DyDo skirmish AI: ver 2.1.1 (21 Apr 2010)

[guciomir]

i'll surely play the game during weekend

you are doing great job!

one tip: i saw in the development section that the function droidCanReach is now working. Maybe you can use it?

DyDo already uses it since a while. Why ask you this? have you seen droids which try to rech "unreacheable" locations like a truck which try to harvest an oilRes on an island and its engine is not an hover one? this should not happen.

No, I have not. I just remember that this function did not work correctly in the past and now I see the developers are repairing it.

[Berg]

Just played dydo-ai_1.2.4.wz on a proto type map I am working on (2 Player)
The stderr.text had no errors (wonderfull).
The general in base 0 overran the enemy in 21 minutes so I did not see much research.
This version starts with 13000 plus money so this defeats my maps purpose of low resources.

[DylanDog]

This version starts with 13000 plus money so this defeats my maps purpose of low resources.

This is a bug of the 2.3 Beta version. If the AIcontrol is activated then AI gets +150000 money (see this post). You better watch the AI in 2.2.4 where the AI starts with 2500 as usual.

[javierkaiser]

That explains a lot

[Buginator]

This version starts with 13000 plus money so this defeats my maps purpose of low resources.

This is a bug of the 2.3 Beta version. If the AIcontrol is activated then AI gets +150000 money (see this post). You better watch the AI in 2.2.4 where the AI starts with 2500 as usual.

What AIcontrol you talking about? Autogame?

[DylanDog]

What AIcontrol you talking about? Autogame?

Yes something similar, I think Autogame is a feature of the standard warzone AI?

When I offered the 1.2.4 for download I forgot to switch in the player0.vlo file the value of "AIcontrol " back to FALSE. I usually keep it equal to TRUE for debug purposes and to watch the AI playing . When I noticed this I replaced the file on the DyDo website but 4 people already downloaded it before I culd fix it, one of them is Berg.

The bug: If the value of AIcontrol is true and you play with player 0 in the WZ 2.3 beta X, then player0 gets 15000 power, if you select another player the issue is not there and all players get the standard 2500 power.

[javierkaiser]

I just tried beta 4 with dydo, and it's seem to be broken there.
It does not do anything. I tried with the normal AI and works.

[DylanDog]

I just tried beta 4 with dydo, and it's seem to be broken there.
It does not do anything. I tried with the normal AI and works.

Can you please state also:

* Operating System
* Dydo-AI version and package used
* Copy and paste the stderr.txt file (can be found on the warzone root folder) showing the error message
* Bug description

Thanks

[KenAlcock]

I have not tried your AI yet, but after reading through this thread it sounds very promising. I have some ideas you might want to incorporate. I don't know is any of this can be scripted or not. Besides, I'm sure others will want to see some of this tweaked. It should at least make for lively discussion!

Cyborg General (CG)

1. Create 1 or 2 VTOL factories and research Cyborg Transports ASAP. (This affects other tactics below.)
2. Try to keep at least 5 Cyborg Transports in-play at all times.
3. Plan to air drop Cyborgs in an LZ near the enemy base (or remote oil rigs with rich power supplies), rather than walking cyborgs from AI base to the other side of the map. It's a lot easier to keep pressure on a defensive position this way. I would suggest waiting until the AI has at least enough combat Cyborgs for two full sticks (two full transports) before sending them on any mission.
4. Probe the enemy's defenses for the weak(est) spots in anti-air and artillery defense. (I have no idea what functions you have available to you to accomplish this.) Perhaps send a regular VTOL (which is cheaper to lose in battle than a loaded Cyborg Transport) near the enemy base, land for a couple of seconds, then take back off and return to home base. If a regular VTOL can survive this trip without getting killed, then it should be a suitable LZ.
   
   IMPORTANT: There is no point in probing an enemy's weakness, until enough cyborgs have been manufactured, mustered, and loaded onto transports back at HQ. Probe the enemy's position too early, and you tip your hand and alert the enemy to the upcoming air drop, which gives the enemy time to build suitable AA defenses to wipe out the transports in-flight.
5. Attack enemy positions from one direction with ground-based units (including tanks) , then air drop a cyborg force from the rear. This tactic works well when you get the Super Scourge Cyborgs and other such powerful cyborgs.

VTOL General (VG)

1. I always research anti-air defense ASAP; so in most cases, the AI doesn't stand a chance unless his air power comes in-force. Never send fewer than the number VTOL units noted below during one sortie (air strike) on a given target:
   • T1 game - 5 VTOL units minimum per squadron assigned to individual target.
   • T2 game - 10 VTOL units minimum per squadron assigned to individual target.
   • T3 game - 20 VTOL units minimum per squadron assigned to individual target.
2. If a squadron is just barely staffed, set each VTOL unit to retreat at heavy damage. But if there are more than the required number of units (as the game progresses and power, units, and tech are accumulated), set each VTOL unit to retreat at medium damage. The goal is to reduce unit losses and conserve power while ensuring the mission is still accomplished. (One key to winning Warzone is to get your enemy to spend and lose more money than you.)
   
   IMPORTANT: This tactic assumes the VG will constantly research and use better and better body armor, VTOL weapon turret, and VTOL rearming pad tech as the game progresses. Otherwise, the VG must really increase the number of VTOL units per squadron as the game progresses. The enemy will be building stronger AA defenses that will eventually easily counter the AI's original squadrons as the game progresses.
3. When attacking enemy bases, prioritize targets in this order:
   1. Excessive Anti-aircraft defenses, which include Missile Fortresses.
      
      NOTE: Not every AA defense structure needs to be taken out (usually every Missile Fortress does though), just enough of them do so that successive sorties will be successful. I would say attack enemy AA batteries until maybe 1 VTOL unit is lost out of every 5 sent on a sortie. If possible, use ground forces to help with this.
   2. Cyborg Factories (which manufacture Combat Engineer Cyborgs)
   3. Ground Unit Factories (which manufacture Trucks).
      
      The goal is to greatly reduce the enemy's ability to wage war by limiting his forces to those already on the board, and to also prevent defensive structures and AA batteries from being repaired or rebuilt. During Factory Bombardment, the enemy must recall his Trucks and Combat Engineer cyborgs to his base to repair and replace damaged and lost structures, otherwise he faces certain annihilation. This will actually help the attacking AI air power, which will target Trucks and Combat Engineer Cyborgs next (who are now no longer spread out across the entire map).
   4. Combat Engineer Cyborgs (which build and repair AA sites and all other structures)
   5. Trucks (which also build and repair AA sites and all other structures but are much easier to hit than cyborg engineers).
      
      The goal is to prevent a resurgence by this enemy. Taking out the Combat Engineer Cyborgs and Trucks is especially important in maps with many power resources. Basically, If you can kill off all 15 trucks and all 10 factories that produce Trucks or Combat Engineers from one enemy, you have wiped out his ability to win.
   6. The AI VTOL General needs to make a decision here based on if he really requires more power to fight other opponents:
      1. More power is required - Finish destroying this enemy base, saving the oil derricks to the very last. Then quickly secure the area with structures and VTOL Strike towers. Do not destroy the oil derricks until the area can be secured from counter-attack, or from attack by other enemies.
      2. More power is not required
         Leave the enemy's remaining defensive structures and ground forces intact, but destroy all oil derricks in the main enemy base. Then leave this enemy alone and move on to next enemy and repeat. Why? The recently liberated power resources should attract other enemy to attack this enemy, especially on maps with fewer power resources. The nearly vanquished enemy's remaining combat force and defensive structures will act as a guard that the AI does not have to pay for to defend the recently liberated power resources. This crafty tactic attempts to get two enemies fighting each other. The defending enemy will be increasingly weaker, while the attacking enemy should be remain strong. Ideally, while the attacking enemy is engaged, the AI VTOL General will bomb the attacking enemy's base using the same priorities set forth above. Once all enemies are reduce to such skeleton forces, then commence mop-up air bombardment at leisure.
4. Use VTOLs in support of ground unit attacks by targeting nearest sensors or any artillery batteries trained on the ground forces.

[javierkaiser]

Can you please state also:

* Operating System
* Dydo-AI version and package used
* Copy and paste the stderr.txt file (can be found on the warzone root folder) showing the error message
* Bug description

Thanks

-Win7 x64

-Dydo 1.2.4

-...Now loading...

-The game starts normally, no error or anything weird. After few minutes I checked the enemy base, and they stood there doing nothing, no building anything, the trucks didn't move.
Seems like the AI didn't start.

Edit: I did more testing and it seems that only affects the maps from Diaroma. In the other maps worked fine.
Stderr attached.

[Berg]

Same issue different map.
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=4222&start=15#p42684
See stderr.txt this thread

[DylanDog]

Code: Select all

error   |08:35:47: [scrGetNearestGateway] SCRIPT : No gateways found in getNearestGatway
error   |08:35:47: [scrGetNearestGateway] Assert in Warzone: scriptfuncs.c:5231 (0), last script event: 'N/A'
error   |08:35:47: [interpRunScript] interpRunScript: could not do func
error   |08:35:47: [interpRunScript] interpRunScript: *** ERROR EXIT *** (CurEvent=66)
error   |08:35:47: [interpRunScript] Original event ID: 36 (of 136)
error   |08:35:47: [interpRunScript] Current event ID: 66 (of 136)
...

Looking at the error in the file uploaded by javierkaiser and Berg I can see that the issue in not in DyDo AI script itself but in the fact that in the map the gateways are missing, this generates an error in the function getNearestGateway() which is called in the initialized event -> this means AI never starts.

This does not happen with AIvolution and the standard AI because they do not use such function to check for gateways but DyDo does as it uses gateways (not only for defend purposes).

This should be issued as a warzone bug because the function getNearestGateway() should work properly even if the gateways are missing.

[winsrp]

ok so lets see if I get it right, this is only for skirmish, and does not works in multiplayer online right?

And does it works if I load it in conjunction with a mod that changes the research tree?

[DylanDog]

ok so lets see if I get it right, this is only for skirmish, and does not works in multiplayer online right?

It should work also for multiplayer games.

And does it works if I load it in conjunction with a mod that changes the research tree?

The researches in Dydo are planned such that they follow pre-defined paths, if you change the research tree I am afraid you compromise DyDo efficiency...give it a try.

[winsrp]

I am afraid you compromise DyDo efficiency

Compromise it in a way that it will be looking for a research and if it does not finds it, it will get stuck or it will try other researches if the one looking for is not available?