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Topic: What cheats does the AI get?

mxb2001
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Posted at: 2020-10-24, 20:43

In my current Europa game it seems as if when I build a fortress but it only gets manned by 1 soldier it is always attacked right away. Does the computer get free intel on how many defenders there are?

What else does it get as advantages? I'm not against this btw, just wanna know what I should NOT assume the computer can do that I can't.


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Nordfriese
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Posted at: 2020-10-24, 20:55

Yes, the AI queries directly how many soldiers are inside an enemy building. In theory, the AI can get any information about the game state like this if it wants to, but it doesn't do that much: The AI doesn't need to send geologists because it just knows what resources may be found where, but AFAIK there's not much else it does that you can't.


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knarf
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Posted at: 2024-01-09, 22:24

(Asking for what the AI actually uses - as you already mentioned that of course, being part of the game, it could theoretically use everything.)

  • Does it have a fog of war / take it into account? If so: what does this cover: the map and/or your buildings/streets? For instance: does it know from the start where you "are", while you might have to figure that out initially?
  • Since you already answered that it uses how many soldiers are inside without actually seeing them walk in: does it also take into account the level of the soldiers inside?

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hessenfarmer
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Posted at: 2024-01-10, 08:55

knarf wrote:

(Asking for what the AI actually uses - as you already mentioned that of course, being part of the game, it could theoretically use everything.)

  • Does it have a fog of war / take it into account? If so: what does this cover: the map and/or your buildings/streets? For instance: does it know from the start where you "are", while you might have to figure that out initially?

Yes the AI has fog of war. it only knows about things that are within vision range of their buildings and it has only inforamtion about the fields it owns or sees. It does not have any idea of the map or where it is on the map (it does simply not have the concept of a map).

  • Since you already answered that it uses how many soldiers are inside without actually seeing them walk in: does it also take into account the level of the soldiers inside?

Yes it knows about the strenght of the defenders.


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blind3rdeye
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Posted at: 2024-01-13, 09:09

I will say that although the AI might be able to know the strength of defenders in military buildings they can see - the AI is still very weak at fighting into fog of war. For example, if you have a tower sitting a bit back from the border, they'll continually send troops to their death trying to attack a weaker building they can see. And a well placed castle can hold off a very strong AI indefinitely if they can't quite get the 'luck' required to build a tower on the frontline to actually see it. (They can't attack what they don't see, and they don't seem to be great at strategically getting vision to find a castle. And they don't use scouts.)

So... In terms of what the AI knows and doesn't know about the map, I think overall they're at a disadvantage compared to what a player knows.


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tothxa
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Posted at: 2024-01-13, 12:17

I noticed in a recent test that the AI builds mines without sending geologists first, so it looks like it also knows what resources are available where. Maybe @hessenfarmer can confirm this too.


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knarf
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Posted at: 2024-01-13, 23:50

tothxa wrote:

I noticed in a recent test that the AI builds mines without sending geologists first, so it looks like it also knows what resources are available where. Maybe @hessenfarmer can confirm this too.

Nordfriese already did:

The AI doesn't need to send geologists because it just knows what resources may be found where


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mxb2001
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Posted at: 2024-01-14, 18:49

blind3rdeye wrote: So... In terms of what the AI knows and doesn't know about the map, I think overall they're at a disadvantage compared to what a player knows.

That's depressing. Because I lose to them anyways. : ) OK, sorta joking but I've found that if I take it easy and am careless it does beat me.

I usually like to play carelessly. Oh dear. ; )


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