jbslash

You think. I test. If AI has no enemy, it attacks randomly any of his allies, at least in multiplayer. So there has to be at least 1 enemy for him. This DOES NOT MEAN it will attack its ally if there is an enemy for it. It won't.

AI MUST have at least 1 enemy. Even if u make him ally everyone, it will attack randomly his allies. The same goes for neutral. EDIT: You: 00 00 00 02 01 01 01 01 AI1: 00 00 00 02 01 01 01 01 AI2: 00 00 00 02 01 01 01 01 AI3: 02 02 02 00 02 02 02 02 AI4: 01 01 01 02 00 00 00 00 AI5: 01 01 01 02 00 00 00 00 AI6: 01 01 01 02 00 00 00 00 AI7: 01 01 01 02 00 00 00 00 This means you're allied with AI1 and AI2, you and your allies are neutral to AI3 and your enemies are AI4-7. AI3 is neutral to everyone; but most likely it will attack someone. AI4-7 are allies, your enemies and neutral to AI3.

Triggers in .mis files are somewhere in the end, after diplomacy settings, I think. AI behaviour - in each of 8 blocks of data. And one more modified _prac.mis, diplomacy: 2v2v2. _PRAC.zip

Do you mean playing without CY? 1 factory +1 barracks agaings (3+3)x3 give no chance to survive. Simple overwhelming...

But u said smth about additional crates, reinforcements... As for strong bases for AI, main thing is to give it at least 2 heavy factories to increase heavy vehicles production rate. Also, second Construction Yard will be good... As for turrets, they're of no use against a good player. Rocket tanks and infantry destroy them without problems.

Let's not modify the game to make it easier...

I know, I mean 8th player does. And maybe it controls fremen.

Oh, ic. There are actually 8 players. 8th is "fremen", also controls sandworms...

Now it seems easy, but finding these values wasn't...

Hm, there's nothing mysterious. Atreides are "Player 1", Harkonnen - "Player 2". So, you change to "00" offsets EE19 and EE20. I've just tested. Works. Harkonnen allied with Atreides on mission 8. As for editor - i used WinHex.

For example, you (atreides, human) is player 1, and mercenaries (ai)... for example player 5. First, ally player 1 with player 5, setting hex value to "00" at offset EE1C. This will show your location to AI and will prevent your units from attacking his, but AI will still attack you. Then, ally 5 with 1, setting "00" at offset EE38. This will prevent AI from attacking you and AI location will be revealed to you. Simple. I don't know this editor... Try to find in menus smth like "go to offset...", enter it and edit...

Finally, I did it! Now we can set any diplomacy between players in ANY .MIS file! What u have to do: First, you have to edit files with some hex editor, to keep file size (68 066 bytes) Open .mis file, and go to offset "EE18" - there diplomacy settings are stored. Now edit hex values in accordance with this: --------------------- Dune 2000 alliance settings in .mis files Hex values: "00" for "ally", "01" for "enemy", "02" for "neutral" for self-diplomacy default is "00" (ally) WARNING!!! Setting "neutral" or "enemy" for self-diplomacy can cause the game to crash!!! Offset Diplomacy Player 1 diplomacy: [human] EE18: self-diplomacy (if set to "enemy", player's units will destroy each other!) EE19: 1-sided attitude player 1 to player 2 EE1A: 1-sided attitude player 1 to player 3 EE1B: 1-sided attitude player 1 to player 4 EE1C: 1-sided attitude player 1 to player 5 EE1D: 1-sided attitude player 1 to player 6 Player 2 diplomacy: [AI] EE20: 1-sided attitude player 2 to player 1 EE21: self-diplomacy (if set to "enemy", player's units will destroy each other!) EE22: 1-sided attitude player 2 to player 3 EE23: 1-sided attitude player 2 to player 4 EE24: 1-sided attitude player 2 to player 5 EE25: 1-sided attitude player 2 to player 6 Player 3 diplomacy: [AI] EE28: 1-sided attitude player 3 to player 1 EE29: 1-sided attitude player 3 to player 2 EE2A: self-diplomacy (if set to "enemy", player's units will destroy each other!) EE2B: 1-sided attitude player 3 to player 4 EE2C: 1-sided attitude player 3 to player 5 EE2D: 1-sided attitude player 3 to player 6 Player 4 diplomacy: [AI] EE30: 1-sided attitude player 4 to player 1 EE31: 1-sided attitude player 4 to player 2 EE32: 1-sided attitude player 4 to player 3 EE33: self-diplomacy (if set to "enemy", player's units will destroy each other!) EE34: 1-sided attitude player 4 to player 5 EE35: 1-sided attitude player 4 to player 6 Player 5 diplomacy: [AI] EE38: 1-sided attitude player 5 to player 1 EE39: 1-sided attitude player 5 to player 2 EE3A: 1-sided attitude player 5 to player 3 EE3B: 1-sided attitude player 5 to player 4 EE3C: self-diplomacy (if set to "enemy", player's units will destroy each other!) EE3D: 1-sided attitude player 5 to player 6 Player 6 diplomacy: [AI] EE40: 1-sided attitude player 6 to player 1 EE41: 1-sided attitude player 6 to player 2 EE42: 1-sided attitude player 6 to player 3 EE43: 1-sided attitude player 6 to player 4 EE44: 1-sided attitude player 6 to player 5 EE45: self-diplomacy (if set to "enemy", player's units will destroy each other!) --------------------- Tested, all works.

Sorry, I forgot. Look somewhere in the end of _prac.mis before word "bloxbgbs", where normally are zero bytes...

In fact, yes. But better use hex editor instead of notepad. It allows to modify file without changing its size. As for inserting scripts into skirmish... Script of reinforcements is bound to starport as building, that is in its turn bound to house. Plus if you remember this mission, if you build additional starport, no reinforcements will be sent to it.

Method?.. Huh... Actually, there was no method at all. Just compare original and modified files - the difference is that method. As for buildings in skirmish... I think it's not possible. In campaign, buildings are set for houses, not for players. In skirmish you can play only three sides instead of seven (Emperor, Mercenaries, Smugglers, Fremen), and, besides, you can change color every time. Plus _prac.mis affects ALL MP maps...

it is only a matter of luck. Sometimes AI ally builds up a very large base and destroys 2-3 enemies by himself only. Do you mean "human player + AI vs. AI + AI and neutral AI"? That can be difficult to make, 'cause it's "skirmish" mode, after all. What will be the result if you choose, for example, 3 AI players before start? Who will be ally, who enemy? Or if you set 5 AI opponents. One is your ally, two - opponents, one - neutral... And the one left? Still, maybe I'll try to modify _prac.mis to match your offering, if I have time.

Honestly, I don't know. This file is a result of random editing. I even don't remember, what did I do to it to make one of AIs player's ally. Sorry...

If anyone still wants to play in skirmish mode with an AI ally, here is slightly modified original _prac.mis. Place it into datamaps directory (don't forget to backup original file). All AI opponents will act as they should in skirmish, including your ally. AI ally randomly plays for any house with any colour; it knows where other players are, and constantly attacks them. If ally's CY is destroyed, it will restore it if possible. You cannot break the alliance with an 'A' hotkey. Warning: this works in Network games, too! There you can break the alliance with AI, but you won't be able to restore it. Still, I don't recommend to play Network games with an AI ally, 'cause I've never tested it and the result is unpredictable. _PRAC.zip