[Offense] Tactics And War [AI]

[Fakov]

Hi everyone.

I've bring you a simple remake of nice castle defense map, which first version was made in 2007!!! LOL. Yep, cause in long travel I have a lot of free time and my lovely WC3 without LAN/Internet, I decided to make an AI for this map.

I hope, everyone knows what the map is it
Simply, teams must destroy enemy Main Castle by building different spawns - barracks, laboratories, etc.
I know that there are exist a lot of variation of this map with more builders, but I have just this version - straightly from my memories. I'm sorry that there aren't any screenshots - it's very difficult to upload it by the 3G.

What can AI?
He can break you down in 15 minutes, but he is a little bit noob yet and sometimes run away from enemies base. He makes not powerful units, but a lot of middle, so after 10 minutes my old notebook has lags due to a lot of units.


Also, till I relax with it in WE, I thought, that it possible interesting make this map in independent game in Unity or UE with different maps for example) What do you think about it?

-----------------

ver.4.2

- Balance units counts after 10 minutes of game (AI had limits of units)
- Balance the Hero Tower
- Ability of Repairing the Castles (AI don't use it)
- Power of AI was decreased (now you can win in team with AI vs 3 AI)

 

[cleavinghammer]

I like it, the AI is indeed frustratingly competent on either side.

However, there are a few problems:

Builders should summon structures the undead way instead of the human, should go faster and have Blink.
Builders can leave their base, I managed to beat a 5 vs 5 where I ended up producing units inside the enemy's base.
Pre-built Towers could use a lot more buffing, especially with Rocket Helicopters outranging them available so early.
Most spells can be cast on buildings. I'm not sure if they do the same damage though.
Income doesn't seem to increase with buildings built. If it does, there should be a leaderboard to keep track of it.

Units turning back seems to be a constant problem, I witnessed a graceful aerial ballet of Frost Wyrms approching the base then turning back without firing a single shot. Unfortunately, they were on my side.

Maybe have a few extra modes like single-lane or giving the castle better stats and an attack.
Maybe have an structure that produces nothing but greatly increases income.

OVerall, an excellent and entertaining map, but missing many features usually seen.

 

[Fakov]

I like it, the AI is indeed frustratingly competent on either side.

However, there are a few problems:

Builders should summon structures the undead way instead of the human, should go faster and have Blink.
Builders can leave their base, I managed to beat a 5 vs 5 where I ended up producing units inside the enemy's base.
Pre-built Towers could use a lot more buffing, especially with Rocket Helicopters outranging them available so early.
Most spells can be cast on buildings. I'm not sure if they do the same damage though.
Income doesn't seem to increase with buildings built. If it does, there should be a leaderboard to keep track of it.

Units turning back seems to be a constant problem, I witnessed a graceful aerial ballet of Frost Wyrms approching the base then turning back without firing a single shot. Unfortunately, they were on my side.

Maybe have a few extra modes like single-lane or giving the castle better stats and an attack.
Maybe have an structure that produces nothing but greatly increases income.

OVerall, an excellent and entertaining map, but missing many features usually seen.

oh, thx for reply and your opinion!
yep, i've seen about turning back units, will try to fix it.

I don't sure that i will revive that map, and will continue create it, but also i try to make more interesting AI in it) I think, that map will be more interesting in independent indie-game)

 

[Fakov]

I've done this AI more structurly and agressive. Now it's very difficult to break'em down)
Also, it was good idea to make an icome by building - i did it by every spawn with 50% chance.

 

[cleavinghammer]

Income works, and it does make the game go faster.

Endgame problem: When the game reaches its "give 1 order per unit per frame" stage, units tend to run out of time before they even reach the enemy. Maybe you could put a frenzy trigger that makes all units deadlier or just kills every non-worker once the number of units present reaches that limit and turns off once it becomes reasonable.

 

[Fakov]

Yeah! I see that moment too) In current moment I fix the AI to stop building if there are more 300-400 units at map for example. By the way, I planned to add Heroes for rush that unit flood, but it will be later)

 

[cleavinghammer]

Oh good, I was curious as to what heroes would do.

The Genetic builder doesn't have a 40 gold building.

Nukes should have warning messages when built and when firing.

I noticed the castle AI upgrades its towers, maybe give them a tower-only builder as well?

 

[Fakov]

troop builder* yeah - i'll try to give something for him(got idea about teleporter tower lol))))

nukes - yes, agree

Castle i was correct just for balance the difficult, i think about their builders)

 

[Fakov]

ver.4.2

- Balance units counts after 10 minutes of game (AI had limits of units)
- Balance the Hero Tower
- Ability of Repairing the Castles (AI don't use it)
- Power of AI was decreased (now you can win in team with AI vs 3 AI)

 

[cleavinghammer]

There's still a turnaround problem on the bottom lane and possibly the north one, units just turn around if there are no enemies to kite them further up, from both east and west.

Can you put an option to set the AI's health handicap? I managed to win them 2-on-1 because of the turnaround, which isn't exactly fair.

 

[Fakov]

thx for your reply! I was fixed that turnaround problem and now it's not too easy for me playing 1x1 with ai. If you can win 2-on-1 again, I'll create a hadicap option) Try

 

[cleavinghammer]

Managed it (although the fact that both AI builders were the same might have helped).

Nope, it's still happening (on a 3 on 1 and 4 on 1). It's possible it won't show up in a normal game, as two opposing AIs building in the top and bottom lanes will kite each other to the castle.

Update: it even happens in the middle, with the occasional unit/group of units making it all the way to the end of the lane. Let me win a 1v5, although I had to use nukes.

You should mark the base limits (where builders turn around) with a line of different-colored terrain.

It's possible for builders to cross the base limit into the enemy side, I think it's because they were following a unit to fix it.

Rally points should affect what side of the building the unit comes out of.

Tank builders are very rarely chosen by the AI for some reason.

I don't know about the fast-repair spell, in my experience if the castle is already near-dead it's because the enemy is already in the base and has taken out the unit-producers that aren't behind the castle, so fully healing the castle prolongs the game by only a few seconds. Maybe give it an extremely powerful attack to make it worth keeping alive longer, or turn it into a base-clearing nuke as well.