The Automation Challenge/Nightmare!

[Velociryx]

What have I started....

to Z for taking the idea and running with it, and to all who are going out on a limb and trying something a bit...different...

-=Vel=-

[Googlie]

Edit your scriptx.txt by adding (I've bolded below):

#GOVOPTIONS
#xs 440
#caption Governor Settings for $BASENAME0
#checkbox 20
#itemlist
Governor is active.
Governor may use multiple priorities (e.g. Explore AND Discover), or no priorities.
Governor sets new units to "fully automate".
Governor manages citizens and specialists (including Drone Riots).
Governor manages production.
__Governor may produce scout/exploration units.
__Governor may produce land combat units.
__Governor may produce naval combat units.
__Governor may produce air combat units.
__Governor may produce land defense units.
__Governor may produce air defense units.
__Governor may produce prototypes.
__Governor may produce transports.
__Governor may produce probe teams.
__Governor may produce terraformers.
__Governor may produce colony pods.
__Governor may produce supply crawlers.
__Governor may produce base facilities.
__Governor may produce secret projects.
__Governor may HURRY production.


(Remember to change the checkbox value from 19 to 20)


Then for the Base Governor's orders you'll see: (I've checked just that one box to hilite it - and the Governors will actually build them!!):

[Enigma_Nova]

Does the text actually make him build the crawlers, or does he just claim to be building crawlers?

[furrykef]

This is funny...the automation was designed to make the games easier to play (albeit for n00bs and people who can't stand tons of micro), and here you're using it for the sole purpose of hampering your development

I like Googlie's mod idea, though...it improves the Governor without changing the actual rules of the game. I'll apply it now in case I ever try this style of play.

- Kef

[binTravkin]

Does the text actually make him build the crawlers, or does he just claim to be building crawlers?

I have the same question as EN!

If it worx:

How does the game understand that "supply crawlers" string corresponds to supply unit id/value in its internal array of variables?
Does it make a string comparison operation or somesuch?

And if it does -> what happens when you rename the crawler to say "ROCK EATING OGRE" ?

[Googlie]

Originally posted by Enigma_Nova
Does the text actually make him build the crawlers, or does he just claim to be building crawlers?

Well checking the box only emphasizes that option when the AI chooses its build path for that base. It doesn't tell you what the Base is actually producing. (but in 1 scenario test - granted that may not be representative of all games and bases - as the Hive, the Governor wouldn't build a crawler when I put a base next to the Borehole Cluster (and gave the AI Ind Auto) even with that (plus facilities and aircraft) the only option he had. But for a second base, with a mineral special and mine in its radius, the Gov immediately started on a crawler)

So it might be situation specific

But even before that tweak, I saw several of the AI producing crawlers - Drones, Morgan and Hive principally, although Roze and Dee would produce 3 or 4 pewr game

[furrykef]

It could be that "Governor may build supply crawlers" was a pre-defined option that the game recognizes (by string comparison) but was for some reason disabled. Although it would be strange to do it that way. I mean, really you could wonder why that sort of thing would be in a config file at all, if it specifies what can show up but not how it behaves.

- Kef

[smacksim]

The game parses strings quite well. Maybe not Perl well, but pretty well. You must follow the naming conventions exactly, and of course, it must BE a legitimate option, something we have no way of knowing without trying it. However, because supply crawlers are a standard unit (like unity foils, scouts, etc.), it's more than likely that this tweak is parsed.

Another possibility, without parsing, is that the AI chooses what to build by it's position in a list of standard units. IE, build-by-number. This effect is noticible with some alpha.txt options, so it might be worth scrapping one governor option and replacing with crawlers. Also, adding a few crawlers to the standard unit list in alpha.txt will encourage a few to be built.

-Smack

[smacksim]

Originally posted by binTravkin

How does the game understand that "supply crawlers" string corresponds to supply unit id/value in its internal array of variables?
Does it make a string comparison operation or somesuch?

And if it does -> what happens when you rename the crawler to say "ROCK EATING OGRE" ?

As far as I know, there are really three types of units. Ones that appear in alpha.txt as standard units (unity foil, scout, etc.). These are quite editable, even their prerequisite techs. The second type doesn't appear in any text list, but comprises the standard Workshop units that the AI always builds, representing some pretty silly engineers (empath gatling noodle?). The third type of unit is the type that the Workshop will never come up with on it's own, IE 'Clean Formers'.

When it comes to parsing, the Standard Unit list is rock solid. If it's there in text, and the numbers have meaning, it gets used. All the '.txt' files are parsed the same way, though I've not played with 'scripts.txt' in this way. The only thing to know is that the parser, while able to read anything, even 'Rock Eating Ogre', needs to compare strings. If you don't find a string in the Standard Unit list, or put it there yourself, your only chance is to spell it exactly as it's used. The Workshop units are un-editable as far as I know.

-Smack

[TheProvost]

I’ve been trying this out as Morgan on the Ultimate Builder’s Map and it has been quite fun so far. I’m not getting as much tech or as many SPs as I’d like, but the turns are flying by at a good pace, and I feel like I’m somewhat challenged by the AI. I have a question though. I notice that Governors can be authorized to Hurry production. This seems like a great option for the late game (+1000 Credits a turn and all that), but I’m wondering if the Governors are any good at it. Do they rush after the first 10 minerals? Do they avoid rushing prototypes? Do they avoid spending above/below a certain amount of energy? Are they careful to leave you with at least a few credits in your account? Basically, has anyone ever used this option extensively, and if so, what were the results?

[smacksim]

No one knows! You are in uncharted waters. Be careful! Let us know how those Cyborgs (and not the one named Ace) make governor decisions. We'll be watching.

-Smack

[Santiago_Claus]

A management cyborg named Ace,
threw credits all over the place,
but once leaders glanced at
his spendthrift enchantment,
he vanished with nary a trace.

[Sikander]

Originally posted by Santiago_Clause
A management cyborg named Ace,
threw credits all over the place,
but once leaders glanced at
his spendthrift enchantment,
he vanished with nary a trace.

[Enigma_Nova]

[Zeiter]

Whoa, I just finished player a SUPER-automated game as Santiago, where the only things I controlled were diplomacy and social engineering. I played it on talent so that all factions would have equal base growth, research, production, etc. Whew, it was one heck of a game! My faction, or rather, the one I was overseeing, transcended in year 2532, after only 6 hours of playing! Over 500 turns in 6 hours! That's gotta be a record or something!

It was a real blast of a game. It's worth mentioning that I got Lal to pact with me all the way to transcendence. That rarely happens, as you know.

And btw, AI-controlled colony pods are INSANE! My first pod wandered right into a nest of mind worms. Thus, I didn't even get a second base founded until 2132!

Some other things I noticed: The AI actually does quite a nice job hurrying production, usually using credits to finish up the last few rows of minerals or so. Also, the bases don't suffer retooling penalties when they are being controlled by a governor. That could almost be a sort of exploit...