Re: [Colossus-developers] Re: Colossus

[David R. <dr...@ri...>]

Romain Dolbeau wrote:
> David Ripton wrote:

>>We tend to focus on making the AI better, not on making it go easy on
>>newbies.  Maybe we need a StupidAI.  Easy enough to write -- we often
>>end up with it by accident.  :->
> 
> 
> Call it NewbieAI, for political correctness :-)

Or EasyAI.

NewbieAI sounds like an AI that actually impersonates a Titan newbie. 
It would shirk from fights without overwhelming superiority, choose 
long-term recruiting over short-term combat strength even on a crowded 
board, almost always split 7-high stacks, almost never decline a 
recruit, often fail to flee even when clearly outmatched, underestimate 
the effect of native terrain, etc.  (For pure simulation value it should 
also take forever to move, but that wouldn't be fun.)

A quicker option would be making a *really* cowardly version of 
CowardSimpleAI.  Make it wimpy enough that 7-high AI stacks don't jump 
on 5-high Titan stacks [with other creatures around the same level], and 
it should take seriously bad play or really bad luck to lose to it.

I added a link to David desJardins' Titan strategy guide to help 
newbies.  But we probably do need an easier-to-beat AI as well.

-- 
David Ripton    dr...@ri...