PROJECT: Playest II

[BureauBert]

Auto-centering on invisible special attacks?

This is certainly a minor issue (and as far as I remember it has already been present in the original game): I am getting auto-centering on Cleric's actions in explored but currently invisible terrain (I could not proceed in the game to later stages but I assume this one would occur with all special unit's actions).
To my personal feeling this seems as annoying as the auto-center-on-invisible-pirates-event that has already been fixed by Fromafar .
I am not sure if I like the according sound being played. Actually I like it as far as clerics are involved (somehow this gives the feeling of something disquieting going on in the world - rumors about flagelling monks wandering around and heretic movements already destabilizing neighboring empires ...), but I am not sure about spies, bio-infectors etc.

[Solver]

I've started a new game with the latest playtest build. Everything is going smooth so far, except that I am playing with 12 other civs, and one of them is Portugese - but I have already selected Portugese for myself. It doesn't crash or anything, plays fine with two Portugese civs, but I think that a check should be added on such a circumstance.

Another thing that bugs me, though, is AI attack priority. Playing with mods, I am facing a competent AI, but it seems to always ignore ceasefires. I sign one, it will attack the next turn, if it wants to. I did the following a few times: before an AI attack save. After they attack, reload and get the AI to sign a ceasefire. End turn. Every time, the attack still commenced. Therefore, it seems to me that if the AI has assigned a target for its attack, then it does not re-evaluate the target based on presence of a ceasefire/peace treaty.

Sure, it helps create a more competetive AI, but I somehow don't like the fact that once a war starts, it stays that way. Heck, even the civs I bring down to 1-3 cities and sign peace with, attack me shortly.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Solver
Sure, it helps create a more competetive AI, but I somehow don't like the fact that once a war starts, it stays that way. Heck, even the civs I bring down to 1-3 cities and sign peace with, attack me shortly.

Perhaps am I about to say something stupid... but if you are playing a mod it is perhaps originating from the Frenzy AI. Try to disable the Frenzy AI... whether it has an effect or not on your problem this code is thought to be buggy so your mods can only fare better.

[Solver]

Thanks, maybe, got to look into that. Frenzy indeed had that bug, IIRC, and other AI scripts are better anyway.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Solver
Thanks, maybe, got to look into that. Frenzy indeed had that bug, IIRC, and other AI scripts are better anyway.

I know that Martin's BetterAI slic file can be used with the SAP2 though I would have to find again how to make it compatible as the BetterAI.slc code needs some other files that can be found in Martin's mods.

[Solver]

Martin's GoodMod with SAP is what I usually play. It has Martin's SLIC files, which are really good as far as AI is concerned. Cradle is a great mod, but the gameplay changes it makes don't exactly suit my preferences, unfortunately.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Solver
Cradle is a great mod, but the gameplay changes it makes don't exactly suit my preferences, unfortunately.

I agree with you, I am currently testing the Cradle 1.30b through the Succession Game and I must admit the game is too different from the original game for my taste.

This is a great mod nonetheless...

[Solver]

My main complaint with it isn't the amount of differences it makes, but rather the focus, so to speak. Cradle expands ancient ages a lot, and some of the middle ages, while my favorite part of the game starts somewhere in the Renaissance, and I enjoy later stages too. I love ancient times, but not to the point where they take up half the game.

I will still always praise Cradle for the excellent work it contains, and recommend it to newcomers .

[Solver]

A very weird bug. I played into the Modern, and researched Advanced Infantry Tactics. Now, every turn the tech disappears for me, and for all the AIs as well. Marines and Paratroopers disappear from queues, and the tech is again available for research. I have to give it back to myself through the cheat editor, and for the AIs as well, to prevent a problem when they are trying to research that tech again and again.

Interestingly, that tech is apparently the first in some index - it appears on the top of advance list in cheat mode listing of advances, at least.

[J Bytheway]

Yes, Advanced Infantry Tactics is the first advance in advance.txt (They're mostly in alphabetical order).

[Solver]

Well, it's not first by alphabet for me as I'm playing with German files. But I guess it at leasts gives a clue for what the bug is - first advance by index disappearing.

I'll go edit advance.txt, creating some bogus advance and giving it the first index, and see if that fixes the problem.

[J Bytheway]

Update 2004.06.28

A new version. The main reason for this one is the new freetype library in the hope of fixing these problems.

I made a complete mess of putting this one together and had to reconstruct my codebase from scratch, so I wouldn't be surprised if I got something wrong. Complain quickly if it doesn't work . Unfortunately I'm on a dialup connection for the moment and not around frequently so I may not be able to respond to complaints as swiftly as I would like (It has taken me three days to get this one uploaded because I kept getting cut off... ).

[file removed]

[This version is obsolete. The next version is available here.]

Changes:

Fixed: Various memory leaks
Added: Specialists tab in national manager dialog
Fixed: Bug related to changing civ with the scenario editor
Fixed: Bug with scenario savegames
Added: Translational functionality on right click on the radar map
Changed: Version of the freetype library used
Fixed: Bombard information to AIs

[BureauBert]

As for the issue with Advance.txt: Obviously some strange things happened to the database access and it seems to affect not only SLIC (as reported above) but also hard-coded functions .

A late response concerning the known 'buggyness' (or 'simplicity that renders diplomacy useless') of Frenzy AI (v 1.x): There's a new thread in the modding section: Frenzy AI revisited (v 2.1)

[Solver]

Will download later . So far, I am stupid enough not to be able to add another advance to txt.

Or will my savegame ignore the new advance till I start a new game?

[Solver]

Bert, how safe do you imagine is that Frenzy code? That is, does it provide a real improvement to AI (as intended and, to a degree, it worked), but without the problem of never going to peace once it attacks?

Another thing I'm pondering is city attack focus, sometimes maybe the AI hesitates a bit in attacking cities... but that's unimportant right now.

The advance problem, then, is unrelated to the SLIC engine, but rather to the database engine, I gather. Anyone has messed enough with that to provide valuable input?

OK, really going to watch football now .