[1.00 (since Beta)] balance issue with AIs taking quests

Tuidjy

Join Date 08/2010

+80

[1.00 (since Beta)] balance issue with AIs taking quests

In one of my games, I had a level 3 Magnar attempt AND complete the Arena of the Slakhanan on turn 20. I do not want to spoil too much, but this is a extremely hard quest (at least Deadly, maybe Epic) with an awesome reward. Hell, the second best reward is awesome. Magnar should not have had a snowball chance in Hell to complete it.

He got 3 levels and I would not be surprised if he got the reward as well. This is a major issue. I have seen the AI wander around with Ashwake dragons and high level heroes from quests as early as turn 50, and now I know why.

There are many reasons why this is a bad thing: quests and their rewards get removed from the map too early, the AI is advancing too quickly, and finally, the AI can very early get something with which no player can deal.

Please, this cannot be too hard to fix!

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Yeah, I just had my best game so far (Challenging/Challenging) ruined by Magnar raping-face with Ashwake early.

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It would be nice if we could get word on whether this is something that's in the queue for fixing soon.

In the meantime, is this something that a modder could change?

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Murteas

Join Date 08/2003

+44

How do you propose to fix this? The computer can't read the various options you can get on quests and so can't make a good choice about whether it should go on the quest. We want them to create complicated and involved quests, but we have to realize that there is no way to make the AI go on those quests. Even simple ones like escorting the noblewoman would be hard to code for the AI to understand which reward to choose or whether to give up the girl.

I think the best solution is to put a turn limit on the quest as to when the AI can go on the quest yet, and I like having the roll as to whether they succeed or not.

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cardinaldirection

Join Date 08/2012

+18

Quests (and army strengths) need more degrees of difficulty ratings, which the AI should check and balance (along with proximity) in determining the one most worth attempting. The AI should also be able to follow quest paths from location to location, barring it wins the roll for each one. Any decisions it must make could also be rolled, or new tags targeting the AI could be added to quest definitions.

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Ah yeah, I saw this in an earlier game and didn't know what to make of it. Verga walked up to that quest that rewards the champion Ariana - the quest where you have to hunt down 3 different spiderweb locations, leading up to a tough fight and returning to get your level 7 champion. This was very early, Verga and my sovereign were both about level 2-3. I didn't bother picking up the quest because I obviously couldn't do it; Verga walked past me and instantly got the champion. It's not just a question of luck, he clearly didn't do the quest at all - no visiting the spiderwebs, just instant complete. Went back to my previous save to pick up the quest before he could and confirm that, yup, you're supposed to actually move around and do some stuff rather than instantly getting an overpowered (at that level) champion.

I guess I can live with simplifying AI quests from tromping around after spiderwebs to a single combat calculation, but if that's the way it works, there's something very wrong with the numbers in that calculation.

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Looks like a gamebreaker for me. Is it fixed in 1.02?

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Quoting Gilith,

reply 32

Looks like a gamebreaker for me. Is it fixed in 1.02?

As far as I know, yes, though I haven't been watching the AIs very closely.

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the chance for success with ai quests should be based upon a linear arithmetic system similar to the dodge/accuracy formula. In that if someone is below a certain strength, the chance for successfully completing the quest will be zero. (and likewise if they're immensely strong, the chance on baby quests would be 100%, thus removing the randomness there)

That done, the ai should then be coded not to attempt quests if they don't have a reasonable chance of success (>=60%)

And most importantly of all, if they fail a quest, the location should remain there, ready to be attempted by someone else. a quest shouldn't vanish until it's satisfactorily completed.

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Unfortunately, the problem is still present in 1.02

I have a save in which a a level 1 sovereign with a shadow warg is about to 'collect' a strong rated sealed cave. After you end turn, he will level and get the reward, when there is no chance in Hell he could handle the first fight in that cave, let alone the second.

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