StarCrack AI Official Thread (Latest Version: 7.0 )

[Razredge]

WOW, just... WOW.
Great improvement, the AI has finally become a challenge. It's still has some weaknessess... but they've improved a lot.


Great work with this current AI. I guess the next step is Reactive AI... And more offensive/different strategies.
And if the AI workers are being attacked, it should first focus on clearing the threat before trying to send more workers where they are being slaughtered. In fact, it should build more forces in this case, before rebuilding the workers, or else he'll be just wasting time, minerals and workers.

[Xoleq]

i want to say that this is the best version yet and i my opinion just 2 improvements can be made :
1. The computer should make more buildings after he makes expansions. for instance: no expansion 2 rax ; 2 expansions ; 3-4 rax ; 3 expansions 4-5 rax ; and so on this based of course o the strategy he is going for (no point on making rax if you are going tank for ex.)
2. (This i dont think is possible but im going to lay it out there) If the computer scouts and sees me making 2 rax he should go for the counter of rines if he scouts and sees 1 rax and me going for factory he should go for anti machine units and so on... what i meed is he should scout and make the counter-units..

The rest i think is spot on!
KEEP IT UP!! GG!!

[Xoleq]

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.

OH! and that too

[DBke]

Ok, been a lurker since 3.0, so I decided to add some value to this. I noticed when spectating that the Protoss seem to only use Chronoboost on the Nexus, maybe you have them use it on there Gateways or other structures. Also they would use Chronoboost even if there not producing anything. Is there a way to make them use Chronoboost only when producing. Overall great AI, very challenging, keep up the good work!

[cloak123]

Ok, been a lurker since 3.0, so I decided to add some value to this. I noticed when spectating that the Protoss seem to only use Chronoboost on the Nexus, maybe you have them use it on there Gateways or other structures. Also they would use Chronoboost even if there not producing anything. Is there a way to make them use Chronoboost only when producing. Overall great AI, very challenging, keep up the good work!

been reading ai development and it looks like it is possible

[kewickviper]

Very nice release! I think the best improvement for protoss is chrono! They are now ridiculous!
Huge improvement over 6.0, I like the way it reacts to air units! Excited to see how you can implement this into more counters.

Few improvements:

- Units tend to try and kill the scout probes all the way to the enemy base and get killed. This seems to affect zerg more than any other race, im not sure if this is hardcoded or if there is a way to force them back to base if chasing a probe if its getting away.

- Maybe vary the wave numbers a little. At the moment its set to 25 I believe, but this should be more random to keep the enemy guessing. A big part of difficulty in sc2 is pressure, computer players are very good at APM (can go way over 1000 sometimes) so use this to the advantage and maybe send a few smaller waves sometimes to keep up the pressure.

Overall excellent! Looking forward to the improvements in the next version!

[creamsoda]

After playing AI 6.1 (standard), here's what I've seen so far:

-Zerg makes 3 expansions, but will only gather resources from 1 expansion. If you kill the main base and the expansion with gatherers, the zerg will not make anymore drones at all.. They're supposed to be saturated at every base.

-Terran has way too much minerals and gas during mid-game. At one point, it had 5k minerals, and only 150/160 psi.

-Every race are still weak. They don't have any defensive structures. Zerg never makes spine crawlers. Terran never makes bunkers. Protoss makes a few cannons, but only at their mineral field; they need to make cannons at the front of their base.

Overall, it was a bit of an improvement. But still way too easy for any experienced SC1 players.

[omerbenamram]

Thx for the update!
I just got a key for the beta yesterday and i have played with some ppl online and i must say that in some cases the AI is harder because of its ability to micro and macro at the same time very efficiently.
Still when playing PvZ the and trying to defend the choke point with zealots the AI will insist sending its lings to certain death. and then if I push lightly against him he is destroyed.. if he could use banelings he could get an edge on the zealots. However, I saw it built a spire quite early in the game which I can say is a killer online (especially when playing ZvZ) so these are definitely steps in the right direction 
He still gets me sometimes..especially when he plays Protoss or Terran.

Keep up the good work .. its much appreciated!

[ggossage]

Thank you so much! I just registered so I could show my appreciation 

[ultmateq]

One important thing that I didn't see 6.0 do, and that isn't listed in the 6.1 changelog.. Destructibles. The AI doesn't do anything about destructible obstacles. They'll expand with drop ships and overlords to areas that require it, but they won't destroy the rock, and sometimes they're army gets stuck up there.

[NoNic2]

God job on 6.1, AI is best yet by far. I wonder how good official SC2 AI will be ha ha .. One thing I noticed is if you play aggresive and put early presure you win easily but if you play passive and give AI enought time then it can challenge you nicely. Hope your project will continue to be better and better,  if you compare 6.1 to 3.0 amasing is what has been done here.

[limonel25]

Just played a bunch of games, my quick suggestions:

   
• AI should be spending resources better.Seems like they stockpile. Which leads me to...
• Build more army producing buildings. About mid/late game they have 2-3 buildings, which as we know is nothing. When the AI has full worker count at their first expansion, they should gear up to have around 4-5 of their main unit building (ie Gateway). Especially Zerg, mid game (50-70 supply) should be around 4-5 Hatcheries. Late game should be like 8+. If they've got 3+ expansions you need a TON of buildings (8+) as the influx of minerals/gas will start pouring in.
• None of the above can happen unless they build workers. Workers workers workers. In SC2 it seems like you don't need to expand quite as much (by a slight amount), but you've got to keep your worker count up. Ideally I believe it's 20-22 per base and then transfer about 8-10 to your next expansion.
• AI needs to scout expansions and harass them. It doesn't have to be much mid game. A lot of people overextend or don't properly defend expansions. 14 lings, 7 m/m, 7 zealots can take down an undefended base fast.
• Drops / Destroying Rocks aka barriers. AI might not have an edge on decision making, but they are able to gain their edge in multi-tasking. Have them attack some place and then drop in other. Or just late game cheap base drops can be absolutely devastating. 40 ling drop in their main can chew stuff up. Normally late game their army is out fighting, so perfect opportunity.

[Mezner]

There are definitely more queens. Couple points regarding them:

   
• They always seem to bulk at one base. This isn't very useful and is mostly a waste of resources. While a decent early-game defender, the real purpose of the queen I've noticed so far is for its special abilities, the most important of which is the additional larvae spawn. It would make more sense if the queens stayed spread at various bases.
• When the queens are bulked up, as mentioned in the previous point, they are tremendously good at healing each other and other units. Kudos on this. While they don't do much damage, encountering five of these makes them a real pain to put down.
• Are they using the larvae ability at all? I'm more inclined to play against a computer than watch it (having not figured out how to replay... replays) so I just don't know. This is just as critical as the chrono for protoss.

[mek]

My thoughts:

   
• Protoss are now very strong, to the point where I find it very hard to beat them.  Their build order is great and they perfectly micro special abilities, especially psi storm which they spam to great effect.  Playing Zerg, I get trounced every time.
• Zerg AI seems to have a bunch of problems.  While I have noticed them building some defenses, they only seem to send small packs of zerglings at me, and expand too slowly to ever become a threat.   Eg. I will have 3 bases and 4 gateways and a 100 supply army and they will be just building their first expansion, and have only zerglings and banelings.
• Terran appears to be the best balanced, with a decent performance throughout the game.

[devinmorris]

ETA 7.0?