Quote Originally Posted by DensterNY
The one thing about it is trying to program something of this complexity and magnitude in trying to control and react to countless variables in combat. Its not like programming a computer to play chess whereas there are set rules and patterns of movement - in TW's battles, as in war, anything goes.

However, computerized chess succeeds because you can create a gigantic, growing database of patterns so I suppose in some ways we'd have to try and mimic this.
Actually, I was thinking about this earlier, and I have to disagree - I think the limitless possibilities in a TW battle make Genetic Algorithms more suited to it than a game with a much smaller number of possibilities, such as chess. In fact, I'd think that chess is actually too small for GA to work effectively. Also, whilst abstracting elements of TW would be required to allow GA to be used, I think that chess is too abstract to really benefit from it.

Ciaran, I agree with you it's not likely to happen. Any form of PO requires a vast amount of effort, and it is clear that CA have not been willing to invest that in RTW (for entirely understandable business reasons, I'd say). But there must come a point where the use of GA becomes more efficient than more traditional techniques. Given the potential complexity that the battles in TW games allow, I'd say this would be an ideal place to start using them. I can certainly envisage them being used in the future.