Does Apocalypse Have A Learning Ai?

[Cheshire]

1) According to the Wikipedia entry, X-Com Apocalypse supposedly has a learning AI, and, according to the "developer's homepage", you can actually trade tactics files to get an AI that has learned to play differently.

 

a) This can't be right. Can it?

 

Anyone know what homepage they're talking about?

 

2) The Wiki entry is a little slim. Anyone want to collaborate to include a strategy guide?

[[Blehm 98]]

Well, from what i can tell, the AI is adapting somewhat to my strategies, but that is probably due to the new cloaking devices. Maybe the difference is more obvious on turn based mode though, in RT i just shoot everything that moves and isn't yellow or in a suit

[Jonaleth Irenicus]

NONONONONONONO.

 

Impossible. Unthinkable. A LOT OF games claimed they had learning AI back then, but none of them had it. The games LOOKED like they had learning AI, because of progressive improvements to the computer (ie: when you are doing good, the game secretly increases the difficulty without you knowing). This gave the false impression that the game got better in time (in fact, the computer started cheating more in time).

 

The initial learning AI was not until Quake 3 I think, and even then the AI can only learn REALLY mundane things, like waiting for armor to show up and pick it up, etc... Learning AI on tactical mission on X-Com? Don't think so.

[[NKF]]

I can attest to that. I've been playing Apocalypse for years - and frankly, the aliens are just as stupid as ever and use the same tactics over and over again.

 

The only difference is the level of technology that appears and what aliens appear - this is all score based. Do good - meet better technology. Do horribly bad -- so bad that you lose several K's in a week -- the new technology you just came across will be 'forgotten' from the end of the week until you can bring your score back up to re-enable it.

 

No, it doesn't learn - it's just a function state machine.

 

- NKF

Edited July 8, 2005 by NKF

[Selmak]

I have to agree. If there was a learning AI, Cult of Sirius would have learned pretty quickly to use the escape points to get the heck out

[[Blehm 98]]

hmmm, so we all agree that it doesn't have a learning AI, just a progressive improvement in difficulty

[Jonaleth Irenicus]

And of course the all too famous cheat used since UFO: coputer units can see further than your men (this is true even for APOC unfortunately). If the computer could capitilise on this...

[[NKF]]

No, actually aliens in UFO and TFTD could see exactly as far as you can. However, that's only true in full daylight. In darker settings, they don't suffer from the reduced range caused by the light levels.

 

I think in Apocalypse, seeing as there's no lighting effects, the aliens do get a minor boost in visual range. But again, if you think you know where the aliens are (well beyond your visual range) or if you know where the shots are coming from - the shift key is your friend.

 

- NKF

[[Blehm 98]]

shift? Why shift

Well, one of the worst AI cheats is especially prevalent in RTS games. The cheat where the AI can see the entire map automatically, Red alert 2(not the expansion) had this problem, where the computer could just sit back and attack you from the first minute of the game when you don't even know where its base is. I found that very annoying

[[NKF]]

Shift+click = force attack on location.

 

If you hit anything that you cannot see beyond visual range, it'll become visible and your unit will be able to start attacking it as if it were in visual range .

 

---

 

In peon pumpers like RA2 and Starcraft, the scripted missions aren't so bad as things are paced. But the AI players used in the skirmishes or multiplayer games are horrible. They know exactly where you are and start sending hundreds of units after you once they've got all their facilities built. There are ways to survive and work around it if you can get your defenses up, but it's just not funny.

 

- NKF

[[Blehm 98]]

Yeah, i meant the skirmish modes, those are very horrible AIs they have, not even fun. Yuri's revenge took that away, that game was pretty good skirmish(Deezire mod increased teh Brutal's AI to actually being tough)

edit: ok, to keep things on topic, i have this to say: Wow, i didn't know that, i have always just clicked on the guns and manually fired them for that, and my soldiers never automatically fired on enemies... hmm, thanks

Edited July 10, 2005 by blehm

[Tsereve]

Whenever you suspect that aliens might be hiding somewhere, go auto-fire on it with shift, an autocannon, and IC ammo. Flushes them right out. Smoke works too, aliens don't seem to like being trapped in a cloud of smoke, go figure

 

Back on-topic, I haven't found any signs of learning AI in Apoc either, just better equipment and stuff.

 

Although can anyone confirm an increase in alien stats? Mind Probes never work for me, although Mind Control isn't that hard, wierd.

[Exo2000]

Smoke will cause minor stun damage, I believe, so the aliens try to stay out for that reason.

 

If you don't have a helmet, you will succumb to the stun damage from smoke pretty fast. Goes for aliens, X-troopers and civvies.

 

It's also noticeable on UFO2000. Soldiers that stand in smoke will collapse after a few turns if it hangs around long enough.

[Tsereve]

But aliens don't have helmets, right? Or is their armor biological, so they do?

 

Iirc, Disruptor Shields will negate stun damage of any kind, so even if you're unarmored, if you have shields, smoke won't stun you. Niether will Stun Grapples and grenades, i think.

[Exo2000]

Aliens don't have helmets.

 

I'm not sure if shields will stop actual stun gas, as otherwise there would be practically no way to capture a Personal Shield.

[[Blehm 98]]

I think stun grapples do go through shields

, i can see the shields flaring up to block stun grenade clouds and the aliens panicking as their shields overload without getting hit once

[Exo2000]

And on that note, some of the doodads in the Alien Dimension explode into a toxic gas if you shoot them. Usually the bulbs.

[Tsereve]

*imagines tossing a stun grenade into a crowd of aliens, watching their shields become airtight to block it, and seeing them choke and go unconcious*

 

*snicker* Suckers.

 

I guess Stun Grenades would work then

[Exo2000]

Yeah. For their shields to stop the gas, they'd have to suffocate themselves, practically.