AI Modding 101?

[Rollo]

'Not Connected' is an AI state. When the AI thinks it is 'alone in the universe' (i.e. not connected to others via warp points), it switches to that state.

So while in 'Not Connected' state it researches different than in all the other states. Higher priotity to colonization tech, warp point opening, etc.

[ February 22, 2004, 09:03: Message edited by: Rollo ]

[Rollo]

Originally posted by hicksz:
...This is taken from one of the AI Reseach.txt file:

AI State := Not Connected
Tech Area Name := Rock Planet Colonization
Tech Area Level := 1
Tech Area Min Percent := 100

I notice all of the "Not Connected" AI States use a "Tech Area Min Percent" of 100.

actually that is a pretty bad choice, IMO.
"Tech Area Min Percent" of 100 always results in lost research points, since only one project will be in the queue.

[Rollo]

Just realized that I shouldn't say this a bad choice without providing a better alternative

This is what I use for some of my races:

AI State := Not Connected
Tech Area Name := Rock Planet Colonization
Tech Area Level := 1
Tech Area Min Percent := 1

AI State := Not Connected
Tech Area Name := Gas Giant Colonization
Tech Area Level := 1
Tech Area Min Percent := 1

AI State := Not Connected
Tech Area Name := Ice Planet Colonization
Tech Area Level := 1
Tech Area Min Percent := 1

AI State := Not Connected
Tech Area Name := Astrophysics
Tech Area Level := 1
Tech Area Min Percent := 1

AI State := Not Connected
Tech Area Name := Repair
Tech Area Level := 1
Tech Area Min Percent := 1

AI State := Not Connected
Tech Area Name := Stellar Manipulation
Tech Area Level := 4
Tech Area Min Percent := 34

AI State := Not Connected
Tech Area Name := Applied Research
Tech Area Level := 3
Tech Area Min Percent := 97

AI State := Not Connected
Tech Area Name := Minerals Extraction
Tech Area Level := 3
Tech Area Min Percent := 34

AI State := Not Connected
Tech Area Name := Cargo
Tech Area Level := 3
Tech Area Min Percent := 34

AI State := Not Connected
Tech Area Name := Ship Construction
Tech Area Level := 4
Tech Area Min Percent := 34

AI State := Not Connected
Tech Area Name := add more stuff accoring to your AI game plan using the 'Tech Area Min Percent := 34'
...

This ensures that I get all the colony techs as well as the tech that my AI needs for WP openers.

[oleg]

Originally posted by Litcube:
...I've also managed to find out how to get the AI to design more than one types of attack ships. I still don't understand Oleg's method of using the "must have", and with my experimentatino, it doesn't work as well as I would have thought. Using boarding ships, kamakazie ships seems to work well. There's alot of hardcode in the AI. "Easy modding" my ***.

...

Yeah, my Posts may be sometimes confusing . The basic caveat of using Design Names in construvtion.txt file instead of generic types like "attack ship" is that SE keeps track the numbers of ship corresponding to "generic type", not the name listed in construction.txt. That is, when AI decides how mane "attack ship #1" to build, it check the TOTAL NUMBER of ALL "attack ships", not that particular "attack ship #1".

It is very easy to deal with this problem using "must have": For example, if you want 10 "attack ship 1" and 10 "attack ship 2", you use
must have := 10 for the first name and "must have := 20(!) for the second entry.

This way, AI build 10 a.s.1 and then 10 (!) a.s.2 since the number of "must have" corresponds to the summ of all attack ships in service.

It can be done with "planet per item" but it is more tricky. If you want say 4 a.s.1 per planet and 4 a.s.2 per planet, you must use
planet per item :=4 for first ship name and
planet per item :=2 (!) for second name.

If you use =4 in the second entry, no ships would be build since SE "thinks" the fullfilment for attack ships was satisfied by a.s.1 numbers.

[ February 22, 2004, 09:54: Message edited by: oleg ]

[Mephisto]

You should concentrate on one file in your modding first. Doing them all at once will get you confused. For testing AI designs I suggest to create one savegame with High Tech and one with Medium Tech so you can test you design file with different tech levels.
One major trick in the design of AI ships is to remember that the AI will fill a design with the primary weapon. Knowing this you should only add one primary weapon, fill the ship with everything else you want to have on board and then the AI will fill the remaining space with weapons.
Watch the designs in the game but do not use the "condensed view". Each component is in the order the AI added it into the design.

[Litcube]

Holy smokes. If you build it, they will come.

Everything has been a great help, guys, thanks. If I've learned anything by reading this, though, it's that AI modding is *alot* of work, if you're going to do it right. Especially if you've completely redone the tech tree. :/

[Litcube]

Here's another:

What defines each of the AI's modes?

Exploration, I'm assuming is right off the start. But at what point does it shift gears? And to which gear does it shift?

[hicksz]

I agree with Litcube. Thanks to everyone for there help.

I just read your question Litcube and would like to know too.

Originally posted by Litcube:
Here's another:

What defines each of the AI's modes?

Exploration, I'm assuming is right off the start. But at what point does it shift gears? And to which gear does it shift?

I finally read all of the information that you had linked for us Rollo. I have a lot of information to keep me busy for a while. Thanks. Also thank you and Imperator Fyron for answering my "Not Connected" AI Research Question. The reason I was thinking that "Not Connected" is a don't care anymore by the AI is because the "Not Connected" research is alwasy show at the end of the txt file.

Originally posted by Rollo:

quote:

---

Originally posted by hicksz:
...This is taken from one of the AI Reseach.txt file:

AI State := Not Connected
Tech Area Name := Rock Planet Colonization
Tech Area Level := 1
Tech Area Min Percent := 100

I notice all of the "Not Connected" AI States use a "Tech Area Min Percent" of 100.

actually that is a pretty bad choice, IMO.
"Tech Area Min Percent" of 100 always results in lost research points, since only one project will be in the queue.

---

This was taken from the TDM-Modpack.

I am really happy with Atraikius AI_DesignCreation_CheatSheet.doc but I'm bothered that this post and the document will get buried again when this post becomes old news. I was wondering if the document could be link to "Frequently Asked Questions for Newbies" or to Imperator Fyron SEIV Modding 101 tutorial since the doc is a modding subject?

[ February 22, 2004, 22:11: Message edited by: hicksz ]

[Baron Munchausen]

The conditions that make the AI switch states are hard-coded and not available to players in any way.

MM had a special debug mode in the game for a while that let us watch and see what modes the AI was using (to help develop AI mods, of course... and it seemed to spend more time in 'short term defense' mode than anything else.

As a general rule, it will be in 'exploration' mode when there are no enemies to deal with. So, yes, the first part of most games will be spent entirely in exploration mode until first contact with periodic breaks for 'Infrastructure' mode.

First reaction to an enemy incursion is 'Defend - short term' and since anyone you don't have a treaty above 'non-intercourse' with is an enemy that would be why it spends so much time in that mode.

When the AI wants to get aggressive it goes into 'prepare for attack' mode and this is obvious if you are the object of attack. We've all seen it. The fleet that is going to attack you will sit there in plain view as it builds up. If the attack fails it assesses its strength according to its own secret standards and either starts a new buildup or goes into 'infrastructure' mode to build up its strength some more before checking to see if it ought to attack someone -- assuming it is not attacked in turn before getting around to that.

The other modes are very rarely used, unfortunately. I never once saw the AI use 'defend - long term' mode.

[ February 23, 2004, 03:47: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

[Fyron]

Originally posted by hicksz:
This was taken from the TDM-Modpack.

Keep in mind that there is no "right" way to create an AI. There will always be dissenting opinions (once you get beyond the mechanics, of course).

I am really happy with Atraikius AI_DesignCreation_CheatSheet.doc but I'm bothered that this post and the document will get buried again when this post becomes old news. I was wondering if the document could be link to "Frequently Asked Questions for Newbies" or to Imperator Fyron SEIV Modding 101 tutorial since the doc is a modding subject?

If we can get Atraikus' permission, I would be happy to include this in SEIV Modding 101 Tutorial.