Wishlist: Battle AI hooks

[Gandalf Parker]

Spells that get used too much or too little tend to rely on things like this nation, this map size, these mods, early/mid/late game which makes a general change to the game for that purpose questionable.

BUT I have seen that in general, many of the "the crappy AI didnt do what I scripted" are often the use of Alteration (defensive) spells when Evocation (offensive) spells were scripted. Except for certain strategies involving specific spells, I find it helpful to not research Alteration until the point in the game where I might have magic-based thugs. This varies for everyone of course but researching Evoke ahead of Alter has saved me some frustration IMHO

So maybe looking at the spells in those two categories and comparing the priority might help.

Or, getting Johan to get the AI to maybe cast ONE Alteration spell instead of bunches (damn cowardly mages protecting themselves so much that they are worthless in the fight)

[fantasma]

Oh, sure, it would be nice to add the hooks, but I was trying to suggest something more close to the existing code to keep it realistic.

I do agree that the tactical AI could do better at finding specific weaknesses to exploit and not committing suicide with invulnerability in a poison environment, etc.

I am not so sure I like your AI behaviour, not so much for its usefulness but rather for flavour.

[WraithLord]

Well I already said I like your suggestion as well

I'd be happy to see *any* improvement.

[Bananadine]

Isn't it generally good for a mage that can easily cast Drain Life or Disintegrate, to choose Drain Life instead of Disintegrate when the target has 26 magic resistance? Supposing the target is non-nonliving and all. And surely Wither Bones is generally better than Banishment, when magic resistance is high and either would technically work.

I've been playing only LA Atlantis for a long while, and that heavily influences the selection of spells I get to see overused or underused. But the overuse and underuse I see seems to be unrelated to that nation, except of course insofar as the nation determine's the mages' skills. Any nation could have a Mound Fiend that stupidly tried to banish instead of withering bones.

[Gandalf Parker]

But then we are back into the long list of IF's. What exists now is basically a "this is better than this" list. So you can move a spell up and down, but its not likely that you can move it up and down IF something is true. It has to be an all-the-time change

And even then, most people are bound to make suggestions they think are always better but would break some nations in AI play

Unless of course, one of the modding suggestions or scripting suggestions can be put into place so that a player can decide for themself in each game to rate a spell