AI is doing sooo much better Good job Frogboy

from GalCiv3 Forums

I have played many 2.5/2.6 games and have noticed continual AI improvements.  I play huge and bigger maps on godlike difficulty. Since 2.6 on godlike the AI has kicked my butt like 2 out of 3 times, so I dropped a level. The AI still wins ~ 1 in4 games (mostly because of an early bum rush and the good old RNG). 

AI fleets are greatly improved.  I no longer see every fleet ham strung with slow tiny/small ships. It is also utilizing some of my custom blueprinted powerful ships including picking my large support ships over the ‘standard’ support ships.  The AI also seems to be doing better at what tech it researches.

I no longer see powerful AI fleets move to a tile and disband allowing me (with a much weaker fleet) pick them off one at a time

I also see it is now building specialized planets yielding production and research power houses. 

Some room for improvement notes based on observations

1)      Research specialized planets typically have no factories or cities making them slow to upgrage and not as powerful as they could be.

2)      I see MANY constructors, freighters and colony ships parked next to AI ship yards even though resources, un colonized planets, and available trade routes are within well within traveling range.

3)      While the AI is more aggressive at invading it is still a weak in this area. I see many times a good invasion fleet takes a planet and remain in orbit, even though there is an undefended planet right next to it (same star system)

4)      Merc’s still need a rebalance post crusade.

I look forward to more of improvements and am ready to give more $ for a new DLC

37,435 views 6 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Thank you!

I'm still just scratching the surface.  A big challenge has been undoing some of the things that were done before I got involved.

So if you think of GalCiv III in two parts: Everything before January 2017 and everything after.  I'm the after.

The original devs on these parts did some amazing stuff but they were premised on the idea that modders would be doing everything.  I don't think that's realistic and even if it was, without steamworkshop support, what is the use of passing around updated AI scripts?

Much of my work has been on developing procedurally generated AI strategies.  It's not quite "Deep learning" but it's where I take your save games and then build AI to learn from it.  

There are two huge opportunities:

1. Planetary improvements

2. Ship design

Item #2 is easily the weakest thing because it's still data driven instead of procedurally driven.  That will be my Christmas vacation project! ;)

b

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Reply #2 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

I agree ..I only play at Gifted level but I have noticed a big improvement with the ai in regard to the their fleets and how they will go for you if they sense a weakness. My fleets no longer just over run all the ai's fleets and I am a lot more careful with getting a more mixed fleet.

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Reply #3 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Agreed, I am having way more problems in my Incredible level game than I used to as the AI is better at warfare.

Reply #4 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

The planet building has definitely improved a LOT. They're doing things with their planets that make them much more interesting to conquer!

Reply #5 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting Frogboy, reply 1

The original devs on these parts did some amazing stuff but they were premised on the idea that modders would be doing everything. I don't think that's realistic and even if it was, without steamworkshop support, what is the use of passing around updated AI scripts?
End of Frogboy's quote
I have a question about this. What will AI modding ultimately look like in you vision?

Let's suppose I made a balance overhaul in order to bring back 1k research planets and the AI just doesn't work well with that balance. How much would I be able to tweak?

Reply #6 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting Frogboy, reply 1

The original devs on these parts did some amazing stuff but they were premised on the idea that modders would be doing everything. I don't think that's realistic and even if it was, without steamworkshop support, what is the use of passing around updated AI scripts?
End of Frogboy's quote

Steamworkshop is not the be all and end all of mods :(. I actually hate it as a modder tbh. Been able to mod the AI is/was actually quite ingrossing.

Quoting zuPloed, reply 5

What will AI modding ultimately look like in you vision?
End of zuPloed's quote

Im with him.