Add flexibility to the AI for campaign/scenario maps ticket

[av93]

I created this post for discussing #4395

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With single player campaigns a possibility (see #4387), the AI should be improved to support a few new features, namely:

-Allow sending commands to the AI that it must/can respond to. This would allow a campaign map where you order the AI to attack with X units a target Y, and the AI would automatically deal with issues (embarking…).

-Allow disabling/enabling features of the AI at "runtime". IE you can say to the AI "don't build anything" for a while/an entire game. I believe this should be done by revamping the config system, so that it's easy to use and possibly leads to more customization in general (see #2550)

-In the same vein, it would be great if you could dynamically change the resource gathering bonus. You may want to put it at "0" so the AI still acts like a normal player but can't actually expand beyond what you've planned.

Any other thing I may have missed?

In Aok, you have like 3 kinds of scenarios: Build and Destroy, Fixed Force and RPG. Then you would have some subtypes: Defend only (hold the ground), Destroy/assault with timer, tug of war, scripted mission with triggers (like 1rst mongol scenario)

-Specific commandos: defend this unit, area. Attack this unit/area. Wait until X for other commandos or strategy. Repair never/when possible. Don't train units

-Specific strategy: Only rebuild existing units/buildings, but don't expand. Don't attack, only defend. Never or always defend the ally. Forbid some units/buildings.

With this I would say that there's a good basis for starting scenarios and campaigns. What do you think?

[Skhorn]

How it would be? Specific campaign per faction? Or one single campaign including each faction? 

[feneur]

6 hours ago, Skhorn said:

How it would be? Specific campaign per faction? Or one single campaign including each faction? 

Twelve multi-scenario campaigns is probably beyond what's possible, but on the other hand 0 A.D. "should be impossible" as a whole so who knows To begin with we'll aim for creating the frame-work and try and see how many people we can get involved in creating the campaigns. I would assume that the most likely way to do things would be to have say a handful of storylines that would include several of the factions in each campaign. Say a Punic wars campaign which could include at least Carthaginians and Romans, but I would say Iberians as well. Or something based on Alexander's rise to power (and the aftermath) which would include most/all of the Hellenistic Civilizations, Persia, and India. And possibly one featuring Caesar to include the Celtic ones. Unless we come up with a way to make both sides playable (i.e. so you could play the same scenarios from both perspectives) that would of course mean that some civs would not be played (unless you would "play as the enemy" in some scenarios), so I guess it would take a few more if you would like to have campaigns where all factions are played at least once.

But apart from designing it well it's mostly a matter of manpower, so we'll have to see what is possible

[Zeta1127]

Yeah, the Persian Wars, the Peloponnesian War, the Wars of Alexander the Great, the Wars of the Diadochi, the Second Punic War, and the Gallic Wars are the obvious choices for the campaigns. The Persian Wars and the Peloponnesian War cover the Athenians, the Spartans, and the Achaemenid Persians, with the option to incorporate the Thebans eventually. The Wars of Alexander the Great, the Wars of the Diadochi, and related conflicts definitely cover the Hellenistic Civilizations, the Successors, the Achaemenid Persians, and the Mauryan Indians. The Second Punic War covers the Republican Romans, the Carthaginians, and the Iberians. The Gallic Wars add the Gauls and the Britons into the equation.

[Loki1950]

There is also the Celtic sack of Delphi as part of an invasion of the Greek peninsula make a interesting campaign for at least three factions as the various city states ally against the Celts.

Enjoy the Choice

[shieldwolf23]

My suggestion is to have the campaign created in a way that the player can choose what faction to play in the start of the campaign, and continue that track until victory is achieved. And then, he can repeat the same campaign theme, choosing the side of the other faction and play that faction until victory.

[Lion.Kanzen]

You mean for example in a map like Zama, choose between Scipio and Hannibal forces.

[shieldwolf23]

Yes, Lion. Or in a wider scale, for example, between Carthage and Rome. 7 scenarios that may include different battles. When 1 player chooses Rome, he plays all 7 scenarios as Rome against Carthage. The same is true if the player chooses Carthage - he plays all 7 scenarios as Carthage.