Happy about the countering, that will definitely be one of the keys to bringing the challenge level up. I used to do AI way back in the day, primitive by comparison to what you're doing, and I don't know what's possible and what's impossible, but just some ideas I've had from following this AI and others.
- More dynamic build orders based on opponent's tech choice, unit/base D composition and expansion count.
- Better perception on key control points on maps, specifically the enemies' choke to control the map. Most maps have a level ground choke outside their natural that is a prime spot to control mid game.
- A better job calculating base vulnerability to punish weak expansions or positioning blunders. It would be great if the AI could constantly calculate distance to specific points for both sides' forces, to determine 'safe' times to raid expansions and defend their own. Like, 'My five reapers can get into his 3rd base and take out of the Nexus before his army can make it down'.
- Use base defense, specifically anti-air defense to protect bases from potential harassment dynamically. Like, 'opponent has 8 mutas, so I need to build X turrets in each base so I can freely move around the map still', it's wise to get some base D no matter what come late early game, early mid game as it becomes harder and harder to consolidate your forces and bases obviously, but it's unwise to over-spend on base D that will never be used. This is hard because you obviously can't always be aware of what the human player has, you only get glimpses and if there was a map hack for the AI, it would be so much easier to engineer a deadly AI, so there'd be less conjecture/guessing and just solid reactive play that AI excels at so much.
- More dynamic build orders based on opponent's tech choice, unit/base D composition and expansion count.
- Better perception on key control points on maps, specifically the enemies' choke to control the map. Most maps have a level ground choke outside their natural that is a prime spot to control mid game.
- A better job calculating base vulnerability to punish weak expansions or positioning blunders. It would be great if the AI could constantly calculate distance to specific points for both sides' forces, to determine 'safe' times to raid expansions and defend their own. Like, 'My five reapers can get into his 3rd base and take out of the Nexus before his army can make it down'.
- Use base defense, specifically anti-air defense to protect bases from potential harassment dynamically. Like, 'opponent has 8 mutas, so I need to build X turrets in each base so I can freely move around the map still', it's wise to get some base D no matter what come late early game, early mid game as it becomes harder and harder to consolidate your forces and bases obviously, but it's unwise to over-spend on base D that will never be used. This is hard because you obviously can't always be aware of what the human player has, you only get glimpses and if there was a map hack for the AI, it would be so much easier to engineer a deadly AI, so there'd be less conjecture/guessing and just solid reactive play that AI excels at so much.