A Better AI.

[JimMac99]

Do Blake/Iustus actually want a sub forum?

I have read the odd complaint of a lack of traffic that sometimes results when a topic/mod is shifted to its own sub forum from a general forum.

 

[jray]

Do Blake/Iustus actually want a sub forum?

I have read the odd complaint of a lack of traffic that sometimes results when a topic/mod is shifted to its own sub forum from a general forum.

But this is Better AI. It's in its own league . I say "Build a Better AI sub-forum, and they will come."

EDIT: To offer a cheesy analogy, even if traffic is reduced upon a move to a sub-forum, it would be like trading 100 level-1 archers for an assortment of 50 level-3 axemen, spearmen, chariots, catapults, and longbowmen... where the promotions are State of the Mod Awareness 1 and 2.

 

[The M'Hael]

Please keep up the bug reports like this.

Will do! Glad I could help! Will send in any more I get.


As for the sub-forum, I would have to agree. It sounds like a good Idea and would help with all the repeating questions.

 

[HardCoder]

The only reason I think a sub-forum would be useful is for some pinned, locked threads with FAQs in them. "How do I install, how do I get the source code, how do I build it," so on. Otherwise, the 89 page thread is fine with me. If a moderator wanted to purge or archive the old entries periodically that would be fine.

 

[Elandal]

A subforum would allow for separate threads for eg.
- new releases (locked, no discussion)
- FAQs
- Bug reports

With other discussion carried on in separate threads. Of course the format would be easier for new users (just check the release announcement and pick the latest stable or development release as you want, then check FAQ thread) as well as those who want to discuss a specific aspect of the mod (eg. a thread about AI unit stacks, too many or too few, are the stacks balanced, whatever).

I can handle one big thread just fine, but an 89-page thread will certainly get same questions asked several times as the answers are buried on some page in the middle.

 

[glokkonn]

For what its worth,

I vote for a subforum

 

[Mesousa]

Sorry if this has been asked before, I didn't search too far back through this thread (sub forum sounds like a great idea ).

I've put the 2007-1-1 CvGameCoreDLL.dll in my My Games\Warlords\CustomAssets folder, but I don't get the "=== Better AI ===" when I ALT+mouseover my name in the score list. So I guess it's not working (haven't played far enough to notice any obvious changes in AI behaviour).

I have the latest Warlords patch installed, I use the HOF-Mod and SmartMap and have made tiny edits to my Warlord's GlobalDefines.xml regarding XP caps, otherwise the game is unmodified. Are there known conflicts with any of those, or what might be the problem?

 

[scu98rkr]

You will only get"=== Better AI ===" with the cheatcode "chipoble" or something like that enabled. PS i have spelt"chipoble" wrong

 

[phungus420]

A subforum is not necessary.

A stickied and locked thread with a FAQ installation guide and any recent information posted would do the trick.

 

[Roland Johansen]

Sorry if this has been asked before, I didn't search too far back through this thread (sub forum sounds like a great idea ).

I've put the 2007-1-1 CvGameCoreDLL.dll in my My Games\Warlords\CustomAssets folder, but I don't get the "=== Better AI ===" when I ALT+mouseover my name in the score list. So I guess it's not working (haven't played far enough to notice any obvious changes in AI behaviour).

I have the latest Warlords patch installed, I use the HOF-Mod and SmartMap and have made tiny edits to my Warlord's GlobalDefines.xml regarding XP caps, otherwise the game is unmodified. Are there known conflicts with any of those, or what might be the problem?

The answer given by scu98rkr is wrong. It has nothing to do with the cheat code (sorry scu98rkr).

The HOF-Mod also changes the file named CvGameCoreDLL.dll. The game will find this file in the Mods-directory and will thus not look for it in My Games\Warlords\CustomAssets. You can only use one file named CvGameCoreDLL.dll at a time. It is possible to merge two files named CvGameCoreDLL.dll, but it requires some work. Iustus described how to do this a few dozens of pages ago in this thread.

 

[jkp1187]

I suspect that a sub-forum will only get us a lot of NEW threads asking questions that have already been asked and answered in the past....

Still, it might be worth it if there is a locked & stickied thread explaining the basics of this project and a FAQ list.

 

[Mesousa]

The HOF-Mod also changes the file named CvGameCoreDLL.dll. The game will find this file in the Mods-directory and will thus not look for it in My Games\Warlords\CustomAssets. You can only use one file named CvGameCoreDLL.dll at a time. It is possible to merge two files named CvGameCoreDLL.dll, but it requires some work. Iustus described how to do this a few dozens of pages ago in this thread.

Thanks, I'll look for Iustus' explanation.

Edit: Okay, I eventually ended up at this page at sourceforge ... and I'm afraid I don't have the required modding skills and knowledge. Never heard of Tortoise SVN ... Guess I'll say goodbye to HOF-Mod for now to give BetterAI a try.

 

[Quagga]

I would have been happy not to have read the last dozen questions about how to install the DLL. Especially annoying are the people who say something like, "I don't have time to read the whole thread, so please just tell me how."

If a sub-forum can make these posts stop, I'm all for it.

That said, I think there could be other benefits from a sub-forum. In this thread, we have release announcements, bug reports, and discussions of AI behaviors including city governor, build governor, military strategy and tactics, game strategy (i.e., approaches to victory), and what to do about forts. (Let's give forts their own sub-forum too! ) These discussions interrupt each other in this linear thread. A sub-forum would allow these discussions to continue independently.

How the Better AI team could have time to follow all these discussions and develop code too is an open question.

 

[Mesousa]

I would have been happy not to have read the last dozen questions about how to install the DLL. Especially annoying are the people who say something like, "I don't have time to read the whole thread, so please just tell me how."

So you expect everyone to read all 89 pages? Some of us do have a life and can't spend hours in these forums, you know. I understand if the posts annoy you if you visit this thread a lot, but not everyone can visit it frequently, so stop blaming people for circumstances which aren't their fault (that's what you do when you call the people annoying).

 

[Sam_Yeager]

I would certainly be in favour of a sub forum. In fact it should probably go into Civ4 - Project and Mod Development under Civ4 - Creation & Customization since this mod is not Warlords specific.

 

[jkp1187]

In the interests of clarity, please direct the subfolder discussion to this thread: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?p=5020433#post5020433

(If we can't do that much, we probably shouldn't be trusted with a subfolder... )

 

[Iustus]

Thanks, I'll look for Iustus' explanation.

Edit: Okay, I eventually ended up at this page at sourceforge ... and I'm afraid I don't have the required modding skills and knowledge. Never heard of Tortoise SVN ... Guess I'll say goodbye to HOF-Mod for now to give BetterAI a try.

The best thing to do in a case like this is to ask the makers of the mod to look into doing a version that includes BetterAI.

-Iustus

 

[Roland Johansen]

Thanks, I'll look for Iustus' explanation.

Edit: Okay, I eventually ended up at this page at sourceforge ... and I'm afraid I don't have the required modding skills and knowledge. Never heard of Tortoise SVN ... Guess I'll say goodbye to HOF-Mod for now to give BetterAI a try.

Maybe, you're like me and just use the HOF-mod for its components. The components that I like the most are Requies Exotic Foreign Advisor and Civ4lerts. These can be easily combined with the CvGameCoreDLL.dll from the BetterAI mod. No merging of files is required as these mods all affect different files. Just placing the mod-files in the right directories in 1 single mod will do it (and then of course loading the mod ingame).

 

[Ishon]

I agree that at the present stage this project deserves its own sub-forum. This would also draw some more attention to this work, which it definitely desires. The more people participate in this discussion, the better AI we will ultimately get.

 

[Iustus]

I am pursuing starting a sub forum. No need for further discussion on this topic, I think there is a consensus that it is a good idea.

It will be helpful to have one thread for bug reports, another for release announcments, and others for development discussion. We can sticky installation instructions at the top as well.

For all these reasons, I agree it is a good idea.

Feel free to continue to use this thread until the subforum is set up.

-Iustus