Warzone 2100 Forums

Download: becomeprey_2.92.wz

(BecomePrey is no longer available. Instead, try DyDo-AI, and improved AI based on BecomePrey.)

Buginator's NOTE: This is still a work-in-progress, and is *NOT* the same as the original 2.92 Become Prey!

This is BecomePrey for Warzone 2100 2.2 and possibly also 2.1.3. It does not work on debug builds, but should be reasonably good on release builds. It's written by NIKER and licensed public domain.

It's always been possible to get it to work, but I decided to package it into a mod to make it easier to use. I got rid of the recoloring, but I've left everything else the same.

This AI has been described as pretty much the best AI ever, and is a match for some of the best human players, and it doesn't even cheat! (The difficulty sliders reportedly do absolutely nothing.)

To install

See FAQ: How do I install a mod?.

How do I install?

wari wrote:How do I install?

Third question in the FAQ.

I've updated the post to include the instructions, too.

Finaly the good stuf is comming upstairs!

.

Unless it's been changed since I last spoke to NiKer (& my copy of v.2.92) - this last iteration of BP does NOT cheat.... AND, the AI UI sliders have NO effect. But I should go over the scripts of this release to see if that is still the case or if it has indeed been changed..... in the sense of making it easier by crippling it.... for that is the only way you can effect a non-cheating a.i... for making it cheat would only make it stronger and that would make it
unbeatable - not a good thing, imho.

regards, whipper

This mod work nice, but we had note two problem :
AI don't produce VTOL
Windows return sometimes in multiplayer

well i like this ai how he is, he build a nice base, attacks good, but he's weak at T3 game's, where u can build fortresses alrdy , ai dont have strategic attacks against those, even my dad won that match , so i guess this ai needs some cheating by turning the slider to right side, like if its completely to the right, then the ai should gain some spawns , like a bunch of trucks and some units like Bunker busters against turtline players (my dad is turtler)

.

In discussing Coyote's new map modoricam1a in it's last iteration (Coyote is still working on it) I wrote a day ago:

whippersnapper wrote:.

This is a great example of how topography and oil resource quantity and placement directly influence a.i. scripting

I tested T3 advanced bases against Become Prey.

BP played a pure Turtle Game.

Next... same settings on "Fish Nets" and BP played an aggressive Octopus.....the total opposite strategy.

I still find stuff like this fascinating as well it directly influences me in what I do in my own work.

My early assessment - those who love long Turtle skirmish will thoroughly enjoy this experience.

How this will play for those who like Rush.... I can't tell..... Would be interesting to hear some war stories
coming from those who favor that strat.

regards, whipper

There have been over 1000 maps made over the last 10 years. A great majority seriously flawed in one way
or another. The biggest flaw being that most map-makers do not understand the nuances of HOW skirmish
A.I.s work and using that knowledge to inform their map designs. (This can also be the reason for many
path-finding problems.... Though of course PF can always be improved like, for example, through
multi-threading, but that's another story..)

Become Prey plays out differently... VERY differently, depending on the amount oil placed and
where it is placed.

YOUR responsibility as a Skirmish Player is to understand the qualitative differences that MAP DESIGNS
invoke out of a particular AI like "BP"..

I'm gonna spell out some of the basic criteria for this.

Maps designed with 12-16 oil wells in the base perimeter will make BP play like a Hard Shell Turtle.... it will
build like so -

No need to fight over resources. What you are really fighting for
is end-game map dominance. That leads to a ground game that is pure attrition... So that your
ultimate goal must become a race for Air Supremacy..

Source Thread here: viewtopic.php?f=10&t=3014

Indeed... Under these conditions BP will focus on magnificent base defenses to the exclusion of Octopus and
Eagle Tactics - pure Hard-Shell Turtle...

Now if the map has 7, 6, 5, OR 4 oil wells within the base perimeter BP will play entirely different. It will
expand and claim external oil resources immediately. It will build multiple combat groups and deploy
them aggressively. It will build as soon as possible an Air Force and use it aggressively (it has extensive
Vtol scripting which is triggered, I've seen it deployed against me countless times on scores of well designed maps.
I started testing-playing this BP iteration August 2008 so I have run it under a wide range of map conditions & play
configurations over the course of the last 9 months.).

In short, BP will play (research, build units, build bases, deploy ground & air force combat groups) depending on how
much money (+oil wells) it starts the game with and then after - how much oil it can claim quickly outside the immediate
base perimeter landscape.

Also - BP does NOT have to cheat to increase the challenge level... you merely work with alliance configurations.
You want the toughest possible conditions you play 1 v. 7 against BP. TOO hard - you knock it down to 2 v 6... or play
a 4-player map at 2 v. 2.

You think BP does not pose enough of a T3 challenge - play 1 v. 1 on "Startup" map... It will hand you your butt in under
20 minutes in most cases. Same with the stock "Rush" maps 1 v. 3.. Other maps too, explore for your self... Making
pronouncements based on your one favorite map is slanted, biased & irresponsible IMHO.

If you wanna see and play against BP on a map that invokes the full range of tactics from Turtle to Octopus (aggressive expansion,
multiple combat groups) to Eagle (Air Supremacy combined with a ground game) try Coyote's memonia9 here:
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=2713 There other good maps that have the necessary conditions to bring-out
this diversity of BPs tactical scripting.... explore... find the maps that are well designed for skirmish, play around with different
alliance configurations. Can't have everything handed to you on a silver platter and spoon fed to ya, by golly - you gotta work it
too to have the best fun experience that suits your individual tastes..

regards, whipper
.

This is BecomePrey for Warzone 2100 2.2 RC1 and possibly also 2.1.3. It does not work on debug builds

What is the conflict with debug builds?

stiv wrote:What is the conflict with debug builds?

Too many asserts to be playable.

Or so I hear from Buggy. Haven't actually tested it myself.

If im not wrong, it works perfektly with 2.2.0?

.
BP has been out for a while. Seems to have quelled the many complaints folks
had about Aivolution being too easy and predictable. Or dang ! cheating A.I.s
(You cannot even FORCE BP to cheat with the slider handy-camping Ski UI -
slide all you want it has no effect. BP plays the same - no cheats, all out to
kill you "honorably".)

Curious.....

Has anyone been able to beat BP head to head like playing 1 v. 1 on "Startup" stock map...
or stock "Rush" maps 1 v. 3 (no alliances) ?

If you have (without cheats, of course) could you share the details of your Strat & Tacs.... ?

And - HOW do you think BP does it ? That is - WHY do you think it is so formidable ?

Thanks in advance for sharing your expeience with BP, , whipper
.

whippersnapper wrote:Has anyone been able to beat BP head to head like playing 1 v. 1 on "Startup" stock map...
or stock "Rush" maps 1 v. 3 (no alliances) ?

Well, i have, once -.- but not on a stock map..

BeNexus T1
No base :rolleyes:
Energi high

All buildings allowed..

All i did where to cut my self out from the middle. Every attack BP is sending cant survive lancers(Which were the research i rushed for) and artillery. Then have a lot of ''weak'' units prepared if BP send out Bunkerbusters to take the almost ''no damage on vehicle'' attack. Then i keept researching and did a lot of AA (Important!)
After he takes out one AA site with VTOL, i replaced it immediately. I had AA turrets on Cobra halftracks to cover them from a longer distance into the ''Battlezone'' with some cannons, lancers, and HMG. Once i got plasmite Flamer i attacked with 3 big waves. All with Hover propelusions, to take out the most of his defense.
20*3 Plasmite flamer Python/Mantis(for fire bunkers and borgs)

Then, after some more research because BP were not sending any waves for about 10 min, i upgraded my defense to sourge missile(and that helped me alot from his giant attack) and i counter attacked with a big wave:
With Sourge missile/Gauss cannon Tiger tracks i took him out. I used VTOL to take out heavy defense points (first time i use vtol for anything than Strike-Tower attacks/defense) And there, a finished BP,

(****, it took me almost 2 hours :rolleyes:

whippersnapper wrote:And - HOW do you think BP does it ? That is - WHY do you think it is so formidable ?

Because of its attacks and strats. FORMÌDABLE! It destroyed almost ALL, of my defense with one wave of VTOLS, bunkerbusters, and lancers. But had artillery in base :rolleyes:

whippersnapper wrote:Maps designed with 12-16 oil wells in the base perimeter will make BP play like a Hard Shell Turtle.... it will
build like so

hmm, BP didnt play anything like a turtle on the BeNexus with, i think, has more than 16 oil in the big base area

You know, Tib and I played 2v2 against BecomePrey on both Rush and Mountain, and won fairly easily (Medium Power - T1 No Bases). It spent the early game rushing tons of MG viper wheels at us, but by putting up tons of MG towers at strategic locations, we dispatched them fairly easily, and quickly got a research advantage and won both times.

I don't think BecomePrey is good at splitting up research with its allies, which is why it's more effective at 1v1 than 2v2.