Fheroes2 Computer AI Cowardice Strong Army Afraid Of Scout

Hey guys, have you ever seen a computer opponent in a strategy game act super weird, like a total scaredy-cat, even when they have the upper hand? Well, I just had a hilarious and frustrating experience in fheroes2 that I had to share. It seems the AI sometimes makes some seriously questionable decisions, and I'm here to break it down.

The Bizarre Behavior: An Overview

So, the situation is this: I'm playing a game of fheroes2, and I've sent out a scout – just a measly scout with two boars – near the enemy's territory. Now, the computer opponent? They've got three strong heroes hanging around my scout. You'd think it would be an easy mop-up, right? A quick end to my scouting mission? Nope! Instead of crushing my poor little scout, the AI decides to play the ultimate defensive game, sticking close to their castle or wandering off somewhere else entirely. It's like they're terrified of my two boars! Seriously, what's up with that?

I even managed to capture a video of this ridiculousness to show you exactly what I mean. It's one thing to describe it, but seeing it in action is a whole other level of "Wait, what?!" You can find the video link below, so you can witness the AI's baffling behavior for yourself.

A Deep Dive into AI Decision-Making

To truly grasp the issue, let's delve into why this kind of behavior is problematic and explore potential solutions. We'll break it down into key areas:

• Understanding the Core Problem: The fundamental issue here is that the AI isn't recognizing an obvious tactical advantage. It has the strength to eliminate a weak unit, preventing potential scouting information from reaching the player, yet it chooses inaction. This suggests a flaw in the AI's threat assessment and decision-making algorithms.
• Analyzing the AI's Priorities: What factors might be influencing the AI's strange choice? Is it overly focused on defending its castle, even against a negligible threat? Is it miscalculating the combat strength of the scout, somehow overestimating the danger posed by two boars? Understanding these priorities is crucial for pinpointing the root cause of the problem.
• Exploring Potential Solutions: There are several ways the AI's behavior could be improved. One approach might involve adjusting the AI's threat assessment algorithms to more accurately evaluate the danger posed by enemy units. Another could be to implement a more aggressive stance when dealing with weak scouts near the AI's territory. We'll explore these options and more in the following sections.

The Specific Scenario: A Comedy of Errors

Let's break down the specifics of this crazy situation. My scout, armed with just two boars (yes, you read that right, two whole boars!), was poking around near the computer's castle. The computer, meanwhile, had a small army of three powerful heroes patrolling the area. Any sane commander would immediately order those heroes to squash my puny scout like a bug. But not this AI! Oh no, it decided that the best course of action was to either cower behind its castle walls or wander aimlessly around the map. It was like watching a heavyweight boxer run away from a kitten.

It's moments like these that make you question the AI's programming. What thought process (or lack thereof) led to this decision? Was it an oversight in the code? A bizarre quirk in the AI's personality matrix? Or maybe the AI just had a really bad day. Whatever the reason, it resulted in a pretty hilarious, albeit frustrating, situation.

Why This Matters

You might be thinking, "Okay, so the AI made a silly mistake. What's the big deal?" Well, here's why this kind of behavior is actually a significant issue. In a strategy game, every decision matters. Even seemingly small mistakes can have a ripple effect, impacting the entire course of the game. In this case, the AI's refusal to deal with my scout could have several negative consequences:

• Information Advantage: By allowing my scout to roam freely, the AI gave me valuable information about its territory, resources, and troop movements. This knowledge could be used to plan my attacks and defenses more effectively, giving me a distinct advantage.
• Strategic Initiative: The AI's passivity allowed me to dictate the tempo of the game. I could harass its territory, scout its defenses, and generally make life difficult without facing any real resistance. This put the AI on the defensive and limited its options.
• Loss of Momentum: In strategy games, momentum is key. By failing to seize an easy opportunity to eliminate a threat, the AI lost momentum and allowed me to gain the upper hand. This can be especially crucial in the early game, where small advantages can snowball into larger ones.

The Video Evidence: Seeing is Believing

As I mentioned earlier, I managed to capture a video of this whole escapade, and you seriously need to see it to believe it. It's one thing to read about the AI's bizarre behavior, but it's another thing entirely to witness it firsthand. The video clearly shows the AI's heroes ignoring my scout, even though they could easily wipe it out. It's a truly baffling display of artificial… well, not intelligence, that's for sure.

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f5966f84-c195-43e8-b639-c136eb6b9e81

Go ahead and check it out! You'll see exactly what I'm talking about. It's a real head-scratcher, and it perfectly illustrates the issue we're discussing.

A Possible Solution: Making the AI Less Cowardly

So, what can be done to fix this issue? How can we make the AI less cowardly and more strategically sound? Well, there are a few potential solutions we could explore. The core of the issue seems to be the AI's threat assessment. It's clearly not accurately evaluating the danger posed by my scout. It's overvaluing the safety of its castle and undervaluing the importance of eliminating a potential source of information for the enemy.

Here are a few ideas for how we might improve the AI's decision-making:

1. Adjust Threat Assessment Algorithms: The most obvious solution is to tweak the AI's algorithms for assessing threats. This could involve giving more weight to the potential value of eliminating enemy scouts and less weight to the risk of venturing outside the castle walls. The AI needs to understand that a scout, even one with only two boars, can be a significant threat if left unchecked.
2. Implement Aggressive Scout-Hunting Behavior: Another approach could be to program the AI to be more aggressive in hunting down enemy scouts. This could involve setting a higher priority for intercepting scouts near the AI's territory or assigning specific heroes to scout-killing duty. The goal is to ensure that scouts don't have free reign to roam around the map.
3. Consider Unit Composition: The AI might also benefit from taking unit composition into account when making decisions. In this case, the AI had three heroes, any of whom could have easily defeated my scout. The AI should be able to recognize when it has a clear advantage in a particular engagement and act accordingly.
4. Dynamic Risk Assessment: The AI's risk assessment should be dynamic and adapt to the situation. If the AI has a significant advantage, it should be more willing to take risks to eliminate threats. If it's in a more vulnerable position, it might be more cautious. The key is to strike a balance between aggression and defensiveness.

Diving Deeper into the Technical Aspects

To get a bit more technical, let's consider how these solutions might be implemented in the game's code. The AI's decision-making process likely involves a complex set of calculations that take into account various factors, such as unit strength, distance, terrain, and strategic objectives. Adjusting these calculations could have a significant impact on the AI's behavior. For example, we might increase the weight assigned to the "scout threat" factor in the AI's threat assessment equation. This would make the AI more likely to target enemy scouts, even if they seem weak.

We could also introduce new rules or behaviors specifically designed to address this issue. For instance, we could add a rule that instructs the AI to prioritize attacking scouts near its territory, regardless of other considerations. This would ensure that scouts are dealt with quickly and efficiently.

It's important to note that any changes to the AI's decision-making process need to be carefully tested to ensure that they don't have unintended consequences. We don't want to make the AI too aggressive or cause it to neglect other important tasks. The goal is to find a balance that makes the AI challenging and strategic, without being overly cautious or cowardly.

Additional Information: Version and Save File

For those of you who are interested in digging deeper into this issue, here's some additional information. I was playing version 1.1.10 of fheroes2 when this happened. I've also included a save file that you can use to recreate the scenario and see the AI's behavior for yourself. You can find the save file here:

not attacking.zip

This should give you everything you need to investigate the issue and potentially come up with your own solutions. If you're a coder or a game developer, I encourage you to take a look and see what you can find. Your insights could be invaluable in helping to improve the AI in fheroes2.

Conclusion: A Call for Smarter AI

So, there you have it: a tale of a cowardly computer AI, a lone scout with two boars, and a whole lot of head-scratching. This experience highlights the importance of intelligent AI in strategy games. An AI that makes bizarre decisions can undermine the entire gameplay experience and make the game feel unfair or unrealistic. While fheroes2 is a fantastic game, this incident shows that there's always room for improvement.

I hope this discussion has been informative and entertaining. It's always fascinating to delve into the inner workings of AI and try to understand why it behaves the way it does. If you've had similar experiences with AI in strategy games, I'd love to hear about them in the comments below. Let's keep the conversation going and help make our games even better!

Ultimately, the goal is to create AI opponents that are both challenging and believable. We want AIs that can make smart decisions, adapt to changing circumstances, and provide a satisfying gameplay experience. By identifying and addressing issues like the one I've described, we can move closer to that goal. So, let's keep pushing the boundaries of AI and see what we can achieve!