Knights and Merchants.net Forum

I have one question and one idea. I am not up to date how the AI Exactly works in the newest nightly, but I´m watching right now a game from disco vs 7 ai players nvm.

My question and Idea: In games like for example Counter Strike GO you have 2 teams with each 5 players. If one player has a disconnect, the AI is controlling his character up to the point, the human player is coming back /reconnecting.

Now watchting these nice AI citis in KaM How about sth similar for KaM:

You plave 4vs4. A player disconnects from a game. Let´s say you don´t play with teamspeak guys but with randoms. SO mostly he won´t come back. Ok since the newest version you can easily let a random player download the save and load the game. HOWEVER what about an extra function. If you don´t like to go back to lobby and wait for another random(Maybe he will leave also) (AND some players don´t like to finish games from someone else, because he can´t handle the city), you could just continue playing and the AI would continue playing for the human player?
Then there should be only another option to let human players let AI Players replace again I see there is no way, that I can take the control over an AI City right now, right?



So just some random ideas. Would like to see some comments on that.


Pawel

It sounds like a good idea in principle, so players quitting doesn't completely ruin the game for everyone else (AI is better than nothing).

AI taking over from human players that quit wouldn't be hard to implement, and the standalone AI will cope fine with a partially built village. However the host needs to make that decision, since sometimes the player might have lost connection to the server, and plans to rejoin. In that case they won't want the AI ruining their village

I guess if the host clicks the "drop" button then we could replace them with AIs at that point. That way you have a chance to replace them (click return to lobby while the "waiting for players" screen is shown), but if you decide to drop them they get replaced with an AI.

Can anyone think of any problems with that? We should probably make it clear they have been replaced with an AI otherwise people will get confused as to why they are still building stuff So the message for dropping a player could be changed to "Lewin was dropped from the game by the host and will be replaced by an AI". And when quitting: "Lewin has quit the game and will be replaced by an AI".

One problem, if the player's team has almost lost and they quit before the "defeated" message appears then the player will be controlled by an AI. Does that matter?

Hmm i think best solution will be when u add AI only in lobby:
-someone quits or t/o drop
-host returns to lobby
-players consider what to do ( friend will join or just add ai until friend come - depends on the players what they want )
- return to game
it will solve that problem: I think its pointless to add instant AI after someones drop/quit, coz u can easily return to lobby, its just a few secs to add new player(AI). ( i ddint test new AI so i can be wrong, just some thoughts )

Yes, returning to the lobby to replace players who leave with AIs is neater. Currently we don't allow replacing humans with AIs in saves but that's easy to change. However, at the moment once the game starts, AI players no longer show up in the lobby (they're included with the save automatically), so you couldn't replace an AI from a save with a human (I guess that's okay).

Yeah im think the same its okay its only useful when your friend will join after 1 hour then he just jump in AI spot, but its 1/million situation

Maybe something like if u are with a team mate and he loses u can destroy hes buildings for more building space( change building side to neutral)
By the way is good idea to replace a droped player by A.I

Four ideas: Rumors, Bastions, Training Camp and Vanguards.

Rumors: simply add a "did you know?" line to the Inn's interface, that changes every time you select a Inn... something to add flavour and/or to let new players know some of the aspects of the game, like "A shield won't do any good to thee against a good Crossbow", or "Some peasants say that fish in the rivers can be eaten... amazing", or "stone is heavier than arrows, let's take some to a tower and throw it at the enemy!".

Bastions: harmless units with no attack, that die in 1 hit from any melee unit, but are nigh invulnerable to arrows, resistant to bolts, can take up to three stones from a tower before being killed and will intercept (and be hit by) any arrow/bolt/stone (fired by the enemy) that happens to be traveling through the same square the Bastion is in (only those fired against people: buildings are too tall to be protected this way).
Their special equipment could be produced in the Siege Workshop and operated by somebody (a Recruit that goes there when the equipment is ready, akin to a newly built Tower? Another specialized citizen?).

Training camp: a building (maybe the Town Hall's recycled sprite?) where unused specialized citizens (everybody except serfs, laborers, and recruits) go instead of idling around.
When there, they can be selected similarly to the wares in the Market and can be trained to become Recruits.

Also, instead of a civilian you can select food: if you do, the Training Camp trains Recruits from Food (better: trains them instead of hiring them with Gold like the School does); it takes longer than hiring them in the School and you also have to wait for some Food to be delivered (similarly to how the Market works), thus if you have the Gold and Coal to spare it's still better to just hire them.
Of course, the Food cost should be lower than the corresponding cost of Gold in the Market...
(I know, I know, I shouldn't be recycling older ideas )

Vanguards: harmless units that can be controlled like soldiers but are extremely frail, have no attack, can be hired at the School and can be ordered around during Peacetime.
In order to limit them to the exploration of your Town's surroundings, their Hunger bar drains very fast whenever they move.
A button where normally the Storm Attack button is located lets the player convert them into Serfs with the same Hunger level.

What do you think?

I kinda like the Rumors and the Bastion, but maybe rumors that aren't so obvious would be better Although Bastions could be abused by creating a wall of them for your archers and make tradeoffs against enemy ranged troops. Maybe a number restriction would do it.

As for the training camp, ideas similar to this were proposed already. Sounds viable, though.

But I don't like the Vanguards. I mean, what purpose does a vanguard serve without being able to attack? Also they'd need new sprites (btw this applies to Bastions too).

What about using Rogues instead? Weak ranged defence against rushes, can explore nearby resources, pathetically worthless as an offensive force thanks to the fast draining Hunger meter when moving, would solve the problem of needing a new sprite...

I like that Rumors idea . I think it may fit in lobby even? Like there's a random "did you know" every time you open a lobby.

I don't really like other ideas...

I agree with Tiank. I personally don´t like it in the inn window. You may watched out this idea from the great game Heroes III, because there it´s this way but the inn there is way different made, I don´t think I would like to have a text(box) when clicking on the inn.

Rather I would like it in the lobby or at the loadingscreen like at most games (However in KaM the loading time is very short, so that won´t fit probably )

MapEd show elevation. to hide it

Hi

I've had a little 'confusion' since I started playing the original KaM, like 7 years ago. It's that why does only the militia/axemen/swordsman/barbarian gets to charge?
I don't know if this sounds stupid, but at least the pikemen/lancecarriers/rebels should get a little charge system.
Do not imagine it as 'effective' as the footsmen's charge. I thought about as a 'defensive stance', like then run about 1-2 meters then stop and push their spears forward, like when attacking... It should very effective 'rushing' scouts/vagabonds/knights, but against other troops just normal damage.

But in this logic not just consider the spearmen's rush, but also the horsemen should get a charge.
It should be like the footsmen's, but it gives an extra tackling damage because of the horse...

I don't know if it makes any sense, but I think it's a pretty neat idea....
Hope you discuss it...

No it means extra graphic and stuff it would ruin KaM Big NO

It's an interesting idea Mahfaeraak, but as Michal said, it's too much work. It would need new sprites for Lance Carriers/Pikemen running and defending like that, also it would change the gameplay.

Mounted units don't need any extra charge, they are powerful as they are now .