Good game, but....the AI is very bad.

[proteus]

Indeed the game is complex -> hard to make a good AI.
there are lot better AIs for various games, take a look at HoMM3 for example.
It is not as complex that is true, but there the comp is making huge and strong armies, its really decent. Also it is using them very well.

Just go and play with it on harder settings you will have hard days, I guarantee it.

The Doms2 AI is hella weak compared to the homm3 AI for example. These little light infantry armies and the various other AI problems wont offer a little challenge at all.
I guess -as someone said- lot of people would be thankful for AI improvements, lot of people bought the game to play and enjoy the SP part as well, the game was advertised as a sp-mp game.
The core game had a bad AI, but why do we have a bad AI after a half year still? THIS is the real question here.

[ May 08, 2004, 23:13: Message edited by: proteus ]

[Graeme Dice]

Originally posted by Norfleet:
Name ONE game that has truly had good AI.

Other than games where a decision tree can be mapped out for all possible combinations of moves like Chess, I don't think that such a thing exists anywhere.

[Gandalf Parker]

There have been plenty of people here talking about the AI. Some of them program at various levels and have said that it would not be easy, simple, or quick. A single-threaded AI is going to be a hard project to patch. And other methods would be a major rewrite (scripted AIs are a great thing but everything in the game has to have a script-handle written into the code for it to work)

Thre are some threads that are helping the subject along. Do a search for
SUGGESTION: AI castle building algorithm
SUGGESTION: AI troop building algorithm

both of which need people who are wiling to test their ideas and post results.

[MStavros]

Well I am here now.
I am mainly playing multip. games now, unlike my bro, but this is just because the AI is so crap still.
After that huge discussion in december (20 pages long thread about the AI), even I am annoyed a bit, that after all these patches the AI is the same. This means one thing. The developers can't be bothered about the AI. You don't like these opinions? YOu have the right, but don't forget it seems so that they can't be bothered about it. Is it good? Not at all!
Personally this is my favourite game, but Illwinter is not my favourite gaming company.

[Gandalf Parker]

Originally posted by Graeme Dice:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Norfleet:
Name ONE game that has truly had good AI.

Other than games where a decision tree can be mapped out for all possible combinations of moves like Chess, I don't think that such a thing exists anywhere.

---

Actually Galactic Civilizations would be fairly ultimate in mentioning AI. In conversations in the real Artificial Intelligence sites it gets mentioned. Its still fairly new to the Windows envirnment but still keeps alot of its abilities.

But there is a big difference between building an AI and adding a game to it, versus building a game then adding an AI for testing and soloplayers.

[ May 08, 2004, 23:26: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]

[proteus]

Mr. Parker, the galciv AI is really good, I must agree, but the homm3 AI is even better.

The comp rocking there. Sometimes it is making so huge and powerful armies that I need all my skill to beat it somehow with nasty tricks!
Sometimes I even loose against the AI.
Hardcore strategy fans should give it a try, its a huge challange.

In dominions 2. I win all games against 1-8 comps on all settings.
This tells about everything.

[ May 08, 2004, 23:29: Message edited by: proteus ]

[Molog]

One easy "improvement" would be to give the AI cheating powers.
Add a new level super-impossible, where the AI pays only 25% upkeep, has a 5% chance to have a castle build in a random province and gets a 50% research bonus.

This would satisfy the people who want a challenge and is relatively simple to do.