The next AE release

[Maquiladora]

When can people expect the next AE release?

I'm mainly aiming this question at Martin, but anyone else that might have something to add before the next release please comment.

Some thoughts for the next AE release:

1) Disable debug slic event messages by default. Practically all the problems people have posted about have been regarding these messages. I know they need to be fixed, but they are so common it's easy for anyone to generate them. Perhaps when they become less common it should be enabled by default.

It also gives a big negative impression of the AE when a first time player gets 10 pop-ups in a row on turn 5 informing them that they found a bug.

2) Get the default game setup and AI more organised, to give a better game "out of the box".

Right now the AI is alright. It builds plenty of cities, it attacks with big armies, it uses stealth units, and it defends the right locations. The problems show up later in the game. Mainly to do with tile improvements and city improvement choices. I think these can be fixed, and without the use of ugly slic.

I'm willing to do this.

3) Provide some links to mods in the post of the next AE release that WORK with the AE. Upload these "fixed" mods if necessary. I'm thinking mainly of Cradle 2, since I've tested it and it seems to work for the most part. But of course I will test it fully.

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Any other ideas?

[Martin Gühmann]

When can people expect the next AE release?

I'm mainly aiming this question at Martin, but anyone else that might have something to add before the next release please comment.

Probably, we have enough. Just one thing I have to figure out is why diplomacy is broken in my last build. I just hope, it goes when I recompile the whole code, otherwise it is something from the Linux updates.

Some thoughts for the next AE release:

1) Disable debug slic event messages by default. Practically all the problems people have posted about have been regarding these messages. I know they need to be fixed, but they are so common it's easy for anyone to generate them. Perhaps when they become less common it should be enabled by default.

Really so common there are only two to three messages.

It also gives a big negative impression of the AE when a first time player gets 10 pop-ups in a row on turn 5 informing them that they found a bug.

Not at turn five, unless you are using a mod, anyway that is a good point.

2) Get the default game setup and AI more organised, to give a better game "out of the box".

Right now the AI is alright. It builds plenty of cities, it attacks with big armies, it uses stealth units, and it defends the right locations. The problems show up later in the game. Mainly to do with tile improvements and city improvement choices. I think these can be fixed, and without the use of ugly slic.

Actually, I started to reorganize that stuff some years ago, and put it on ice, when I figured that getting it to work needs a lot of time.

3) Provide some links to mods in the post of the next AE release that WORK with the AE. Upload these "fixed" mods if necessary. I'm thinking mainly of Cradle 2, since I've tested it and it seems to work for the most part. But of course I will test it fully.

So, will you fix Cradle 2?

-Martin

[Maquiladora]

Actually, I started to reorganize that stuff some years ago, and put it on ice, when I figured that getting it to work needs a lot of time.

Well I won't be making source changes, that is way above me. I'll look to see if I can to improve anything in the AI's long term planning (growth, buildings etc) in the text files only.

So, will you fix Cradle 2?

AFAIK nothing major needs to be fixed. I had to make some small changes, like disabling diplomod and fixing some slic out of bounds errors, apart from that I haven't encountered any other errors in 200 turns with the last AE. But like I said, I will try to test everything, particularly that the AI performs at least as good as Cradle with the standard game.

Perhaps the best order here would be to release the AE first, and I'll test it fully. Because I can't compile a "release" version of the AE with VC2008, I'm not confident the AI is doing what it should.

[Martin Gühmann]

AFAIK nothing major needs to be fixed. I had to make some small changes, like disabling diplomod and fixing some slic out of bounds errors, apart from that I haven't encountered any other errors in 200 turns with the last AE. But like I said, I will try to test everything, particularly that the AI performs at least as good as Cradle with the standard game.

Perhaps the best order here would be to release the AE first, and I'll test it fully. Because I can't compile a "release" version of the AE with VC2008, I'm not confident the AI is doing what it should.

Well, you can compile a release version, but you don't know whether the AI would work as it should be. I don't know it either. What I can see is if you take a game saved it on turn 0 and run it on both versions you will have a difference. You also get a difference if you compile it on VC6 with some class modifications, that shouldn't do anything.

That may be, because the sort order of the armies maybe different, since the order isn't defined when two items are equal.

But at least, I would do some testing. Since I have fixed one bug that may kill the AI.

-Martin

[Protra3211]

Looking forward to playing the next release of AE. .I went back to playing the 1.11 version .Wanted to compare again the many changes that have been made.
I think the main problem has been the diplomacy in the AE version.In 1.11 the AI would refuse a peace treaty if it had a aggresive personality also a cease fire took time.The AI would have to fear you or be beaten down before a cease fire would allowed
I have found the AI has problems defending its cities.

[Martin Gühmann]

Another thing I have found at times city defense to be weak maybe tweaking the Garrison Count found in Strategies file would help.

You mean increasing the numbers? And when shall the AI build all those funky units?

By the way, if you have a problems with spelling (like I do ), then use SeaMonkey or Firefox, they have a build in spell checker. That way you don't need to edit a post for spelling again. In fact you would have found one more. But unfortunately it doesn't tell you to leave a space between a full stop and the next word.

-Martin

[Protra3211]

Can you give us a time frame for the next release?

[Martin Gühmann]

Can you give us a time frame for the next release?

I aim for the next weekend, but I don't like to give promises, since I may not keep them. I would like to make sure that an AI civilization that has neither slaves nor slaves frees slaves on city capture. And I have to update the Apolyton Edition readme.

-Martin

[Martin Gühmann]

Unfortunately, Maq didn't test one of his additions properly, so I had to put some more time into debugging. I did a 200 turns AI-AI test and so far everything is fine, except that I didn't manage to update the readme, so hopefully next week.

-Martin

[EPW]

Cool

[Maquiladora]

Unfortunately, Maq didn't test one of his additions properly, so I had to put some more time into debugging. I did a 200 turns AI-AI test and so far everything is fine, except that I didn't manage to update the readme, so hopefully next week.

-Martin

You should have told me Martin, I would have tried to fix it myself first. But thanks for cleaning up after me

[Martin Gühmann]

You should have told me Martin, I would have tried to fix it myself first. But thanks for cleaning up after me

Well, I just found it, yesterday. And then I had to figure out why the AI in my test game suddenly researched the Gaja Controller.

But if you want to do something you can start updated the readme, the list seems to be pretty long. If necessary I will see what I can improve of the updated readme.

-Martin

[Maquiladora]

But if you want to do something you can start updated the readme, the list seems to be pretty long. If necessary I will see what I can improve of the updated readme.

-Martin

I'll update the change log and post it in the next day or so. Then you can update the rest of the readme, like the link to the new playtest thread.

EDIT: I sent you a message regarding the change log at WePlayCiv Martin ('Poly was down at the time).