Having played the previous GC and other strategy games (like most of the people here I am sure) I am looking forward to this games AI with all the posts that have been running around the forums since last year. Here are some of my though that will hopefully help someone in some way:
- Exploits weeded out via testing: No more armies of transports wandering around without escort letting themselves blown up time after time
- Let us deactivate "cheating" such as seeing player in fog of war and getting additional resources. It is best to know the enemy plays with the same rules as the player else it gets uninteresting. If the enemy does get handicap that needs to be highlighted in the beginning
- I like the concept of improving the AI with the database of player strategies past but I do not think the AI will ever be unbeatable without cheating. That should also not be the goal. Goal should be that the AI puts up a good fight from beginning to end meaning: it does not "give up" in mid-game or after mayor losses
- "Only Human" parameter of the AI: It is fine if the AI is smart enough to calculate the statistically best course of action in a given situation but applying this becomes repetitive and exploitable. The AI should have the option to take a less preferable course of action even if it knows that is not optimal. e.g.: sending a transport unarmed is a risk a "smart" AI would not do but if the player does not notice the one that is sent payoff if larger since it took less resources. This aspect is something that should be applied in small amounts but lends the AI much by making it unpredictable. In a complex games such as GC is there is no best course of action like in StarCraft or in chess - at least diplomacy throws that concept out in the window
- Sliders would be good just as in GC2 to set all mayor parameters of the AI
- Cease ineffective tactics - If the attack of the AI is not efficient sending the same waves of ships at a planet defense it should recognize it as such and change strategy else it becomes repetitive and is only buffing up defense ships with experience
Best would be 4 difficulties:
- Beginner: AI has reduced resources. All sliders are per-configured. Aimed towards newcomers
- Normal: AI has the same resources as the player and uses per-defined algorithm. All sliders are pre-configured. Aimed towards normal gamers who do not want to tweak nor have internet connection
- Hard: AI has the same resources as the player and uses analysis of past games from net. All sliders are pre-configured
- Custom: Every major aspect such as handicaps, and usage of central DB for statistics is selectable and adjustable via sliders - this is for those who like to tweak the AI to their fancy
GC2 was one of may favorites due to the AI. It was not perfect but it was better then that of most other strategy games. I can hardly wait to find out in what ways GC3 is improving on it