AI difficulty in multiplayer is as hard as steel...and I think it cheats >:(

[Reactor Worker]

>:(

Is there any way I can turn down the "intelligence" of the AI in a multiplayer game? My brother and I just want to play a friendly game together, allied against a bot or two and build massive bases and cool vehicles.

Problem is, the enemy rushes us about 10 minutes into the game with what seems like invincible tanks and lots of them. I realise that its supposed to make up for the fact that its not as good as a human player, but I just want to have fun, not be beat to a pulp by my own computer.

We have tried moving the slider all the way to the left (the dark side) but it doesn't seem to make a difference.

How do I make the AI unintelligent?  Pun intended  ::)

TL;DR  I want dumb, almost peaceful AI (or non-cheating)

Thanks

[doom3r]

I have noticed that AI in multiplayer starts the game with a default force even if it is not allowed, just use a cheat to view all the map to see it.

[Reactor Worker]

Well...is there anyway to stop the default force? or lower the difficulty?

[Kayiaxo]

You could rush to get a few bunkers before the Ai arrives, that should hold them back for a little.

[Troman]

Reactor Worker, you just need better tech. If you are playing T1 games make sure you use something like Heavy MG Cobra Tracks, replaced by Lancer later. Stock AI isn't hard to deal with.

As for the AI force it doesn't use it anymore, I don't remember since when, but 2.0.10 AI shouldn't use it.

[doom3r]

Nice, i didnt know that. And i hate AI default force

[Reactor Worker]

Well, I browsed the forums and discovered the best and worst of weapons yesterday.

For instance I learned that Minirocket = useless and heavy machinegun = brilliant

Even when I used that knowledge, I still can't seem to win. Their tanks seem so indestructible.

I usually play with "High" power on. If I reduce that, will it help?

Is that just the rate of power production? or how much you start with?

Also...do tracks offer an advantage over wheels other than speed?

[psychopompos]

playing with low power will affect you aswell, but it will be longer before  you get rushed.
the ai does get resources faster then you do, but thats to make up for its idiotic suicide tactics, lack of coordination... and general... not-that-smart-ness. youl find your being out researched rather then out smarted.

focus more on research, so your weapons stay effective as the ai upgrade armour.
also, play through the campaign on hard as practice for basic tactics & effective unit groupings.

and hmg, only good against cyborgs, heavy bodies block it quite well.

[Reactor Worker]

So whats the best early game weapon against tanks? Light cannon is sooooo slow.

Also, are base turrets worth installing? (any of them)  because they seem to drop like flies and do about as much damage as a paintball gun.

I'd really appreciate a balance mod or something. It should ideally set AI players at the same resource gains and speeds as a normal player...instead of the cheating thing.

[Rman Virgil]

------>

* AFAIK Troman's A.I. is NOT scripted to cheat.

* YOU, the player, invoke cheating by sliding the A.I. handicapping GUI to the far right.

* The A.I. is inherently better at "Micro-management" without cheating.

* And one area you need to focus on is your Research advance & upgrades.... the AI will KILL you with that disparity if you donot give it enough attention.

- RV

[Reactor Worker]

* YOU, the player, invoke cheating by sliding the A.I. handicapping GUI to the far right.

*are you sure you mean to the right? cos I always slide it to the left...thats easy mode right?  ???

*ok, I will manage researching more closely  :-[

*why do you type all your posts like this?  ::)

*yay for smilies 


Anyway, I still wanna know, whats the best early game tank-killer?

As said earlier, machine guns aren't working and light cannon is too slow.

[ThunderBuns]

:-\ If anything the AI is much too easy...just put it on an 8 player map and build some walls around your base, make a 1 tile entrance and put some hardpoints (or, if you don't have those, machine gun towers) around it, the AI will never in a thousand years make it through.

[Deathguise]

We have tried moving the slider all the way to the left (the dark side) but it doesn't seem to make a difference.

If you have the slider almost all the way to the left, then oil denial tactics should work quite well against the stock AI.

Well...is there anyway to stop the default force? or lower the difficulty?

The stock AI will not get any free units if you start with no-bases or small bases.

[Coincident]

I usually play with "High" power on. If I reduce that, will it help?

Is that just the rate of power production? or how much you start with?

High power means higher rate of power production. The amount of oil you start with is always the same.

Also...do tracks offer an advantage over wheels other than speed?

Half-Tracks have more body points and less speed than Wheels.
Tracks have more body points and less speed than Half-Tracks.

Anyway, I still wanna know, whats the best early game tank-killer?

Heavy machinegun/Assault gun are cool in the _very_ early game. Mass cyborg genocide and structure-killer too, just stay away from heavy bodies and bunkers; rush directly to the enemy's base.

Heavy cannons are very good with full upgrades. Huge armor and body points makes them hard to destroy, and the cannon deals good damage at a good rate after all the power and fast-reload upgrades.

But Lancers are the "best early game tank-killer". They don't need as much upgrades to kill any vehicles that come in range. Good against structures too, and cyborgs will die after a few rounds just as well.
The only drawback would be their low armor and body points, which doesn't really matter after you have a big army of lancers.
Good to use on medium or heavy bodies with half- or full-tracks. EXCELLENT weapon on VTOL's too
For base defenses, lancer bunkers or a lot of hard points are great too.
Now that I think of it, this is probably the only over-powered weapon in the game.
You can upgrade them later to Tank Killers and Scourge Missiles.

* AFAIK Troman's A.I. is NOT scripted to cheat.

Maybe not, but the AI either has infinite oil, or his oil derricks give him twice more oil than yours...


On 2.0.10, Try making a skirmish, "start with No Bases", against one computer at mid difficulty, on T2.
Slow the game down to 0.5x.
Use the cheat to see all the map (including his base).
Go see his base, and make EXACTLY the same oil resources, the same structures and the same units as he does.
You'll run out of oil in 4 minutes (even without making any research), while the computer keeps on making more and more units and structures.



This can make chaos on tight maps like sk_mountain.
I think the hardest skirmish EVER that I've made was sk_mountain against 3 CPUs (no alliances).
I still haven't beaten that map. I was beating all the 4 player maps with the AI at difficulty 15 (5 clicks to the right), but on this one I'm having trouble surviving at difficulty 11.

[Rman Virgil]

----->

* AFAIK the a.i. handicapping sliders invoke cheating by giving the ai more $$ to work with than it's wells are producing.... & that's all it needs to get ahead research wise & so forth ....

* My most challenging games have been on Ski Rush, sliders far right, ai's allied vs me. It's not for Turtlers.

* Anybody every try to "Truck Rush" the ai ?

* One thing I used to do when we could play with 7 different a.i. personalities in one game / map..... is study their "choices" which represented the scriptors best tactics.. & then try 'em myself against em. (I studied the ai's by maxing-out the game speed.... funny & fun too.)

- Cheers, RV