9 replies to this topic

[thudo]

The Dawn of Skirmish WA Advanced AI Mod v1.75 is here!

Download v1.75

**ATTENTION**
This is meant for Dawn of War WINTER ASSAULT ONLY! No other versions will work as it will error out if you try to run on anything other than the expansion!

v1.75 Changes
~~~~~~~~~
Fixed package. Sorry for the dumb April Fools joke. Bah! AI will work as it should!

v1.7 Changes:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
o Future-Proofed the AI project by making it modular so mod teams could easily integrate their work seperate from the core AI logic.
o Doc folder now present so everyone can learn how to build their own mod's AI.
o Major overhauls to attack/defend strategies especially during early game strat captures and harrassment.
o Greatly improved attachment behaviour especially to Commanders.
o Will now REPAIR damaged buildings around his main HQ on a regular basis.
o Constructs mines at set intervals.
o When safe, will re-build his base on another owned LP instead of at starting point if the area around his primary HQ is overthrown.
o Will ALWAYS build its hierarchy of buildings even if the Startpoint has known problems (ie. 4p_MountainTrail @
StartPoint#3 using Eldar).
o EASY and STANDARD skills now "ramp up" more gradually toward HARD - this will cause less frustration to newer or less experienced players.
o 'Take and Hold' game-mode behaviour improved.
o Various tactical enhancements for jumping units.
o Improved allied support and HQ threat behaviour.
o More intelligently builds and upgrades units.
o And, as usual, many MANY other smaller/subtle tweaks/bugfixes/enhancements that you will eventually pick up as you play.

Thanks to everyone on the team for you incredibly hard work getting this compatible with all the major balance changes in WinterAssault and thanks to you, the community, for your patience!

I'll try to have more links up but use the one above for now!

Now DAMN IT go get owned!

[ThetaOrion]

Ah, just download the replay and let me give you a sample of what a week of thought can do.

After losing ten times in a row last week, I picked the same scenario, and I tried a completely different tactic that I have never tried before.

I call it, "Don't wake the sleeping bear." It's more like don't make any waves or sudden moves until your AI Ally is ready to move and makes the first move.

Combining what I know to be the weak spots of the AI in relationship to the Mountain Trails Map, combined with cautious movement and holding of my captured resource points and eventual superior production, and combined with a little luck of the 'right' docile build programs from the enemy AI, I snuck me out a win with 1.70 as the Eldar in about 20 minutes of clock time.

The 1.70 AI (or at least the previous betas) does better when you attack them, because they were winning me in their counter attacks during the beta cycle. This time around, I never really attacked them, and I backed off, and it was like boiling a lobster alive. They never knew what hit them.

So, even I can learn to beat the 1.70 AI at the HARD setting, if given enough time to think about it, and with knowledge of the map and the AI. The key was to stay away from them and meanwhile deny them what they needed for tiering and researching. In the past, they were beating me because they had more resources and resource points, and I could never put a dent into them. This time, they were afraid to attack me and my ally all the way along, because they knew they would lose.

Well, watch the replay. It's actually quite humbling for the AI, if the AI had feelings. Of course, if that build program thing is still working, the game should be different the next time I try the same scenario and try to get a win in the exact same way. Nevertheless, this was quite a shock for me, especially with all the punishment I took in B14, B15, and B16. This time, I boiled the lobster alive, a completely new tactic for me.

I never had any of the recent betas play out this way before. It was definitely different for my first game with 1.70 of the AI Mod. I think you too will be surprised while watching this replay, especially if you have watched any of my previous replays in the same scenario where I got clobbered.

MT - 2vs2 - I as Eldar, IG ally, against Orks in 3, and Chaos in 4.

--

EDIT: APPARENTLY THIS GAME WAS WITH PLAIN VANILLA, AND NOT WITH THE AI SKIRMISH MOD. STUDYING THE REPLAY, THEY WOULD HAVE FIGURED IT OUT IN TIME, THOUGH I WAS TAKEN IN HOOK LINE AND SKINKER. I JUST HAD TOO MUCH FUN ACTUALLY GETTING A WIN FOR ONCE AT THE HARD SETTING, AND NOT HAVING THE ELDAR WEBWAY GATES START CHIMING ON ME EVERY SECOND DURING A GAME.

Attached Files

•  4P_MOUNTAIN_TRAIL.2006_04_02.20_26_24.zip   171.03KB   5 downloads

Edited by ThetaOrion, 03 April 2006 - 11:35 PM.

[Natus]

Dude I so love you! Kick fucking ass! AI ownage, time to put DoW:IA

[thudo]

ANything specific standout what you liked about v1.7? Have you played a few games with different factions, different maps?

[Polaris]

Man this is GREAT! Time to get kicked by the AI...

[Corsix]

Read: http://forums.relicn...ead.php?t=90053
So do we fix the problem and call it 1.75?

[thudo]

More like v1.71 which works better since its such a slight update.

Damn.. heheh how the hell did I miss that?!?! I thought I kept the folder structure:

\dowai_mod\data\ai .. Bahhh!

Oh well.. have a twinkie as it gets fixed. Its a simple fix too. heheh

[Corsix]

The fix is slight, but the problem is MAJOR.

[thudo]

Yep.. rectifying it tonight! Thanks Corsix.. will test the package when I get back tonight!

[ThetaOrion]

So, my game up above, where I beat the crap out of the AI in 20 minutes was plain vanilla 1.41?

I thought that game felt unconventional or unusual.

I figured the Replay would give Arkhan something to look at and laugh at when he came back, and that was before I knew that 1.70 was Plain Vanilla.

1) I was going to point out that the 'gathering problems' seem to have returned.

2) I also had noticed over weeks of time, that the AI Skirmish Mod AI is less likely to contend for and fight for their Relic, and I actually camped on their Relics while I prepped during this game. Recently, they fought me much harder for resource points than what they did in this game. They didn't fight for anything in this game, and I thought it was just because I was trying to be careful and stay off their radar.

3) And, all build programs (if there is even more than one) in the plain vanilla are docile, just like they were in this game.

4) I was really impressed with all the Commissars the AI made and how well they all attached up. I don't remember seeing that for awhile.

So, I liked the way the game turned out. Ha!!

I'll have to play Plain Vanilla, 'er 1.70, more often!! It's the first time in the last three weeks that I have gotten a win at the HARD setting from a 'version' of the AI Skirmish Mod.

I was waiting for you guys to do an April Fool's joke on us, and this was a good one!! It worked. I have had more fun and laughs with this fumble than with all the previous forty years of April Fools combined.

And, I told you guys to change the installation subdirectory, and for once, you actually listened to me.

Edited by ThetaOrion, 04 April 2006 - 12:48 AM.