Editing the AI

[sammy1339]

I have noticed that everybody has a lot of complaints about the AI (its misuse of air units, its misuse of terraformers, its non-use of supply crawlers) but nobody has any ideas about how to fix it. Does anybody know where the AI is programmed in the game, and possibly how to edit it?

[#endgame]

Darsnan did some stuff with the faction .txt files, as did Smacksim. Mostly it involved free facilities, +SUPPORT etc, to stop AIs from shooting themselves in the foot (as easily). As to actually changing the AI code, I haven't the foggiest.

[Commy]

One thing that I have tried with some success is eliminating SE...

No faction gets any benifits that apply to SE, with
two exceptions....all factions get +2 economy and +2 support...otherwise only free facilities or extra talents, or possibly free prototypes...also, no faction recieves disadvantages either...

You can go into the game rules file and change all the benifits of each SE setting to zero...also, it is important to go into each AI text file and make sure that they don't favor any particular SE setting, because they might waste energy on an SE setting that gives no benefits...

The benefits I gave the original factions when I did this are...

Gaians--+1 nutrient in fungus square, mindworm police (you can do this in SMAX), free rec tanks

Hive--Free perimeter defenses, free non-lethal police special ability to all units after discovery of intellectual integrity (SMAX), one less drone all bases

University--Free Network Nodes, choose one additional tech, get tech that is discovered by three other factions that are infiltrated (SMAX)

Morgans--Bonus from trade from treaties and pacts, start with 100 energy, free energy banks...

Spartans--Free prototypes, free command centers, start game with speeder instead of scout infantry

Believers--+25% to all combat, both defensive and offensive, free polymorphic encryption all units (represents mind control) from beginning of game (I think thats how I did it)

Peacekeepers--free talent every 4 citizens, free rec commons all bases

Balancing may still be necessary for this, but you get the idea...

[sammy1339]

I'm not clear on why SE hurts the AI, but if so, it would be better to make the AI smarter about SE instead of disabling it, which is what I was saying. I know it would be a difficult job to edit the AI, but I wanted to know if anybody knew where the AI actually was located so that it might be possible.

Incidentally, if you change the faction text files so that factions don't feel the negative effects of their preferred SE choice, or do so less (e.g. Morgan gets Robust: Police), will that make the AI more likely to use those choices? And why don't you think the AI can handle having innate SE bonuses and penalties?

[binTravkin]

AI's can be edited in files stored in your SMAC file directory.

First Search for file Faction.txt which will give you some hints on how to do it, then search for actual faction files.
Just note they don't always resemble the faction name.
Cult for example has "fungboy.txt".

Useful links:

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=118539

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6971&highlight=Faction+Edit

[Commy]

But these files that can be edited are only things like diplomatic messages and faction advantages...you couldn't really fix the AI to make it smarter...

That's why I used to eliminate SE...everyone was on the same playing field, and no idiot would do fundalmentalist with power and have no tech AND no industry...gaians used to do that a lot, never figured out why...

[binTravkin]

you couldn't really fix the AI to make it smarter...

You can.
CMN's word.

I once lost to a popbooming Drones on Monsoon.

[Commy]

CMN? There really needs to be a cheat sheet for all these acronyms...

[Kataphraktoi]

cmn is someone you have whip up a map to make it a chalange to play on,for PBEMs.the fact the ai needs huge bonuses just further proves its stupidity however.

[Kirov]

Isn't it: Creator + Moderator + Narrator?

binTravkin, sure you can give AI various bonuses that boost their power, but they still will be... well, somewhat dumb. And you never need to come up with smart ideas to beat them.

[cal_01]

I have to agree with this. I once allied with the Pirates to fight against the drones, but I never saw the Pirates attack -once-. There also seems to be a big bug in the AI concerning wars against other factions on another continent or just on another landmass with a body of water between them.

[binTravkin]

the fact the ai needs huge bonuses just further proves its stupidity however.

But it does not need huge bonuses.

If you want I can create an AI intelligent enough to popboom and build more bases not mil units and facilities.
Im sure it will not be easy to beat it.

The most obvious thing in AIs stupidity is it's preset stupid ideology. It is of course characteristic for Mim to take Fundy, but no human player would do it.
If you instead modify her BELIEVE.txt like:

Politics, [b]Democratic, INDUSTRY[/b]
Values, Knowledge, nil

changes bolded

You have a nice Demo/Planned/Wealth running Mim which will have a mineral row of 0.7 * 0.8 = round(5.6) = 6 and will popboom as soon as get to Eth Calc -> Creches.

You can also set her priorities to Build and Explore and he will have Eth Calc as about the 3rd - 5th tech.
It also means she will be more willing to build Creches as the "build" and "explore" values for Creche are high.

Voila!
What you got is Believers which will be really hard to beat if they land near Monsoon and quite competitive in a usual/normal start position.

They will also rarely trade tech with you as they're Believers.

Last time I tried such setup and put Mim on Monsoon she was popbooming before me (as Lal).
True, it was not like me - popboom in about 80% of bases, but the popboom went on through entire game.
Sometimes a newly founded base had to build Hab complex after some 10-12 turns.

And her 6-3-1s streaming like some hellish swarm were very hard to beat indeed. Only when I got to choppers I got an upper hand in combat.

And talking about choppers - If I had given her either AAA ability for free or ACs for free or both I had never had such sucess with choppers as well.
And if I gave her the ECM ability my rovers before MMI would be overhelmed.

And if you say those are huge bonuses, you've mistaken.
A normal human player uses 5-1-2 and 1-3+-2 in his attacks. And the "+" comes at no cost, so if I gave it Mim at no cost it would be practically the same.

[Kirov]

I've never thought about changing priorities instead of bonuses, will have to try it out soon.

I also wonder if it is possible to make Ai's build forests or boreholes... Any ideas?

[PJayTycy]

I also wonder if it is possible to make Ai's build forests or boreholes... Any ideas?

If you make that the only 2 possible terraforming options (IE: put farms/solars/mines at trancendent thought or something).

[Kataphraktoi]

Originally posted by binTravkin


But it does not need huge bonuses.

If you want I can create an AI intelligent enough to popboom and build more bases not mil units and facilities.
Im sure it will not be easy to beat it.

The most obvious thing in AIs stupidity is it's preset stupid ideology. It is of course characteristic for Mim to take Fundy, but no human player would do it.
If you instead modify her BELIEVE.txt like:

Politics, [b]Democratic, INDUSTRY[/b]
Values, Knowledge, nil

changes bolded

You have a nice Demo/Planned/Wealth running Mim which will have a mineral row of 0.7 * 0.8 = round(5.6) = 6 and will popboom as soon as get to Eth Calc -> Creches.

You can also set her priorities to Build and Explore and he will have Eth Calc as about the 3rd - 5th tech.
It also means she will be more willing to build Creches as the "build" and "explore" values for Creche are high.

Voila!
What you got is Believers which will be really hard to beat if they land near Monsoon and quite competitive in a usual/normal start position.

They will also rarely trade tech with you as they're Believers.

Last time I tried such setup and put Mim on Monsoon she was popbooming before me (as Lal).
True, it was not like me - popboom in about 80% of bases, but the popboom went on through entire game.
Sometimes a newly founded base had to build Hab complex after some 10-12 turns.

And her 6-3-1s streaming like some hellish swarm were very hard to beat indeed. Only when I got to choppers I got an upper hand in combat.

And talking about choppers - If I had given her either AAA ability for free or ACs for free or both I had never had such sucess with choppers as well.
And if I gave her the ECM ability my rovers before MMI would be overhelmed.

And if you say those are huge bonuses, you've mistaken.
A normal human player uses 5-1-2 and 1-3+-2 in his attacks. And the "+" comes at no cost, so if I gave it Mim at no cost it would be practically the same.

so with:

the SE changes you mentioned
build and explore

then miriam would be a challange?

and also, with a 100% combat + vs air units,and a 50%+ combat vs rovers,in addition to whatever ups+ miriram put on extra,thats not a very big advantage?

And if you say those are huge bonuses, you've mistaken.

i didnt say the bonus you listed were huge.i was reffering to the ones in such as the ''solstice ai'' challance mart topped a week ago. those bonuses and starts,given to humans,would be garranteed loss for the PK.