For Backers Only: AI building stuff

So..how do we cheat the AI more eco? :?:

Oh man. Hopefully you add an "easy" mode when the AI can build eco :shock: It's actually really cool having AI in the game, even rudimentary, since there's a point to defenses! :mrgreen:

Ya, the one reason I never really got that into supcom was remembering what did what to what.

well but visual adjacency only sucks too imo. A new player will build his base and notice, some buildings link. What will he think automatically? Right, he will think, "oh they link, probably some advantage, I will build now buildings linked together". After some more games he will finally look it up to know what is the exact advantage and he will find out, it was only visual. "how lame..." he will think...

why not give it an advantage, that doesnt make a huge difference?

Because it forces you into a certain way to build a base, leaving you with less choice then before for no discernible advantage in gameplay.

but if there is no gameplay effect to it, dont implement it at all^^

Exactly. *shoos adjacency discussion out the door*

Interesting stuff and definitely nice to have, smart player AI is something we should be looking forward to.

I'm also quite curious on the progress of unit AI though, any news on that? If I had the choice, I'd rather see proper path finding, formations, smart combat and area commands first before pitting myself against AI players. Having a relentless opponent is much less fun if my units walk to their doom in single file (if they don't fall into a crevice along the way.)

Haven't thought about building adjacency that much myself. I quite like the idea of the energy grid and metal extractor overdrive in Zero-K. Something like that makes it important to lay out a base properly (which it should be) while not being too rigid as to add too many constraints a player needs to consider.

Visual adjacency could be added as finishing touches, eye candy shouldn't be too much of a priority until much later though. Make it play great before you make it look nice.

I think adjacency bonus can bring build diversity.
Without bonus it is just build anywhere.
With bonus, there might be several beneficial ways to build to make use of bonuses.
And thus making it interesting to think about building strategies.

Also if you make use of adjacency, your base is extra vulnerable, because buildings are linked.
At least that is how it used to be in FA.
High(er) risk, high(er) reward.

Actually, it might be interesting to have buildings as they are now able to be placed in such a way that units can't move between them, but have adjacency. So if you want adjacency, your units won't be able to move between buildings. If you want your units to get out of your base, you'll have to create 'streets'.

Except nope, that's a horrible idea. I'd be more interested in fighting with my tanks instead of delving into town planning. I want to be a commander, not a mayor.

What about a Mavor?

I want to be an gamer, not a game developer.

There's a bit of Mavor in all of us.

I think the AI would be best to think like a player.

Step 1: As a player your 1st action will be to scout the enemy. The computer will want a presence on land, air and possibly sea as well so having at least 1 air factory to start is never bad. Use the air scout to see what the enemy is up to.

Step 2: Build anti air or anti ground units (or anti naval) units in bulk. aggressively expand map control and upgrade your economy. Then increase build power into the appropriate units based on your experiences during your scout.

Step 3: Harass! Primary target = Commander. Secondary target is economy, especially energy. Use the time this buys to consolidate gains but always have a standing army.

Repeat steps 1-3. Also Sorian, if you have not read the book already pick up a copy of Sun Tzu's art of war. There are so many fabulous pieces of general strategic knowledge in that book no RTS gamer should pass it up. A couple of my favorite passages:

"The way of war is a way of deception. When able, feign inability; When deploying troops, appear not to be; When near, appear far; When far, appear near; Lure with bait; Strike with chaos."

"The highest form of warfare is to attack strategy itself."

"Of old, The Skillful Warrior first ensured his own invulnerability; Then he waited for the enemy's vulnerability."

"The highest skill in forming dispositions is to be without form; Formlessness is proof against the prying of the subtlest of spy and the machinations of the wisest brain."

"Military dispositions take form like water. Water shuns the high and hastens to the low. War shuns the strong and attacks the weak. Water shapes it's current from the lie of the land. The warrior shapes his victory from the dynamic of the enemy. War has no constant Dynamic; Water has no constant form."

So many good quotes! I had to stop in the first few chapters lol. Pretty awesome stuff for a 2500 year old general. His stuff is timeless! I would love to see an AI that kept this kind of stuff in "mind"

The guy, or the cannon?

Oh crap. Is the ai even gonna be beatable?

can i expect an army of robot samurai ninjas?
heck make an invisible krogoth that shoots asteroids out his (never mind that one), every thing that isn't a Nazi zombie :lol:

http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/ ... 3i4s97.jpg

by the way what other books are simmlier to the "art of war" i might pick them from the local libary

All men are cannons.

If you have Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance you can download the Sorian AI mod for it, and that should give you an idea of how the AI in PA may end up (dev time permitting). :mrgreen: