An AI question for a Dev

[licker]

Originally posted by Gandalf Parker:
Not bad. Not bad at all. You went a different direction than I thought you would. I must admit that I expected to do alot of "AH HA! but look at this" Posts but you cut me off.

So rather than a full scripting language with if-this then-this triggers and responses, you are looking more for external variables? Allowing the game to do the recognition and math?

OK for troops that can work. And although I can see alot of "the AI did a stupid thing" it might also provide some intelligent moves. So how would you set the parameters for Ulm?

Heh, glad you see the simplicity of what I'm suggesting. Its alot of matricies, but once you have them set up, its more about making the appropriate algorythem to use them than a butt load of scripting

I think that if the game is keeping track of all the information anyway, the AI might as well use it with some rules (the algorythems I speak of) to make 'better' decisions as to how to spend its resources. I admit this doesn't make the AI better strategically necessarilly, but it makes the AI have a better rounded (or focused) nation to use.

I'm loathe to actually try and do this for any nation, as I am really quite new to Dominions, I was hoping that some of you vets, who know what works for you, would take a crack at it, then I can try to fill in the cracks or elaborate on the driving algorythems.

But since you asked...

First you have to determine what kind of pretender Ulm will have, and you have to decide on the theme. If we are using the 'personalities' that has to be taken into consideration as well. Anyway, Ulms strength would either be in its HI or blessed Knights (depending on pretneder). So I'd set up a generic table with 20% xbow, 20% LI/Militia 40% HI, and 20% HC. The numbers would then be effected on a per turn basis (not drasticly) as Ulm expands and the gold/resource ratio changes. The specific units within a class should probably be an equal mixture (for Ulm since the differnces arn't great). Those specific units (flail v. axe) can have their weights adjusted later on when (and or if) enemy forces are also considered.

That's crude, and I'm no expert (especially not with Ulm), but does it give a decent example of what I'm after? I think you'd do better to set one up yourself and let me ask questions and comment on it