mule goofs up when lacking energy

[arghman]

(not quite sure if this is the same issue mentioned in the FAQ)

AI had tons of smithore + farming MULEs, no energy mules, had shortage of energy, and on next turn instead of installing an energy MULE, it installed another smithore mule, thereby making its energy shortage worse, never mind the risk-mitigation advantages of having energy mules.

http://www.planetmule.com/hi-score-game/game?game_id=10734

[Big Head Zach]

It's the same one mentioned in the FAQ - the AI will not take steps to secure its own necessities in the event of a shortage.

(Though perhaps it could consider the difference in costs between 1) installing/re-outfitting a MULE and 2) buying the needed resource at current market value?)

[arghman]

food shortages are one thing. energy shortages are much more severe (lack of production in mules) -- yet for some reason the AI was producing food and not energy.

Also, it's one thing if the AI is doing risk-mitigation, another when it is looking at the short term benefits of production during a turn. When dealing with energy, I have two things to worry about:

1) [energy production vs. purchase] Am I making enough energy myself to support my ongoing energy requirements? If not, should I install an energy MULE or should I rely on the marketplace to supply my energy needs? (not a clear answer... my personal strategy is to always ensure I have at least a slight excess of energy, as the consequences of energy shortages are severe, I only need 2 adjacent plains/desert plots to provide lots of energy, and the marketplace is unreliable.)

2) [immediate consequences of energy shortage] The auction round on the previous turn will tell me how much surplus/deficit I have the next round, under the assumption that I will place one additional non-energy MULE onto one of my land plots. If I have neither a surplus/deficit, then I can place 1 additional non-energy MULEs. If I have a surplus of 1 energy unit, then I can place 2 additional non-energy MULEs. If I have a deficit of 1 energy unit, then as long as I don't add any more non-energy MULEs (e.g. do nothing or add an energy MULE) I will have just enough energy to produce on all my non-energy MULES -- but if I do add, say, a smithore MULE, this is a really bad idea, because it means that one of my MULEs at random will be chosen to be unproductive that turn. If I have a deficit of 2 energy units, and I convert a non-energy MULE to an energy MULE, I will have just enough energy to produce on all my non-energy MULEs. (etc.)

This second point is MUCH more important to consider than the first point (whether to achieve "energy independence"). Very little, if any, point in paying $$$ for a MULE if its production is going to be 0 because of lack of energy.

[Big Head Zach]

In our quest to refine the AI, all these topics and tactics should be considered - in fact, if we get to the point where we have several different heuristics, they could be multiple choices for AI opponents in games:

(Look these names up on Wikipedia if you're confused.)
S.C.H.W.A.B. has a Smithore-heavy strategy
D.E.B.E.E.R.S. focuses on Crystite
P.I.C.K.E.N.S. is an Energy magnate
B.O.R.L.A.U.G. attempts to control Food

and so on...

Even if these strategies do not always result in wins, they will force opponents to adapt to their behavior in order to maintain their dominance.

[Stormdancer]

Those names....   *facepalm*

 

[Stormdancer]

OK, now that I've stopped groaning about those names... ;p

One thing I've seen done with great success is to have a stable of AI behaviors and drives... and randomly assigning them to the AI 'players' at startup.

So there's really no good way of anticipating what style of 'player' you're going to be up against, and part of the fun is figuring this out, during the first few turns.

[Big Head Zach]

And so we have S.I.D., the schizophrenic but brilliant nemesis from the B-movie Virtuosity, who was composed of the psychoses of numerous dictators and serial killers.

But if Russell Crowe as a Mechtron doesn't suit our tastes, I'm willing to scrap that name. Just firing from the hip here, like I usually do.