April 2015 FMR review - AI changes

[Whis]

What changes to current AI would you like to see and why?

What new type of AI would you like to see and why?

[Rabid]

NPC's making attacks off base.

May need to add more NPC's and/or NCP types to make this relevant, but i think it could add more flavor to the game.
Although we're likely to see more forum threads, by people who think the server is out to get them, crying foul.

Sooooooo.....win win imo

[Rajam]

This probably isn't feasible, possible or realistic but since since you posted.........

A personal AI that randomly spawns each month anywhere in the universe that only I can see. This AI would only have one base and fleet of approximately +10% level/tech/comp as mine. IF I found this base/fleet I could take the base and fleet. Taking this base would give greater pillage than normal(+300%) and the base would disband over 24 hours. 30 days later the AI would reappear somewhere else.

Everyone would have their own spawn.
Only that player would be able to see it.
Only that player could attack it.
Only that player could recycle those debris.
If that player never found it or attacked it they would just disappear and reappear again 30 days after spawning.
If a player tried to build a base where they spawned it would force a respawn somewhere else.

Why?

It would give you something to do.
It would give you a small infusion of credits IF you chose to do this.

Variation:
There could be one of these randomly spawning that everyone/anyone could attack. You could also have one per cluster or any variation you choose. (Think old school Drekon frigates).

Just keeping this thread alive.

[leesmack]

I like your idea ramjam.... But we all know AE won't ever do anything to make the game better or funner...

[Rajam]

I'm just trying to keep the dream alive......

[Ferdoc]

I like the idea of essentially a solo AI opponent. To give some easy credits for the vets and much needed experience in combat and related mechanics.

To purely spitball -

Include a form of aggressive 0 debris producing AI along the technological vein of Drekons, but of a variable size. Use it when a blob is a significant portion a server's total fleet population within a single galaxy. Give 2 options to combat - reduce the blob in the galaxy under a threshold for a period of time or fight off the invaders to be allowed to keep their fleets in the galaxy. Use the AI to go specifically after the blobs, not bases. Stripping routes over naked bases should also be a possibility.


A second AI akin to the UC to jump in on server wars that are blatantly one sided. IE 100b vs 100m. Would require a significant amount of coding, and potentially hard coded politics to a small degree, to be even basically functional. But could help stem the farming of players out of the game.

[lilsammy]

To be perfectly honest a active AI is not difficult to code using PHP as an example you could quite easily program such AI in a browser based game it would limited to the number of or rather frequency of a cron job / scheduled task is run, its quite easy to program one based on a set of algorithms essentially mimicking human based choices based on current variables.

This is the same process as programming a bot which have been seen in so many other games but that it would be run server side.

To give you an example the algorithm used for calculating how much hanger units a fleet could carry:

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var TotalCapacity = 0;

TotalCapacity = TotalCapacity + (4 * number of frigates)
TotalCapacity = TotalCapacity + (4 * number of cruisers)
TotalCapacity = TotalCapacity + (60 * number of carriers)
..... and so on.... 

The algorithm used for calculating the best base structure to build based on what you want to improve lets say production would go something along the lines of...

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array = []

array[] = metal refineries cost / planet metal = cost per output 
array[] = robotic cost / 2 = cost per output

you would do that for all structures that have a production effect then select the best number for cost per output giving you exactly the best structure to build for the wanted result, prod, const, econ

You can write a human algorithm for anything in AE even combat although it would be larger and more complex its just time consuming not difficult.

This type of NPC is far easier than even writing a bot that plays AE in that you would have direct access to the database, you wouldn't need to spend the time crawling pages as human would.

So to round off adding this to AE would only take time and its been done by those who spent the time doing it for themselves, I don't see any issues adding this other than lack of effort on the developers part.

Experience: PHP /C# Developer.

New server on the way! no new content yay!

[synbiose]

Greetings all

i dont post almost anything.. only read the forums..
but since this a review, let see if we can archive something...

AI improvement: Drekons
AI improvement: NPC
Add new galaxy: Drekons Galaxy (DG)


Add a Drekons Galaxy (not mention on map galaxy view, but can archive through any WH on each cluster), on that side, Drekons/NPC have a mass bases colonized (with actual tecks) in every region (and since NPC appears from inactive players, we can simple resolve this, by copy the npc that disappear in the normal galaxy's to Drekons Galaxy) and the base involve the normal way.

if a NPC base on DG dont get hit +90 days evolve to Drekons
if a Drekons base is perma-occ +30 days, the base get deleted
with this we can assume a normal modification/evolve on bases in DG


and in this galaxy the fun begins..

AI Improvements:
- Travel interception (Ninja tatics/recall traps)
- Blob Crash from the Drekons/NPC (Auto attack fleets = already implemented in normal galaxy's)
- Improvement on Drekons/NPC Specs (for example, if a player come with with a HC spec, Drekons automatically attack/intercept with a FR spec)
- Automatic off base fleets, moves to their blob, if any (or near base)

Note:
- (the Drekons/NPC amount total fleet cant be more than the total of entire server (players))
- keep the actual tecks for NPC and Drekons
- no colonization allowed to a normal player in DG (and with this no jumpgate for anyone)

Pros:
newest players can evolve faster, because oldest players are trying to invade DG (this will try to minimize the most problematic reason of players leave/keep in AE)
old servers that are 1 faction, will try hard to invade (a little fun for the rest of players)
improve of more wars between guilds to secure DG (huge fun)

Cos:
unity of major servers/faction, newest and olders (and only if Generals Managers apply to it) to a battle for DG (but this can be resolve, and only apply to servers with less than "XXX" players)


Last Note:
(Programming issues, dont have, because can be done, and a few of us, now where this was implemented in other similar game, by 1 guy only), this can be programmable through a module, that this rules only apply AI in DG)

Code: Select all

SERVER - DAYS OLD - PLAYERS -  ONLINE - BASES

Lyra 1.312 Days 408 26 5.619
Kappa 1.480 Days 486 39 7.786
Juno 1.704 Days 404 19 5.516
Ixion 1.886 Days 409 19 6.449
Helion 2.054 Days 418 25 6.268
Gamma 2.243 Days 401 16 6.059
Fenix 2.432 Days 493 20 7.938

u know the drill right!!

[FeraMulti-kill]

Why not create United Colonies or Drekons like Super guilds that can target Guild blobs ?

Imagine United colonies or Drekons with 25000000000 fleet size and with several members imbound to your blob.