Future AI

[Nebuchadnezzar]

M2:TW infinetly more complex than chess, which has been studied.

Studied by who? and what are their qualifications?

I think the suggestion that M2TW is infinitely more complex than chess needs to put into a more realistic perpective. Also are we talking about the battle map or campaign map?

If its the battle map then I don't think so. Every group of units is essentially acting as a whole and not individually. It is only an impression that you are controlling 1000's of units rather than 20 or less. Furthermore, each unit moves one tile at a time. There are no units that magically transform to the opposite end of the map in an instant such as they can in chess (eg bishop, queen etc) unless its a bug. Finally most units are more or less identical with only minor variations. Cavalry are cavalry, infantry are infantry and archers are archers. Just how many different variations can exist. Not many.

The campaign map is of course much more complex but not infinately more complex by any means. The available pieces on the campaign map do not all interact with each other but rather with only a select few if lucky, diplomats for example only interact with other diplomats, generals, princesses or settlements and they only open a diplomacy screen with a dozen or so options. Also it is essentially a two player game with player Vs AI. Any AI Vs AI interaction is more coincidental or chance or for player amusement rather than any greater plan or strategy for the AI. Too watch AI Vs AI is one of the saddest things in TW games!
But its probably the huge size of the game board and the no. of tiles that create the impression of complexity but consider that barely 2-3% is used at any one time. Again there are no units that instantaneously transform to the other end of the campaign map as they do in chess.

So a finite number of pieces present, each able to be moved only a set number of tiles per turn and each piece having a very limited response and interaction overall. I think any well trained chess player would laugh at the suggestion that M2TW is infinitely more complex.