BattlezM
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Post by BattlezM on Oct 28, 2006 16:00:28 GMT -8
This thread is dedicated to explain the way AIz in battlez function .
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BattlezM
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Post by BattlezM on Oct 28, 2006 16:04:33 GMT -8
Picking stuff up:Most of the time, you will see only barehandz picking stuff up. A grunt with a tool pickz something up if it is in his path. Using Stuff:Toolz:Gruntz with toolz (and those without), will attack any grunt. A grunt with a short-range tool will attack a grunt he seez walking around or with no stamina regaining. Note that any grunt with stamina regaining is ignored (unless he is setting off a guard point). A long-ranged grunt attackz any grunt with regenerated stanima or walking around. Most of the time long-ranged gruntz are ignored by their victimz. A grunt being attacked by a L-RG (long-ranged grunt) will go stand next to him, wait a while, and then leave to go where ever he was going, unless shot at again. If the grunt is struck by the L-RG while standing next to him, the grunt will attack once. The grunt may also attack when the L-RG regainz his stanima. Gruntz with bombz will attack any grunt and most gruntz respond by hitting the bomb first (handy if an enemy sword comez by ). Timebomberz are one of the few gruntz that move around while regaining stanima (the only other gruntz that do this are boomerang gruntz and magic wand gruntz; the only other way to get a grunt regaining his stanima to move is to lay a timebomb near him). Timebomberz are so impatient, that they will often walk right over their trap, sometimez ending up as piecez of goo. Wingz are by far are some of the stupidest gruntz used by the AI, mostly because the AI is bad at using wing gruntz. Wingz are a desperatly lazy lot of gruntz. Enemy wingz will often fly even if walking could have done the same thing. Even worse (good for you) is that they'll attack while flying and not go anywhere. Wandz don't cast spellz very often, normally it'z if they are responding to a grunt setting off a guard point. The other time wandz cast spellz is if they are stuck idly for a while. Another thing, gruntz seem to hate magic, they will consistantly attack wandz, even if the wand is regaining stamina. Toyz:Enemiez like to use toyz in the following conditionz: - 1)Enemy can kill the grunt with the toy in one hit.
- 2)Grunt with toy can kill enemy in one hit.
- 3)Grunt is setting off a guard point.
- 4)Grunt with toy knowz he cannot beat enemy.
- 5)Enemy has a powerup.
Powerupz:.Roidz: *sigh* Despite that they can attack constantly with roidz, AIz usually don't hit more than 1 time. If the grunt is standing still however, the roidz bearer will attack repeatedly. .Invisibility: AIz with invisiblity often act like zombiez, they walk around following gruntz and not attacking. They don't even use their toolz. .Conversion: Another stupid grunt, conversion gruntz often end up lying on the ground before their first follower. But they will start converting gruntz if they can. .Reactive Armor: Behavior does not change in any way with this powerup. .Invunerbility: Behavior does not change in any way with this powerup. .Death Touch: Behavior does not change in any way with this powerup. .Super Speed: Behavior does not change in any way with this powerup. They're still as daring as ever (and foolish). Cursez:Gruntz will rarely pick up cursez. Even if they did, it affectz you and you only .
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BattlezM
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Post by BattlezM on Oct 28, 2006 20:15:13 GMT -8
The Way the AIz get AroundAIz are designed to read the valuez (stuff like user valuez, death, solid, etc.) of tilez and move around according the value. Each enemy grunt has a mind of it'z own that followz this simple method. Which is why they are so good at navigating all tile mapz. Here are wayz the AIz behave when confronted with certain tilez. - Arrowz: AIz, for some odd reason, avoid using arrowz.
- Foundation: AIz will pause for a couple of secondz on these tilez (wait time can vary for different gruntz based on what is going on around them and what tool [if any] that they carry)
- lowered toggling water bridgez: Toob gruntz refuse to try and move over these tilez unless they are up.
- Switchez: gruntz step on switchez when another grunt (normally one that can't reach the switch himself) needz to pass an obstical. Enemiez on switchez refuse to get off, unless that switch was needed to be stood on to conquer a fort (sometimez they still won't get off) or if the switch is a toggle switch.
The only flaw with this method is that the AI doesn't sense something extremly important......logic hazardz (RBz, static hazardz, thunder cloudz, slimez, and the like). This is exactly what makez the AIz so bad at conquering fortz, AIz can't see thingz such as RBz (it'z as if the no draw flag is checked). I'm positive that human playerz themselvez would make thousandz of stupid errorz like AIz do if they couldn't see RBz and static hazardz. Only thing is that human playerz can alwayz reload the game if they've saved. Another problem with AIz is that they are not exactly 'team playerz'. AIz do not help each other in a fight (at least rarely), most human playerz gang up on a single AI, crushing him easily. AIz are almost never seen doing this. The closest AIz come to teamwork (or at least appearing to) is when conquering fortz or defending their own. Otherwise, AIz are just dropped down into the game, go off to whatever way point they chose, killing (or trying to kill) any gruntz they sense along the way, then trying to break through defensez to get to the fort. As a matter of fact, if you type in "mptraitor", you can make your own gruntz attack each other. AIz do this themselvez when: - A grunt ajacent to a boomerang grunt is hit by the boomerang or any ranged grunt hit by the boomerang.
- A goober straw that wantz to suck a goo puddle that a grunt on his team is standing on.
- A wing grunt that hitz team memberz around him.
AIz do sense some objectz however, they sense: other gruntz, toolz (if they're barehandz), toyz (if they're barehandz and quite eagerly), powerupz (if they're barehandz), cursez (if they're barehandz), fortz, way pointz, guard pointz, gold brickz (when they get to a gold brick, they will not attempt to break it, but simply move on to the next brick [sometimez they will try to break the gold brick and very desperatly too]), and health (if they're barehandz). The barehand needz to pass at least 2 tilez within the object'z radius to sense it.
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BattlezM
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Post by BattlezM on Oct 29, 2006 11:38:52 GMT -8
AIz' Defense System:The AIz follow a very simple and efficient defense system...to a point. AIz can have up to 5 gruntz patrolling their fort. These defenderz will frequently have 2-3 bricklayerz, among just about any other tool. The patrolling defenderz also get toyz constantly. You will often see AIz making bad tool tradez, like giving brickz to a perfectly healthy sword. The good thing about this system is that the gruntz patrol, rarely do enemiez get around them. When an enemy AI setz off a guard point, the gruntz of the attacked AI will try to get to that guard point and eliminate the enemy. This is where thingz start to go bad in the AIz defense. First off, AIz will try to get past any obstacle, including their own defensez. Often playerz have seen AIz hack at their own defensez to reach an enemy on the opposite side of the fort. Afterwardz, the AI will have it'z gruntz run off to attack different fortz, leaving it'z own fort completely undefended and vulnerable. The Way AIz get Their Toolz:First off on this subject, AIz cheat, a lot. If you notice AIz see to get whatever tool they need in an area. Here are some examplez: - Brickz
- Wingz
- Toobz
- Gauntletz
- Shovelz
For the brickz, often if you watch an AIz defense patrol around for a while, 2 memberz suddenly get brickz simultaneously. For a grunt standing in front of a brick or hole, before at least a minute, they will get the tool to do the job. For some reason gruntz that are stuck in front of an obstcale will get toobz constantly. An AI stuck in front of a space will get wingz sooner or later. This showz that AIz cheat for what they don't get. Misc. AI Behavior:The Stuck Goober Straw Grunt: A classic mystery, why do gooberz that stand on goo puddlez begin to create gruntz like crazy? Well, an enemy goober straw on a goo puddle obviously wantz to suck it up. For some reason however, he will refuse to move. So that goober straw is assuming that he is constantly sucking that goo puddle up. So the AIz do not only cheat for toolz, but also for gruntz. On higher level difficulty I think the AI only needz to suck 3 goo puddlez rather than 4 to make one grunt. So, every time the goober twitchez three timez, he thinkz he has sucked enough goo for one grunt.
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BattlezM
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Post by BattlezM on Oct 30, 2006 22:19:35 GMT -8
AI Strategy:AIz would certainly be tougher will some strategy. Not much to point out here, an AI'z idea of a 'strategy' is an attrition war (send gruntz at you until they wear you down). I will however point out the trickz that AIz do not get (or use ). - They don't understand the full potential of springz (except when jumping over water or spikez, but they won't jump over holez [if there'z an obstcale past the spikez they might not jump at all])
- They don't understand how to use friendly fire one bit.
- The wingz are horrible, as I've pointed out.
- Boomerangz damage most of the gruntz around them (often oblitherating their own army, if they've built one up behind a choke point).
- Bombz sometimez get blow up in the worst possible placez (near their own team memberz)
- Timebombz walk over their own bombz.
- They often give powerful toolz to unhealthy gruntz (believe me, I've seen the AI give a grunt with 1/20th of a bar of health a sword on about three occasionz :.
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BattlezM
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Post by BattlezM on Nov 7, 2006 19:16:07 GMT -8
Boomerang Gruntz:
Of all the toolz the AIz use, boomerangz are the most interesting. Anyone who has dealt with a boomerang grunt knowz they are tough. Boomerangz are the toughest ranged tool to dodge because of their sweeping motion. They have the strength of a shovel and can hit multiple gruntz (boomerangz can hit, at max damage, nearly 30 gruntz, an attack capable of killing over 7 gruntz!). Enemy boomerangz can quickly eat through an unwary group of enemiez. When your grunt wieldz this powerful tool, they often hit your group of gruntz if you brought one along. Often it'z best to send in a boomerang alone.
Enemiez often misuse their own bomerangz too. They frequently hit their own gruntz. An enemy boomerang that seez an enemy grunt simply can't withstand the urge too hit that AI at least once, even if the AI has begun fighting some other grunt. The only timez they do not do this is if they are inturrupted by another grunt attacking them.
Of course, taking on an enemy boomerang is easy one on one. All you do is run when his stamina is near regained, then move either foward or backward to dodge the flying projectile. It'z much tougher to do the same if you are attacking the boomerang with a group of gruntz.
AIz are devistated by boomerangz. This is because AIz are not very good at combatting ranged gruntz. AIz attack a grunt only if he doesn't regenerate stamina or if that grunt hitz them first. Long ranged toolz attack at a distance, the target will not alwayz be next to the grunt. This is true for all ranged toolz. Gunhatz and welderz are the most devistating, only requiring 1-2 hitz to end an AI'z sad little life. Welderz aren't a threat at all to a human player, as the human player can see the welder. AIz however do not exactly 'see' the welder, they sense him. AIz will attack him once and then suddenly freeze. They are still bad at fighting the welder because he can kill most gruntz in one shot, put a couple of welderz in an enemy fort (careful not to set off any guard pointz, or else your welderz will be pulverized) and you will see the damage that can be caused.
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BattlezM
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Post by BattlezM on Nov 22, 2006 15:02:37 GMT -8
AI'z Wayz to Deal with Obstaclez and Distractionz:Sometimez AIz can be very stupid at manuvering around an obstacle, solid or death. If the tile obstruction is in an AIz path, he will walk around it and go to the tile past it and resume his original course. AIz will take the shortest path possible to reach their original path, regardless of tilez such as spikez or tilez with objectz on them. Sometimez they ignore other gruntz, even if attacked. They will also ignore RBz (and all other logic hazardz, but they alwayz ignore logic hazardz don't they? ). If a grunt is stuck behind a line of holez (or breakable stuff) with a shovel, he will still avoid using the shovel (they like making everything difficult , especially if a hole has already been filled in and a grunt is blocking it. When an AI seez another enemy and movez to attack, if the target is out of range; the grunt will resume normal course, see him again, and etc. This createz a lock situation until another enemy attractz the attention of the attacker. Gruntz can also be held in a trance near enemiez that are unreachable. AIz can be very easily distracted. They are drawn to enemy gruntz like mothz to light bulbz. Gruntz must kill or try to kill (they don't have more sense than a moth either, another similarity) any opponentz, despite what tool they are carring (barehandz do attack every enemy). AIz are so strongly motivated motivated to fight, that they will dump whatever they were doing and go attack the enemy grunt. They will attempt to walk through any hazard that getz in their way (except spikez, for some reason). They frequently get crushed by RBz if any are around. Sometimez, if an obstacle that can be walked around diagonally (like holez and eyecandy, but not rockz or metal brickz), two gruntz will get stuck pacing back and forth around the obstacle. Most of the time another grunt has to come by to break it up. Misc. AI Behavior:The Pacing Grunt:Pacing gruntz are the gruntz that move back and forth in front or behind a blocking grunt. This is a method designed to avoid flying projectilez. It'z not fool-proof, but it'z better than being a sitting duck.
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BattlezM
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Post by BattlezM on Nov 25, 2006 17:12:15 GMT -8
Unbelieveable Battle Sightingz:These subtitlez describe a rare event that I have seen in a battle (they are all true!) 1) A gauntletz grunt broke a teleporter brick and was teleported to the exact same tile he was standing on . This was just a show of extreme luck (the map was standard battle 1 [Rumble in the Rockz]) 2) An AI was about to conquer an enemy'z fort. The grunt got a goober straw and stood on a bridge transition tile. He blocked all gruntz of his team coming in to conquer the fort , rendering it unconquerable! (again this battle was Rumble in the Rockz and I saw it today) Goober strawz want to suck goo, if none is available, they will simply sit in one spot until one appearz or a grunt catchez their attention. The fort was unconquerable in this case because the AI did not (and never will) have enough sense to try going through the other side as they are so extremely stubborn .
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BattlezM
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Post by BattlezM on Dec 17, 2006 19:57:45 GMT -8
Unbelieveable Battle Sightingz:This time I saw an enemy AI get 3 swordz within a time period of 1 minute! Scary... This might have been a show of luck , but as I've said, AIz cheat for some toolz. Why the AI cheated for swordz is beyond me, as I do not know what condition cheating for a sword would be (the AI was not in a defensive state). Not much to worry about though, 2 of the swordz were killed by a nearby rock grunt (not mine).
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BattlezM
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Post by BattlezM on Dec 17, 2006 20:22:55 GMT -8
Why Gruntz Stay on Hold Switchez:
When a grunt is created, he will go to a waypoint of random choice. If a moveable object (such as a pyramid or bridge) is in the way, the grunt goes to the closest switch to operate it. When the switch is of the hold type, the grunt knowz that he can't get off it. Thus, the result is a stuck grunt, he will however, attack any grunt that getz next to him. He will alwayz get first strike and will often give any toy he has. Ranged gruntz (including wandz) will attack any grunt within their range.
After a grunt successfully reachez the waypoint of his choice, he will then attempt to get to the fort relating to it. As with getting to a waypoint, he will get stuck on any hold switch. After the fort has been conquered, all the gruntz that were stuck on hold switchez get off, seeing that there is no longer any reason to stay there. This also goes for gruntz that were going towardz waypointz rather than the fort.
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BattlezM
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Post by BattlezM on Dec 20, 2006 17:51:46 GMT -8
Reactionz to Timebombz:AIz that sense a time bomb has been planted near them will attempt to move away from the timebomb. If an obstcale barz the way, the AI(z) will move to go around it. Should the obstcale be a thick one however (such a a large body of water or a thicket of eyecandy), the AI will not move anywhere and get blow up . If the obstcale is something breakable or a hole, a grunt trying to escape from timebombz will clear the object out of the way when he getz the proper tool. Gruntz will also stop fighting to get away from a timebomb. Sometimez they try going off someplace else after the timebomb has gone off, frequently ignoring any other gruntz. While they do run away from a timebombz, AIz do not wait long enough and suddenly assume the timebomb has already gone off, but it is still making tick-tick soundz . This is especially true for timebomberz, they are so impatient that they frequently walk over their timebombz toward their destination, if they have one. This become particuallry fatal when destroying brickz, often timebomberz lay down a bomb, walk away, and then go back near it . Sometimez they don't move away, but stand on it instead! Timbomberz will also lay down a timebomb near a brick wall even if the brickz already have a hole in them. AIz regaining stamina are surprisingly stubborn, they do not avoid, follow, or do anything but taunt (especially the ranged onez) other gruntz. The only way to make an AI move without a toy is to lay a timebomb near them. Goober straw AIz that are trying to suck up a goo puddle will not move away, even if the timebomb is laid right underneath them (sometimez they ignore other gruntz that inturrupt them by attacking and keep trying to suck the goo). This can be an excellent death trap on a crowded bridge. AIz behind their "to be doomed" friendz don't move what so ever as they are not near the death trap.
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BattlezM
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Post by BattlezM on Feb 2, 2007 13:44:40 GMT -8
Getting AIz to ignore one of your gruntz:It is possible to get the AI to ignore one of your gruntz. Let an AI attack your grunt, rather than fighting back, move away from the AI. Your grunt must have a tool. Then you need to get health or get a new tool while the grunt trying to attack yourz is within range. Now your grunt will no longer be considered a threat and be complete ignored. You may move your grunt between a defense or dig/break without being disturbed. However, your cover will be blown if you set off a guard point or attack another grunt.
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BattlezM
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Post by BattlezM on Jul 15, 2007 17:23:51 GMT -8
AI Strategy: Sudden DeathThis is more of a random action than a stategy, but it sure is a good one. I'm sure most battlez playerz have seen a barehand walking towardz their fort, so they have about 3 gruntz go over to attack him at once. Then barehand suddenly smilez and raisez a bomb in the air and all of your 3 of gruntz end up dead! This is the "Sudden Death" strategy, simply done by giving your innocent appearing barehand a bomb. This strategy is a pretty good one for battlez, and even better for multiplayer. Very lethal if followed up by an attack team.
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BattlezM
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Post by BattlezM on Aug 5, 2007 20:06:07 GMT -8
Unbelieveable Battle Sightingz:I attacked the last AI left in a battle with 10 clubz! Seriously, no cheatz. I also had 3 swordz. It'z truely amazing the amount of powerful toolz you get in a long duration of a battle... Also, while playing the battle I discovered that if your goober givez an enemy a toy while sucking, gooberz stopz sucking, but the puddle keepz sucking itself up! Gooberz will also have full stamina to start on another. The self sucking goo doesn't go into the well unfortunately , I guess they just clean themselvez up.
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BattlezM
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Post by BattlezM on Oct 18, 2007 14:59:30 GMT -8
Reason Why AIz Attack Gruntz:
IMO Gruntz have 2 statez they can be in, the Idle stance, the Action stance, and the Fighting stance. The Idle stance is when a grunt is moving around or standing still. The Action stance is for when a grunt is preforming a special task, such as breaking brickz, sucking goo, etc. The Fighting stance is when the grunt is attacking another and when the grunt is a position preparing to strike again. Enemy AI will attack a grunt in any stance except the Fighting stance. Unfortunately, the player'z gruntz do not stay in Fighting stance if their tool has a long recovery time. Gunhatz go into an idle stance if not told to attack the enemy again after every shot. This idle stance makez AIz notice your grunt when they pass by.
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