AI Bases?

[Strat_car]

I am using version 2.3.5, just curious to know if there is an AI MOD for skirmish mode that lets the AI build a nice base? Dydo is nice for the AI being difficult early in the game, but once you have yourself secured, and start to move out with tanks, their base is a HUGE letdown.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Please only recommend or link MODs that work with 2.3.5.

Thank you

[KenAlcock]

Your best bet would be to grab a map that is asymmetrical with respect to bases and play with the Start with Advanced Bases option enabled.

If you want a huge challenge, do not peek at the map I share with you here, and start the game with you as Player 1 and the AI as Player 0. Set the initial tech Level to T1. Then try to take out the AI's base. Use whatever AI you want. It is a 4-player map, so you can choose to add 2 more AI's or leave those bases empty for something to fight over with AI Player 0.

[Strat_car]

Yeah, I have done that already. Make a map with beefy bases and start with advanced bases enabled. I prefer to start on t1 with no bases and build from scratch, but that is the problem, the AI doesn't know how to build a good base.

[KenAlcock]

When you make your own asymmetrical map, build your ideal defenses in the AI base areas. You are not limited by any tech level. But only put an HQ in your player base area. That way when you select Start with Advanced Bases, only the HQ will appear in your base and you can build the rest as you like. However, the AI will have a full blown base already built.

[Per]

I have been thinking about adding code to make the AI build up the base it has in Advanced Bases when difficulty is set to low and start bases to less than advanced, since this makes the AI busy doing stuff other than attacking. If the map editor were to support it, it might also be possible to draw even more advanced bases around the map that the AI will be busy building. Does that sound like a useful feature?

[zydonk]

You could try the original v1.10 balance mod. Not only does the AI build decent defences, but it can hold strong points as well. Weaponry has better smack, too - not so subtle (or is that effete?) as nowadays

BecomePrey used to build huge defences. Many games ended in a draw - impossible to get through the AI arty...

[Strat_car]

I have been thinking about adding code to make the AI build up the base it has in Advanced Bases when difficulty is set to low and start bases to less than advanced, since this makes the AI busy doing stuff other than attacking. If the map editor were to support it, it might also be possible to draw even more advanced bases around the map that the AI will be busy building. Does that sound like a useful feature?

I like that idea!

Also, does become prey work with 2.3.5?

[KenAlcock]

I have been thinking about adding code to make the AI build up the base it has in Advanced Bases when difficulty is set to low and start bases to less than advanced, since this makes the AI busy doing stuff other than attacking. If the map editor were to support it, it might also be possible to draw even more advanced bases around the map that the AI will be busy building. Does that sound like a useful feature?

Yes it sounds very useful. One thing I wish the AI would do is when conquering another player's base (AI or human) build defenses on that base in accordance with the gates defined on the map. Currently, an AI will only build defenses where gates have been defined in the AI's starting base. It does not pay attention to gates defined in any other base. So while the AI has done well to take out another player, it does poorly in defending its new territory.

[zydonk]

Also, does become prey work with 2.3.5?

Fraid not, only with original game. Have begged on several occasions for it to be updated, but that seems not to be possible.

[Rman Virgil]

.

A version of Become Prey 2.92 was made compatible with the WZ 2.2.3 binary by Buggy but has since been removed for DL when DyDo was made the default AI of the official distro.

SEE this thread for the details: viewtopic.php?f=10&t=3018

BP's base building was quite impressive and included *move base event* scripting which amounted to if you hit a BP base early on in the game it would shift its main base to another location. I liked that, personally.

BP base building did have probs on some legacy map designs... however, since then modifications to Base.wz have addressed these specific issues thus potentially making BP's base building with the most current binary even MORE effective than it was a year+ ago !!

Theoretically, BP's base building scripting can be re-used in the current default AI.

As for resurrecting the last BP for the current distro the main problem would be having someone support it moving forward into the future.

Then there is this by the creator of BP:

It may be a month and it may be another year before I get to it but I got way too close to the 3.x numbering to give up before I hit it

It's been a little over a year since that post.... RL, you know how that goes - may or may not happen. Would be great if Niker released a BP v.3.0 that worked with the current distro.

- RV
.

[Strat_car]

A version of Become Prey 2.92 was made compatible with the WZ 2.2.3 binary by Buggy but has since been removed for DL when DyDo was made the default AI of the official distro.

I only do skirmish mode against the AI, so if there are multiplayer bugs using BP v2.92, that would not affect me. I saw that BP was not available for d/l, but is there a way someone can get that version to me so I can play around with it? If it is no longer in the database for d/l, maybe someone could email it to me plz.

Thank you.

[NEXUS]

BecomePrey was a very good AI that I used to get better at the game...but now DyDo is more stable I think.

[Strat_car]

DyDo has some very nice features and is compatible with the current build, but it falls short in the long term skirmish or co-op multiplayer games. I am hoping that either Niker or Buggy can make a version of BP that will work with the current build. Or, like Per wrote about hard-coding something into the game to make the AI build the base that is there in "advanced bases" even when set to "no bases." That way it would be easy to make a map and give the AI lots of defense and still start out with just trucks and let them build a nice base.

IMO, that is one of the things holding wz2100 back from being a really good RTS game. People have to turn to SC2 and other newer RTS games to get the good AI, not just fast rushing AI, but AI that can defend itself as well.

If anyone is working on this, I am anxiously waiting and MUCH appreciate your efforts!

[macuser]

BTW where is dylandog lately? haven't seen him or any work on his AI recently

[Strat_car]

Since "Skirmish" mode in 2.3.7 is buggy for me, I re-installed 2.3.6. Just wanted to let eveyone know that I found the BecomePrey 2.92 MOD and have been using it with version 2.3.6. It works excellent in skirmish mode, haven't tested multiplayer, but it seems a shame that it was removed for D/L even if it can only be used in skimish mode, as it far exceeds the other MODs, including Dydo AI, for some really tough AI that build amazing bases!

If you want a non-stop action filled bout with the AI, load up 2.3.6 and BP 2.92. I have had 4 hour+ games against two AI opponents. Hint: if you let them build to long, you will have to quit the game as you will never be able to conquer their base!!