Modding the AI?

[skrag]

...possible?

In my play-through as a Death Necromancer using the GS5R2 mod, I found it very easy to kill enemy thief lords. I find mage and warrior lords far harder, is there any way to make the computer randomize just mages and warriors at the start of a game? Or perhaps even fix their starting lord - Order always starts with a warrior, Death a mage, etc.

Every single enemy lord I encountered did not have a full army accompanying him - it was always only 2-4 units, maybe an extra champion. If we could get enemy lords to walk about with a full army - 3 champions and 9 units, all at max level - it would make the game more challenging.

Perhaps giving the AI a resource advantage, so it could produce more units? Make the AI attack your cities with much bigger forces and more often?

[Boaster]

The AI players already have a resource advantage. They start with significantly more followers as well.

More resources, followers, experience and garrisons.

[skrag]

OK cool, but can you pre-determine what lord each faith starts out with, instead of having it chosen randomly? And is it possible to have enemy AI lords travel the map in the largest army they have? Right now its probably too easy to beat LOMSE because enemy lords travel around with laughably small forces.

[Boaster]

Jan 5, 2010 18:32:34 GMT -6 skrag said:

OK cool, but can you pre-determine what lord each faith starts out with, instead of having it chosen randomly? And is it possible to have enemy AI lords travel the map in the largest army they have? Right now its probably too easy to beat LOMSE because enemy lords travel around with laughably small forces.

Changing the Lord the AI starts with can be easily done. But I prefer, for the purposes of my mod and the game, choose to have it randomized.

If you would like to edit it, it can be changed in 'gs\scenario.gs'.

[quentinak]

Yes those overconfident lone-wolf Lords are to blame for the game being too easy. The only challenging aspect of the game now is really from those level 10 or 11 buildings. I would imagine it'd take quite a bit of effort to improve the AI. Hopefully, Mantera will work his magic.

[skrag]

Jan 5, 2010 20:04:48 GMT -6 Boaster said:

If you would like to edit it, it can be changed in 'gs\scenario.gs'.

Right, I found:

/random_leader_unittype <<
LIFE{unittypedict{/lildf /lildw /lildt}0 2 gamerand get get}
DEATH{unittypedict{/deldf /deldw /deldt /deldr /dewz2}0 4 gamerand get get}
; DEATH{unittypedict /deldr get}
; ORDER{unittypedict{/orldf /orldw /orldt}0 2 gamerand get get}
ORDER{unittypedict{/orldf /orldw /orldt /orld2 /orft2}0 4 gamerand get get}
; CHAOS{unittypedict{/chldf /chldw /chldt}0 2 gamerand get get}
CHAOS{unittypedict{/chldf /chldw /chldt /chwmf /chwz2}0 4 gamerand get get}
EARTH{unittypedict{/ealdf /ealdw /ealdt}0 2 gamerand get get}
AIR{unittypedict{/aildf /aildw /aildt}0 2 gamerand get get}
FIRE{unittypedict{/fildf /fildw /fildt}0 2 gamerand get get}
; WATER{unittypedict{/waldf /waldw /waldt}0 2 gamerand get get}
WATER{unittypedict{/waldf /waldw /waldt /watf1}0 3 gamerand get get}
>> def

Am I in the right place? I assume lildf=life fighter, lildw=life wizard, lildt=life thief, and if I want the Life AI player to start with a thief lord, I would just delete the other two?

Some of the faiths have 2 lines, with others like watf1 for Water, what are those?

[Boaster]

Semi-colon denotes an in-script note that does not appear in the game at all.

/lildf is a call for the unittype index. LILDF is Life Lord Fighter. It's relatively easy.

Also, if you're changing all faiths to one type, you'll need to update where it says "0 2 gamerand get" to the number you want to pull from the array followed by "get".

Go from: LIFE{unittypedict{/lildf /lildw /lildt}0 2 gamerand get get}
To: LIFE{unittypedict{/lildf /lildw /lildt}1 get get}


This will now always pull /lildw from the array. By keeping the others in the array, you will do non-destructive editing, meaning you can go back and change the 1 to another number.

Arrays start with 0 always. So zero is the first number.

/lildf = 0
/lildw = 1
/lildt = 2

That's where you see "0 2 gamerand" come into effect. An independently generated random (all inclusive) value is called.

You also copy the entire line, set it as a comment then create your own line in case you want to go back with even less steps to backtrack.

[skrag]

Thanks Mantera