Smart AI made Simple?

[Listy]

One of the big requests that has been made is a better AI. Now at first glance that is a horrifically complex thing to code. Then I had an idea. We don't need a decent AI, we need one that gives the illusion of a good AI. And I think I have an idea on how to do it.

Disclaimer: I'm no programmer, just some random tit that keeps getting outwitted by a string of ones and Zero's, with alarming frequency. However it seems to my mind the following idea is already similar to ingame mechanics.

Already the game uses a pathing system, where the AI selects the easiest path to get to a certain point. But at the same time it counts solid rock and walls as impassable. This causes enemies to happily skip into kill boxes to be slaughtered. Which is what a smarter AI is aimed to avoid.

So the simple answer seems to be a kind of expiring heat map. Each time a person is killed in a cell give it an increased movement penalty with in the AI's pathing routine.
By that I mean while the actual movement value in the real world stays the same, the hostile attacker pathing AI counts it as harder to travel across than it really is.
If it also causes an area of effect around it which also stacks a kill box will very quickly be more impassable than say a solid wall. Which will cause the attacking AI to avoid the area and try to blow straight into a colony by assaulting the walls or mining through rock.

You'd need to discount animals from this system as they're A) too dumb to think about avoiding the area, and B) more importantly dead animals happen an awful lot in this game and it could lead to some really odd behaviour.

Equally the increased resistance rating for each cell needs to expire after a time, otherwise you'll soon have an impenetrable barrier of death penalties around a colony or map.

[praguepride]

A slightly more advanced way would be to factor in perceived danger into internal movement logic.

For example, fire is normally a "no-go" but if you're in flame retardant gear then it should be able to become a "go".

An even more advanced way would be keeping your base layout information isolated to each faction so Group A would walk in, get kill boxed. Next time Group A raids they 'think' that area is highly dangerous so they try blasting through the walls. Meanwhile Group B has no idea what Group A did so they walk in the front door and get kill boxed.

On that note, sieges shouldn't happen until they have a layout of your base and targeting should be as such. If you somehow "moved" your base or created some sort of mobile base then you could evade siegers and laugh as they target empty buildings.

This could eventually lead into a strategy of having "dummy bases" or having kill boxes far away from your main base to keep the AI "guessing" on your layout...

This would also open up AI technology like X-Ray scanners and heat sensors etc. so they can learn certain things about your base (and thus you might have to build ECM style equipment to block their scanners so your hidden defenses can stay hidden)

[spacemarine658]

A slightly more advanced way would be to factor in perceived danger into internal movement logic.

For example, fire is normally a "no-go" but if you're in flame retardant gear then it should be able to become a "go".

An even more advanced way would be keeping your base layout information isolated to each faction so Group A would walk in, get kill boxed. Next time Group A raids they 'think' that area is highly dangerous so they try blasting through the walls. Meanwhile Group B has no idea what Group A did so they walk in the front door and get kill boxed.

On that note, sieges shouldn't happen until they have a layout of your base and targeting should be as such. If you somehow "moved" your base or created some sort of mobile base then you could evade siegers and laugh as they target empty buildings.

This could eventually lead into a strategy of having "dummy bases" or having kill boxes far away from your main base to keep the AI "guessing" on your layout...

This would also open up AI technology like X-Ray scanners and heat sensors etc. so they can learn certain things about your base (and thus you might have to build ECM style equipment to block their scanners so your hidden defenses can stay hidden)

+1

[SSS]

I like this idea.

If combined with rocket/grenade wielding raiders being willing to fire at walls, it would make raids a lot more interesting.

[Adamiks]

+1 "easy" to make and it would make game more interesting. But also i like the idea with this "Group A/Group B memories".

[ARiA1089]

+1
they still wouldn't be able to get close to my base, not with a mod that gives me cruise missile launchers but id still laugh with a bucket of popcorn as they try