, the message report still fit the units you had afterwards, but the battle replay didn't (iirc). As long as the AI doesn't try to analyze what went wrong in a battle, this shouldn't matter.

If the file format is made public for an AI project, it might still be possible to see what units were deployed where at the start of battle. And the *exact* orders the enemy scripted his units with... which isn't normally available... so here's a small *unavoidable* cheating opportunity.

Quote:

It should be noted that the existence of
super-tactics in a game is actually an indication of bad game-design,
because they make the game too hard when employed by the computer,
and too easy when employed by the human player.

Dominions is badly designed, scientifically speaking

Sounds like supertactics are things that require specific counters and will annihillate the unprepared... like everything after turn 30?

Gandalf Parker · #24 March 16th, 2007, 10:02 PM

Id be happy with AIs that had more of a range in their randoms. Or better yet, a setting that can affect the basic random rolls.

NTJedi · #25 March 19th, 2007, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Gandalf Parker said:
You cant really change how the AI thinks. But with map commands you can build an AI nation that makes better use of the AI brain.

One really strong benefit within Dominions_2 was the #startspell command where a non-blood nation could be given two or three specific blood spells, a powerful non_moving blood caster and a few magic sites with blood income. As a result you'd be pleasantly surprised from a stronger AI opponent.

UNFORTUNATELY... in Dominions_3 the #startspell command is broken because it only works for ONE turn!! Based on the progress things are getting fixed it looks like my favorite map command will remain broken in Dominions_3.

Gandalf Parker · #26 March 19th, 2007, 06:26 PM

Probably yes. Broken commands in the game tend to stay broken. Its taken me literally years to get some fixed.