JoeUser Forums
In the debugger right now working on tactical AI. And I’ve wondered just how many spells there potentially are in a given game. The current number: 175 (not counting strategic).
Wow! This is what I have been hoping for.
I am curious, how does the AI know which one to use?
It's complicated.
Right now, I make use of AI values in the XML as a base plus I look at the class of spells.
New variables I'm looking at is how many turns the unit has taken, the number of ranged units on each side, the overall disposition of each side, which tiles I can move into without the other team being able to hit me, which spells the other side has, how effective my spell is likely to be compared to their spell resistances, how much mana I have, how much health they have (no point in wasting spells on wimpy units), how wounded I am, how close the nearest unit is, what shards I have firmly under control, what units are coming up in the move list, what spells are currently queued up to be cast, the range of my particular spell, how much mana the other player has (so I can try to roll the dice on whether the other player is likely to cast a spell).
Like I said, it's complicated.
That's now.
In YOUR build it is:
for i = 1 to num of spells
should I cast spell = rand()%;
Will the final AI have any randomization (if value of expected outcome of possible AIs actions isn't the same)? Little randomized AI could be sneaky 
That is going to be some sweet tactical AI. I can't wait to try it out.
I would say I wish I could be a fly on the wall, but then you are a frog... 
Yea, the AIPriority value I randomize so that it's not too predictable. But randomness won't change the fact that the AI won't cast a wind shield when there are no archers.
Such a tease. Is one of em Dispel Magic? We need a dispell-spellllll!
I like this.
Aha! The AI does cheat! I don't know how much mana my opponent has. 
Also, bear in mind, you'll never see all those spells in a single game. But if you look in CoreSpells.xml you can see quite a few of them if you want spoilers.
I have been studying the current spell list to get a better idea of what I can use for my Ivory Towers Mod. There are alot of good spell functions, but some of them are bugged right now for modding.
That reminds me. Will the AI be able to specialize in Earth Magic when it starts next to an Earthshard? I remember you saying something about checking to see if a shard was safe from attack in some thread.
The AI values different shards based on what the make up of their casters are.
Does this AI work also apply to when I choose AutoTurn? Or is that a different AI?
Actually that would be something useful to know in the tactical battle screens. What shards you have and how much mana and shards your opponent currently has.
Yep. And how much do the shards you control actually impact the spells you cast, other than needing to remember the quantity for each and then run a math equation to extrapolate the damage/level/impact.
It'd be nice if you could pick your spell books after you find a shard ... instead of customizing a fire sov and never finding any fire shards ...
Simple solution: Seperate spell acces from caster level, apart from maybe a basic spell per level or two. You get a fire spell when you level up, but if you want the entire lot, see magic research tree. Way at the end, the spell of ubar nukeyness will nuke your foes. But that takes time. No shards? Why bother!
If you are taking the Fire path without access to a Fireshard, you need to rethink your strategy. The game is all about making the best use of the resources that are available. When you customize a Sov you will have to decide between a fighter or mage focus. You can go somewhere inbetween, but the point is to manage the risks of your starting position. It is not a sound strategy to rely on fire magic.
Agreed. You can go for a sovereign with all the spell schools if you want to. Taking only fire is a calculated risk you decide upon.
I will start believing in the true chaotic nature of the "Pandemonium" spell when it turns Air Shrills into birthday cakes...or any other celebratory pastries. (A giant cake that was inert until struck and then converted into scantily clad nymphs who stun your army would be classic.)
Actually, that leads me to another idea: A tactical spell that would convert your enemies into small statuettes you could revive to use against other enemies in later battles would be great. It should have a sliding mana/difficulty scale for the strength of the affected army, but it would make things a lot more interesting and show the power of the channeler quite dramatically.
"Torax, who grinds mountains to dust - I SUMMON YOU!" *throws red-white ball on the ground*
"Bedbugs who infested the nasty inn I stayed in last month -I SUMMON YOU" *Throws filthy mattress on the ground*
OK, you have to figure that the channelers will start out small.
But thats the point. You don't know what shards you will have access to.
I guess magical Sov builds are simply a lot riskier than other builds? (although you could have a trait which gives you a bonus to all shards/shard-mana production. Vs a lesser trait which gives a small bonus to non shard-based mana production.
-> I guess you could have traits which offer bonuses to specific elements (which currently exist)
-> and traits which benefit all casting in general (or evokation vs summoning traits, each that benefit all casting of a particular variety) (these I think also exist)
-> And traits which improve various forms of mana generation (which might exist, but if they don't I think they should)
You know you have access to about 2 of 6 shards near your starting location. If you are focusing on magic, you'll want at least 4 elements for your Sov. But you will also find mages throughout the game. Many of them will have Fire magic. It's not that crucial. Magic Sov builds are not risky. Only taking Fire Apprentice is risky.
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