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Haldowan
Adventuring Hero
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posted July 19, 2006 12:58 PM |
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Improving AI
Hello there, I'm new to the community. I bought the game but because I liked Heroes IV and want to see what the next will worth. I had a hard time playing and thinking about combat, and after reading few posts and strats, I'm now able to beat the computer in Heroic level. So, thank you all. 
The question is : "Why the AI is so bad ?"
I read somewhere that the "AI" is scripted in each map. I read elsewhere that Nival is actually unable to deliver a random map generator because of the way the AI is implemented. Does that mean that they have to re-code all the game ?
Some will tell, the real challenge is multiplayer. Ok, I do think that also, but the patch is late and the "unofficial" patch note said "Multiplayer should work." Even if it works, sometimes we have to add a computer player in the game because nobody join. Remember that the AI is also in the creeps : focusing phantoming forces, don't use teleport when attacking a castle, etc...
I have to tell that I'm a programmer myself and by being a player too, i don't understand what is so difficult in having a good AI in this kind of game. The graphics does not do anything (disabled them all), next time I will go on the forums before giving them money for such ____. If you have information concerning AI improvement, please post it here. I don't know if modding can help.
By the way, i don't have Heroes III, do you have know if i can download it somewhere (demo) ? I don't think i will find it anywhere now...
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maltz
Adventuring Hero
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posted July 19, 2006 06:45 PM |
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Edited by maltz at 18:47, 19 Jul 2006.
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Eh... if you can identify where the AIs are bad, maybe things can be fixed one at a time. For example:
-- Very often AI does not buy more troops, or build further, dispite having TONS of money in the bank
-- AI does not come to your vulnerable, nearby town, and choose to go for a distant target (like the main hero who is certainly going to kick his butt).
-- Battlefield: blood fury run up just to stand beside you, doing nothing.
***
A quicker solution to balance weak AI is to BOOST the number of enemies, and lowered the experienced gained. Now in heroic difficulty, the level cap is always reached ridiculously early. This is really annoying. The experience required to level up later is also ridiculous. I don't know what the programmers are thinking.
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Haldowan
Adventuring Hero
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posted July 19, 2006 08:36 PM |
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You think we should have less xp in heroic level ? I don't know if it would be enough, when you have the right army even a lvl 10 hero can do the work. With the right skills, some good units, the computer can't compete.
I have never reach lvl 40 or see the computer at this level. End-game is near lvl 20 for me and it is better to have another hero to level up because it is a waste of good xp imo.
Maybe there is also an issue with leveling in game, but I don't play the campaigns, I stopped at the first of necropolis because of the AI on this map. I mean, the computer see you but if you are not in his path so he doesn't catch you ? That is beyond the capacities of my half brain, I prefered stop there. I can't understand this kind of logic. In the campaigns if you win the battle you should lose, there are bugs, if you don't follow the path, the scenario fails, I hate that.
°°°°°°°
Return to topic. Is AI improvement very important ? For me yes, because I will rarely have to play with human players.
So if we have one big list of all the problem with AI, it should be a good thing after all (I know that the devs are not on the forums but we can try) ? Ready ? Go ! What are your concerns with AI ?
- Should have exactly what we have at the start of the game (gold, ore, mercury, wood, etc...).
- Focus on gathering ressources. More ressources = more units. The computer knows the map. It will always have an advantage here.
- Creep and let the artifacts for other players. That's bad.
- Stop focusing summoned units, they are not a threat, one aoe spell kill them all.
- Need to go out and take a big breath of fresh air at end-game.
- Attack or just take your mines to slow you down. When the army is balanced it is time to rush.
- Avoid casualties, it is top one priority. Use ressurection, raise dead before the end of the battle.
- Flee when it can be a life saver. Don't lose the game in one battle, that's ridiculous.
- When the AI is playing perfectly, it is very simple to nerf it. Make it very slow for beginners. They will have better army but they will lose because they don't know how to play. That's how it works, isn't it ? They have the auto-combat mode if they want to see how to play the battles.
- The quick battle option is playing very poorly when the difficulty increase (I think that you have to play the fight, it is not simcity here).
°°°°°°°
To be continued
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