AI player observations for map/scenario builders

[Diablogrunt]

The following observations may or may not help map builders plan how to handle AI players when creating new maps/scenarios.

1) When starting companies, AI players usually choose two cities that are close together with at least one of them having good resources. No attention seems to be made to future expansion possibilities or to the terrain between the two chosen cities regardless of the scenario winning conditions.

2) AI players will not build stations at industries which are not part of a city. This means that scenarios that have all their city industries set to manufacturing only (no raw materials) and with raw materials distributed only by regions pretty much limit the AI to moving passengers.

3) Whether AI companies move demanded cargo is a matter of chance. They will simply haul whatever cargo is available on short automated trains between two adjacent cities on double track using three or four engines.

4) For 1935-1955 starting scenarios the AI frequently chooses the Mallard engines which have lousy speed on grades and can lead to their early bankruptcy if there are steep grades between their two cities of choice.

Edited March 5, 2018 by Diablogrunt
4th point added

[jeffryfisher]

On 2/7/2018 at 8:04 AM, Diablogrunt said:

Any event bonuses/penalties to human players will not be automatically granted to AI companies unless you actually make a separate event for each company to make it happen using company IDs.

I don't think that's right. There are several ways to trigger the same event multiple times and/or affect multiple companies. If you give me a specific example, I can show you how it's done.

EDIT: The OP has been corrected.

Edited February 10, 2018 by jeffryfisher
OP edited

[Diablogrunt]

OK Jerry - here is a map with what I was trying to do.

Cheryls Valley(test).MP2

[jeffryfisher]

OK -- I don't see any bonuses or penalties given to human players or companies. I do see a cash grant to computer companies. It looks as if every company-start will grant $100k to every computer company. If you allowed a large number of companies, the early-bird AI would get a lot of grants.

I have edited your cash grant so that only the new company gets it. See how I test for a company variable being zero (the default) and then set that variable as I give the grant. This stops early companies from being triggered when later companies start.

Cheryls Valley(test2).zip

[Diablogrunt]

Granted your solution works for the one AI, but I had in mind a bonus for human and at least 2 other AIs and I uploaded a lame map. See if your solution works for a human and 3 AI players without adding a separate event for each player.

 

Edited February 9, 2018 by Diablogrunt
eidted to eliminate upload

[jeffryfisher]

Looks like it should work for all companies (each company once). BTW, the Metra box is marked.

[Diablogrunt]

I stand corrected regarding my 4th observation in the original post as I could not figure out how to do it until Jeffrey set me straight. Thank you Jeffry. I will now go and edit my original post.

Edited February 10, 2018 by Diablogrunt
typo

[jeffryfisher]

20 hours ago, Diablogrunt said:

until Jerry set me straight. Thank you Jerry.

Ummm... My name is Jeffry, and you may call me Jeff.