MODing and Rebellion's AI

[Chimera]

I've been curious about how well Rebellion's AI can recognize and adapt to changes we make to the various units.

 

My major concern was that an AI programming shortcut would be to have the computer deal with slots rather than consider the unit's actual attributes so if you change them, the AI acts even stupider than before.

 

I ran a few experiments, with the help of the "traitor" program that (Trej? the Mask?) made in an attempt to enable the player to switch sides. The traitor program doesn't allow you to totally switch sides, but it does allow you to see what the AI has done up to that point. By the way, the AI is really dumb... It lets useful units sit around even before you change anything.

 

So far I've found:

The AI handles new character attributes!

I was pretty sure it would be able to handle diplomacy, combat, espionage, and jedi ability since the game allows some initial randomness in attributes as well as growth over the game. HOWEVER, I was concerned it would not recognize a research or command capacity in a character that previously would have no chance at doing these things. But the AI is OK here.

 

The AI can use new troop/fighter spots, but seems clueless when it comes time to build

I swapped the Galleon and Imperial Carrier troop/fighter stats, then boosted the rest of their stats (especially detection) to see if the AI would build any. No luck... There does seem to be some rough recognition of the value of a ship, because if you reduce the Death Star to 20 construction cost it will build 1 or 2, but I don't think there's much "thought" or analysis of the relative benefit/cost of a ship before the AI decides to build one.

 

Anyone have any insight/experience about this..?

[Cain]

Well I will read again your post...but hmmm....from what I see you are right ..but if we know how the AI thinks we can improuve it :)I'm experimenting also...and I belive that it has diferent stages of inteligence status play hmmmm....

 

Anyway give me the link to download that traitor program I didn't find it yet

[the_mask]

Just a minor correction: the traitor program was made by vakundok, not me or Trej. He was disappointed, that you couldn't take over the other fleet in battle, so he removed the link.

 

But for simple editing purposes (or finding all the shipnames, the AI uses), the program can still be useful

[Cain]

If I gues right Vakundok knowed much about the rebellion encoding ....so he managed to shift the data in a save game from one side to the other but it is something more there he forget to remove the data about the AI control in a complete mode .....like a multiplay save It is possible the info that he needed to change was 1.Side 2.AI control ...he should see some multiplay saves and figure out this problem....btw hope somewane of you two will email that program to me to

[the_mask]

You know, these multiplayer savegames are a very good idea...

But in a singleplayer savegame one side has to be the AI and as I know from trying to decode them, it's almost impossible to see through, since the infos are stored in variable lenghts and more than once over the whole file.

Another rhyme in our tragic song "if we the sourcecode..."

[Texas_Fett]

So what you're basically saying is that Rebellion's AI can adapt to changes in characters, but struggles when dealt new ship types? As per my own experimentation (here) with ship slots, I can see some of the initial difficulty the AI has in distinguishing between ship-types and its apparent disregard for their cost or usefulness.

 

I agree with Mask; all we need is to put it to music. How 'bout the scarecrow's song from "The Wizard of Oz"?

 

If we only had the Sourcecode

We could while away the hours,

with new features, new colors,

new events to behold

my head no more I'm scratchin'

'cause Lucas'd reward all of our actions

If we only had the sourcecode

 

We'd unravel every riddle

For every past t-rouble

That caused us grief and woe

With the things we'd be a-makin'

Pod-racers we'd be racin'

If we only had the sourcecode

 

Oh, I could tell you why

They kept the game from being more

We could think of things they'd never thunk before

And then we'd sit and think of more

 

The game would not be just 'a nothin'

With no respect from all the 'guffins

Who snicker at its style

GL we deserve it

For all the support we always given

If we only had...

If we only had the sourcecode

Edited March 25, 2004 by Texas_Fett

[Chimera]

that song was bloody excellent!

[Texas_Fett]

{bowing} Thank you, thank you! I'm here 'til Thursday! Don't forget to tip your waitresses! Try the veal!

 

[Cain]

You know, these multiplayer savegames are a very good idea...

But in a singleplayer savegame one side has to be the AI and as I know from trying to decode them, it's almost impossible to see through, since the infos are stored in variable lenghts and more than once over the whole file.

Another rhyme in our tragic song "if we the sourcecode..."

 

 

 

Ooooooooo MASK !...... ...the multiplay savegames can be played also as a singleplay the AI will take over the other guy's armada .....so Vandock miss that info when he made the traitor program Wee need to compare two savegames from two oponents made in the same day and see the diference !?.....that will be "the sides" data and AI control ....becouse .....hmmm it is esay to crack it like this ....when you know exactly what the diferences should be ?!?...or I'm rung ?

[Chimera]

seriously? If you play multiplayer you can switch sides and the AI will take over?

 

Can you switch back and forth, or just once? If it's just once, I'm not sure how that is different than just starting up a regular game.

 

All though I could be missing something.... again

[Texas_Fett]

Well, you could start up a multiplayer game, let it sit as you build up the infrastructure and fleets of both sides, do your research, etc., and then switch it to a single player game to up the difficulty. And to provide some of those epic space battles we've been wanting so badly.

 

WHOOT!! I'm a Major! Does anybody still have that .gif showing the ranks and the post prequirements for each? I tried to find it in the "SOCL at 2000 posts" thread, but it was gone.

[Cain]

Yap...if you play..more exact load a multiplay save as a single play the AI will take over and play the oponent ...I will use this to make new scenarios someday ...maybe together Chimera ...since you have the books...anyway this multiplay "savegames" are our sourcecode Rosetta Stone they will crack the source code one day...as I already speak with Mask and Vakundok about this and they are on the problem now ....and also I'm very happy with ther progres until today

 

 

Seeya.