AI and traits

[warsawabruce]

1) I just watched your preview where you have to decide whether to build an Economic Regional Government or a Fortified Regional Government. Is the AI clever enough to build a city based on military if there is an enemy nearby and will AI scout other factions(including the user) and decide what to build?

2) Furthermore I am rather skeptic whether the AI is actually good enough to build an economy. Whenever I've played Rome 1.5 I've been able to build a very strong economy but most of the AI has been struggling to getting a solid economy or at least that is what the Financial ranking says, so how well will AI adapt to the new economy system?


3) Celtic previews look great but how balanced are there traits and stats compared to Hellenistic armies and the roman army. I am afraid that my army will just walk right over them? This is also because the AI recruitment is not good enough.

4) Last Question. When you simulate, The AI command skill matters but will the user have a tougher time against a high ranked general compared to a low ranked general in real time battle?

[Alavaria]

1) I just watched your preview where you have to decide whether to build an Economic Regional Government or a Fortified Regional Government. Is the AI clever enough to build a city based on military if there is an enemy nearby and will AI scout other factions(including the user) and decide what to build?

If you're doing a faction-specific modfolder campaign, the AI doesn't need to build those T___T

2) Furthermore I am rather skeptic whether the AI is actually good enough to build an economy. Whenever I've played Rome 1.5 I've been able to build a very strong economy but most of the AI has been struggling to getting a solid economy or at least that is what the Financial ranking says, so how well will AI adapt to the new economy system?

As you know, the new economic system has a "starting" income can that support a goodly sized army. This is true for all factions,

Now in modfolder campaigns, this "start" is decreased for the player (but still tolerable) whereas for the AI ... T___T

Rome also gets a big buff if you're playing any modfolder campaign BUT Rome. Helps it be historical - unless you're a faction near it, then you're in for a war ... (psst - Hannibal if you're Carthage)

3) Celtic previews look great but how balanced are there traits and stats compared to Hellenistic armies and the roman army. I am afraid that my army will just walk right over them? This is also because the AI recruitment is not good enough.

Can't comment on this specifically ...

4) Last Question. When you simulate, The AI command skill matters but will the user have a tougher time against a high ranked general compared to a low ranked general in real time battle?

As far as I know, the AI general is "smarter" on Hard/Very Hard battle difficulty. This is hardcoded.

It also behaves with the same "intelligence" regardless of command "stars". Which I believe is also hardcoded.

[dvk901]

1. Well, we have 'circumvented' the difficulty of the AI being 'smart' enough to build the right things to get better barracks by not requiring it to have the same conditions as the player. Right now, we have 8 modfoldered Campaigns that are specifically aimed at making it difficult to play a particular faction. That faction is then set up with requirements that the AI doesn't have to bother with. The result is that the AI is VERY good and quite aggressive.

In the future, we will probably set up other modfoldered campaigns as people request them. Right now, Rome, Carthage, Seleucid, Sparta, the Free Greeks, Macedon, the Ptolemies, and Pergamon have their own specific campaigns, and the Barbarians are set up to have a tougher time in the Main Campaign.

2. The key to making the AI create a good economy in RTW is to make it 'worth' building things. The AI loves money, population growth, and unit recruitment...so you have to set up bonuses and buildings, and building requirements so that the AI can readily 'see' that if it builds 'this building' it will gain something it wants. The problem with Vanilla RTW is that many, many buildings are just useless in the AI's 'eyes'. It won't build them because it sees no value in them.

3. The AI recruitment in RS2 is awesome. We have worked on and studied this a LOT, and by and large, AI armies consist of a very well balanced mix of units. Much better than in RS1.6. In fact, a 100% better in my view. You will be hard pressed to just 'walk over' anyone without getting your teeth kicked in.
Traits are a still a WIP, and may not be finished as we would've liked by release time. But they are decent, and we have a good man working on them...Suppanut...who stepped in to fill Calvin's shoes.

4. When RS2 is released, start a Roman campaign and just start a fight with Hannibal's army. He is a very highly ranked General, and few of us have ever won the battle. I'd guess 90% of us got our butts kicked. So yeah, higher ranking matters.

Edit: Haha, Alavaria beat me to it.

[Alavaria]

4. When RS2 is released, start a Roman campaign and just start a fight with Hannibal's army. He is a very highly ranked General, and few of us have ever won the battle. I'd guess 90% of us got our butts kicked. So yeah, higher ranking matters.

The ranking gives the units some bonuses, but the Battle AI isn't any smarter with a 10 star general than a 0 star captain, at least that's what I'm given to understand.

Having that better morale is a very important factor. The AI in RS2 seems pretty good about keeping the general away (unless it's from my DAMN slingers who never seem able to down the guy in close-fire.) so its men get to do a lot of damage.

[Bull3pr00f de Bodemloze]

yeah ,I've seen every RSII general at least once behind the main line, charging into the most critical point, then retreating back.


unless I've already killed the guy with scorpions pre-battle, ofcourse (those things are AWESOME)

[warsawabruce]

Thanks for a quick and detailed reply. Couldn't ask for anymore.

[Philip_II]

To speak from a testers point of view, Hannibal is a jerk. Going into my first encounter with him I literally felt like the Romans charging straight after him. Only to have him take me to town at least twice, maybe a third time. I'm not quite sure. That series of battles in particular are going to be highlights to every time you play a Rome/Carthage campaign (or lowlights, depending on how much pride you put into your ability to win at a videogame). In other words, I hope you enjoy losing. Or maybe you win and show us all up, in which case congrats, Στρατεγοσ Αλεχανδροσ.

[Bull3pr00f de Bodemloze]

you can ofcourse strengthen your starting army next to hannibal with more units.

let's say you have a disadvantage against Hannibal with a certain unit type...if you bring in those before the fight, you might just win. Not that I have ever won against him. There might be some "Alavaria-ish" trick to winning. (that's a compliment)

[dvk901]

I won the battle once a long time ago, so Tone took some of the Roman units out of the stack. Meany.

[warsawabruce]

I hope(expect) that Hannibal besides being a 10 star general has a lot of traits that will boost morale and at the same time Carthage is not cowards like some of the Gallic light units in RS 1.6. Furthermore Hannibals army probably has a lot of experience compared to the Roman army. Perhaps a few of Carthage Units have better stats than the premarion units

[Bull3pr00f de Bodemloze]

most of what you say is indeed correct.
Hannibals 10 starts already affect morale across the battlefield, and allied polybian cohorts aren't the best option for frontline troops