Razor AI Mod 1.0 available now

[Razor1952]

http://www.totalwar.org/Downloads/Mtw_Uploads/MTWupload/Razor_ai_10.zip

Above is the link

This mod is aimed at changing the AI mainly, the readme file has the details.

I'm hoping people who have not tried mods before will try this one as it is small, very easy to install and should not stuff up anyones current installation....and then go on to try many of the excellent mods here. So in that sense it is an introductory mod, a suck in mod for non modders so to speak.

Nevertheless it changes the ai quite markedly, initially it may seem easier but its really aimed at the middle game and should be quite a bit harder there.

Obviously I'm posting here in the dungeon for you modders info, though you might be interested to try it and give me some feedback.

cheers

Razor

[Razor1952]

Razor's AI Mod for MTW:Viking expansion ONLY.

ver 1.0 Preliminary, please post comments/criticisms to the Forums.

Brief description: The primary purpose of this mod is to improve the AI performance so humans will have a harder time of it.

Short Decription:
-AI is much less reliant on trade income. Reordered trade/farm/mines.
-Shipping is used primarily for strategic warfare rather than trade.
-Only 3 active files , no modification to other files(intentionally) so removal is simple using the standard windows uninstaller.
-Should cohabit easily with any other mod.
-Ability to build valourous peasants and basic archers
-Access to expensive small advanced units early on.
-Set in the HIGH period only (can continue to late of course).
-Not a bad mod for first timers to play or new potential modders to look at. (IMHO&#33http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif


Mod Concept.

1.The main point to this mod is to improve the way the AI plays. I have intentionally NOT added extra factions/units/artwork, and leave that to the many capable modders out there . Visit www.totalwar.org for more mods.

2.In the standard unmodded form the human player can easily overcome the AI by building huge fleets and concentrating on trade. Once he/she has amassed $$'s (a few million florins is quite easy), the rest is straightforward, by building unassailable armies.Hopefully with this mod players will need to consider more carefully where florins are spent.

3. The AI is not good at developing trade lines by sea and if it does it may not build the merchant buildings required to max out the value of trade. The unmodded human player can get 10k florins/year from provinces like Flanders/Antioch/Venice/Sicily.

Implementation.

So this Mod reorders the trade goods and the income from mines/farms. It is now hard to get over 2k florins from any one province, and then only few can get to this. This really means the AI has more money generally, whilst the human player is retarded a bit.

Many sea provinces have generally got boosted farm incomes but very poor value trade goods, whilst landlocked provinces enjoy more valuable trade goods. Income from mines is boosted. Several key inland provinces have much boosted farm incomes- Poland/Hungary/Muscovy for example.

Shipping is now mainly of value strategically rather than the gross money maker(by trade) it was before. Human players should still consider a strong navy so they can invade anywhere at will. It also provides very good defence from sea attack. Ships are thus cheap to build and you will find the AI will build big navies as well. Hopefully look forward to sea invasions by the AI if you do not prepare

Rather than knock down peasants and basic archers as useless units, they are buildable and get valour upgrades from farms. A player could pursue a policy of upgrading farms and fighting with valourous peasants/archers---maybe

I've also enabled a few units like Sherwood Foresters, these are strong units but are costly and have only a few members. Their primary aim is another type of choice of unit development for the player.(ie. expensive, quality but small easily obtainable units).

Some descriptions therefore do not fit, but changing this risks affecting other mods, unfortunately I don't think the Descriptions.txt file is customable for each mod. This however is just a cosmetic thing and does not affect game play.

Some income may seem strange for some provinces, I have spent most time checking the balance of factions using auto-run mode. You are welcome to tinker with these files below if you can achieve a better result.

Apart from this readme.txt file the 3 files used are
Razor_AI_High_Unit_10.txt
Razor_AI_High_Build_10.txt
Razor_AI_High_10.txt

The AI considers the Almohad/Byzantines/Danish the weakest factions, so some of their units have been boosted. I have not changed crusades from default as I think they add a random thing to the game. The GH have effectively been strenghtened as many of their provinces now produce more income. Rebels now have a considerable income so bribing them is probably a more valuable thing than before.

As base income is higher, returning factions can generally do better as their often devastated provinces killed them off easily before.

Some provinces have lost unit bonuses because I think some ai type's stop development there once they can build those units. Provinces with bonuses to advanced units have generally been retained.

Anyone wishing to get into modding could look at these three files as it represents the smallest mod possible. I encourage you to do your own thing.

I have planned a few further things I have not seen much of before in mods, but will test these first.


Finally I must acknowlege all the people at the Org, I have studied many of the mods and my limited knowlege comes from them. Particularly people should look at Wes MedMod shortly to be released out of beta and takes a somewhat different approach to optimizing the AI. It is also available via links at the Org.



Razor out