Spring RTS Engine

For some reason, every AI I try, bar AAI seems to not realise when its playing on an all metal map. Most AI's seem to just forget about metal alltogether, with the exception of a few makers. Its kinda annoying when pitting AIs against each other on speedmetal, which is ideal for testing how well AIs build/tech up/assault. At least I feel it is, due to the abundant resources and obvious choke points.

Also, I would like to sign up my services as a beta tester to anyone who is making an AI. Not for any reason like wanting the latest versions early though...

most of the ai makers don't like metal maps and certainly aren't obliged to make the ai's play well on them

Metal maps just aren't a priority for anybody, as a hamster in a cage can be competitive on them, regardless of intellect or experience.

Developing an AI to be competitive on a metal map is an illogical and unhelpful investment of time.

i hardly ever tried aai on a metal map (except a few times to make sure it can deal with the different mex placement)

apart from that aai's economy is very much focused on managing constant shortage on metal (which is probably the case on all other "normal" maps)

nice to hear that it works on metal maps, but i dont plan to spend any time on improving its behaviour on metal maps

I tried speedmetal once or twice to see what it was all about and I made several startling observations...


In the games I played people rarely ever noticed the use of Air untill it was too late and one of the enemy players was taking the crossover with a horde of rapiers.

But one thign i did notice very early on was that whereas I always see that it's godo to get a factory up and a stable economy as quickly as possible, I usually built a factory then tried to support it, meanwhile all my allies immediatly started building resource things, say about 6 windgens and mexes before starting a factory..... They then built lvl 1 attack units which served no purpose at all focused on lvl 1 for a while then upped to lvl 2, those lvl 1 hordes never getting anywhere and being a total waste of resources.


hmm I seem to have sidelined. Ai's are designed to play the game, metalmaps are a niche, a bigger one but still a niche, and thus AI's are intended to support the majority of maps rather than every map

unpossible wrote:most of the ai makers don't like metal maps and certainly aren't obliged to make the ai's play well on them

its because they spent months tearing their hair out trying to figure out how to make their ai expand quickly and safely over all the resources. the entire approach is a waste if more resources than youll ever need are under your nose.

In such a situation NTai economy rules would see the overrun of resources and start building factories untill it foresaw a stall

AF: You forgot the "in theory" part

In theory?

Lookat NTai in spectator mdoe when you turn on cheat mode, the commanders immediatly build factory after factory ignoring resources that they'd usually build because fo the change in circumstances.

AF wrote:
the *magic* commanders