Brain Storming - Hero AI

Hero AI Competition Idea

Went over it with Earth-Fury, HINDYhat and DarkDenizen in the chat, but we needed a place for more input, so here it is.

The idea is to make an AI that works with a preselected/created hero, and it has to battle another hero just like it. How you program the hero is up to you, Jass, vJass or GUI. It's all up to you.

There's restrictions. You can only react to stuff you'd be able to react to as a player. So no detecting orders on the other hero. Only stuff that happens on your own hero is allowed, like checking for buffs, checking HP and such.

Here's the Hero:
Life: 1075, Mana: 495, Damage: 46-46

Abilities:
- Mana Burn
Sends a bolt of negative energy that burns up to 150 points of a target enemy unit's mana. The mana combusts, dealing damage equal to the amount of mana burned.
Cooldown: 15 sec
Manacost: 100
OrderString: "manaburn"
OrderID: 852179

- Blink
Teleports the Hero a short distance, allowing her to move in and out of combat.
Range: 1150
Cooldown: 10 sec
Manacost: 75
OrderString: "blink"
OrderID: 852525

- Shadow Strike
Hurls a poisoned dagger at a target enemy unit, dealing 100 initial damage, and 20 damage every 3 seconds for 15 seconds. The poison slows the movement speed of the targeted unit for a short duration.
Cooldown: 12 sec
Manacost: 65
OrderString: "shadowstrike"
OrderID: 852527

- Healing Salve
Regenerates a target unit's hit points by 500 over 45 seconds when used.
Cooldown: 15 sec
Manacost: 100
OrderString: N/A
OrderID: 8526209

The game would be an elimination tournament, and the one that comes out standing is the winner.

We've decided to stay with one hero this time, but next time we might make one with multiple hero choices.

So, input away.

You're allowed to use all events except detecting orders, and unit begins casting ability.

Blink, cooldown 1 second...??? Make that a bit higher, pl0z.

Other than that, this is an awesome idea. I'd love some arenas. If someone would be so kind as to terrain a simple arena or two (with terrain obstacles of course), that would be awesome.

Also, round off the life/mana/damage a bit.

Healing salve is one of those non-combat buffs, so as soon as the unit attacks or is attacked it goes away.

The ability will function just like the Healing Salve item.

Shadow Strike needs a higher cooldown. Maybe 10-12 seconds. As well, mana burn needs a nerf. 15 second cooldown, 100 mana cost? And as has been said, 1 second cooldown on blink?! :P try 10-20 seconds lol. and a mana cost of 20 or 30 mayhaps.

Also, this is relevant to my interests.

First post updated with new values

I think from a testers point of view, that it's fair i demand that all AI's must have one thing in common. All should have the following function function <name>StartAI takes unit u returns nothing that i can use to start the AI so i can make a controllable test map.

With the test map i think the contestnsts shouldnt see it untill the big AI fight

Either that or we make like 5 different test maps (only screenshots allowed), and they would be randomized during fights.

I approve. The idea is a relatively creative one, and should be interesting - if you can get the participation level required.

Originally Posted by BoneBreaker

I think we SHOULD be able to see the terrain, that way we can make our AI 'use the terrain as an advantage'.

You can make you AI use the terrain as an advantage without having a preview of the final combat terrain, too :P And ya know, it will have to do it intelligently at run time... a kind of 'artificial intelligence', if you will.

Need backswing and damage points for nefarious purposes, also miss range for melee attacks. (I'm assuming heroes are melee)

Oh, and miss chance for uphill. (Assuming all these things will be tweaked)

You'll get all you need in a map when the contest starts. The map will be the form you deliver your AI in, and it has the hero, and all the settings needed. There wont be anything else in the map, because i feel an AI should be able to take advantage of any map. Or at least perform to the best of it's possibilities. That's why I've decided that I wont show the map the AI's are going to battle in before the actual test.

Added the following to the first post: "You're allowed to use all events except detecting orders, and unit begins casting ability."

Let's get this contest going, for god's sake. It's the best thing that ever happened to Hive.