Modding and the AI

[Anthony]

To what degree is the AI capable of recognizing modified units and spells? If you alter the prerequisites to build a unit, will the AI try to create it even though it can't? If you change the type of a spell, will the AI try to cast it as if it were its original type? If you add special capabilities to a unit (say, roadbuilding), will the AI try to use it, or will it only use those capabilities on a unit of a type it remembers having that ability?

[Aureustgo]

To what degree is the AI capable of recognizing modified units and spells? If you alter the prerequisites to build a unit, will the AI try to create it even though it can't?

No - the AI won't try to build units it can't. It follows the rules of the game, and makes the best decisions it can within those parameters. See below:

If you change the type of a spell, will the AI try to cast it as if it were its original type?

In 2.0 the AI tries to cast hail storm, acid fog and destruction, among others, so yes, the AI will cast them, but I will admit that this is not always the case, and one can sometimes get into trouble.

If you add special capabilities to a unit (say, roadbuilding), will the AI try to use it, or will it only use those capabilities on a unit of a type it remembers having that ability?

In 2.0, the AI uses Brax the Dwarf to build roads, for instance. Likewise, the settlers swim to far off lands (irritating!).

The AI likely goes through some general algorithm where it first recognizes a need, then investigates the resources at hand that are capable of fulfilling it. I'm no expert but that probably means the AI will recognize all new abilities added to units.

[kyrub]

The problems with AI are manifold with simple modding. You may not notice them on the surface at first.

In 2.0, the AI uses Brax the Dwarf to build roads, for instance.

Yes, but it fails to recognise a unit with a road_building feature as a dangerous unit. So you could walk a demi-god Brax to AI's capital and it would think you are building a road. Also the AI will never combine its own Brax with an army... Also the AI will never build another engineer on the continent because it has Brax... go imagine the concequences.


It's quite similar with the spells. You put a Naga spell instead of Wind mastery, the AI thinks: it's a good time to cast a global spell, it makes a check for having a global spell (negative). Then it thinks: I have Wind mastery (but it's Naga now, which AI does not notice), so it summons Nagas. Repeat the procedure. It works so so (because the player may not notice) but in the deep core, it's not awesome at all.

[Twan]

That's interesting to know.

I'll check what AI dwarves (or AI encountering dwarves) are doing in my mod, as I given construction to all their units. Perhaps better to rollback this change.

[Anthony]

Yes, but it fails to recognise a unit with a road_building feature as a dangerous unit. So you could walk a demi-god Brax to AI's capital and it would think you are building a road. Also the AI will never combine its own Brax with an army... Also the AI will never build another engineer on the continent because it has Brax... go imagine the concequences.

None of those are problems for the mods I was considering.

It's quite similar with the spells. You put a Naga spell instead of Wind mastery, the AI thinks: it's a good time to cast a global spell, it makes a check for having a global spell (negative). Then it thinks: I have Wind mastery (but it's Naga now, which AI does not notice), so it summons Nagas. Repeat the procedure. It works so so (because the player may not notice) but in the deep core, it's not awesome at all.

That seems to indicate a list somewhere of global enchantments. Are there abilities that can be safely removed, and abilities that cannot?

[Aureustgo]

You put a Naga spell instead of Wind mastery, the AI thinks: it's a good time to cast a global spell, it makes a check for having a global spell (negative). Then it thinks: I have Wind mastery (but it's Naga now, which AI does not notice), so it summons Nagas. Repeat the procedure. It works so so (because the player may not notice) but in the deep core, it's not awesome at all.

I think it's awesome that a proper edit of the game is now being done with insecticide. Not having the side effects of "less delicate" modification is definitely a blessing. I still find insecticide very unbalanced, but that was clearly not the goal of Microprose - it's good to see their vision finally take shape the way it was originally conceived.

[Aureustgo]

That seems to indicate a list somewhere of global enchantments. Are there abilities that can be safely removed, and abilities that cannot?

As we've noted in this thread, and others, changing the spells' designation in spelldat.lbx is not sufficient to avoid some side effects for every conceivable modification. True, for most changes, the effect on gameplay is largely satisfactory - i.e., the AI uses the spell when it should, it's effect is as designed, etc. - but one should be careful.

As I noted earlier, I playtested changes to spells for many years and didn't discern any significant side effects (and from most feedback, I don't think there are many). One of my last changes, the Naga - Wind Mastery switch, was a recent change and admittedly wasn't playtested to any great length [grad school does that to you]. So again, be careful and recognize it is not always as simple as it looks.