How can I set default AI and difficulty level?

[bulrush]

Warzone 3.1RC on WinXP

I'm new at this game and I like to use a certain AI and always Easy difficulty on every map. How can I set this as the default for every computer player? I just play offline against the AI.

[Originway]

there is no way to do this you need to set them to easy each time

[Rommel]

bulrush, practice on the ntw maps with high oil, building up your base fast and then you can come into multiplayer - if you don't have these maps just go to multiplayer join a game with the NTW map you want and it will automatically download - after that if you don't want to play MP yet you can just leave.

Main thing is to get all your buildings up quick - I normally build in this order:

command center
2 factories
2 research
5 power gens
then the remaining 3 research
then the remaining 5 power gens
once I have like 5 trucks working on all this I start assigning trucks to build the remaining 3 factories

in the end you must have 10 power gens 5 research facilities, 5 factories and 5 cyborg factories (cyborg factories come a bit later with research.

I normally que all my buildings with shift->click and move trucks around as required.

once the first two factories are built I set them to churn out trucks. Normally straight after the command center is built I assign a truck to building derricks, and then as my factory builds more trucks I assign like two more.

After a bit of practice you can get your base up really fast and then do your defenses and build your huge army to smash the enemy (hopefully). I used to only play single player myself, but after getting the hang of multiplayer single player just feels lonely and boring to me now... nothing like a human opponent

Hopefully see ya in MP

[Nameless]

...

1 command center
2 factories
2 research
5 power gens
then the remaining 3 research
then the remaining 5 power gens
once I have like 5 trucks working on all this I start assigning trucks to build the remaining 3 factories

in the end you must have 10 power gens 5 research facilities, 5 factories and 5 cyborg factories (cyborg factories come a bit later with research.

...

once the first two factories are built I set them to churn out trucks. Normally straight after the command center is built I assign a truck to building derricks, and then as my factory builds more trucks I assign like two more.

...

Sounds like a bit like a Build Order to me could you elaborate more, perhaps on a separate thread?

[NoQ]

Command center first? That's the worst start possible. Command center is absolutely useless until you actually need to build tanks or research towers. When anybody sees you start with a command center, they all think "omg i've got a complete noob in my team".

[Cyp]

Command center first? That's the worst start possible. Command center is absolutely useless until you actually need to build tanks or research towers. When anybody sees you start with a command center, they all think "omg i've got a complete noob in my team".

Nah, I think "I've got an almost complete newbie in my team", unless the command centre is being built with a single truck, while the other trucks run back and forth randomly without doing anything.

[aubergine]

CC first = the player likely plays lots of sp ski games

[NoQ]

CC first = the player likely plays lots of sp ski games

What benefit do you think it brings in sp ski games?

[aubergine]

Making the map easier to navigate (eg. seeing oils more easily, being able to select droids and click on minimap to send them there, etc).

I did cam first, and just assumed HQ should be built first (I didn't know better), so when I started playing ski it was natural to build HQ first there too, especially before NullBot came on the scene. And the ease of map navigation with a minimap is addictive once you get used to it, it feels unnatural to not build HQ first.

I often still build HQ first in ski, just to make early oil capture and map navigation easier, and for the most part things turn out fine. The only time I start with factory or lab in ski is if I'm expecting a heard of nullbot on my doorstep sooner than usual (depends on the map, and game settings).

In MP, however, HQ first = suicide. But most ski players don't learn the "don't build HQ first" skill until they get pwned several times at MP, by which time I imagine many n00bs quit mp and go back to ski mode.

It's one of the reasons why I want some extra flexibility in <campaign>.ini, so that there can be a tutorial campaign that runs alongside cam1/2/3, so as the user progresses they get tutorials that teach them new gameplay skills. Ideally, by the time they come out of cam and in to ski, they should know not to build CC first.

[Rommel]

Each to their own, remember on a high oil map you are starting with like 4-6 or more trucks so it only takes a few seconds. I like to have it ready first, basically for the reasons Aubergine says as well as so I can quickly (with one click) send a truck down to piss of the other team by building some mg towers.

Anyway at least I am helping a new player out with some info, I never said I was a pro (always learning) - but I will say this, the build plan I have been using has been working most of the time, if it stops working then I will change it.

Oh and anyone that doesn't agree can just swap out the command center and build it later, no biggy...

[Rommel]

Sounds like a bit like a Build Order to me could you elaborate more, perhaps on a separate thread?

There is not really more to elaborate on, the main thing is to get everything up and queued fast so you can quickly move trucks around if you need (ie you can see all your structures laid out) - basically I work of teams of trucks or 4-5 per team, the first team is associated with the que layout so you have to be careful reassigning trucks from this as you can lose you que layout. After this as trucks appear I send them around. I never really do the same thing in every game, as normally things can be quite varying - ie if your teammates are good researchers you only need 2-3 research facilities at the start and then can then concentrate more on power / oil - if they are not you need to get 5 research up quick.

People tend to think of high oil maps as pure rush, and while this does happen (not so much starting at T1 as I like it best), there are times when both teams get defenses up quick and then the game can run thru to t2 or even t3. These are the games I like best as they can get pretty good an intense.

So these games are not about quickly building 5 factories and spending all your oil on units to rush down the other end, although you can and sometimes get lucky, a lot of the time you will just piss of your team mates when it doesn't work and you are left finishing up your base and building D without much resources...

[aubergine]

I usually limit trucks to no more than 3 per team, often only two. I find that more than 3 causes them to start "morris dancing" around construction sites.

[Rommel]

Yeah I have been thinking about reducing trucks per team because of this - is there much difference in build time say 3 trucks compared to 4, would this be a 25% reduction in speed or does the engine use some other formula?

I have found spacing all your structures out a little bit can help instead of putting them as close as they can be to each other. It does make a neat compact base when structures are close together, but the trouble is that the trucks can get quite bottle necked at times.

[aubergine]

I'm not sure what the reduction (compared to what would be achieved if all the trucks were successfully contributing to the build) would be.

My general rule of thumb is:

* 1x1 structure - 1 or 2 trucks
* 2x2 structure - 2 trucks, sometimes 3 if there is an idle truck floating around
* 3x3 structure - 2 or 3 trucks depending on how fast I need it

Any more than that and the Morris Dancing starts, although I believe in WZ 3.1 units can move through each other if they get blocked so it might no longer be an issue?

[Nameless]

Personally like I have a two truck limit per team because I find having a third is just a wasted resource that gets in the way.

...I never really do the same thing in every game, as normally things can be quite varying...

Aww and hear I was hoping for something more standardized lol.

... although I believe in WZ 3.1 units can move through each other...

Supposedly that's true but I have yet to see it although I have yet find myself in such a situation that would need that happening haha