Queller AI - Test Version 8 by Quitch(y)
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Please note some of these changes may have been made just before release, and not have been tested. Some features may work worse than before, and it's up to you to tell me. I test the AI against the AI and make sure they're balanced. You have to tell me how the AI can fight humans better. Please try to play as both the CORE and the ARM, against both the CORE and the ARM AI's.

Let me know what works, and what doesn't. Feel free to make any suggestions or comments, and I'll certinally test them out.

When giving feedback, please tell me who you played as, who your opponent was, what map you played on, and all the game settings you used (including resource allocation).

ADDITIONS
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* More slight changes, allowing CORE and ARM to play to their level 1 advantages.
* Fiddled with the layout of the file, to take advantage of the fact that TA uses a top down reading to try to get it to run as fast as possible, and to even out the speed discrepancies between the ARM and CORE in decision making.
* The AI_Nuker file has been replaced by Switeck's Swi_Nuke which contains his AI-only Nukes , EMP and Neutron.
* Added missing CC codes.
* The AI now has a Wind and ThePass profile.
* Updated the map list in the readme to include all CC and Cavedog download maps.
* AI should get it's first plant up slightly faster than in Version 7 and more reliably.
* Hovercraft weightings improved.
* Accepted an offer by BSR to create a non-cheating AI for his multiplayer mod UH. I'm just too good :). I should have added UH compatibility by Version 9, this will become Queller UH.
* Turned off the original Silo's, EMP and Neutron.
* Added Switeck's Jammers, they have weapons of strength 0, and this allows them to accompany AI attack forces.
* Added some special AI Vehicle plants of my own design (thanks to BSR for his guidance) to replace the ARM Vehicle Plant, the CORE Vehicle Plant and the CORE Advanced Vehicle Plant. These plants have an exit out their back as well as front, this is to make it less likely that the AI will block off all the exits from a plant. However, as in Kbot labs, the AI may sometimes just sit a unit *in* the factory, stopping production. I don't want to add side exits though, as this would make the plants too hard to hit when open.
* Added OTA files to the ZIP to allow normal TA and UH users, the benefits of Switeck's map profile changes.
* Turned the Warrior weighting right down, as it was taking so long to build,that the ARM AI's reinforcements were drying up.

PROBLEMS
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* Sometimes the AI tries to get a second plant up too quickly.
* You cannot use captured AI Vehicle Plants.

History of Queller
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Queller has been through a lot since it was first released for testing. Here is a history of the changes Queller went through.

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  Version 7
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ADDITIONS
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* Defence and resource weightings have been completely redone, plant weightings have been changed accordingly. The ratios are not totally different, but I wished to move to lower figures, rather than the continual increase into large numbers that I had started.
* Corrected some small mistakes in the various profiles.
* Changed ship weightings after tester and TA forum suggestions.
* Prevented the lower difficulties from building some of the bigger guns.
* Level 1 Kbot and Vehicle weightings have been altered slightly for both sides.
* Added a CC default profile.
* CC weightings assume TA has been modified with the 1.1 bufix by Switeck, the ARM especially rely on this as they now use the Warrior again, but without the patch the Warrior is useless.

PROBLEMS
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* Sometimes takes too long to create a plant on some maps.
* CC weightings are in early days.

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  Version 6
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ADDITIONS
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* The AI has been brought more in line with it's Version 4 state, since Version 5 created more problems than it solved.
* The AI attack forces at level 2 should now be larger. Probably.
* The AI is more likely to build radar jammers now to stop cowardly long range attacks from behind large defences :).
* Level 1 Kbot forces have been revised.
* Aircraft Plants have been made slightly less important.
* Expensive level 1 defence has been slightly less of a priority again.
* Corrected the Nuke weighting codes.
* Limited the number of plants the AI can use to allow it to have a steadier swarm of troops, rather than small groups of them.
* Easy and Medium profiles have been added. Easy lives up to it's name. Medium needs more testing.
* The AI uses more close range troops to defend it's missile troops.

PROBLEMS (always waiting for additions :))
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* Ship weightings are pretty much untested.
* The AI trys to get too much metal before it's first plant. This causes problems on maps where the metal is spread out.
* The AI doesn't get it's first plant up quick enough.
* The resource and defence weightings need an overhaul.
* It isn't building Navel Yards, I'm not sure how much I can do to correct this. It's the same as the Geothermal problem.

AI on AI Games during V6 devlopment
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All games were on Painted Desert with 1000 metal and energy and random positioning.

Queller in version 5 managed to win a 2 on 4 game against the TA AI.  Queller used the forces of ARM and TA was CORE (in my opinion TA was always stronger as CORE). The game was a rout, the first enemy TA AI fell quickly, with another almost crippled.  The game dragged on slightly as the TA AI fought back with counter attacks, but eventually fell to the better weightings and defence of Queller. TA never made it past the fringes of either Queller base. The game lasted one hour.

2 ARM Quellers took on 2 BSRAI CORE's. BSRAI started off better, it quicky grabbed resources, and built vehicle and Kbot plants. Queller made a mess of the beginning, it took a while to build a plant and when it did, both ARM's built an Aircraft one first. Queller soon came back however as BSRAI settled down to it's usual conservative game. Queller built a force, and then built construction vehicles. While they deicmated the first CORE base the construction vehicles expanded the base, and increased the defence. The last CORE could not penetrate this defence, and with his ally gone, the two ARM's found him easy pickings. The game lasted 27 minutes.

The next game used true LOS in unmapped mode.

The ARM AI beat a Boneyards player who made the mistake of treating it like the TA AI, and allowing himself a construction period. The AI, after messing around for 10 minutes going forwards, regrouping, going forwards again without actually getting near the enemy, finally attacked en masse and easily overwhelmed the line rocket turrets, and then most of the base by destroying the enemy Commander. After that it was a mopping up operation. It took around 20 minutes.

Version 5 took on Version 3 using the standard settings. Version 5 attacked first, and it almost broke through very quickly, except it's construction units decided to build some of the heavier defence items, and this dried up its reinforcements. Version 3, with it's lighter defence model, quickly counter attacked, broke through the uncompleted defence, and won the game. Needless to say these problems (which were the crippling errors Version 5 always faced) have been corrected.

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  Version 5
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NOTE: This version was a disastor, creating so many problems, that Version 6 was more in line with version 4 than version 5.

ADDITIONS
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* Further improvements of the AI resources. The AI is no longer as Moho happy.
* The AI should use a more intelligent defence mix, with some of the more powerful weapons made slightly more important.
* Changes made to the number of plants made avaliable.
* The ARM can now hold their own at level 2 against the CORE. Usually.
* Aircraft plants are built faster, while only rarely being built as the AI's first plant.
* The AI weightings are almost complete for offensive units, and this now includes variation of units. It should be able to deal with most situations, without compromising it's ability to fight.
* The AI limits on silos actually work now.

PROBLEMS
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* Geothermal energy is still not being taken advantage of by the AI enough.
* The AI does not go for Big Berthas and Intimidators quick enough (though, I don't know how quickly you lot get them either but even a losing TA AI beat my AI to them).
* I think the AI's defence is a bit light, although I'm not entirely sure this is the case. I am going to look into ths a bit more. Mind you, if you let them start to win, it's not.
* The ARM doesn't use big enough groups of Level 2 units.

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  Version 4
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ADDITIONS
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* The AI will now build sea units in it's default profile (thanks to noo_bee for his report).
* The AI will build less level 2 factories.  This is an attempt to combat it's constant nano stalling at level 2.
* I have introduced a wider range of units, especially ones that have the ability to "lob" shells.

PROBLEMS
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* The AI does not counter Nukes (I cannot correct this, but if anyone knows of a patch that allows the AI to build Anti-Nukes, please let me know).
* The Ship weightings are terrible due to my complete lack of experience in this area.
* The AI is not getting to level 2 planes quickly enough.

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  Version 3
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ADDITIONS
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* The AI will use cheaper defences, but in greater numbers. This extra use of level 1 defence also means that metal extractors generally have a turret somewhere nearby.
* I have been working on improving the level 2 mix of ARM troops.
* Moho Mines and Fusion have been given much higer weightings. Long range artillery, such as the Big Bertha, has also been made more important to help break stalemates where the player may dig himself in.
* General refinement of what the level 2 construction units build.
* Stopped the AI building units and buildings that it cannot use.
* The AI should upgrade to level 2 slightly later than before, because it's construction units build more defence.
* The AI should have less energy problems now.

PROBLEMS
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* The CORE still beats the ARM. The level 2 mix is still not right.
* I'm not sure if half of the metal drain comes from construction units building Moho Mines. I may limit the number of construction units further.
* The ARM leaves aircraft too late.
* The ARM never breaks through the CORE lines.

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  Version 2
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ADDITIONS
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* The AI will now expand further across the map. This has been achieved by increasing the importance of metal extractors greatly. When it builds at a metal point, it will create other buildings around that point, thus expanding its base. It will also go further afield to gain metal points.
* No longer will the AI avoid building planes like the plague. The ARM in particular will now value level 2 planes, as a way of fighting back against the Goliaths and Sumos. Many thanks to Aklien for suggesting the greater use of planes.
* The ARM AI now uses more long range troops, such as mobile artillery and Bulldogs, and relies less on Panther tanks to carry the day.
* Both sides now use similar troops during the intial level 1 battles. Due to the time it takes for the computer to update it's target, Flash tanks were being blown to pieces by missiles. The CORE have a couple of close range tanks thrown in, to distract opponents while the missiles rain in from affar.
* Metal has been made a much higher priority of the AI, as it always seems to run out. Level 2 construction units are brought out faster, and give Moho mines a high priority. If this problem continues, I may consider the use of Metal Makers.
* To save resources, and protect from the new aircraft raids, Rocket turrets have been given higher priority. This also helps the AI save it's resources. Plasma Batteries have had their weightings reduced, since the AI was crippling itself by building them.

PROBLEMS
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* The AI doesn't have enough energy to begin with.
* The AI doesn't have enough metal to support construction.
* The CORE AI still beats the ARM AI at level 2.
* Planes are still under used.
* The AI still does not expand far enough.

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  Version 1
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The original version, it only included a default profile. It attacked quickly, but lacked the ability to play a long game. It was tested until it could beat the BSRAI on Mounds of Mars easily.