Please fix the AI scale choices!

[Loren]

I don't know if it was a difficult or a mighty AI, there were some of each in the game.

Death-3 Misfortune-3 Drain-2. The triple-bless didn't make up for it.

In the process of taking him out I ate a few people (there were 3 melqarts leading my chariots)--and then found two provinces were completely depopulated and the capital was down to about 2,000.

[Omnirizon]

programming an AI capable of doing the kind of evaluation necessary to allow it to pick appropriate scales, pretenders, and magic paths is basically impossible.

I think your only option is to start a game with all human players, and design each pretender yourself, then set all but the nation you wish to play to AI.

to my understanding, some ppl also use mods to give AI extra stuff in their capital, or their pretender extra stuff; anything to make up for the fact that the AI cannot actually evaluate and choose proper units.

The last point brings up an interesting option. Would it be possible to simply program the AI to recruit and compose only certain types of squads? That way its pretender could be designed, and then the AI programmed to only recruit units and compose squads that its design was made to use. Better than what it does now.

At any rate, your better off just forgetting about the AI, IMHO. Jump in an MP game. Although some ppl do find a lot of pleasure in playing SP 'challenges' and perhaps role-played SP; if maybe that's your thing. Still, this is by and far an MP game.


EDIT: if JK actually does make an AI that can do the evaluation necessary, then watch out, Skynet will be coming online soon.

[MaxWilson]

I would recommend using Ballbarian's Semi-random to generate gods. Then post the god files here and/or mail them to Ballbarian so other people can use them. I keep meaning to write up some gods but so far I haven't.

-Max

[Gandalf Parker]

AI=artificial intelligence
AH=artificially human
AI is actually fairly easy, but its not really what we want. AI movement on a map would be a straight line with small dodging of obstacles. Easy to exploit. AH movement is removing some of the Intelligence and replacing it with more Randoms.

In this case the AIs choices are too random. But if Johan smartened it up too much, it would get boring. And if it did a ton of IF commands to set the best choices for each of 70 nations then it would get pretty code heavy. Random has its drawbacks but also some advantages.

However, there are map commands and mod commands provided which allow us to create the AIs we want. There are numerous threads explaining how to give the AI a complete build that you feel is more reasonable. The choice of pretender, magic, scales, dominion strength. You can even boost it by giving it your choice of starting units, starting equipment, etc. Its also fun to put in your personal choice then play against yourself.

The best bet, as MaxWilson mentioned, is the SemiRandom program. If everyone here created one God, and one Province, then that program would have a huge library to generate from. The games played on semi-randomized maps would get VERY interesting.

[NTJedi]

There are numerous methods for improving the AI... some should be easy, others we know would be very time consuming and difficult.

I estimate the only way we'd see improvements for the AI within DOM_3 is if JK and KO suddenly start playing games with AI opponents where they could experience the biggest AI weaknesses... such as several pretenders dying after being sent to the arena death match. AI improvements for DOM_3 feel unlikely so we'll most likely need to wait until development of DOM_4 begins which will be at least 5 years.

Ideally multiple AI personalities which can be random or selected with a modding option of editing and/or creating new personalities would provide the strongest AI opponents. The original Neverwinter Nights provides a scriptable AI allowing the community to create unique powerful creatures and NPCs. I've heard the scriptable AI has allowed for gamers to create assassins which are NPCs which actually track and hunt you. On a side note the last patch for the original Neverwinter Nights was recently released.

If KO and JK are creating a RPG type game I highly recommend playing the original Neverwinter Nights. The diamond edition is very inexpensive right now.