1944 AI

[SpikedHelmet]

I think 1944 is at the stage where a dedicated AI can be made for it. There are enough units, and the balancing is far enough along, that I think it should be done... now, the only question is, WHO WILL PLZ PLZ PLZ DO IT?!

:D

[Neddie]

I'm not sure a dedicated AI for one particular game is feasible. As it is, RAI is the only one which can play 1944 at all, and it can't stand up to an equal number of players even with 100% handicap.

[tombom]

NTAI could probably be made to work with S44 but I haven't looked at it in a while.

[AF]

The last dedicated AI was NTai for XTA back before the data it used was moved out into textfiles years ago.

A dedicated AI is unfeasable these days as modders are generally ignoring the AI aspect of their mod.

The only mod related people who've ever actually bothered to even look at toolkit properly are:

argh, ivoryking, and foreboding.

Everyone else in AI development has had little or no modding experience of any kind and have never been on a mod team. This includes AAI support and any other AI related.

I might have left out NOTA people as Idont remember who exactly did th them.

Aside from the above 3, people, modder AI support has been limited to writting adding a tag in modinfo.tdf

[1v0ry_k1ng]

NTAI cant play s44 because infantry are told to attack flags with their primary weapons and thus stand still and out of range. s44 creates vast lag with NTAI for no understandable reason, and dosnt like using infantry as attackers due to their build ability.

[yuritch]

Yes, S44 infantry is causing all sorts of troubles for AIs. First thing, only the infantry can attack and destroy flags, and they need to get close to do this (flag-killing weapon is short ranged, and infantry's primary weapon has much more range). Second thing, those same infantry can also build flags and so they are seen as builders and not attackers by some AIs (at least AAI and RAI suffer from this). This leads to AI players being unable to take out enemy flags, which in S'44 means being unable to win (flags are the mexes there).
Infact, if AAI could be told the infantry are NOT builders, it would play S'44 quite well, as it gets close to enemy flags with its other troops (it won't ever attack with builders).

[1v0ry_k1ng]

if you make another SP version of s44 where infantry arent builders it might work okay, otherwise it phail

[Pressure Line]

also the infantry vs flags thing needs resolving.

[AF]

Yes, S44 infantry is causing all sorts of troubles for AIs. First thing, only the infantry can attack and destroy flags, and they need to get close to do this (flag-killing weapon is short ranged, and infantry's primary weapon has much more range). Second thing, those same infantry can also build flags and so they are seen as builders and not attackers by some AIs (at least AAI and RAI suffer from this). This leads to AI players being unable to take out enemy flags, which in S'44 means being unable to win (flags are the mexes there).
Infact, if AAI could be told the infantry are NOT builders, it would play S'44 quite well, as it gets close to enemy flags with its other troops (it won't ever attack with builders).

I wasn't aware of this and I've played s44 a couple of times.

This is a big user design mistake. I should not have to be told this havign not realized a few games after I start.

As for builders, I need a copy of S44 I can actually test with NTai, otherwise what you say is far too ambiguous for me to make anything useful out of it. But one has yet to be provided.

[Pressure Line]

As for builders, I need a copy of S44 I can actually test with NTai, otherwise what you say is far too ambiguous for me to make anything useful out of it. But one has yet to be provided.

just imagine that every rifleman/submachinegunner is a *A commander (ie can build and shoot)

failing that there is the old version of S44 which has exactly the same issues with riflemen/smg as the current test version.

[Nemo]

I wasn't aware of this and I've played s44 a couple of times.

This is a big user design mistake. I should not have to be told this havign not realized a few games after I start.

If you have any suggestions as to how to make this more intuitive, I'm open to ideas. However, I would imagine the fact that nothing shoots at them would be a hint that you can't destroy them conventionally. That said, it is still unclear exactly how to remove them, so like I said - any sugggestions would be appreciated.

[MetalSkin]

maybe take a page from red alert, where buildings can only be captured or blown up by a special class of troop, the engineer. maybe you could have a class of troop that is an engineer and only the engineer can destroy/build a flag?

Personally I think anyone should be able to destroy a flag, however having only the engineer (which cannot shoot anyone) be the only type of troop that can build a flag may make the game play more obvious... you could also have the engineer build sandbags, dugouts/trenches and if we could have troops inside a bunker, then the engineer could build bunkers...

Just a thought... :)

[1v0ry_k1ng]

1) a loadscreen about how flags and what builds/attacks them

2) via lua an icon above a flag that is under attack

[AF]

The problem with that si that nobody ahs ever made a nice clean interface for the AI that explains what can hit what and what can't.

Those who've come anywhere near close have not explained it either.

Hence why it pops up in the MTR every now and again.

[SpikedHelmet]

If you'd like to get the alpha game files, AF, just pop in the lobby and ask. Obviously if i'm asking if anyone can try to make an AI work well with S44, we're going to release the game to them :D

[submarine]

yuri implemented some aai modifications to solve the "infrantry not considered as combat units"-issue.

there is still some problem with the sides that start with a stationary hq, however im confident i'll find out whats wrong (most likely an aai issue)