Enhanced AI Mod v0.26.35 Release 2/16/2011

pacov

Join Date 02/2008

+183

3 UB builds. 2 spit / ooze with identical skill plans different favor items and equipment items.

1 Pure Ooze build posted in this thread a while back.

ah - ok - so maybe that's what I was missing. I'll watch the next replay to verify the builds. Thanks.

Successfully updated karma reason!

I'm testing shortening up the generic attack actions which use auto attack and get the DG into melee or back line position. Some of the defaults run 4-5 seconds. I think the DG can only have one action at a time, so cannot use skills while it is in the generic action, so dropping to 1-2 seconds should mean it should check all the other actions it could run more often.

Just judging by mana bars I'm seeing them drop to zero faster, but i'll have to watch a replay to see if the skill usage changed.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Out of time to run games for the night, so will just put this out there. Little less tested than i normally do. Don't think i made major tweaks that would cause issues.

yes... but the behavior I've COMMONLY found is that an ai, coming from the crystal, will just engage troops instead of trying to retake the portal. The ideal logic, which might sound crazy, is to get the portal asap and ignore most anything.

Can you see if this is both portals or one side? Around the shops and citadel i have to have a dead zone where the AI is allowed to choose its own action (that is why it sometimes double back and does odd things around there). Wondering if that dead zone is too large and on the portal closest to the shop the AI is using the default goal picker which might think the grunts are worth stopping for.

Enhanced_AI_v0.26.33:

http://peppe-dg-mods.googlecode.com/files/Enhanced_AI_v0.26.33.exe

http://peppe-dg-mods.googlecode.com/files/Enhanced_AI_v0.26.33.zip

Generic Attack durations all reduced to 1 second. May allow the AI to be more responsive - use skills more, run critical actions (portal defense more consistently).

Distance check on portal threatened teleport reduced to about the demigod's vision range.

Queen prefers to shield allies over herself in most situations.

Successfully updated karma reason!

pacov

Join Date 02/2008

+183

Can you see if this is both portals or one side? Around the shops and citadel i have to have a dead zone where the AI is allowed to choose its own action (that is why it sometimes double back and does odd things around there). Wondering if that dead zone is too large and on the portal closest to the shop the AI is using the default goal picker which might think the grunts are worth stopping for.

That's quite likely the culprit. The ai is GENERALLY very good about walking over to the portal, but by then its been captured or locked (+ the whole the ai attacks the troops instead of running all the way to the portal).

From where I've seen the ai doing some crazy things (walk away from cit and then walk back) I'd say the dead zone you created might be a little too big.

Also, is there anyway that if the ai is that the base that you could have it choose to tp to defend portal first as a its first check (if it works that way)?

Won't have a chance to test until late tonight, so if there are any other testers floating about, please do.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Won't have a chance to test until late tonight, so if there are any other testers floating about, please do.

I'll try to test it ASAP.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Is there a way to lock in a capture goal for an initially-owned portal until it's completed? Possibly even ignoring the health sensor? Initially-owned is very important in this case - we don't ever want this behaviour with an enemy portal, or even a neutral portal, just the portals the team starts with.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Quoting miriyaka,

reply 331

Is there a way to lock in a capture goal for an initially-owned portal until it's completed? Possibly even ignoring the health sensor? Initially-owned is very important in this case - we don't ever want this behaviour with an enemy portal, or even a neutral portal, just the portals the team starts with.

No health or structure check in the action at warrank 8 and above. It has to check for enemy heroes while it is on the way to the flag or when at the flag to end the action. If it does not break out of the action the capturing AI will just stand at the flag it may auto attack retaliate, but it won't use skills or move around in the presence of an enemy demigod.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Got a quick test with QoT/UB mirror on Cata, otherwise standard settings, all AI Hard. The good news is I was able to clearly discern that AI QoT shielded her UB consistently more frequently than herself when he was at low health. Good job!

Successfully updated karma reason!

pacov

Join Date 02/2008

+183

No time for testing yesterday. Will have some this evening for a bit.

Successfully updated karma reason!

pacov

Join Date 02/2008

+183

also - brain storm - anyone have any ideas for what we could do to make the ai more challenging late game?

Successfully updated karma reason!

Can you set up a mechanism to have AIs cooperate?

Successfully updated karma reason!

Also, played a 3v3 on Crucible. Enemy AI was rook, oak, ub. We were oak, qot, rook. They didn't look good.

This is with uberfix and latest AI enhanced mod. I just way outleveled the AI - I was 13 and they were 7/8/9 (remember, I'm a poor player). Can we teach them to farm creeps more efficiently? Maybe it's the builds we've chosen for them. This was on normal and I was hardly trying to push the envelope. At least I can crank them up to hard and they will compete on leveling.

I'm generally happy with how the AI upgrades citadels and gear, but overall gameplay still disappoints me. Do they overbuy on citadel upgrades? Do they buy favor items?

Can we teach them how to fake cast some abilities to draw out a stun? Teleport being an excellent example. The poor rook in that game - he couldn't hold his own and I'd just beat him down while waiting for him to try the port. Stun. Finish. Yom yom!

Successfully updated karma reason!

AI isn't so bad for me on hard in 3v3. They have enough cash and leveling advantage that they get hard to kill so at least they're not always in gold donation mode.

Successfully updated karma reason!

pacov

Join Date 02/2008

+183

Enhanced AI 0.26.33/uberfix 1.03/FavorMod 2.1.5

Settings: cata/High Towers - all other settings on default
AI settings: normal

rook(h)/qot/da v rook/qot/da

Observed results:

qot seemed to be a bit better with healing. She also seemed to stay in open form at times when it wasn't necessary (assuming it is a priority conflict). I noticed this when I saw her walking in between my teams towers towards the middle. Then after about 3 seconds, she changed up forms. Should have changed sooner. Minor, but just fyi.

saw a qot actually port in and saved her teammate by casting shield. nice!

wasn't paying enough attention to whether or not the ai ported to save its portals or not. Will watch that in another game later.

Successfully updated karma reason!

pacov

Join Date 02/2008

+183

Enhanced AI 0.26.33/uberfix 1.03/FavorMod 2.1.5

Settings: cata/High Towers - all other settings on default
AI settings: normal

rook/qot/da v rook/qot/da + me watchin

Observed results:

just sat this game out and observed:

if only 1 rook tower is dropped on a flag, qot will attack that instead of moving in range to cap the flag (eg a single tower will keep qot from retaking a flag)

please adjust builds that are more mana dependant to buy mana items earlier (a qot on nightmare should have either plenor or vlemish on the first shop).
And the helms should be more of a priority earlier.
berserkers are generally not exceedingly useful. I'd say have keep the ai from buying them at all.

ai will still prioritze flags like the gold flag on cata if a tower is standing in front of them. Really need some sort of check - if nearest flag is controlled by your team, check for nearby tower. If only 1 tower is present, attack tower. If no tower present, go for another flag. If 2 towers present, do not attack... that last rule would really only apply early game.

Successfully updated karma reason!

pacov

Join Date 02/2008

+183

Big push is coming up soon for inclusion in the game. If you are around and can muster any interest in further tweaks, the next 1-2 weeks are crucial. Otherwise, I think this is good enough to serve as a substantial improvement on the game and thanks for all of your hard work!

Successfully updated karma reason!

Neilo

Join Date 04/2006

+128

I've been playing this mod since my return to the game and WOW. Like i mentioned elsewhere, this MUST be part of the vanilla game, if all players were exposed to this level of AI (nightmare ofc) then their jump to online play will be much, much easier.

The AI do seem to still hang around towers too much and their flag priority seems off. This may be mentioned in the previous 14 pages, but on cataract, the AI push the cooldown flag far more than they should. Obviously the gold flag is the human priority and would be good if the AI were able to be assigned to pursue the better flags. I noticed this with the mana/health flag as well, but to a lesser degree.

I'll be actively playing with this mod a fair amount over the coming days, so if there is anything specific anyone would like me testing pls let me know.

Successfully updated karma reason!

This version has a werid problem when playing with high gold.

The AIs will only purchase one item at the start of the game, and then run to their deaths with 20K still left in the bank.

Oak also seems to have a problem buying items on normal settings.
He'll often buy his initial items, and then when wait until he is level 10 with 15K to do his 1st set of upgrades.

Successfully updated karma reason!

pacov

Join Date 02/2008

+183

Sooo... noticed a pretty big bug. Not entirely sure what the root is, but if any modders out there could take a look, I'd appreciate it.

I had 2 mods enabled - latest version of the Enhanced AI mod + latest version of Enhanced UI mod. The behavior was that an AI ice and/or fire tb would often miss its targets when firing. EG the autoattack would go off over and over but no attacks would hit. In fact, the animation for the fire or ice aa attack would happen, but no ice or fire would move (if that makes sense). Anyway, if someone can, please take a look. Thanks!

Successfully updated karma reason!

This is normal TB AI behavior in regular demigod, and I think it is fixed in uberfix with an acceleration change to the projectile?

Successfully updated karma reason!

pacov

Join Date 02/2008

+183

Quoting LORD-ORION,

reply 345

This is normal TB AI behavior in regular demigod, and I think it is fixed in uberfix with an acceleration change to the projectile?

Ah - might be the case... I'll test soon. Thanks.

Successfully updated karma reason!

A UI mod can't possibly break a sim mod, although it could cause a lot of errors and slow the game down.

Run a log when you observe this happening, then pastebin it. My guess is it'd be the lack of UberFix, but I wasn't really present for the whole TB-projectile-fix part, and I don't know that I've ever really played TB without the UberFix, so I'm ignorant of this particular problem.

Successfully updated karma reason!

pacov

Join Date 02/2008

+183

I'll look into this today after work.

Successfully updated karma reason!

pacov

Join Date 02/2008

+183

Testing:

Scenario for all tests: 3 tbs per team

No mods enabled:

Ai was set to normal (i didn't see the error happen in this game)... I think the AI just had to run too quick before I could see it happen
AI on nightmare (observed the effect, but not to the degree of our ai enhanced games - it seemed alot more frequent in our human + ai games though... hmm)

Enhanced AI enabled:

Saw the problem almost immediately (replay saved: watch the left side of the screen for the first battle (ice tb). Ice tb goes up and misses over and over. http://www.box.net/shared/8jkiyhmymi

Enhanced AI + Uberfix 1.03:

Issue still present (http://www.box.net/shared/r7h3ro5cq5)

Enhanced AI + Uberfix 1.04rc1:

Issue still present (no replay saved)
Tried it again with ai set to normal difficulty (issue still present)
Tried it again with ai set to easy difficulty (issue was still present)

Uberfix 1.03 Only:

This issue still is present from time to time, but is reduced

Conclusion - there appears to be a bug with the ai for tb in vanilla dg. This shows up fairly infrequently in the standard game. Something about the ai skirmish mod seems to cause this bug to show up MUCH more frequently.

It leads me to think there might be an issue with the enhanced AI mod. Something in that mod makes this happen alot. With no mods enabled, this happens, but very infrequently (a few missed shots here and there - with the ai mod on, we are talking like 5-12 missed shots in a row - while standing still).

That's enough testing from me for now. Happy to hear any ideas.

Successfully updated karma reason!

The TB fireball fixed was a simple acceleration change. It won't be something that occurs very often at all. IIRC it only really matters when targets are in an awkward position relative to the TB and the fireball needs a little bit of "ooph" to correct its trajectory. I never checked Miriyaka's reimplementation, but I trust he did it right.

After some testing it looks like the Enhanced AI is causing the TB to change targets too quickly. If you watch the animation of the TB it jerks after the launch of the projectile. That jerk is when it resets is firing animation sequence. I'm guessing that the projectile is destroyed because the attack is interrupted. I'm not sure what is causing it, if I have some time, I'll look into it later.

Update. I had a hunch confirmed. It looks like this is an issue with all ranged attacking demigods.

Successfully updated karma reason!