What do you want in an AI?

Alpha Kodiak · #1 July 27th, 2001, 08:03 PM

Now that I have the Vaxin AI up, I am starting to work on a new race. The question is, what sort of personality should it have? I'm about 80% sure that it will use temporal tech, but I don't know whether to make it overly aggressive like the Rage, nominally peaceful but unpredictable like the Vaxin, or something else entirely.

There are a lot of races out there now, with different personalities. I guess what I am looking for is a personality type that would be enjoyable to play against, but wouldn't play too much like a bunch of other races. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Deathstalker · #2 July 27th, 2001, 08:27 PM

How about a personality that is 'helpful'. One that will actually stick to its alliances and come to its allies defense. It would be nice to see the message "Stop your attacks on the ______ Empire, or you shall consider us enemies as well." Or some such message, and they would go to war to defend their allies.

I don't know if this is currently 'do-able', When I create AI's I just use the 'templates' that come with the game for politics/anger/etc, if I want a honorable/serene race I use the Phong, etc.

That and how about an AI that uses Stellar Manipulation, like planet creators. Could be a 'beneficial' race like Trek's 'Preservers'.

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"The Empress took your name away," said Chance.
Owen smiled coldly. "It wasn't hers to take. I'm a Deathstalker until I die. And we never forget a slight or an enemy." -Owen Deathstalker.

Atraikius · #3 July 27th, 2001, 09:09 PM

If you havn't started the shipset - you could try going through the ships on USy for ones that would like help with AI's. The maker of the designs should have some idea of how they want them to act for you.

If you are making your own designs - come up with a general theme based on thier abilities (i.e. temporal), and then decide upon some fitting areas that they would excel in, and some significant weaknesses and technology that they would avoid. I think the combination of distinct weaknesses with overpowering advantages in thier areas of specialization makes for a very interesting AI to play against. For example - say the race has a very strong sense of honor, and uses hand to hand duel to settle disputes - you could make the AI only use short ranged weapons, with tactics of closing to short/point blank range in combat to carry over thier tradition of hand-to-hand duels, and then have them only use minimal intelligence to show a disdain for the cloak and dagger stuff due to thier sense of honor.

Deathstalker - have you ever happened to get an alliance with the Zorians? - they should act sort of like what you mentioned.

Puke · #4 July 27th, 2001, 09:40 PM

I want it to be able to love. not in a pedophile sort of way that you might think about when connecting a sentence like that to little blond boys or D.A.R.Y.L., and not in a CHERRY 2000 sort of way, but in a sappy steve spielberg pandering to the lowest common denominator of mushy emotions sort of way. because I want to know that when I beat this AI, somewhere theres the mind of a little 8 year old boy crying its eyes out because its people are incinerated or enslaved.

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"...the green, sticky spawn of the stars"
(with apologies to H.P.L.)

edit: tried to fix the spelling of incinerated, but probably still got it wrong.

[This message has been edited by Puke (edited 27 July 2001).]

Urendi Maleldil · #5 July 28th, 2001, 03:18 AM

How 'bout being overly helpful to the point of being annoying.

capnq · #6 July 28th, 2001, 06:39 PM

quote:
How 'bout being overly helpful to the point of being annoying.

Eek! It's Commander Clippy of the MSWord Empire! Run away!

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Cap'n Q

The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the
human mind to correlate all of its contents. We live on a placid
island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was
not meant that we should go far. -- HP Lovecraft, "The Call of Cthulhu"

Alpha Kodiak · #7 July 28th, 2001, 06:48 PM

quote:
Originally posted by capnq:

Quote:

How 'bout being overly helpful to the point of being annoying.
Eek! It's Commander Clippy of the MSWord Empire! Run away!

Cool! That gives me the race portrait.

Quikngruvn · #8 July 28th, 2001, 10:23 PM

quote:
Originally posted by capnq:
Eek! It's Commander Clippy of the MSWord Empire! Run away!

quote:
Originally posted by Alpha Kodiak:
Cool! That gives me the race portrait.

Then everyone would declare war on them at first contact!

Quikngruvn

DocShane · #9 July 28th, 2001, 10:52 PM

Careful with using clippy for that race portrait. You wouldn't want to infringe on copyrights. Microsoft's lawyers probably make more defending each case than most of will see in a lifetime.

Which makes me think about a theme for an AI. How about a Judge Dread theme? An empire that wants to live peacefully, but bent on totally eradicating any militant races?

I think the biggest thing most AI's lack is flexibility. I would like to see an AI make dramatic and unpredictable changes in tactics. This is what makes playing humans so fun.

Puke · #10 July 29th, 2001, 09:04 AM

quote:
Originally posted by docshane:
Careful with using clippy for that race portrait. You wouldn't want to infringe on copyrights. Microsoft's lawyers probably make more defending each case than most of will see in a lifetime.

free use. as long as you are not selling it, you can use portions of their stuff. also, they can quite easily be called a public figure, and any non-profit use of their logo or imagry can be called satire. which is perfictly leagle. this is the same thing that lets you create a 'george bush' race with a picture of our fearless leader and a shipset consisting of flying alcohol and drug paraphanalia. sure its slanderous lible, but hes a public figure so you can do it.

try doing that to a private citizen, and you will have problems. for example, the goth-artist chick that got upset about one of her pictures being used as a race portrait for one of the shipsets on KDY was perfectly within her lawful rights.

and shoot, its not like microsoft has its own eschellon system scanning for any use of their 'clippit' trademark on any internet messageBoards (if you dont hear from me in the next few days, its because i was wrong and they got me)

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"...the green, sticky spawn of the stars"
(with apologies to H.P.L.)