Going from Normal AI to Impossible AI...

[Ming]

Many thanks.

[Zeldor]

Impossible AI with better independents mod can make really good use of sacreds, but only if it has H3 priests [though Divine Bless should have really higher priority]. With all that points it gets and negative scales it take you can meet triple 9 blesses there.

[thejeff]

You can meet triple 9 blesses, but you'll also meet big armies of expensive sacreds that the AI doesn't bother to send a priest with. Or Cast bless if it does.

[MaxWilson]

I also did not think the AI needed the score graphs. I suppose I can try playing some more without the graphs and see if there's a perceived difference--although buying decent PD also keeps the AI off your back and I don't think that shows up in score graphs.

Endoperez said:

Can you do it? At least theoretically? Unless you can, it isn't as easy as you think it is.

Bear in mind that the "upgrade" has to be smart enough to work with modded units and nations, too. It can't be a bunch of special-casing like "If you're Mictlan, send a priest to bless F9W9 jags but if you're Marverni don't bother blessing your Boar Warriors." You'd need to either *always* bless blessable troops (I actually think that would be a pretty decent fix) or figure out a way to evaluate when it's worth it.

-Max

[Loren]

Renojustin said:
Wouldn't it be relatively easy to upgrade the AI to the point where it could use sacreds, scales, and supplies, everything really, in a far better fashion? I don't think SP Dominions gets enough love currently.

Yeah--I've taken multiple air-breathing items off the AI in a current game. There are no water races in the game!

[NTJedi]

Loren said:

Yeah--I've taken multiple air-breathing items off the AI in a current game. There are no water races in the game!

I would be happy to organize a complete shortlist of AI improvements, if KO and JK have an interest for improving the AI.

[Gandalf Parker]

Well I know that I have asked for such a list so that the modders and mappers could improve things. But it would tend to be a very different list.

For KO/JK the AI is linear in one section of code. It tends to operate in general rules without alot of "if" code. So it would be something like purchase infantry before cavalry instead of specifying IF Ulm then purchase specific unit before other specific unit. Or consider xxxxxx spell better than xxxxxx spell but not IF pythium or lines like not to cast xxxx spell on xxxxxx specific unit.

But for modding and mapping purposes the specific failures of specific nations can be addressed. Such as the fact that Mictlan tends to kill itself off early in solo games by not providing for its own dominion can be fixed by setting specific pretenders and specific scales.

[Loren]

Gandalf Parker said:
Well I know that I have asked for such a list so that the modders and mappers could improve things. But it would tend to be a very different list.

For KO/JK the AI is linear in one section of code. It tends to operate in general rules without alot of "if" code. So it would be something like purchase infantry before cavalry instead of specifying IF Ulm then purchase specific unit before other specific unit. Or consider xxxxxx spell better than xxxxxx spell but not IF pythium or lines like not to cast xxxx spell on xxxxxx specific unit.

But for modding and mapping purposes the specific failures of specific nations can be addressed. Such as the fact that Mictlan tends to kill itself off early in solo games by not providing for its own dominion can be fixed by setting specific pretenders and specific scales.

Assuming the code tolerates it I would think allowing modders to raise/lower the priority given various things should help with AI tweaking.

[NTJedi]

Gandalf Parker said:
Well I know that I have asked for such a list so that the modders and mappers could improve things. But it would tend to be a very different list.

For KO/JK the AI is linear in one section of code. It tends to operate in general rules without alot of "if" code. So it would be something like purchase infantry before cavalry instead of specifying IF Ulm then purchase specific unit before other specific unit. Or consider xxxxxx spell better than xxxxxx spell but not IF pythium or lines like not to cast xxxx spell on xxxxxx specific unit.

But for modding and mapping purposes the specific failures of specific nations can be addressed. Such as the fact that Mictlan tends to kill itself off early in solo games by not providing for its own dominion can be fixed by setting specific pretenders and specific scales.

Sounds like it would be easy to stop the AI from sending pretenders into the arena death match since they have a unique tag.

[HoneyBadger]

One really easy (I think...) stopgap solution to the bad AI sp problem would be if we were able to assign greater or less points to all players at the beginning of the game, and then ofcourse switch them to computer controlled-this would also be an interesting handicap feature for MP games.