Modern Units Database – Version 0.0.5

It’s time for the next update to Modern Units Database.  This updated builds on the previous release from last month.  It is available on EDIBLE, or at the bottom of this post.  The update focuses on optimizing the AI as well as fixing a few bugs found during play testing.  I’ve am really enjoying the direction the changes are taking.  In my recent playtests, the AI has gone from aimless zombie to competitive child.  The AI is at a point where it can compete against itself with decent success.  My focus going forward will be competitiveness against human players.

While I am able to still defeat the AI handedly, it has attempted to stand against me and forced me to get creative on my attacks.  This gives me hope that the AI will someday be able to compete against me and win.  Right now I recommend giving the AI a +1 combat advantage and +2 production advantage against the human player, which seems to reflect some of the algorithmic deficiencies that slow it down.

This update is a collection of the optimizations I made over the past two months to help with AI performance.  Some of these changes will have an impact on the human player, but most are intended to impact the AI only.

Changelog:

• All Data used to generate stats in in this UDB are fully integrated into the latest release of Modern Units AI. As a result, the AI should have a better understanding of each unit’s capabilities and weaknesses, hopefully improving their overall performance.
• Modified build cost for all units:
  • ALL unit production costs are updated.  The buy cost has not been changed and is still based on 10-year average maintenance costs for the unit.
  • City GDP values are updated to reflect $1Bn GDP per year, roughly $450k per turn. Previous per turn GDP value was $163k, or $1Mn per day.
• Removed the bracketed identifiers from buildable units. This mainly affects air and sub units and should fix some issues with unit naming.
• Space Shuttle Changes
  • Space shuttles can drop units as they were originally intended to do. Note that they are one time use at present.
  • Space shuttles can morph back into themselves. This is still not working as intended, so don’t use it.
• Space stations can now hold infantry.
• AI Air Transport capacity optimized for how the StandardAI actually uses it:
  • This helps reduce long-turns due to overloaded capacity.
  • Removed AI’s ability to transport some unit types.
  • Purchase price has been updated accordingly. Human players should not be affected.
• Reduced Low Earth Orbit Satellite portage weight from 4 to 3. This change reflects requirements for AI to properly transport them.  It should help reduce the number of satellites the AI deploys and leave stationary.
• Reduced ASAT Satellite portage weight to improve AI handling of the unit. Should have no impact on human players.

Known Issues:

• Air unit crashes are still an issue. This issue requires more digging to resolve.
• Some weapons incorrectly target submarines, causing some awkward combat values.
• The issue where some units have supporting fire values but cannot actually hit the unit still exists. This will require a modification to morphing.