M28AI Devlog (v113)

Try using the PERSONALSHIELD category instead of SHIELD category and see if it changes the behaviour

On it and ty from responding so quickly!

That did the trick!

Hello Maudlin, I created a map (adaptive Falconstone) which also contains water. I noticed that the M28 doesn't build shipyards in the lower water, even though markers are set. However, other AI (Sorian, Uveso) use the areas. Maybe. can you test that? Greetings Saver

M28 doesn’t use markers. From the screenshots the green pond looks more important so I’d expect it to prioritise navy in that pond instead of the red pond.

There might be cases where it does build in the red pond, but it’d depend on how many mexes are within range of the pond and if M28 is on all 3 team slots

I'm really enjoying the AI Maudlin. Your work is much appreciated

Only thing I'd say is that the AI makes a metric shitton of t1 arty and mmls (atleast in the 1v1 games I played), which is kind of unfun to play against. It basically forces you to give arbitrary move commands to all your units 100% of the time. I don't think it is an efficient spending of resources for the AI and it creates weird gameplay that doesn't resemble regular player versus player gameplay. Perhaps you will consider adjusting that.

Maybe 2 versions? One which uses all the annoying ranged units and kites alot (like it does presently) and one which is more human-like and restricts that behaviour to auroras, hoplites, bricks etc? And builds less MML (noticed this in particular for Seraphim).

@stormlantern thanks for the feedback, in terms of the levels being excessive I’d need replays to consider further, but it’s intended that it spams MMLs in response to a potential firebase threat (other reasons for lots of t1 arti include a nearby enemy building; wanting a mix of them to reduce vulnerability to cliffs that block tank shots; and for t1-2 land facs to build later in the game to mix with t3 units built by the t3 land facs).

@Reckless_Charger re the two versions it has something close to that with M28Easy which disables all such microing. One planned feature though is to allow users to adjust M28’s ‘go slow’ mode which could provide something very similar, where instead of considering orders every second you could specify how long it should wait inbetween for its more general land/navy/air unit management logic (it already uses this functionality for games with lots of units to avoid too big a slowdown) . This would make microing much weaker but also make general responsiveness weaker, and would effectively provide a further alternative to M28Easy (eg certain microing like dodging shots and overcharging units manually would be unchanged, while things like kiting would be much weaker albeit still present to some extent)

Can a feature be added so that a custom unit is ignored if it contains a specified Category?

I ask as I often use / abuse helper units for various tasks. (Example: holograms, and Drones) The AI will active issue commands to these units, despite not being selectable or visible to the player.

Thanks!

Resin

@resin_smoker If you assign them the category INSIGNIFICANTUNIT then they ought to be ignored (that said, I can't remember what game functionality that category might impact)

@maudlin27 Will try that out... Though I hope it doesn't prevent units from activity targeting them.

@resin_smoker

Ok just took a look at my units (4DFAF URA0106) Categories to discover that it already has the INSIGNIFICANTUNIT set.

	Categories = {
		'AIR',
		'ANTIAIR',
		'CANNOTUSEAIRSTAGING',
		'CYBRAN',
		'DRONE',
		'HIGHALTAIR',
		'INSIGNIFICANTUNIT',
		'MOBILE',
		'RECLAIMABLE',
		'TECH3',
		'VISIBLETORECON',
	},

Will try removing the TECH3 from the unit to see if this changes the behavior.

Resin

If M28 is giving it orders it’s likely an oversight/bug but I’d need a replay (along with the mod being used) to fix

v107 Update

23 changes and fixes, including:

• New option to effectively set the level of M28's micro by specifying how frequently it considers orders for units (default is every second, it can be increased to up to once every 10 seconds). This will affect things like its kiting behaviour, but won't impact all of its microing capabilities.
• Changed use of SACUs so normal SACUs are built and upgraded to RAS SACUs
• Fixed bugs that could cause M28 to break with unit restrictions (introduced in v103)
• 10 LOUD specific changes and fixes (including initial build order tweaks and fixing experimental construction)

Acknowledgements

• WingFlier – running some test games on LOUD and noting M28's failure to build experimentals

v108 Update
23 more changes/fixes (11 of which are FAF related), mostly with a focus on later game scenarios, including:

• Fixed a bug with M28’s late-game logic that could lead to only 1 t3 arti/game-ender unit being built
• Made it less likely for large amounts of battleships and/or aircraft carriers to be built
• Increased the number of fatboys to be built once a mavor has been constructed
• Fixed various LOUD related issues, such as restorers and czars not having an AirAA threat, T2 PGens not creating wrecks (so M28 no longer reclaims them), no experimentals being built if it’s early on and M28 wants a nuke launcher; battleships not being able to ground-fire subs; and paragon not providing near-infinite resources.

v109 Update
14 small changes, including:

• Fixed a bug where underwater mexes weren't taken into account when deciding whether to go navy
• T1 bombers that force an attacking ACU to retreat should consider retargeting if the ACU still has high health
• M28Easy should prefer tanks over skirmishers (since it doesnt kite with skirmishers)
• T2 upgrades should be less likely on 5km 1v1 maps
• Improved build order on maps like Canis River (so M28 goes 3 mex instead of 4, as 4 causes it to stall power before the hydro completes)
• Fixed a bug where M28 would get the opposite result when checking if it had visual of a unit in some cases (which e.g. could lead to it suiciding units in an attempt to gain visual of a unit it could already see)
• Naval units should make use of their backup distance to retreat (so e.g. Cybran destroyers should be capable of kiting the enemy)

Acknowledgements

• Recon/OneCoolPuppy – Posting replay against M28Easy that helped me identify a few of the tweaks

v110 Update
16 changes and fixes including:

• Improved response to enemy T3 air/early strat rush threat if M28 lacks T3 air (i.e. it will get more ground based AA as a last resort)
• M28 should try and rely on its own gun ACU instead of rushing T2 to stop an appraoching enemy gun-ACU (if M28's ACU is close enough to help)
• Engineers from different M28 players on the same team should be gifted to get around the issue where they try and help a teammate's engineer and as a result prevent construction starting (due to blocking the build location)
• Ahwassa should consider if it's bomb is likely to hit a cliff when trying to fire at a unit, and (if so) adjust its targeting.
• Torpedo bombers should be much less likely to suicide into enemy AA just because they have large numbers, but should take into account how much damage they would do by suiciding.

Acknowledgements

• SolUmbrae – Replay crushing M28 with an early strat

v111 Update
This version adds steam compatibility to M28AI (along with 1 minor backend change relating to the application of AIx modifiers). Hopefully there should be no impact on how it plays in FAF (or LOUD), but if anything has broken please let me know!

Connected with its steam compatibility, a listing has also been made on ModDB. However, the FAF vault and/or Github will still be the best locations for getting the latest release (since they will be updated more regularly), while this forum thread will similarly be kept updated with details of future releases.

v112 Update
26 Changes and fixes, including:

• Co-op - Celene should now switch to using M28AI when changing her allegience in Dawn if M28 is set to apply to allies only; similarly, Fletcher should switch to using M28AI when becoming hostile if M28 is set to apply to enemies only
• LOUD - Increased ecoing, adjustments to gunship attack logic to reflect how gunships dont fire unless facing enemies, better support for modded ACU upgrades
• FAF and general - Significant improvement in speed for an 'Air slot' M28 to get T3 air (although still slower than a human player); improved AA production vs enemy early strat; Fixed some issues if unit restrictions disabled air factories

Acknowledgements

• Azraeel – a couple of LOUD replays
• Wingflier – noting M28 was building experimental transports
• Ecthelon – Coop replay where Celene didn’t use M28AI logic when switching sides on Dawn
• SolUmbrae - Posting replay of rushing strat vs M28

Switched to new map, adaptive turtle beach. I notice M28 progressing and its great fun, everytime a new trick hits me

Just a few things, sadly no replay because everytime this happens its over minute 50:

1. SMD - M28 still gets surprised by nuke, perfect scouting is never possible. Me personaly i play it safe and go straight SMD after i build T3 power. Better safe than sorry
2. Ally had tons of T3 gunships die to my nuke again
3. When experimental is nearing the enemy base, their coms dont seem to adjust their actions, sometimes even moving towards the experimental. Wouldnt it make more sense that when they notice an experimental and have no adequate defences, they would run in the opposite direction of the experimental ? That way at least com would survive. Even if they have tons of gunships its a hit miss, since they first kill AA and that often draws them far away from experimental

Great work !