Temporarily let the A.I. take over for a turn or two

[rommager]

First off, I don't want this to offput the pause feature request, as it is sorely needed.  Still, for an extended absence (have to deal with family, take a crap, dinner's ready, etc) it would be handy to let the A.I. briefly take over your position without disconnecting from the game.  Then when you are ready, you can immediately take your spot back over from the A.I.

Again, I think a pause feature is still an absolute must, as I see some players wanting to take a 5 minute break instead of playing with the A.I. for 5 minutes, but I think the letting the A.I. take over temporarily should be fairly easy to implement.  After all, it's better than bailing on the game, and leaving the A.I. to completely finish the game.

[Intergalactic Mole]

(Also posted in reply to your other post):

I am married with 2 kids. I've only ever had time to play 3 games so far.   I agree that it would be a good feature if the AI took over for you while you were AFK.  However, ranked games must be taken into consideration.  A good way to handle this would be that if the human player participates in at least 75% of the total time of the game, they can be ranked.  Any less than that and they cannot be ranked (and other players gained ranks will be diminished since they will have played most of the game against a computer opponent).

[Big Head Zach]

Based on what I know of the AI, in order to allow this feature to work *well*, every player would need to have an AI "memory" working behind the scenes and tracking everything that is done; it just wouldn't have the ability to make decisions.

Kroah has some of the AI's code mapped out thus far, but not all of it, so I doubt this will be a priority feature (also for the reasons IM mentioned above, affecting ranking validity).

[Intergalactic Mole]

Zach, not sure what you mean. The game already has an AI.  Just use the same AI to replace a player while he is AFK.  Sure, the AI is an idiot compared to a human player, but that is the price you pay for being AFK. Perhaps he will re-outfit your Crystite with Food <snicker>

[rommager]

Wow - Sorry I didn't catch this in the other thread.  I guess I just didn't search thoroughly enough.

As far as stats go, perhaps it should be enough to know that the AI will botch your stats up if you leave it too long.  

And oh yeah, I don't think the A.I. should have to keep stats on your game.  Make it just like when players disconnect - the only difference should be that you can just take control back over.  After all, it's your risk for letting the artificial idiot take over.   

[Big Head Zach]

Zach, not sure what you mean. The game already has an AI.  Just use the same AI to replace a player while he is AFK.  Sure, the AI is an idiot compared to a human player, but that is the price you pay for being AFK. Perhaps he will re-outfit your Crystite with Food <snicker>

And he might. What I mean is that the original AI code involves giving "weights" to different goods and also having a knowledge of where crystite might be located even if it isn't directly assayed or exploited. This information must be maintained throughout the game and updated as the general player group obtains more and more info. If he starts with no knowledge of what has previously happened, he is liable to make stupid/uninformed decisions, and if that's the AI that is going to take my place while I'm in the bathroom...

...I'll take an empty Gatorade bottle with me so I don't have to get up. In summary, DO NOT WANT.

[rommager]

And he might. What I mean is that the original AI code involves giving "weights" to different goods and also having a knowledge of where crystite might be located even if it isn't directly assayed or exploited. This information must be maintained throughout the game and updated as the general player group obtains more and more info. If he starts with no knowledge of what has previously happened, he is liable to make stupid/uninformed decisions, and if that's the AI that is going to take my place while I'm in the bathroom...

...I'll take an empty Gatorade bottle with me so I don't have to get up. In summary, DO NOT WANT.

Well, this is just a suggestion to give the player options.  As I noted before, this should not replace the idea for an in-game pause...  Just because it's a feature doesn't mean you have to use it.  

I'm not saying I would ever use this option.  I am just thinking from the side of being a player in a game where another human player bails out at turn 3 with no chance of ever returning.  Give the jumper a chance to come back if he only bailed because he had an emergency bio-break calling. 

[Intergalactic Mole]

...I'll take an empty Gatorade bottle with me so I don't have to get up. In summary, DO NOT WANT.

TMI Zach, TMI. Pox on you and all your ancestors for making me picture this in my head.

The game already has the function of allowing AI to take over when someone abandons the game.  It would be the same thing.  We just need the ability to re-join the game, which is already on the list of things to-do.  Perhaps the spot can be reserved for a player with the same IP.

[rommager]

My thought was just have a way to temporarily give up control to the A.I. without disconnecting.  From a programming standpoint, it should be a quick and easy slam dunk to implement this "control change" while they figure out all the code needed to support someone reconnecting to a game they bailed from because they needed a mandatory break.

I'm just thinking in the aspect of quick and easy program additions.

[Intergalactic Mole]

I support the idea as long as the player who went AFK is banned from ranking in that particular game.

[Big Head Zach]

That would depend on how rankings are actually performed - can one person be credited for a game while another can be excluded?

[rommager]

How does it work for players who abandon now?

I really see this being something that is done when no other options exist except for abandoning.  If the computer finishes the game, then count it however abandons are counted, but if a human begins the game, and finishes the game, why not give them the score the computer earned them?

Inexperienced players may try to use it to artifically boost their rank, but abusing it only really hurts the skilled players.  And personally, I don't care where I rank among people who use A.I. in their game.  I say give desperate newbies their crutch.  It's hard to rank lower than the A.I. even on purpose.

[Intergalactic Mole]

That would depend on how rankings are actually performed - can one person be credited for a game while another can be excluded?

IMO the way it should work is that the amount of rankings players gain should be dependent on how much of the game was played by computer players.  A ranked game shouldn't even be allowed to start with computer players.  They should only be allowed in a ranked game if someone disconnects.  So yes, the remaining players would be penalized somewhat if a human player drops out of a game early.. but its only fair in the big picture of things because the people how deserve the best ranks are the ones who play against the most humans.  Playing against computers doesnt deserve rankings as far as Im concerned.

[maskdbandt]

i'm not sure why anyone would prefer having AI play instead of themselves... i think this is a great idea to have this feature because it's annoying to have to be AFK for whatever reason early on and either having to make others wait or just forfeit... i don't see the AI doing anything better than a human player would do... beating AI is very simple.... i think rankings should still apply for games where they are gone... however, i am willing to settle with what someone said about ranking only if 75% of the game is played because if someone misses more than 3 rounds, they're not really part of the game

[MrBrown]

And he might. What I mean is that the original AI code involves giving "weights" to different goods and also having a knowledge of where crystite might be located even if it isn't directly assayed or exploited. This information must be maintained throughout the game and updated as the general player group obtains more and more info. If he starts with no knowledge of what has previously happened, he is liable to make stupid/uninformed decisions, and if that's the AI that is going to take my place while I'm in the bathroom...

Well in the context of this topic it's actually a good thing if the A.I. isn't too good - see it as a motivation to make your break as short as possible