[SUGGESTION] The AI needs to know terror.

from Demigod Forums

When I'm playing a game of Demigod and one particular player keeps killing me over and over, I eventually learn that that particular player is to be feared.  I play more conservatively around them than I would around, say, an AI: I don't chase them into towers as much, I don't fight them if I'm injured / low on mana; in extreme cases (where someone has bought a few artifacts, say) I just flee as soon as I see them.

The AI doesn't do this.  If I've been able to buy enough items to kill it quickly over and over, it should not just keep running up to me to be killed again (thus giving me more gold and making its position even worse).  It should stay out of range, stay near safety, grab flags / attack structures that I'm far away from, try to attack the weaker members of my team instead, come after me in groups, etc.  Even if the AI still loses, this would give it much more of a feeling that you're playing an opponent who adapts to circumstances, not just a predictable automaton.

1,216 views 6 replies
Reply #1 from Demigod Forums Top

Overall I would like to see the AI play more defensively, especially early game.  As it stands the AI is always pushing which results in it being easy to kill.  Instead, I think the AI should play defensively until about level 10-15 when towers and creeps don't really matter.

Reply #2 from Demigod Forums Top

Personally I can't see the AI ever reaching the innate ability to strategize what to do like any good player can. Many of the skilled players (so far) in Demigod would agree with me; AI is bad, and it's probably not going to become a true threat to anyone short of a miracle occurring.

Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #3 from Demigod Forums Top

Yes, it's probably too much to expect an AI bot to ever rival a good human player as far as strategy is concerned, but the idea of implementing some "fear" functionality into the AI scripts sounds like it would be... well... at least relatively easy to incorporate. They already know that it's a good idea to run away when they have low health. They just need to learn to run away earlier when one or more players with a high kill/death ratio is in visual/striking range.

(By the way, the title of this thread sounds so utterly and undeniably evil. *_* )

Reply #4 from Demigod Forums Top

I don't think anyone is suggesting that the AI be expected to win tournaments.  However, a player who can best the AI should be able to at least stand a chance in a real game.  As it is, being able to stop the AI level 20 to level 10 doesn't mean you'll have any clue how to play against real players.

A few simple changes to the AI such as running away sooner, playing more defensively, focusing on staying alive more than on getting a kill, etc. will teach players valuable lessons that they can apply in a game with real players.  I know when I first started playing I played against the AI and learned from it until I could beat it 1v1 / 2v2.  However, many of the lessons I learned turned out to be bad lessons that could have easily been avoided if the AI just played a more defensive game.

Reply #5 from Demigod Forums Top

I don't think they should even bother.  What do single player players expect?  IF you want a challenge, play against people.  Not game has AI nearly as good as human players.. even in FPS's where they can be made to never miss.

Heck, initially, the game wasn't even going to have a single player.  This changed when stardock became the publisher. :/

I wish it still didn't, and they had focused on the multiplayer gameplay and "competitive-ness" more.

Reply #6 from Demigod Forums Top

Well, the game is set to have single player now, so the fact that it wasn't originally is no excuse to have weak AI.

At least the AI doesn't rage quit after their first death. I am tired of trying to go for a build to support an ally only to have them drop.

 

:fox: