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Kakki
June 12th, 2012, 23:06
Hello everybody,

I have a problem with my imps in Skirmish. When i make a map in the editor i make sure they have a gold seam so they can get enough gold. But however they do not mine the seam! I dont know how to change this in editor so they will mine the gold seam? Any help?

Much appreciated

Hapuga
June 13th, 2012, 21:08
It's a problem with pathfinding in game. Sometimes, imps are not able to recognize "patterns" of gold veins, and ignore them. Usually, moving the gold veins around a little bit helps. Play with terrain revealed to see if they dig gold or not.

What also seems to help is the proximity of the map, ie, how close or far different critical locations are, like portals and enemy keepers. From many observations I conducted that AI is not at all is interested in attacking you. He is interested in your portals. and to say even more, he is interested in UNCLAIMED portals. I ran many times in a stalemate situations when keepers just mind their own business on the map, and never attack.

One way to solve this is to have a portal somewhere close, or on the path to the gold veins. That way you will trick the AI into digging gold. Another way to cheat is to know his expansion pattern. They are slightly different for keeper types, but the "master keeper" always builds rooms with double walls. Predict his expansion, and put gold veins in places that will be dug out for room space.

Yet another way is to give AI player a gem vein. This is a bit tricky, because sometimes AI gets so excited about endless riches, he spends all his time digging like crazy. However, if placed properly (a good placement is - give AI a treasury 5x5 with a gem vein in the center, or place the gem vein on one of the sides of dungeon heart, but again remember the expansion patterns! do not block the expansion path, or the AI will be stuck trying to make a path in an undiggable instance) it seems to work very well, especially in late game.

AI is bad at finding gold on the map in mid-late game, so giving him a gem vein is the best choice if you want to fight a big trained army at the end.

All in all, I ended up modifying almost all original skirmish levels. The AI in the form it is implemented in DK2 is very weak and stupid. So what I did, I gave him help through triggers. I would have loops that would add him gold, so he doesn't run out and die miserably, or I would spawn some unit reinforcements, aside from what he would attract from a portal.

I would highly recommend DK2 version 1.51 for skirmish games. Main advantages of this version:

- AI develops the dungeon a bit quicker
- AI properly throws creatures at you when you encounter him
- AI builds combat pit, temple and TC quite early, so he doesn't end up with goblins and flies only
- AI actually TRAINS creatures in CP. The algorithm is a bit buggy, but at least it works one way or another.

Disadvantages:

- Sometimes AI gets stuck for no reason. The "stuckness" appears to be map-related, and if you see the same keeper getting stuck 50% of the time, modifying the map helps.
- AI is bad at using TC. he throws all creatures at the same spot in the center, and if that place is already occupied, he basically releases the enemy creatures. This sometimes leads to his death, because if left unguarded, the enemy creatures will start destroying the rooms (good player).
- AI doesn't heal tortured creatures, and tortures them to death. This is an advantage/disadvantage debate. On one hand, he loses a tortured creature. On another, he may get a vampire and some gold.
- The AI cannot repair damaged rooms. Sucks, but that's true.
- room-building pattern. The AI sometimes "forgets" to build a hatchery, and the creatures will get angry eventually, and leave.

DK2 editor bug:

- modifying the AI behavior globals seems to have no impact on the AI at all.

Kakki
June 14th, 2012, 15:45
Allright i will try some of the tips you gave me, i will post if it worked! thanks alot