Tough Love for the AI
Demigod Forums
Sometimes it's hard to see, but the AI now is alot better than it was in Beta. I say it's hard because in most cases the AI feeds kills like a little tramp.
But on the off chance that GPG is working on AI along with everything else, a few observations:
First - the good stuff -
- Sometimes on a map like Cataract AI will work to cap side and portal flags. It's a nice secondary action, and they are decent at not dying to towers while doing this. Of course if I port in then they die, but still, interesting initiative. (If they actually locked the flags once they capped them that would be even more interesting)
- AI are alot less likely to get pulled all the way to the enemy citadel than they used to be. They can still be pulled into tower range, and across tower range, but at least they won't go all the way. Small favors, huh?
- Occasionally when all the human opponents leave there will be some sort of Perfect Storm event where all the AI work together for a brief moment to dismantle my DG before I can even react. It looks like it resets when I die though, because the rest of the match is typically easy.
The AI is using Goal Prioritizing, right? So if you could tweak the AI that replaces humans in multiplayer games in the following ways then it would be less frustrating to play with, if not ideal. (The ideal solution would be to control AI movement just like a minion, but I doubt we'll see that. The super ideal solution would be to have those perfect storm events every time, not just once every ten games for 10 seconds)
- Support human allies
Don't go off on your own and farm grunts, don't push towers, don't cap flags. Show no initiative. Yes, this handicaps xp levels and map control. It's worth it, because when AI goes off by itself then the opponents kill it over and over and over, and the gold and experience advantage they gain from this is far higher than what you lose by staying close. I want Scooby Doo AI - he should leap into my arms and yell YIKES!! when the bad guys show up. Even better would be the option to select AI "stance" while playing - agressive, neutral, and defensive.
I admire the initiative in capping portal flags, but I don't need it and if you fail you just handed a big chunk of xp and gold to the opponents. Cowardly, sniveling AI is preferable. In line with that -
- Self-Preservation
Something like - calculate maximum damage per 10 seconds available to enemies within 30 meters and retreat when this number exceeds available health. AI seems to have no consideration for opponent pocket nukes and DoT. None. If you can't program to calc this (which is understandable because I'm making this up as I go along) then just put AI survivability as the primary goal in every scenario.
Calculate frequency of attacks from opponent Demigods on AI relative to attacks on other targets. If the frequency against the AI is higher then retreat until frequency shifts, regardless of HP. AI has no consideration of focused firing or attack priority positioning. Get out of the heat if you can't stand the fire.
If two opponent Demigods are within 30 meters and allies are further than 15 meters retreat until parameters change, regardless of relative health. AI has no consideration of *potential* health. All I have to do is pop a pot or shield up and the tables have turned. Only newbies and AI try to 1v2. It doesn't work for either.
If health is lower than 30% retreat to crystal or heal (don't just hang out behind a tower when you have 50 hp, don't turn around and try to take me with you). Towers and grunts don't offer protection, and I won't forget you when you leave my sightline, especially if you then turn right back around and try to come attack me again with your 50 hp.
-Attacking
If opponent health is at least 50% lower than AI and neither allies nor opponents are within 30m then attack and pursue only if AI attack options are calced to produce a kill within 10 seconds. If opponents are within 30m - kill solution must be 5 seconds. In absence of these parameters hold ground or retreat. Don't follow my 2k hp Shield Oak across the map with your 5k hp UB when I have two allies at full health beating on you. You won't get the kill, but after I've kited you far enough I will turn around and we will kill you. Just trust me on this one, ok?
If allied DG is attacking an opponent within 30m cease current activity and move to support.
When attacking an enemy DG use debuff and stun abilities immediately, except when Shield or Bramble are present. Continue to prioritize stun and debuff attacks over autoattacks and nukes. When out of mana retreat, regardless of relative hp, unless kill solution is 5 seconds or less.
General Minions should focus fire on 1. Enemy priest minions 2. Enemy DGs 3. Enemy siege minions 4. Enemy Reinforcements 5. Enemy Structures
- Upgrades and Spending
AI buy alot of fancy gear and gadgets and upgrades that have no application the way they use them.
Your Warlord's Punisher just stole some of my mana. Great, in the time it took you to cast I took 1.5k of your hit points. Also, I have 4k mana. And Heart of Life.
You upgraded the Death Timer. Awesome, now the enemy can kill you 10% quicker than they could before.
You have level 4 Minotaur Minions, and they have almost as much armor and life as you do. Great, guess which of the three of you I will be killing first?
At the citadel AI should concentrate only on Building HP, Building Defense, Gold, Experience, and Grunt Armor and Weapons. They shouldn't upgrade to priests 10 minutes into the game. They shouldn't upgrade the death timer, ever. Ever. (Actually if you are reading this and you have ever upgraded the death timer in any game that wasn't a 1v1 with Draconic Death Penalty then you should slap yourself)
At the shop AI should concentrate on +HP, +Armor, and +Speed items. Mana, teleport and consumables should be secondary, and fancy randoms shouldn't come into play. Sorry, I know I've learned alot from watching how nightmare AI play (apparently triggering Wand of Speed before casting Boulder makes the boulder move faster?) but in a skilled pvp game the jazz hands just don't cut it unless they are being deployed by people who know how to *plan* and *time* and *adapt.* AI doesn't know how to do any of these things.
TL;DR - no one likes to play with AI right now. But we would dislike it less if it stopped feeding kills and acting stupid.
If you want to skip all the programming just make the replacement AI come in at Nightmare difficulty. They will still be dumb, but at least they won't die so quick. Nightmare might be too much for new players to handle, so make it a selection option in the lobby.
Thanks,
Kestrel
You picked the right frog. 
