Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 1:12 pm Post subject:
TS: Human AI - new Skirmish/Multiplayer AI Mod
Subject description: With extra (12!) Harvesters, that do NOT get stuck!
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Human AI System 1.3 for Tiberian Sun / Firestorm - by Midnightgreen
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Objective: To create an AI mod for Tiberian Sun that plays similar to Human players in Skirmish, and is a challenging opponent, and does NOT achieve this by Cheating( Ie getting multiple amount of money for each Harvester, or getting tougher units )
Features:
* AI Does NOT cheat, doesn't get more money, doesn't get stronger units, and Does not Ally with other AI players * Stronger Economy, the AI builds more Refineries early on, also more in total, 5 Refineries * More Harvesters, the AI builds 12 Harvesters in total, that do NOT get stuck, and also replaces them if lost * AI builds stronger Attacks that actually can defeat players * AI simulates 'scouting', it doesn't just attack you without first finding out where you are * AI protects its harvesters * AI replaces Construction Yard if lost one * Firestorm Compatible
Also, as this Mod is a 'light' mod, it only consist of changed .ini files, which would mean you could adapt this mod onto any other existing TS mods( see the 'changes' .txt for all changes and explanations), or even adapt it to RA2 as the two games share 95% of its .ini commands.
Note: The only thing that is not 'natural', is that I had to change 1 small thing in the 'prerequisite' system, at the moment both you and the computer need to build a Refinery first, before Barracks. The reason being is that as this AI doesn't 'cheat' with the money, when you set the starting credit to 2500 thats how much it gets. It builds the Power Plant and Barracks before the Refinery, and that would be 2600, so as a result it needs to sell its Barracks, which will result in a Bug, the AI wont build more than 1 Refinery. If anyone can offer an alternate solution, or to set the Minimum amount of money to start with to be at least 2600, let me know. ( for RA2, I think you could set the Minmoney to 2600, but TS doesn't have this command)
Updates in 1.3:
* Even stronger Taskforces
* GDI got an additional attack, that is targeted at Harvesters
* removed firestrm.ini, as the only thing it did was to disable the 'droppod' special for the AI, which resulted in a BUG, that the AI never built a 2nd node for the Upgrade center
* changed the Taskforces(made them even stronger), and improved build Logic
Harvester Fix: It was believed for a long time that you can't make the AI build more than 6 Harvesters, or if you could, then they would not work properly and get stuck. However I managed to find a way, Djohe was on the right track with the ai.ini commands, and it would have been obvious to order them to 'Harvest Tiberium' but that resulted them getting stuck. The Correct command was not so obvious. There is a really useful command 'Repeat until success', that was all that was needed. If you give no other orders just that, they will behave exactly as any other Harvester the AI builds, collect tiberium, go back, and loop this process.
Also, I needed another command to build and replace all Harvesters, the new ones included. This was quite easy, I just needed to add a condition "if Owner has less than 12, then build 1 Harvester". These Harvesters are just regular old Harvesters, not 'Cloned' ones, which has the added benefit that if/when AI attacks harvesters it attacks these ones as well.
For more information have a look at the mod, in the ai.ini and the changes.txt
Thats it. Last edited by midnightgreen on Tue May 20, 2008 11:52 am; edited 1 time in total QUICK_EDIT
Joined: 18 Jun 2005 Location: Dordrecht, the Netherlands
Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 1:54 pm Post subject:
Allied General wrote:
Only issue I see is editing maps do have Paranoid at default settings and build space issues on small maps.
Which maps do have that? IIRC, none of the official WW maps (and no mapper would be foolish enough to activate it for their maps)...
Also, I wish you all the luck of the world with this project midnightgreen! Good to have some new AI modders here on PPM QUICK_EDIT
Just to clear up any confusion, this MOD is meant for Skirmish and possibly Multi-player Free for all if everyone has the same thing installed.
If you want to play original SP campaigns, then you may need to uninstall it.
It is also optimized for Medium/big sized maps not for really tiny maps. and also meant for Free for all NOT really 1 on 1. As it is not possible to write effective mods for 1 on 1 really. (I am saying that after 10 years of online Starcraft )
There are actually 3 type of attacks the NOD if you include the one in Firestorm. The reason why I put in only 1 for the GDI, was that I don't think it would be any more effective to have any alternative type of attack, although if you have some ideas what would be more cost/damage/time effective than 12 Titans+MK2+6Hoovers then let me know and i can put it to test. QUICK_EDIT
Try a taskforce of 8 Disruptors, 4 Juggernauts, and 6 Hover MRLS. The Disruptors will cause way more damage than the Titans. Plus, the Juggernauts can punch a hole in the base defences for the Disruptors. _________________ Steel Talons Commander QUICK_EDIT
My problem with that is that the AI for some reason sometimes builds all Taskforces at once... Even though I set FillEarliestTeamProbability=100, as well as the priorities. So this is why I think its best if the Computer only has 1 type of 'main' attack that aims to kill the opponent.
And the way that it .inis are structured that all attacks that are available for TS are going to be there when you are playing Firestorm, so that means that if I would add a 'main' attack that has Juggernauts then the AI would have 2 main attacks, which would be possibly problematic for the reasons I mentioned above. Thats why the aifs.ini only has secondary attacks + extra base defense that can run side by side the original main attack.
As for including Distruptors in the main team, I though about it, but as far as I remember Distruptors don't really work well in teams, the 'death ray' they shoot kills friendly units as well, that is not the case with Titans, which are cheaper as well.
Anyways, If I am wrong please let me know! QUICK_EDIT
I thught it would be a good idea, since I have used an similar attack force against the computer with excellent results. Oh well . By the way, you are right about the Disruptor. They do kill off friendly units that get in their way (unless the friendly unit is another one of your Disruptors).
Edit:
I just finished a skirmish game on medium difficulty. One of the computer players wiped out the guy above him, nearly wiped out the guy in the opposite corner(I helped some), and was beating me up. Great mod, midnightgreen! _________________ Steel Talons Commander QUICK_EDIT
Cheers! For best results set it to AI level 2!, I mean there arent really any differences between 'Difficulty' levels because I removed them, the only difference will be the 'hardcoded' 5th Refinery, as If i recall correctly each 'AI Level' means +1 Refinery, but either way the AI will always have 12 Harvesters and will build the same attacks, even if you set the AI level to 0. QUICK_EDIT
Hmm so basically all the triggers are activated on all difficulities?
Seems uh a bit .. generic? .. I'm sure with customisation though it will be useful and hey its a first public ai I've seen so congrats on releasing it I guess.
Its just a shame you gotta work with a rather archaic scripted engine. _________________ QUICK_EDIT
Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 11:29 am Post subject:
Re: TS: Human AI - new Skirmish/Multiplayer AI Mod
Allied General: Yes, that is correct, this mod only has '1 difficulty' level, as that was it's intended purpose, to be the 'AI Level 3' for TS/FS.
I could add weaker taskforces for each difficulty level, but, really, if you would want to have it easier, then why not just play the regular AI at Level 2 or 1? Of course, there is a BIG gap between this new AI and the even Level 2, but really, it really just meant to be the 'toughest' AI that can be.
BTW I uploaded a new version with a few small fixes QUICK_EDIT
Also, Adding more than 1 main taskforce.. I keep thinking about it, but still have my doubts. Again most Free for all or multiplayer games are pretty 'generic' if you ever played Starcraft online, there really isn't any variety in most games, people just keep building bigger and bigger masses of the same units. Which I could actually do as well.... Like there is a command that uses an alternate type of attack if the first one wasn't successful. hmm
The biggest problem I have with this AI-engine, is the poor control of the actual attacks, and that is something you cant really do much about. Like when the AI attacks, it just sends all units in a 'queue' of 1-2 units, like it doesnt concentrate/focus the units into a 'formation' before the attack.
Also the actual micro-management of individual units, the MK2 is a real idiot for example, it just sometimes keep turning around and around or walking aimlessly when its being attacked. QUICK_EDIT
I have uploaded V 1.3, probably the final version, some of the changes include:
* GDI got an additional attack type/taskforce, so it now has 2
* Increased the Taskforces for main attacks even further...
* some small fixes QUICK_EDIT
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TS: Human AI - new Skirmish/Multiplayer AI Mod
