Better AI is dead

[Todd Hawks]

... or isn't it?

No update in 6 weeks, only one post by Iustus talking about "RL issues"... clear indications of a dead project, I'd say.

 

[jkp1187]

Six weeks. My god. An eternity, you're right.

 

[Quagga]

The source code is available. Anyone is free to carry on. You could even enhance forts while you're at it.

 

[Doomed_UK]

I have not had a crash for some time, it is a better AI then the default AI.

I think it is more a case of 'job done' rather then better AI dead

 

[Todd Hawks]

No need to be so negative. Let me rephrase it:

The work of Blake and Iustus on Better AI seems to have stopped. It would be great if someone else could take over (after a while... at the moment it's just a suspicion after all) but I am not the one, I'm afraid.

Six weeks is an eternity considering they were posting more or less daily until recently. I know how these kinds of projects suddenly die and while I surely hope I'm wrong, all the signs are there.

But I see you're not ready to discuss this yet so I'll come back to this thread in a few more weeks (unless Blake or Iustus show up in the meantime, of course).

 

[Jaybe]

I suspect that Firaxis got ahold of them to work on a "special Civ4-related project." It is believed that the same thing happened to Rhye.

 

[jkp1187]

Didn't mean to be harsh, but when people see threads like "X is DEAD" in these fora, they tend to move along. Better AI is, well, sufficiently BETTER that I would like to see as many people using it as possible. Threads with names like "x is DEAD" tend to discourage use.

 

[Quagga]

While people continue to post assert errors in the hope that someone out there is listening, the OP is telling us it's time to wake up. Nothing wrong with getting past denial.

Here are some suggestions for the name of the new development effort:

• Even Better AI
• Much Better AI
• Bigger, Better AI
• Better AI Plus
• Better AI II
• More Betterer AI
• Better AI, Better Forts
• Better, Butter, Batter AI
• Better AI Deux
• Badder AI
• Montezuma, Culture Victor
• If I had a hammer, I'd build me an axeman
• Blake's Seven, A Better AI Memorial
• Here's to you, Mr. Civilization Modder Guy

 

[Yakk]

If after downloading the no-assert version, I haven't seen a single crash to desktop from BetterAI. The asserts are useful information if anyone wants to fix bugs in the source.

I don't think there is a need to fork -- if you want to start fixing bugs, just start submitting patches to sourceforge.

 

[sveint]

It would be very nice if at least the current known bugs could get corrected.

 

[Quagga]

I don't think there is a need to fork -- if you want to start fixing bugs, just start submitting patches to sourceforge.

You'll have to do more than that, since most people don't have the tools required to build a dll from source. You'll have to put up a new build. Presuming anybody does that, just refering to the builds by build date could get quite confusing.

I'm partial to Badder AI.

 

[kniteowl]

Lol at least we know Blake isn't dead, he was in episode 11 of the Polycast http://polycast.apolyton.net/

 

[Quagga]

Lol at least we know Blake isn't dead, he was in episode 11 of the Polycast http://polycast.apolyton.net/

Ho! I thought it was some kind of Blakes 7 revival site. I was sure that Blake was truly and definitively dead. But it turns out you were talking about the Blake we all know from here (duh!). After listening, I liked my original thought better. Car Talk it ain't!

Come on, the thread about Future Tech being overpowered was most certainly a joke...

 

[Doomed_UK]

Me thinks Blake and Istus are working on the beyond the sword expansion

 

[Todd Hawks]

That wouldn't prevent them from coming here and telling us, would it?
They couldn't tell us any details about what they do, sure. But telling us that they *do* work on it and therefore they won't continue Better AI as mod wouldn't be a problem. Or just telling us that they discontinue, without giving a reason at all. Since they didn't even do that...

But let's hope you're right, because if no one updates Better AI after the expansion is out, it will be really dead.

 

[Quagga]

The blurb says that the expansion contains AI improvements. I also followed up some threads that showed Firaxis had been interested in recruiting mods and modders for inclusion in the expansion (modders' efforts, not the beings themselves). Thus, based 100% on circumstantial and heresay evidence, I'm guessing that Better AI is in some way part of the expansion.

 

[vra379971]

Where else would they be?

 

[Yakk]

In many cases, when you work for a company on a new project, you sign an NDA saying "you won't talk about it".

They just announced the expansion, officially, today. Almost certainly before today they couldn't announce that they where working on an expansion for civ4.

Their NDA might still prohibit it.

 

[Todd Hawks]

Alright, now that Better AI is officially dead (comatose, to be precise) and they are definitely not working on the BTS expansion, I'd like to bump this thread and ask you to help out to at least help Iustus to fix the bugs.

Your first reaction might be: "Why don't you do it yourself?". Well, I would, if I had a) the skills (C++ and SDK knowledge) and b) the time. I don't. And if you don't, that's fine as well but if one of you could help and just didn't want to get involved because the Better AI team might come back, then get over to the "Official Update... (April)" thread and talk to Iustus.

 

[Ploeperpengel]

PS: I have some skills when it comes to modding and some time. If someone wants to join me I wouldn't mind trying to improve the amazing work thats already been done (if I can )

If you have time fix the bugs you left in the Warhammer Mod. That would be a glorious deed.