Me AI beats your AI !!

[Arralen]

I finally managed to test my AI troop building algorithm in a test game through to turn 18. I chose this turn as a preliminary goal, as I have a second game where I handed the very same setup to the AI in turn 1:

Machaka
Scorpionking
Fire 4, Earth 4
Order 3, prod 2, Heat 2, Growth 1, Magic 1
DOM 6
Fort. City

Choosing Machaka had the added advantage, that I don't have a clue how to play them, so pretending to be a dumb AI that follows it's script wasn't all that hard. (Learned something about Machaka in the process, I hope)

Game Setup

Map Aran

7 Difficult AI
(Abysia, Pythium, C'tis, Pangaea,
Vanheim, Jotunheim, R'leyh)

Start. prov. 1
Indies 7
Special Site 40
Richness normal
Random common
HoF 15
Magic Research difficult

additional "rules"
- will move out the Pretender as soons as he yields less than 50% of the research.
- will send group of mages for sitesearching (one per path), if they yield less than 50% of research, but not before I see the AI searching for sites
- Army commanders will seach if army waits 1 turn for
reinforments
- will not hire mercs unless more than 50% of them a hired by the AI
- expansion towards enemy dominion/capital to cut of enemy expansion (as the AI commonly does)
- Tax will be set to (100-RoundUp(Unrest*2))%


TURN 1 #####################################



Situation:
Pop 29910:Ress95:Gold400

Actions:
Scorpionking researches (11pts)
Research set to Enchantment (Fire Shield, Skeleton)
Army set to patrol
Tax set to 130%

Moves:
none

Building:
Voice of the Lord (1a) - Priest3 - will become prophet next

turn
3 spider knights (1h)
10 Machakan Archers (5a)

[Arralen]

TURN 3 #####################################



Situation:
Pop 29460:Ress96:Gold218

Actions:
Army assembly (check screenshot)
All Mages => Research
ArmyOne set to attack

Moves:
ArmyOne into Mud Wood (Militias, Archers, LI)

Building:
Sorceress (1b)
1 Spider Warrior (1i)
2 Machaka Hoplite (1i)
5 Machaka Archers (5a)

[Arralen]

TURN 5 #####################################



Situation:
Battle won, losses: 4 Machaka Warriors
Pop(Home)29050:Ress139:gold219:Unrest10
Jotunheim has drawn back from the border, leaving only 3 units behind.
Enchantment-1 complete

Actions:
Tax set to 90%
All Mages => Research
Research => 100% Conj (Vinemen, Scorpion, Serpents, Dark
knowledge)
ArmyOne continues (but where would the AI go? Chose the seemingly easiest target that had red candle as well)
ArmyTwo still assembling

Moves:
ArmyOne to Yellow Mountains(59)[50 Militia, Li, Archers]

Building:
*Machaka
Ear of the Lord (as Scout per 1f)
2 Spider Knights (1h)
3 Machaka Hoplites (1i)
============================================
Comments:
Had to change (5) so that Javelinist and other skrimish troops are build at all. But they are needed in limited numbers, as numbers of heavy troops are too low in the beginning. I hope the availability of more ressource and recruitment places will keep their numbers in check, as they are fairly low on the building list

Running the first 5 turns at 130% Tax fixed should be easy to do and will give the AI a faster start.

Slight problem: If multiple troops fit a "class" (ressource-wise), but only building one type of them would fit the condition, the build routine should choose only that troop.

[Arralen]

TURN 12 ####################################



Situation:
Pop(Home)29470:Ress173:gold437)
Still no Abysians to be seen?
Jotunheims seems to fight C'tis

Actions:

Moves:
ArmyTwo attackes Ulipha(19) {30 Amazones)

Building:
Still no additional fortress/temple/lab
Bane Spider (40% chance)
5 Spider Knights
1 Machaka Archer

[Arralen]

TURN 18 - TIME TO COMPARE THE ARMY LISTS ! ###########



Situation:
Catch me if you can with Abysia..

########## Army setup comparisons: ###############

AI ARMIES
Machakan Army (Diff AI, indy 7) at turn 18:

1 Spider Lord (prophet)
1 Machaka Chief


1 Black Hunter
2 Spider Knights
1 Spider Warrior
2 Machaka Hoplite
8 Warrior
18 Archers
28 Milita


2nd Army
10 men less, similar structure
----------------------------------------------------------

My Armies

ARMY ONE

M.Chief
Eye of the Lord
Voice of the Lord

11 Spider Knights
1 Spider Warrior
2 M.Hoplites
25 M.Archers

4 Vinemen
40 Boars + Animist (merc; 144gold)


ARMY TWO

Pretender
Voice of the Lord (Prophet)

6 Spider Knights
6 M. Hoplites
12 M.Archers

1 Cave Drake
2 Horned Serpents


ARMY THREE

Hunter Lord
Eye of the Lord
5 Spider Knights
3 Spider Warrior
13 M.Hoplites

4 Horned Serpents
10 Vinemen


POWER RANKING
Provinces: 2
Forts: -
Income: 1
Gem Income 2-8 (Pythium1, rest equal)
Research: 6
Dominion: 5
Army Size: 1 (20% more than the 2nd)

[Arralen]

My Army One ready to move out on turn 3:

[Arralen]

My Army Two ready to move on turn 9:

[Arralen]

==================================================

Here's the complete Technical Action Report ...

Here's the Ai building algorithm suggestion thread.

[Gandalf Parker]

Thank you! a "play as the AI" finally.
If we can get some more of these for comparisons I think it will help alot.