[Official Testing] Updated Pathfinding,Campaign AI, Battle AI

[z3n]

Note due to this being a part of EB 2.1 this is incompatible with certain submods depending on the amount of files the submod changes.
Installation instructions
1) Download and then open up the file with a program like 7zip.
2) Use said program to extract the enclosed data folder overtop of your EBII folder located in your mtw2/mods/ebII directory. Say yes to all the overwrites.
3) Important! Delete map.rwm located in your mtw2/mods/EbII/world/maps/base folder.

Pictures to make it clearer.
https://i.imgur.com/XIAX4ER.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/szmc8NE.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/tbIy82k.jpg


Updates to EB2 Pathfinding, CAI and BAI


CAI, BAI and Pathfinding are completely overhauled

Here's a battle screenshot


Campaign screenshot @ 100 turns


Version 1 changes (previous release)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

1) Improvement to formation values for charges, all units are affected which will make them move en-masse now
2) Different formation movement (men catching up to their unit move at a faster pace)
3) Battle/Siege AI should be subsequently affected by an increased amount of pathfinding nodes

Version 2's changes (previous release)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Pathfinding
4) Cavalry now prefer flat terrain, Infantry are not affected by this change and fight either on flat or in woods.

New file
Config_battle_ai changes
1) Flanking is prioritized/used more by the AI, especially for cavalry. Cavalry are also much less inclined to charge a phalanx and more inclined to attack opposing cavalry or flank/rear charge your battle line.
2) Attack brace range is 125 instead of 200, and added some lines so all infantry are more inclined to brace.

Version 3 (previous release)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

1) CAI pathfinding improvement (done)
2) Stack merge improvement/Focus on family members as generals (done)
3) CAI overhaul part 1.

New file descr_campaign.xml

1) Age lowered to 12 for adoption/coming of age to better imitate education/loyalty in court.
2) AI based equations based on autoresolve revamped for better stacks + more decisive battles.
3) Garrison limit + revolts redone for better AI handling of public order.

Version 4 (previous release)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

New file descr_campaign_ai.xml
Details of overhaul- each faction has their own specific quirks due to being code being faction specific, hopefully that's a good thing. (warning I may run into a hard-coded limit during this, so don't get your hopes too high, I may end up having to generalize the AI to a limit of culture specific ai for example)
1) Revamped autoresolve results for more decisiveness (stacks bigger before attacking, though keeping more aggressive behavior)
2) Added diplomacy + protectorate trigger systems (e.g. rome + carthage disliking each other, greeks less likely to ally with each other though more so than barbarian factions and more likely to ally with india)
3) Added many different war states from XAI. (systems in place for different types of defense)
4) More aggressive Slaves (Eleutheroi)
5) More intelligent AI behaviour, for example forced invasion. Stacks don't stand around, if they are stronger (e.g. 23 previously passive stacks) they will come after you en masse and angry.

(Finished)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

More intensive work being done to the BAI side of things in attempt to imitate how historical battles were fought.
1) Work will be done to improve AI's holding of their battleline (already did progress with this due to improved AI pathfinding but will do more through other files)
2) Faction specific BAI. (better representations of how each faction fought)
3) Changes to the BAI itself, in terms of controllers/way the AI acts in battle. (will aim to put limitations on particularly stupid behaviours and make it act slightly more intelligently )

Remember to delete your map.rwm, it will regenerate a new and updated one once you start a new campaign! Note you must start a new campaign to experience the full force of a fully armed and operational skynet. I mean EBII CAI. Actually it's not quite skynet stage yet but I'm trying.


Regards.



To install the replay files
Unzip replays directly into your mtw2/mods/ebii folder.

Like so

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Then start up EBII and then say Load, then say Load replay. Then load it.


Note:
Credits to XAI for one part of the pathfinding, although many new values are now used.
If you originally downloaded the first pathfinding file it is recommended that you upgrade to this latest one for the latest advantages.

[QuintusSertorius]

I'd just like to endorse this update, it works brilliantly well.

[Ludens]

Thanks, z3n!

I'd just like to endorse this update, it works brilliantly well.

Is this official, or should I move it to the submod forum?

[QuintusSertorius]

Is this official, or should I move it to the submod forum?

It's not currently official, but it may rapidly become so (z3n's applied to join the team).

[Ludens]

It's not currently official, but it may rapidly become so (z3n's applied to join the team).

That's good to hear. In that case, I'll move it to the submod forum so that it doesn't get buried by other threads. If/when it becomes official, we can move it back (or start a new thread).

[QuintusSertorius]

That's good to hear. In that case, I'll move it to the submod forum so that it doesn't get buried by other threads. If/when it becomes official, we can move it back (or start a new thread).

I'll leave it to z3n to say, but he's officially helping GRANTO now, so this may be moving back stickied shortly.

[z3n]

Sure whatever works best.

[Ludens]

As this is official now, I am moving it back to the main forum.

[z3n]

Download the new file for a relatively good improvement to CAI.

[QuintusSertorius]

I should warn people, because of the files involved, these updates are not compatible with b0Gia's submod; there are at least two submods in that compilation which directly conflict. So if you want to try it out, your best bet is a reinstallation of EBII, otherwise wait for the summer release.

[z3n]

Thanks, updated OP accordingly


Also updated Battle AI. Check OP for new attachment.

[Tux]

@Ludens can you please change the thread title to [Official Testing] Updated Pathfinding,Campaign AI, Battle AI.
Thanks!

[z3n]

Here's replays of what to expect.

To install see Original Post (OP)^

[Ludens]

Ludens can you please change the thread title to [Official Testing] Updated Pathfinding,Campaign AI, Battle AI.
Thanks!

Done.

[QuintusSertorius]

There's a new EDU and D_P available here, overwrite the ones in z3n's pack after you've installed it (at least until he updates his pack). They should work much better, leveraging his changes.

[z3n]

Updated with Quintus's changes but keep in mind you'll have to start a new campaign again if you update unfortunately.

[QuintusSertorius]

If, like me, you use Force Diplomacy, please use this export_descr_advice.txt instead of the one in z3n's pack. It's got the two sets of code that enable the rest of the files.

[QuintusSertorius]

New, updated EDU available in my thread.

A possible counterpoint to the smarter, more aggressive AI here is the removal of a recruitment pool boost the Hellenistic factions get in the export_descr_buildings.txt of 2.01. One of the things the team is experimenting with right now is removing this boost, alongside toning down the money script. I'd be interested in seeing what people's experiences of a campaign are, when the AI has less troops to draw upon (ie the same amount as the human player does).

If people want to try it with z3n's CAI changes, download this: export_descr_buildings.txt. As usual, this is not savegame compatible. It won't conflict with anything in z3n's pack, though it's probably not compatible with b0Gia's submod.

[QuintusSertorius]

Apparently, the poor Bosporans were forgotten about when the Hellenistic Poleis building was updated. Meaning at present they derive no recruitment options from it, when they should.

So apologies if anyone has already started a campaign with my EDB above, but here is a fixed one where the Bosporans now get what they should have had: Attachment 15149.

[QuintusSertorius]

Update in the works which will bundle in my latest EDU (EDIT11 which has a couple of tiny changes), but also a completely reworked descr_strat with revised garrisons/armies and much bigger Eleutheroi garrisons in prominent places. It also integrates my EDB changes (Bosporans have recruitment, no AI boost to replenishment). If we're lucky, we may get a revised money script too.