[MOD] More Naval AI

[Kiech]

Having it damage all undead instead of just some of them, like it says in the name of the spell, would be great.

All skeletons (even the archers), shades, vampires, spectres, drown, pyre zombies, and whatever I am missing here.

 

[clearbeard]

Having it damage all undead instead of just some of them, like it says in the name of the spell, would be great.

All skeletons (even the archers), shades, vampires, spectres, drown, pyre zombies, and whatever I am missing here.

Vampires aren't undead in FFH. Other than that, it doesn't? I assumed it hit anything with the "undead" race but then I can't remember actually ever using it, so...

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Yeah, the spell determines its targets based solely on whether the unit has the Undead promotion. I'm not quite sure that Kiech is talking about. (Maybe he is confused by the fact that many Demon units have graphics that makes them look more like they are Undead?)

I tend to think that Life II is fine as it is. I'm not opposed to making the promotion also grant death damage resistance a combat bonus against the undead (as I do in my modmod, to make them better defenders when it is not their turn so they cannot use the spell against new summons) though.


The Vampires of Erebus are canonically very much alive. They are mortals who are so attached to enjoying the bodily pleasures of life that they are willing to commit ritualistic murders and consume the souls of their victims in order to restore their youth and vigor. They don't actually have to consume blood, but many of them enjoy doing so anyway. As extreme narcissists and psychopaths, they are immune to normal feelings of conscience, empathy, guilt, or regret. Lugus cursed them so that direct rays of sunlight sun forces them to feel these things, and gives them a taste of the pain they have caused others. The light itself does not actually harm them physically (any more than it would an ordinary mortal), but it can cause them to panic and hurt themselves.

It is fairly common for vampires to dabble in necromancy; raising an army of skeletons is a convenient way to dispose of their victims' bodies. A few vampire lords have decided to become Liches, but most of them are too vain and lustful to consider this.

It is strongly implied that demon lords use the same ritual as vampires do in order to extract power from mortal souls. This does not imply allegiance to the forces of hell; if anything it makes vampires less likely than other evil men to consider demonic pacts, as it means they are competing for the same resources. The Calabim certainly have no interest in destroying the world and thus loosing the human livestock on which they depend.

 

[Kiech]

I am not going to argue with lore. I was fighting Sheiam skeletal archers the other day, and could not cast the spell at all.

Also are Styngan guards no longer undead when upgraded from drowns?

 

[Tholal]

I am not going to argue with lore. I was fighting Sheiam skeletal archers the other day, and could not cast the spell at all.

You're probably thinking of the Infernal troops, which are Demons, not Undead.

Also are Styngan guards no longer undead when upgraded from drowns?

Stygian Guards are also classified as Demons

 

[Kiech]

So he died, but then got better? Anyways, not going to argue on points of lore.

It sounds like changing it to some sort of holy shield is a better alternative if there are rarely any targets for the spell.

 

[Calavente]

What do you think about life shield

personnally I've ok with it, either as an second life2 spell that competes with "destroy undead" so you have to chose, or as an additional effect of destroy undead.
But I'm hardly the one to ask the question to. I'm biaised on this subject

 

[Tasunke]

I'd certainly implement it as a second spell. Not an additional effect, and not a replacement either. I like the idea of the promo specifically buffing the unit that owns it as well. Probably not with additional resistance but a combat bonus vs undead. Life shield would only affect living units.

 

[lfgr]

fixed issue 3584315
EDIT: should I better post here or directly in the tracker?
EDIT2: There seem to be some fixed issues marked as open

 

[[to_xp]Gekko]

nice!

 

[Tholal]

fixed issue 3584315

Awesome! Thanks!

EDIT: should I better post here or directly in the tracker?

Either way works for me.

EDIT2: There seem to be some fixed issues marked as open

I'm not surprised. I just closed a few. Which ones in particular did you notice.

 

[lfgr]

fixed issue 3601292:
inserted

// Sephi default value for avoid angry Citizens	
if(GC.getInfoTypeForString("EMPHASIZE_AVOID_ANGRY_CITIZENS")!=NO_EMPHASIZE)
		pNewCity->AI_setEmphasize((EmphasizeTypes)GC.getInfoTypeForString("EMPHASIZE_AVOID_ANGRY_CITIZENS"),true);

in CvPlayer.cpp at line 2940 ( after "SAFE_DELETE_ARRAY(paiBuildingOriginalTime);")

Either way works for me.

I'd prefer to post at sf but I seem not to be able to attach files. Is that intended?

I'm not surprised. I just closed a few. Which ones in particular did you notice.

Cannot find them at the moment. Next time I will report them named

 

[lfgr]

Worked on issue 3602618.
The issue states "If you are in the Overcouncil or Undercouncil, you should be able to see what resolutions have been passed.", but I remember a request to see passed resolutions before joining, to avoid mana outlaw.

I merged the BUG Victory screen, and adjusted it a bit.
- All resolutions of both councils will be displayed
- Undercouncil members are only displayed if player is member.

There are some issues, though, but next week I'll be unable to mod so I post the current state of work.
- The fancy BUG Members Screen (enabled in BUG Advisors.ini) only shows one of the councils
- The "poll" from BUG Members Screen should be removed, it doesn't fit into the fantasy background
- The very useful "X turns until next vote" and "X votes until next election" should imported to default Victory Screen IMO.
- The OC Defensive Pact resolution (and probably also others) is not marked as PASSED

 

[Freesmog]

I disagree. most spells are NOT situational.
they all have useful abilities that are not limited.

Depends on how situational is defined, but arguing about the exact meaning seems moot. I definitely see the AI being very situational or limited

poison blade : boost any recon unit : who wouldn't use that ? it is not "boost only shadow assassin / or boost only the elves recon units : 6-7 units OF EACH civilization can be impacted by this spell.

Definitely a given. I always get a few adepts with Dance of Blades, Blur (and Shadow 2), Rust, enchantment 1/2, and poison blade. Gotta account for some casters dying from the AC, and of course having dispel magic (and floating eye!).

dispel : everybody has a mana node to revert back. further it is a spell I use every time I attack a city or that I defend a city : remove EVERY buffs on them remove EVERY curse on mine..
that is not situationnal... it is not "removes only "bless""

Hmm, guess I should try and use dispel magic on the enemy

water walking... ah .. that one... noticed I said that water 2 could get an improvement "water shield" ... ? it is quite situational...but not so.
however on every map with water (or even lake) I use it. having un-rushable summoners /caster is wonderful.
I use it most of my games ... but you are right, less than fireII or AirII.
(ever tried amurite waterwalking army ??? fun)

I usually play on low water maps, but water 1 is nice after Sheaim world spell smokes all my forests (and to remove deserts, sun 1 for ice, but with full of resources I just remove ice and desert cause the AI doesn't seem to know this method).

stoneskin.
well... I don't use it much... but I use my mages to fight high odds fights (so +2FS is good) so they get more xp. Further I use stoneskin to protect them against assassins. +2str in defense is quite useful I must say.
(However stoneskin SHOULD make the unit being targeted first among the other mages) otherwise stone
OR, at least, it should work for the whole turn.. instead of "until next combat". so a stoneskin mage can fight multiple times in defense.

i like Stoneskin quite a bit. It really helps against assassins, not to mention having a few skeletons around. I don't agree about being targeted first, as marksman ability helps target the weakest, and the whole turn kind of makes sense but I don't find that an issue.

contrarily to those : I never use life2 ... ever and I never ugrade into the life line at all (unless I have bronze-tech sheaim in the place). life 1 I get from free promotion.
life 2 is only when fighting sheaim
life3 ... never. I almost never need the resurrection spell ... (only to save 1 unit ? what ? if all "heroes" could be resurrected it might be different; generally, if I get life III, losing my civ hero is sad but not really impacting my overall-strenght)

I never use life 2 either, though I suppose I'd consider it against Sheaim and Calabim. I use Full of Resources mapscript and increase graveyards (plus extra mana nodes and resources), so the AI ressurect heroes all the time. And what's up with Glory Everlasting ritual? The Bannor cast it early in a game (yea crazy first time ever) and killed all the undead! It reads it slays only demons not undead.

oh... and I almost never use spectre in defense of my stack...and then it is not for their strength ... only for the "fear" aspect.
but that's a band-aid on a wooden leg... they are way better used in offense

I find spectres to be quite powerful, much better than the lame fireballs for damaging units, especially with several death nodes. I played a recent game as Luchuirp and thought fireball golems would be fun, but the fireballs seemed VERY limited except reducing city defenses but they move SO slowly!

 

[Tholal]

fixed issue 3601292:

Excellent! Thanks again!
inserted

I'd prefer to post at sf but I seem not to be able to attach files. Is that intended?

PM me your user name at Sourceforge and I'll add you as a developer.

Worked on issue 3602618.

Also excellent! I'll take a look at what you've done this week.

 

[Calavente]

I find spectres to be quite powerful, much better than the lame fireballs for damaging units, especially with several death nodes. I played a recent game as Luchuirp and thought fireball golems would be fun, but the fireballs seemed VERY limited except reducing city defenses but they move SO slowly!

regarding spectres.
I never said they were bad.. on the contrary. it's just that someone killing one of my spectres AFTER my turn is generally a non-issue for me. (save that it give them xp): spectres are here to kill, not to defend. It might happen, when I'm xpfarming with mage of mine.. however, (save for summoning civ) I never have stacks of spectres that one can cast Life2 on. Either they attacked and died or they attacked, and won and are wounded, and I delete them (save one for the fear aspect) so they not give any xp.).

 

[Freesmog]

regarding spectres.
I never said they were bad.. on the contrary. it's just that someone killing one of my spectres AFTER my turn is generally a non-issue for me. (save that it give them xp): spectres are here to kill, not to defend. It might happen, when I'm xpfarming with mage of mine.. however, (save for summoning civ) I never have stacks of spectres that one can cast Life2 on. Either they attacked and died or they attacked, and won and are wounded, and I delete them (save one for the fear aspect) so they not give any xp.).

I've never had the AI cast destroy undead on any of my units. I like having spectres out there around the enemy to waste their energy, plus many units attacking them will be feared (without courage of course). I don't mind if the AI receives xp from my summons. AI need more buffs as it is. I tried giving them the no xp requirement upgrade challenge, but then they make mass stacks of mages, and my current game Ai only has no building req. challenge and seems to be better (though they make tons of longbowman which may be normal).

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Does giving units the ability to build improvements without giving them the ability to construct any routes like roads still cause AI problems that result in infinite loops and Waiting for their Civilizations problems?

I know this was the case a long time ago in an old version of my modmod when I tried giving Soldiers of Kilmorphs the ability to build mines. Would it still be the case if I did so using the latest MNAI dll?


(In recent released versions of my modmod I gave the Soldiers of Kilmorph a <iDelay> spell that created a mine on peaks. This apparently caused some OOS errors in multiplayer games though, I never saw the AI use it, having multiple units work on the same time could not make it go faster, etc, so I removed it.

Shortly after the last release of my modmod I discovered the def canBuild(self,argsList): function in CvGameUtils.py. I have used it to prevent Overcouncil members from constructing improvements to connect resources that have been banned by resolutions, to prevent players with the Fallow trait from building farms, to prevent AI Infernals from building Life nodes, AI Sidar from building Death nodes, etc. I also found that it allows me to let units build improvements like Mines and Quarries on Peaks, and decided to allow it for players with the Arete civic.

I would prefer to be able to go back to letting Soldiers of Kilmorph build Mines and Quarries rather than having Great Engineers be able to move through impassible terrain.)

 

[doktarr]

I'm not sure whether this counts as a bug or just an issue, but in a recent game I happened upon the Khazad's initial settler and troops in midgame. He had never settled a city. He was a bit blocked up by a lousy initial placement - pushed against the water by the Malakim and Amurites. I guess he got caught in some sort of loop, searching for the ideal spot to settle that wasn't there.

 

[[to_xp]Gekko]

yes, it happens when 2 settlers move to the same spot and once bounces the other away with cultural borders before it can settle. AI starting settlers shouldn't move that far away from their starting spot