Hearts of Iron IV - Development Diary 54 - AI

[Qatlas]

It has been known to happen, but typically it is due to the AI taking advantage of situations that happen to occur. Give it an opening and the AI will use it.
Specific unit movements will unfortunately not be moddable, but I am continuously thinking about how I can improve on things like this to make the AI more effecient.

Maybe my question and sugestion is too late, but, can AI make battleplan according to composition of the divisions and use it correctly?
If the Army for example has armored division, infantry and mountain infantry division can AI set priorities on which terrain should go with which division. So Armoured Division has a high priority in the plains and less forest and at least a mountain. Mountain Division has a high priority in the mountain and hills and less on the plains and so on. Thus AI could apply an be successful in using blitzkrieg and spearhead strategy somewhere!!
I would be very pleased if it is implemented in the game!

Very good job for all the rest

 

[blackninja9939]

So below is a small piece of code I wrote as part of my technology script, and this doesn't even get into iterating through containers holding variable data. We are not in the same ball park here...

*snip

I am not saying that normal coding languages are worse, I am simply saying that the paradox coding language is nowhere near as bad as you made it out to be

 

[adil3tr]

Please tell me that there will be an option to turn off AI control and controlling your units manually without losing any bonuses that come from planning.

I think you can just micromanage the plan when its executed until the bonus runs out, and then not make any lines/dissolve groups.

 

[HeilLoki]

I think you can just micromanage the plan when its executed until the bonus runs out, and then not make any lines/dissolve groups.

Yeah, that's a good idea. Still not fond of babysitting my units (stop them from doing something stupid) until then.

 

[Caesar15]

So can we not cooperate with the AI as a player?

 

[PlayerHOI]

Some great features here, the AI in HOI3 was very restricting and I banged my head a lot against the wall trying to find out why it does something other than what I want it to. This will help a lot, great job guys!

 

[joeenochs]

Hi Steelvolt,
thank you for the interesting and informative dev diary.
1. One question: Given that imho there can be no such thing as a too strong AI, why not somewhat resort on cheating to let the AI peek what the player is building or where his units are going (beyond the intel level)? Within some reasonable limits it will probably feel much more fair and fun than having to resort on the higher difficulty level with insane production bonuses for the AI or having to take on the US as Albania to get a challenge.
See also this very informative talk on game AI from the father of the CIV4 AI:

(minute 22+ is specifically on AI cheating and 49+ a question specifically on intelligence cheating)
2. It is a bit disappointing that the AI will not on its own try to create any kind of breakthrough with its tank and motorized units. When the AI feels comfortable to hold the line with its infantry units, maybe it could use the battleplan system to try to create a breakthrough with its fast units? Yes, it could be exploited by the human perhaps but so could he try to exploit the current system by offering weaker points in the front and then counter attack (something an actual WWII general could have done).

 

[Frosted Vert]

@SteelVolt can you think of any AI behavior during WWW you've seen and made changes to? I know the builds are always in progress, but I'd like to glimpse behind the curtain!

 

[ruzen]

Its official SteelVolt has become my favorite dev now.

 

[Sharp163]

The dynamic AI systems does not cheat.

THANK YOU SO MUCH

 

[Jolt]

@SteelVolt

But how does the AI pick focuses? This can either be strictly scripted on a per country basis and activated by playing the game in 'historical focus mode'. While it is fully moddable a historical setup for this is included. When that mode is NOT active, the AI picks foci using a combination of scripted weights and dynamic underlying systems that look at the situation of the country.

Suggestion: Make another "Fully Dynamic" mode where there are no scripted weights and the AI and every AI has the same chance to pick different focuses.

    # Modification if strategy is enabled
    ai_strategy = {
        type = antagonize
        id = "AUS"         
        value = 300
    }     
}

What does "antagonize" makes the AI do, exactly?

View attachment 173986

Who is SPR and shouldn't Germany also be trying to befriend Hungary?

 

[Bryartuck]

@SteelVolt
Who is SPR and shouldn't Germany also be trying to befriend Hungary?

Republican Spain

 

[GoguRomania]

Wiz went on to other projects, (...)

Yes, Victoria 3

 

[Bhaal]

Great DD, so happy to hear the AI no longer cheats or has nofog!

 

[Bap]

Given that imho there can be no such thing as a too strong AI, why not somewhat resort on cheating to let the AI peek what the player is building or where his units are going (beyond the intel level)?

I second this. It is the kind of cheating I wouldn`t mind the AI doing at all, having a bit more intelligence over the battlefield, no need to make the job even harder for the AI in a area where it always loses to a human player. Anyway the human player can easily figure out the AI force disposition...
Also, would you consider having the AI always keep a unit garrisoning its capital at all times - and the capitals of countries it`s trying to conquer? The behaviour we saw in the last WWW where Berlin is taken because it`s not defended could be very frustrating.
Cheers.

 

[Axe99]

Thanks everyone for a fine day! Great questions and reactions, and hope you all enjoy the game at release (if, of course, you chose to get it.)

The time at PDX is beer-o-clock now, so I am off for the weekend

Thank you very much for the DD and all of the extra info - have enjoyed reading all of it, and appreciated the time you've taken to share info with us . Hope you had a very well-deserved beer or three, best of luck with the work between now and release and very much looking forward to locking horns with your AI in a dash over a months' time .

 

[Beagá]

What does "antagonize" makes the AI do, exactly?

Who is SPR and shouldn't Germany also be trying to befriend Hungary?

Spanish Republic tag most likely. Weird if civil war happened.

Antagonize is probably the same as its EU4 counterpart - want to annex, take land or vassalize.

 

[Truth]

This makes me feel a little better about the macro-AI, but what about the micro?

It never seems to react to Daniel's micro. It doesn't come to meet his units that just shifted to a new position, or counter a heavy push, or do its own flanking to force Daniel to have to shift his own units around. I don't think I've ever seen the AI surround his units, either, even when he's totally ignoring them like in his Germany WWW.

 

[Septimius]

I suppose this question has already been asked, but...

Does the AI like counters more than sprites?



lol. I am looking forward to the game.

 

[BurdenedWarrior]

Sweet looking great!! really looking forward to getting my hands on it