97 replies to this topic

[thudo]

We're now in the home stretch!

Changes
======
- Targeting of infiltrated units with abilities should be fixed now
- Installer has now a working uninstall entry in the software panel
- Replaced the module files with Thuds

Lets get this tested, folks!

I want some thorough stress testing especially to ensure the install, integration with DC, and uninstall all work as expected!

[LarkinVB]

Install/launch from shortcut/uninstall went flawless.

Donate text has a mistake

- All races demand power if they own less than 400

It should read

- All races demand power if they own less than 200 (Necrons: Less than 400)

There is still the same ingame text displayed for the AI donate wincondition though Thudo said he wanted it to be changed.

Edited by LarkinVB, 28 November 2006 - 07:21 AM.

[Zulgaines]

The sad thing is? I want this mod more than anything you can go out and "buy" right now. =/


I love DC, but the AI is boring and I'm not a fan of online.

[runab0ut]

Just registered for to tell you guys goodluck with your upcoming release(s).

My brother and I are really having fun with DOW/WA/(DC) while on the road playi... erm working with your past releases.

Btw... the AI for the SP campaign can be turned off or optionally activated via installer or some variable?

[Zenoth]

Something I noticed in a small test (didn't have the time to complete the match, I had to quit it) in Kasyr Lutien concerning vehicle repair. I have noticed that the vehicles going back to the base to get a repair would:

1) Stay there forever unless they got repaired

2) Move around the base too often, and the builder units had to run after them all around to finally repair them eventually (for example, Dreadnought comes to base, goes to point 'x', then moves a few meters away, stays there, and then move again at another location still inside the base, and then goes back to point 'x', and then moves once more ... etc).

I saw that happen with the Space Marine ally mostly (it was me as SM, allied with another SM, and Eldar).

For point 1, if it's indeed the case (it looked like they would stay there and not go back to the fight unless they got repaired), then I have a suggestion: Make it so the vehicles can only stay for a certain period, and if they got repaired to 20% in that period then so shall it be, because one thing is for sure is that they'd be needed on the battlefield perhaps damaged, more than staying in base doing nothing while the builder units are busy building structures.

For point 2, if that also tend to happen regularly in your test guys, then I have a suggestion as well, very simple (if possible), make it so vehicles don't move once they start getting repaired. Because those poor builder units having to chase the damaged units moving around in the base is a precious time waster, in my opinion. At least according to that test of mine.

[danuker]

Oh, it is so close...

I hope all goes well with this RC build and we'll be able to be happily playing against a much better AI opponent.

[thudo]

It should read

- All races demand power if they own less than 200 (Necrons: Less than 400)

There is still the same ingame text displayed for the AI donate wincondition though Thudo said he wanted it to be changed.

Reason for this is so that it doesn't confuse people when they see it in the game-mode menu there. Right now.. it says "AI Mod" but should read "AI Donations" or "AI Donates". Further, it might be wise to make it "togglable" - either ON or OFF as some users might get pissed they are losing to an AI team that helps itself out too much with money transfers. Ahhh this will be too funny.

Further to this: what about enabling the LOW Donation report in the console so it at least shows whats being donated? I know its ONLY in the console but it'll cut down users asking us "hey I had a game where I was donated money but at the end of it there was no tributes mentioned". We could point to the console. Undecided on this.

[LarkinVB]

Do whatever you like. I told you which file to edit, right ?
Note that one text is the displayed as game-mode, the other is displayed at the bottom while hovering with the mouse over the checkbox.

Edited by LarkinVB, 28 November 2006 - 02:43 PM.

[thudo]

Btw... the AI for the SP campaign can be turned off or optionally activated via installer or some variable?

No. Either you use our Advanced AI with the metamap/campaigns or disable our mod and go with the generic one. I sincerely believe once you have a taste of the NEW SCRIPTS, yer never going back!

I have noticed that the vehicles going back to the base to get a repair would stay there forever unless they got repaired

Yes there is working 'as designed' by Arkhan. And its utterly magnificent! Saves ALOT of coin and totally makes sense, militarily. This very rarely causes problems and you don't see it since yer fighting the machine out on the field anyway.
I asked Arkhan awhile back about Ai-controlled vehicles waiting in the queue to be repaired why they stood there when their base was under attack rather than fight to their last breath but sofar this is a good compromise. I mean think about it: if yer able to get your forces to his base he's basically toast. Period. If he is spawning more units while vehicles are being repaired then he might have a chance.. However.. Arkhan knows this repair code better and perhaps it might be tweaked for the next DC AI release.

Move around the base too often, and the builder units had to run after them all around to finally repair them eventually

Yep.. this is known especially with Eldar "skimmer" units like the Falcon. Quite impatient them hover vehicles are.

Did you guys find a way to fix the DC Game Manager?

Nope.. not our concern.. Blame Relic. Mods work in DC 110% -- its just the interface you'll have to get used to (which I find easier to deal with then even WA as I hated the stupid Game Manager.. too slow for me).

Or will we have to uninstall the AI Skirmish Mod in order to play another mod or to play online?

No. Just don't run our shortcut on the desktop, use the original DC one.

If the AI Skirmish Mod also works in the DC meta-map campaign, is there a way to disable it in the campaign without uninstalling the AI Skirmish Mod?

Again.. like above.. don't run our shortcut.

Will the AI Skirmish Mod be able to coexist with DoWPro, 'er DCPro, or does the broken Game Manager mean that we will have to install the one and uninstall the other in order to get the mod we want to use to work right when we play it?

Again.. there is NO need for the GameManager. I never use it ever. Not for 1.5years. I do everything via the .module file. Its dead-easy and hopefully everyone will go that route until Relic fixes the GameManager (which I never use anyway so its exclusion doesn't remotely bother moi). As for our AI co-existing with other 'balance' mods like DoWPro or DoWXP - it won't need too: they will have their own Advanced AI variations.

Does Relic know what you guys need fixed so that this mod and this game can be as good as you think it can be?

Yes!

What exactly are we looking at, and how flexible will it all be?

Sorry.. I don't do aerobics anymore

Do whatever you like. I told you which file to edit, right ?
Note that one text is the displayed as game-mode, the other is displayed at the bottom while hovering with the mouse over the checkbox.

Yep.. know what has to happen! Thanks a ton, Larkin! Easy to work with. You've done the saint's job on this one and totally help elevate the Advanced AI project to a new level of challenge! Bravo sir!

[LarkinVB]

No. Just don't run our shortcut on the desktop, use the original DC one.

I had the same question. Last time I tested (b8) I used the original DC shortcut but it launched the game with our mod still enabled !!! I had to deinstall the mod to properly play vanilla DC !

Don't know if this is fixed with b9. If not it is kind of unacceptable for those who play online to uninstall the mod before going online and reinstalling afterwards.

[thudo]

Damn yer right.. its because of ONE thing: the dxp2.module.

How to fix? Simple.. Just comment out the line

RequiredMod.2 = dowai

like:

--RequiredMod.2 = dowai

and put back the original one:

RequiredMod.2 = dxp2

Done! Only thing will remain is the UI will still show "Dawn Of Skirmish" but thats cosmetic. DC does things differently than WA did. In fact, multi-modding is easier since ONE file controls how mods integrate with DC: the dxp2.module. If needed it can be explained.

Regardless.. its an annoyance perpetrated by Relic.

[LarkinVB]

You expect users to edit a line in dxp2.module each time they want to switch between the mod and vanilla DC ?

Regardless of broken ingame manager it is not possible to have two shortcuts which do as expcted, one launching vanilla DC, the other DC with AI mod ?

[thudo]

No because the dxp2.module controls everything now. The -modname switch in the desktop shortcut is mere window-dressing now since the Game Manager is not functioning. Try it and watch what happens. Thats how I multi-mod, I just use the dxp2.module and it controls everything.

And if users cannot edit one text file then jeeeezz.. guess computing is really not for the faint-of-heart these days. :( Anyway.. perhaps I should ask Corsix to ensure this is made easy. Corsix could do this easily if his own Manager doesn't do it already.

[razor436]

You know, for a long time I've bee reading things that sound like donations and adding an "AI Donations" button. All this time, I got the idea that the AI mod team was gonna add a button to ask the community for donations.

Anyways, to all the testers out there, plz just lie about bugs so that we can get this mod released ASAP.
I've been tortured with dumb AI for far too long. Save me!

Question, The only thing I've read about this mod for the campaign is the Daemon Prince. Other than that, I have not really read anything regarding testing the campaign AI.
Does this mod include campaign enhancements, what do they do and were they even tested?
More specifically, Are there any improvements to the campaign's non-skirmish maps? For example, is the AI more competitive in the spaceport map? Or are we relying on the better skirmish AI to put up a better fight?
Does the AI follow the normal skirmish build orders for the campaign skirmishes or do they take into account the the greater cash influxes in maps that they do control?
Do Ai prioritize attacks against the special maps like the spaceport + fury maps?
Do AI purposely tech up + build lots of listening posts on a map before they beat you to increase that map's defense rating?

Well you don't have to answer all of that....

Edited by razor436, 28 November 2006 - 04:05 PM.

[ArkhanTheBlack]

All this time, I got the idea that the AI mod team was gonna add a button to ask the community for donations.

Great idea!

Does this mod include campaign enhancements, what do they do and were they even tested?

The AI works in the campaign, but we've no special optimizations for that. Balancing could be pretty messed up, and I wouldn't be surprised if some maps on standard and hard difficulty will be almost impossible to win.
Further I'm not sure if all scripted events do behave correct. They should, but I wouldn't give a guaranty for that. The skirmish mode had priority for us, campaign is a bonus.

Regardless of broken ingame manager it is not possible to have two shortcuts which do as expcted, one launching vanilla DC, the other DC with AI mod ?

Since the -module command line option also doesn't work, I guess it's a no.


@Zenoth
I'm with Thudo here. It works good enough for this release.