18 replies to this topic

[ArkhanTheBlack]

Okay, I sent it to Thudo and he should upload it soon.

Comments / Changes:

1.) First I want to thank Corsix. He found the lost puzzle piece I couldn't find. I didn't know the cool _G shortcut, and therefore I had no clue how to get the class import without hard coding. Now, it's really clean. Race mods can simply install their AI folder into the skirmish AI race folder and finished! Very good!

2.) Movements
Gor'hael crater is really a most excellent map to rape the movement code. I got all sorts of weirdos and special cases... and I think I was able to fix most of them.
Back and forth moves shouldn't happen anymore. Melee squads and especially jump squads should now attack their jump targets most of the time. They have a priority to attack ranged squads, then melee and turrets/LP's at last.
BUT, especially for raptors and assault marines, the hardcoded attack code for attacking LP's and turrets is BUGGY. Sometimes, they simply refuse to attack it. They stand before it and you notice that they want to do something but somehow can't. Not even dodefault on the post entity worked. They work rather good on open field and in defense, but as soon as LP's are involved it can get weird sometimes. Stronger melee troops like commanders and terminators don't seem to have this problem. Not sure if the weapon - armor relationship has something to do with it.

3.) Post-building should we more reliable now

4.) Engineers shouldn't sacrifice themselves too easy

5.) Rediculous allied support for ultra long distances removed ('concrete defense' map for example).

6.) Attack/Defense targets are not changed too fast

7.) AI's build a second HQ if they've 1500+ req, which allows also more generators

8.) Tech trap should be removed now. I've made a change in the build controller and now it doesn't seem to happen anymore

9.) Rebuilding under HQ fire improved

10.) Hmm, I can't remember more at the moment...

BTW, I think the -dev mode changes nothing !

[Zenoth]

BTW, I think the -dev mode changes nothing !

Yep, the more I tested with and without -dev, and the more I tend to believe that the changes I myself saw, were in fact mere coincidence, since what only seemed to happen only with -dev eventually happened without it, and vise versa.

It was just a question of time (such as the back and forth movements issue) before the issues present without -dev appeared while using it.

Well, it my tests anyway.

My conclsion is still the same about that right now: Coincidence.

Nothing more, nothing less.

[Finaldeath]

I'll report on anything blatant if I see it when I get a chance to test this.

Out of interest, this may be already included, but has the commissar-killing-himself-due-to-the-use-of-execute been removed? (ie: don't use the ability, as in previous AI versions, since it is buggy in the AI - the commissar kills himself!).

...and, can be Enginseer be made to have the stance: "Stand Ground", and not "Hold Ground". This makes them much less eager to walk into any units I usually send attacking IG AI bases.

If those two things are done, thats cool just wondering, nothing *big* just anything small is good IMO.

[Corsix]

I didn't know the cool _G shortcut

Documentation

A global variable (not a function) that holds the global environment (that is, _G._G = _G)

ombined with this documentation

The syntax var.NAME is just syntactic sugar for var["NAME"]

[ArkhanTheBlack]

Nice doc! Never seen it before.

[Corsix]

It surprises me that our main LUA coder hasn't read the LUA reference manual

[ArkhanTheBlack]

Well, the lua syntax isn't really a challenge for a trained programmer . You can figure out the basics quiet simple from the existing code. The RDNWiki with the AI functions was by far more important for me, and I used it quiet often. But granted, I missed some nice gimmicks like the dynamic class import. I'll have a look at the doc in time.

[thudo]

Beta10 is now up for internal testing which also includes Corsix's new RaceLoader change! Arkhan yet again did an amazing job on this baby!

[Finaldeath]

It crashes to the desktop when I load up a game. I replaced the AI with the DOW 1.6 backup I had and that worked fine. It crashes once you click "start" to play a level, the warning logs don't show anything up.

Like always, I have deleted the old AI folder and extracted the new one into its place.

So, no go on beta 10 for me.

[Corsix]

I get a CTD too. It does make a file called (date)_(time)_ErrorLog.txt in the DoW directory, with this at the top:

W40kWA.exe caused an Access Violation in module WXPMod.dll at 001b:0f237973.

Error occurred at 2/18/2006 21:48:56.

W40kWA.exe, run by Peter.

Microsoft Windows XP?.

1 processor(s), type 586.

1024 MBytes physical memory.

Read from location 00000000 caused an access violation.

[thudo]

I know what the problem is. I'll fix it in a few.

K... try it now!

[Finaldeath]

Now works. Played a quick 3v3, nothing fancy and a small map. Quite hard to keep my allies alive on it, heh

Therefore, good job. I didn't notice - or didn't look to see - commissars executing themselves.

And enginseers (not engineers ) don't seem to run into combat, you changed their stance right?

[Zenoth]

Great, I'll try it in a few moments.

[Excedrin]

Here's some beta 10 replays

SM
http://dow.lerp.com/...0219.151104.rec

Ork
http://dow.lerp.com/...0219.162346.rec

I enjoyed the Ork game... it's tough for me to win vs insane due to that 40% resource boost.

In the SM game, it decided to attack with lone FC and lone ASM squad at different times. If it had let the LP die and then attacked with both FC and ASM it probably would have chased my stuff away.

[ArkhanTheBlack]

1.) Oops! Insane already had 3 builders?! I added one and now they've four! Ahhh...stupid me!
Okay, I removed it immediately.

2.) The AI's build their armory too early. I've fixed this. Now they should build one squad before building the armoury.

3.) Not related to the replays, but I think I'll modify the leader idea to keep the troops together and take the army center instead...

4.) I wonder, the orks never build wartrucks (the anti infantry thingy...). In your game, they might have been usefull. Are they that bad? Maybe we should reactivate them.

[Finaldeath]

I think the wartrukk limit I know of was 1, so 1 would be built. If you have excess production but lacking units (ie: your army got destroyed) and have lots of resources, early-to-mid game, those and Cimera's provide a good anti-infantry defense due to their large hitpoints, even for the AI. Same with landspeeders and vypers.

[thudo]

WarTrukks have no limit..

File:ork_squad_trukk.rgd
GameData[squad_cap_ext][squad_cap_usage] = 0.000000
GameData[squad_cap_ext][support_cap_usage] = 2.000000
GameData[squad_combat_stance_ext][ranged_attackrange] = 35.000000
GameData[squad_loadout_ext][unit_max] = 1.000000
GameData[squad_loadout_ext][unit_min] = 1.000000
GameData[squad_requirement_ext][requirements][required_2][structure_name] = ebps\races\orks\structures\ork_mek_shop.lua

Since they have a support cap and no [max_squad_cap] then you can build as many cap allows. I find them decent anti-infantry vehicles.. But pricey: 150/135 for what they can do.

And yes the AI builds Wartrukks.. I allowed for them to do so but they are not a priority vehicle for building. They're more supportative. Thanks everyone for your findings!

[Finaldeath]

I never said the game has any wartrukk limit itself, I said the AI files seem to indicate a single limit:

		SquadLimits = 
		{
			standard =
			{
				ork_squad_grot = 0,
				ork_squad_bad_dok = 4, 
				ork_squad_slugga = math.random( 3,5 ),
				ork_squad_shoota_boy = math.random( 4,6 ),
				ork_squad_stormboy = math.random( 2,4 ),
				ork_squad_tankbusta = math.random( 3,5 ),
				ork_squad_nob = math.random( 4,6 ),
				ork_squad_armored_nob = 4,
				ork_squad_mek_boy = 1,
				ork_squad_warboss = 1, 
				ork_squad_trukk = 1,
				ork_squad_wartrak = math.random( 3,5 ),
				ork_squad_killa_kan = math.random( 4,6 ),
				ork_squad_looted_tank = math.random( 4,6 ),
				ork_squad_squiggoth = 1,
			}
		}
	},

IE:

				ork_squad_trukk = 1,

Unless that is ignored of course, making it utterly pointless having any kind of number there!

Edited by Finaldeath, 20 February 2006 - 08:29 AM.

[thudo]

Yep there is a limit of 1 for Wartrukks are per my original argument. That can be increased although I don't think their truely justified as compared to Trakks and Kans.