Improving tactical information for AI

[jenx]

I'v been looking at testing this addon, and I"m surprised DG hasn't integrated it into the main game, as it is such a better ai than the current one.

I was working on my own tactical ai improvement add-on when lukep pointed me to this addon. There is little I can do to improve it, but I will point a few things I've, which might be of interest.

1. Regarding the problem of traps, summons, create minions, and now mucus, these are all talents that the concept of "within range" is different. So the range for a summoned npc is how far from the caster you can summon, or for a trap, the same, and not is the target npc within range. Rampage also suffers from this problem.

So I created a very simple workaround - I add 1 to the range for traps and mucus and rampage, and 5 to summons, minions and rampage. So the npc will cast summon when the player is five spaces away than the radius.

Here's the code:

Code: Select all

---	local within_range = target_dist and target_dist <= (self:getTalentRange(t) + self:getTalentRadius(t))
+++	local add_range = 0
+++	if t.type[1] == "cunning/traps" or t.name == "Mucus" or t.name == "Rampage" then
+++		add_range = 1
+++	elseif t.is_summon or t.name == "Create Minions" then
+++		add_range = 5
+++	end
+++	local within_range = target_dist and target_dist <= (self:getTalentRange(t) + self:getTalentRadius(t) + add_range)

2. Regarding thermal auras and shields etc, I made a simple hack. This could be improved, but it actually works very well as is. I've tested this a lot and mindslayer rares now deactivate their auras straight away.

Code: Select all

local deactivatable_sustains = {}
      deactivatable_sustains["Thermal Aura"] = true
      deactivatable_sustains["Kinetic Aura"] = true
      deactivatable_sustains["Charged Aura"] = true
      deactivatable_sustains["Thermal Shield"] = true
      deactivatable_sustains["Kinetic Shield"] = true
      deactivatable_sustains["Charged Shield"] = true

...

elseif t.mode == "sustained" and not t.no_npc_use and not self:isTalentCoolingDown(t) and self:preUseTalent(t, true, true) then
 	if self:isTalentActive(t.id) and deactivatable_sustains[t.name] then
                  t_avail = true
        elseif not self:isTalentActive(t.id) then
               	  t_avail = true			   	
	end
end

3. Regarding talents that don't require a target, have no range, and yet you want to be activated, mostly things like Barrier, Nature's Pride, Rapid Shot, Unstoppable, etc, again, I've made a simple hack that works, though it is not very elegant:

Code: Select all

local non_target_talents = {}
      		non_target_talents["Infusion: Regeneration"] = true
            	non_target_talents["Infusion: Wild"] = true
      		non_target_talents["Infusion: Movement"] = true
      		non_target_talents["Infusion: Heroism"] = true
      	      	non_target_talents["Rune: Shielding"] = true
      		non_target_talents["Rune: Reflection Shield"] = true
      		non_target_talents["Rune: Invisibility"] = true
      		non_target_talents["Rune: Speed"] = true
      		non_target_talents["Rune: Manasurge"] = true
      		non_target_talents["Rune of the Rift"] = true
		non_target_talents["Sudden Growth"] = true
		non_target_talents["Barrier"] = true
		non_target_talents["Providence"] = true 
		non_target_talents["Resilience of the Dwarves"] = true 
		non_target_talents["Gift of the Highborn"] = true
		non_target_talents["Grace of the Eternals"] = true
		non_target_talents["Timeless"] = true
		non_target_talents["Wrath of the Woods"] = true
		non_target_talents["Nature's Pride"] = true
		non_target_talents["Luck of the Little Folk"] = true
		non_target_talents["Indomitable"] = true
		non_target_talents["Rapid Shot"] = true
		non_target_talents["Aim"] = true
		non_target_talents["Unstoppable"] = true

...

	if t.is_heal or t.is_teleport or non_target_talents[t.name] then
          	within_range = true
		print("Talent doesn't care for range:", t.name, tid)
	end

4. Sometimes defend is a good option, but there is no attack talent available. the current code, lukep's as well, requires an attack for defend to work. So I've tried this, and it works (though rarely is it required). The current code also doesn't account for cases where more than two defend options are available, so I've added a sort:

Code: Select all

---		if avail.defend and need_heal and nb_foes_seen > 0 then
---			want.defend = 1 + need_heal / 2 + nb_foes_seen * 0.5
+++		if avail.defend and nb_foes_seen > 0 then
+++			table.sort(avail.defend, function(a,b) return a.val > b.val end)
+++			want.defend = 1 + (need_heal / 2 or 0) + nb_foes_seen * 0.5
		end

5. Same issue for buffs:

Code: Select all

--		if avail.buff and want.attack and want.attack > 0 then
--			want.buff = math.max(0.01, want.attack + 0.5)
+++    if avail.buff then
+++			if want.attack and want.attack > 0 then
+++				want.buff = math.max(0.01, want.attack + 0.5)
+++			else
+++				table.sort(avail.buff, function(a,b) return a.val > b.val end)
+++				want.buff = avail.buff[1].val
+++			end
		end

So I 'm hoping these ideas might be added to lukep's addon, or better, that lukep's addon gets into 1.0.5 and perhaps my ideas as well.

I agree with lukep that one of the biggest drawbacks of the tactical ai now, is that it treats each talent separately. But many talents have 2 or more tactics. And these are often the best talents of all. But the ai processes them per tactic and doesn't have any way of adding them together.

And this line actually makes it worse, as it adds in artificially the attack value. This makes no sense to me:

Code: Select all

want.disable = (want.attack or 0) + avail.disable[1].val

nerfed by lukep for a slight improvement to:

Code: Select all

want.disable = (want.attack or 0)/2 + avail.disable[1].val

And the final thing that makes no sense is that instant cast talents are given a huge boost in the initial calculations for talent weighting:

Code: Select all

-- Save the tactic, if the talent is instant it gets a huge bonus
-- Note the addition of a less than one random value, this means the sorting will randomly shift equal values
val = ((t.no_energy==true) and val * 10 or val) + rng.float(0, 0.9)

yet this val is not used in most of the calculations, rendering the instant cast bonus useless !!??

e.g.

Code: Select all

want.defend = 1 + need_heal / 2 + nb_foes_seen * 0.5
want.cure = 3 + nb_detrimental_effs
want.buff = math.max(0.01, want.attack + 0.5)

So I think this should be fixed. Often instant use talents are not used !

[jenx]

I've discovered a nice unintended consequence of improving tactical ai, so that kinetic shields and auras can be deactivated:

Yeek Wayist deactivates his kinetic shield, giving him a ~320 shield, making him tougher for subject z to kill

[Atarlost]

I've discovered a nice unintended consequence of improving tactical ai, so that kinetic shields and auras can be deactivated:

Yeek Wayist deactivates his kinetic shield, giving him a ~320 shield, making him tougher for subject z to kill

That would be nice. He seems to be impossible for many classes to save simply because getting into position to kill Z without friendly fire can take longer than he has to live. Like wyrmics, who need to get off to the side to start using breaths without hitting him.

[jenx]

I've discovered a nice unintended consequence of improving tactical ai, so that kinetic shields and auras can be deactivated:

Yeek Wayist deactivates his kinetic shield, giving him a ~320 shield, making him tougher for subject z to kill

That would be nice. He seems to be impossible for many classes to save simply because getting into position to kill Z without friendly fire can take longer than he has to live. Like wyrmics, who need to get off to the side to start using breaths without hitting him.

I'm still play-testing the addon, so it won't be ready for a while yet. It is much tougher

[Zireael]

I think I'll be grabbing this addon when I get back to playing ToME itself instead of modding.

[jenx]

Wow - just used new tactical ai with inner demons on a boss. Guess what? 6 or so inner demons using my new improved tactial ai = obliteration of enemies :0

[jenx]

With the release of my new better tactical ai addon (http://forums.te4.org/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=38820), most the issues in this thread have been addressed. Enjoy!