StarCrack AI Official Thread (Latest Version: 7.0 )

[godspiral]

http://i43.tinypic.com/55ghds.jpg

I hope you also consider reacting to expansions and sneakiness, and a proactive flow loop where you resort to some canned bags of tricks/sneakiness (drops, dt, nydus, prism, reaver harass) that aren't always part of build, but trigger semi randomly.

The reactive system seems like a strong alternative to the AI not sending wave after wave when it is getting raped on each wave, though I think casual players like facing waves. 6.1, I think is pretty good at understanding that it is losing, and not sending another wave if it is.

6.1 does a good job with core army makeup and progression, but it could significantly increase challenge by forcing the player to multitask more with sneaky play.  Even if the P AI knows it can win by mass carriers after it is ahead, it would be more fun for the player to try a special/sneak wave on them, at least some of the time.

Improvements that I would prioritize ahead of a reactive system, and ahead of some of my suggestions above are:

*use more varied units (sentry, infestor, warp gate, ghost, roach burrow and reaver cliff harrass) - though I understand that some of these units micro abilities (probably reavers hardest) are very hard to implement, some like guardian shield are easy, and emp or infestor abilities are not any harder than storm.
*more variations on canned opening strategy and progression.  There are other valid openings than 3 gate for protoss, even if that is the one the AI would choose more often.  I know people complain if the AI doesn't make the strongest possible choice, but variety is long term strength, and more fun, and more useful practice.
* Active income analysis:  The AI currently puts about 30 workers on 9 mineral patches, when the gains from having more than 18 are minimal.  If it actively monitored the income it was getting from additional workers, it would dynamicly react to any cheating handicap it receives.  More importantly it can calculate how many production buildings it needs to keep queues full, and build more production buildings if it has the income, or consider expansion if doesn't or dynamicly build farms based on income/production levels.
* little things like queens at the right expansions, spamming chrono boost (even without worrying about being smart about it), creep tumors and so on would also boost strength more than I imagine a reactive flow system would.

(though reactive flow sounds like it has great potential for dealing with wall ins, or the AI deciding to turtle in itself, most of that could be 8.0 ideas )


btw, even a small 10-15% cheating mineral boost makes the AI very rush resistant.  PvT on metalopolis is pretty hard for standard early P play.

[protosss]

Hello,

I registered to the forum just to give some feedback to the devs of this ai.

I used starcraft 2 beta launcher v 0.21 with starcrack 6.1.1 standard

The first impression is similar to the ones already stated, the ai develops up to some point in game and remains there.

I played a 50k minerals map (protoss vs zerg) and the ai posed some difficulty early in the game harassing me with repeated attacks until i fought back destroying one of its expansion bases.

After that, it went almost stalling with occasional poorly constructed attacks.

I realize this is not the sc1 ai and it should not mimic it but this one lacks some fundamental features the sc1 ai had.

Like:

- Attempt to perform drops
- Search for weak spots in defenses and exploit them
- Use abilities, not just brute force

What i noticed at this ai is that:

- It will consume resources with the same attack tactic even if it proves inefficient
- It does not take into account on the unit types, it kept coming at me with air only units even if i didn't have any air units to attack
- Destroyed expansion bases are not rebuilt
- It does not adapt to the available resources, it will use almost the same amount of resources even if there are plenty resources to develop.
- It does not adapt to the force it encounters. If i create a large opposing force the ai comes with the same combination and number of units.
- Does not take countermeasures if its base is breached. It will not relocate or abandon its base. It will not create units to defend itself.
- It does not upgrade, i presume that the repeated useless attacks consume its resources.

I hope that the provided feedback will be used to improve this ai since i feel it has great potential.

[AcidraiN]

I had previously downloaded the cheating AI version.. then I downloaded the standard and overwrote the files within the s2 beta folder.  Why am I still randomly playing some cheating AI version?

[Vernam7]

on more tnx from me

[holyman2k]

i've played a few games, and notice that both cheat and standard AI build a med size army then start attacking.  they don't grow their army pass a certain size.  it feels like once they got to a med size army they stop using any resources.


when their main army attacks, they don't tend to send any reinforces.


other then that, the ai looked very good. cheating ai is challenging, you pretty much need to block of a choke point to buy you time.


good job guys, can't wait the next release

[Versago]

My one base Battlecruiser build beats the AI every time still.

[ilikeyolk]

wait, i downloaded the attachment, but what do i do now?
i have sc2 beta, lazy launcher, the bypass, i can watch replays, and i can play AI but the AI i played were SOOO easy: as in they make like 4 units and that's it
so what do i do now?

[Gamewiz]

wait, i downloaded the attachment, but what do i do now?
i have sc2 beta, lazy launcher, the bypass, i can watch replays, and i can play AI but the AI i played were SOOO easy: as in they make like 4 units and that's it
so what do i do now?

Did you download this AI and put it in the right place? Are you using any other launcher aside from lazy launcher 2.0?

[AcidraiN]

for those of you that think AI is too easy... i know why.. you are using the wrong program to run it.. get the sc2allin1 launcher rather than the other launcher programs.. this can be found here http://darkblizz.org/Forum2/sc2-tools/starcraft-2-beta-best-allin1-crack-(offline-mode)/  get this instead of any other u use

[jpargami]

Hi,

I noticed two small problems :
- vs Carriers, AI Marines shoot the Interceptors instead of the Carrier itself
- sometimes, the AI doesn't finish off my base when it managed to destroy my entire army, leaving me the time to rebuild everything. (er, yes, I lost... several times )


@ilikeyolk :
I think you're still facing the default AI, instead of the Starcrack one.
If you use SC2 beta launcher, are you sure you set the right difficulty folder ? Because with the Starcrack AI, it sends waves of ennemies.

And as a reminder, here are the first two steps of the readme for Starcrack AI 6:

1 - Unpack into StarCraft II Beta folder
2 - Let it overwrite

[Gamewiz]

for those of you that think AI is too easy... i know why.. you are using the wrong program to run it.. get the sc2allin1 launcher rather than the other launcher programs.. this can be found here http://darkblizz.org/Forum2/sc2-tools/starcraft-2-beta-best-allin1-crack-(offline-mode)/  get this instead of any other u use

That has *nothing* to do with how the AI runs. They are launchers, nothing more. They do not alter the AI in any way, shape, or form.

[AcidraiN]

for those of you that think AI is too easy... i know why.. you are using the wrong program to run it.. get the sc2allin1 launcher rather than the other launcher programs.. this can be found here http://darkblizz.org/Forum2/sc2-tools/starcraft-2-beta-best-allin1-crack-(offline-mode)/  get this instead of any other u use

That has *nothing* to do with how the AI runs. They are launchers, nothing more. They do not alter the AI in any way, shape, or form.

well it does if you haven't changed the folders and such in the other launchers.. downloading this has the setup so you can select the difficulty of the opponent... so yeah it helped fix my problem

[gravis25]

for those of you that think AI is too easy... i know why.. you are using the wrong program to run it.. get the sc2allin1 launcher rather than the other launcher programs.. this can be found here http://darkblizz.org/Forum2/sc2-tools/starcraft-2-beta-best-allin1-crack-(offline-mode)/  get this instead of any other u use

That has *nothing* to do with how the AI runs. They are launchers, nothing more. They do not alter the AI in any way, shape, or form.

I couldn't get my 6.1.1 AI to work untill I used that launcher. you are right they don't alter the AI in any way, but it automatically puts the AI folders were they are supposed to go, and for people who don't know were to put them thats a big help.

[claushouse]

Hey, I just wanted to give my take on a great 3x FFA on Lost Temple that I had using 6.1.1 Standard:


I played as Terran vs. 2 Terran and 1 Zerg, the game lasted 46 minutes, with every player staying alive until the last 10 minutes.


Both Terran used drastically different strategies, one stayed with ground units (marines, tanks, marauders, thors) while the other went air, going for BC's early.


The Zerg surprisingly took on the BC building terran while I mostly fought the ground Terran, and the Zerg actually beat the BC's with some varied units and strong air.


Every single expansion was used and the entire map was drained of minerals, all four of us constantly expanded, and constant pressure was levied on everyone throughout the game with squirmishes at our choke points and around the middle of the map.


The whole game felt quite natural and balanced, if I'd bought this game off the shelf and played this AI I wouldn't for one second assume it wasn't part of the real game.


Just wanted to give some positive feedback in lieu of mostly receiving constructive critism (albeit criticism nonetheless) and thank everyone working on the AI for the great job.


I thought the match wasn't too easy or difficult, and a great accomplishment in balance.


The only caveat is the island expansions were rather uncontested; I built 2 CC's early and flew them in; the ground terran sent about 3 or 4 Vikings at one of them, but one at a time and never hit land with my plethora or missile turrets. I think the ground AI tried to send a huge wave of guys to one of them, getting stuck on the ledge of the high-yield mineral expansion unable to reach the island.


To Turd and anyone else working on this, Keep up the great work!

[paco]

Cheating version hell of a lot more interesting. Just did a match with Zerg and the only reason I won is because the AI doesnt pushed the corner expansions hard enough (it had 2-3 drop attempts). I was doing hydras and took a toss out with hydra drop easily but in the meantime the other made fuckloads of units, I bet it pushed out to the limit. Colossus, immortals, zeas, not that many sentinels tho.
Even by moving back 50 hydras to my main base and pumpin units from 4 hatch I couldnt stop it so I moved out to the corner exps and started doing mutas and started taking out part of the AI base, one piece at the time.
Since it never left the army at one place but moved it back and forth it got pwned. At the end I had like 60 mutas.



One more thing about how blizzard cant come up with anything original. Colossus = copy of darkwalker (UT3)...