An Official Update... (April 07)

Hi everyone,

I am so pleased everyone is enjoying BetterAI.

Unfortunately, I am extremely busy with a new job, so I have almost zero free time. I still intend to get back to BetterAI, if/when I have some free time to devote to it.

I am actively seeking someone who can devote time to doing the last few bugfixes, and other tasks. If you are a C++ programmer with Visual Studio 2003 (paid version), and hopefully some experience looking at the SDK, contact me to get added to the sourceforge project (you will need to register on sourceforge if you have not already).

I appreciate all the feedback and I wish I had more time to devote to this project, but I do not at this time.

-Iustus

There is nothing better than an update to quell the speculation. Thanks.

Well, clearly we can see you're busy with a new job, but what we're wondering is: what is the new job?!? Is it working on BTS?

Iustus said:

Hi everyone,

I am so pleased everyone is enjoying BetterAI.

Unfortunately, I am extremely busy with a new job, so I have almost zero free time. I still intend to get back to BetterAI, if/when I have some free time to devote to it.

I am actively seeking someone who can devote time to doing the last few bugfixes, and other tasks. If you are a C++ programmer with Visual Studio 2003 (paid version), and hopefully some experience looking at the SDK, contact me to get added to the sourceforge project (you will need to register on sourceforge if you have not already).

I appreciate all the feedback and I wish I had more time to devote to this project, but I do not at this time.

-Iustus

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They are totally working on BTS!

I wouldn't be too sure. In that case it would be pretty pointless to update Better AI since the new AI would be in BTS anyway.

Todd Hawks said:

I wouldn't be too sure. In that case it would be pretty pointless to update Better AI since the new AI would be in BTS anyway.

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That's not true. Better AI improves Vanilla and Warlords AI, but BTS will only improve BTS AI.

Bursk said:

They are totally working on BTS!

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Got to be. If they weren't they'd have said so.

Mergle said:

Got to be. If they weren't they'd have said so.

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Yeah, and they're probably gay. If they weren't they'd have said so.

Todd Hawks said:

I wouldn't be too sure. In that case it would be pretty pointless to update Better AI since the new AI would be in BTS anyway.

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Not exactly. Once BTS is released and IF it includes "Better AI", "Better AI" can at this point only be improved further through official patches and after a while we won't get any more of those even if needed .

So after BTS is released (maybe after one or some BTS patches) there will be no more improvement on the AI, official improvement that is. I would be very very very....very surprised if the AI was "perfect" at this point (it won't be ) without things that still could and should be improved. Here is where we once again return to the unofficial Better AI so the improvements on AI can keep coming after Firaxis leaves us screaming for more shutting down the Civ IV office and starts working on Civ V .

So. Even IF "Better AI" is in BTS there will still be further improvements to be made to the AI after this. Especially after the masses starts using the new AI and discovers the inevitable flaws and AI loopholes. So once again the mighty "Better AI" Team will be our saviours and we shall give them the credits they deserve for spoiling us! Hail the kings

Ofcourse. This is only IF "Better AI" is actually in BTS. IF it is not, "Better AI" will reign even more supreme after the BTS release as long as the "Better AI" Team wants to and got the time to continue to reign supreme.

Once again, hail the Better AI Team!

My new job does not involve either BetterAI or Civilization in any fashion, let me put those rumors to rest. As I said, if/when I have time, I plan to get back into BetterAI, but I would also like to find someone willing to take it on in the meantime.

-Iustus

Well that killed all our fun.

How about Blake. Is he still working on it?

Watiggi said:

How about Blake. Is he still working on it?

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My bet is that Blake is working on BTS. While Iustus informed us about what was going on in his life... Blake suddenly stopped to post in this forum some time ago (but was still seen on-line lurking on many occasions). If Blake is working on BTS... Iustus certainly would know that.. but I doubt he could tell it.

Well it was my bet that Iustus was working on BtS too, but apparently not... unless of course Blake is busy with BtS, it prevents Iustus from working on Better AI properly and so has put it on hold or something. But I am now questioning whether Blake is actually working on BtS. Hope he is though. If not, I suspect the Better AI mod is dead in the water.

Well, that's disappointing... I hope to God Blake is working on BTS then because I don't want to return to an AI that is too stupid to move units to their cities when they're about to get taken. If I find out Blake is not working on BTS, I may have to strongly consider not getting it. I'll at least wait to see what initial reactions are to the AI's supposed 'improvements.'

Well, Firaxis has consistantly demonstrated a conservative approach when it comes to civ 4 and Better AI isn't conservative.

The problem is that many of the non-civ fanatics don't understand how stupid the computer is... There are still people who have trouble on Warlord or Noble without the Better AI, just because they don't understand how to specialize their cities or how to take a prop\per offensive...

Is Iustus and Blake's AI the same Better AI ? I understand that there is one Better AI created by Iustus and Blake ( not two seperate mods )? Am I right ?

darko82 said:

Is Iustus and Blake's AI the same Better AI ? I understand that there is one Better AI created by Iustus and Blake ( not two seperate mods )? Am I right ?

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You are right - Iustus and Blake are the developers of the BetterAI mod, unfortunately both are currently inactive

bonafide11 said:

Well, that's disappointing... I hope to God Blake is working on BTS then because I don't want to return to an AI that is too stupid to move units to their cities when they're about to get taken. If I find out Blake is not working on BTS, I may have to strongly consider not getting it. I'll at least wait to see what initial reactions are to the AI's supposed 'improvements.'

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Interesting. My observation is that the Better AI is too passive, to the point that it is unable to respond effectively to invasions. Other people have this problem, too -- see the questionable behavior thread [about 10 pages long...] or the latest version thread.

The BetterAI seems to do well pursuing other victory types, but this will be included in BtS. Aside from this, I don't see many benefits to BetterAI -- it makes the AI far too passive, and has several bugs. My hope is that, if Blake is working on BtS, that they test it a lot better than BetterAI has been tested...