[RA] Singleplayer: Boosting enemy's power by adding skirmish-like background AI

[Messiah]

I evolved a way to improve the offensive power of the AI in Red Alert Singleplayer missions.

 

That guy showed a way how you could use the mechanics of multiplayer Auto-Production, but in his case the soviets for some weird reason build technology of both parties:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVHDVnE6X6s

 

Typically, you use defined teamtypes which were build by the opponent by a trigger. In my eyes these attacks are very weak and not comparable to that from later C&C games or even a human player.

 

So we need an AI which is more agressive.

Setting up the structures:

Build your map and the opponent's base.

So if you add buildings of another house of the same color (e.g. Greece/GoodGuy, USSR/BadGuy) to the opponents base and set it IQ to 5. Give him power, a proc, barracks, a weapons factory, helipads, airfields and a harvester. Make sure both houses are allied to each other

 

AI should build units of his own side only, so following step is necessary.

Expect we are playing USSR in our example.

Set the techlevels:

19 for all opponent houses.

20 for the player house.

 

Now set TechLevel=20 for all soviet units in your map via text mode.

Set TechLevel to 20 also for some allied units like radar jammer or mobile gap generator because they are just useless for a battle.

The MCV should be unbuildable too for the enemy.

 

If you want a unit or building not to be available in your mission, just set TechLevel to -1

 

Now the interesting part:

How do we control the ratio and the composition of the attacks?

 

do this by

- amount of income

- number of war factories, helipads and barracks

- AI settings (below).

- TechLevel specification for some units

 

; Add to your map and change these to control AI's behavior:

[AI]

AttackInterval=3      ;average time between attacks.

AttackDelay=6  ;time before first attack is launched. production of IQ=5 house starts imediately after games begin. If necessary, delay this by not placing harvesters at the beginning; reinforce the harv later by a trigger.

AutocreateTime=3    ;That's for the other house. Set a low number for more frequent Autocreate teams.

EasyAIGoldValue=25  ;Income control for the computer controlled houses. "easy" means when computer plays against a human who plays on "hard" and vice versa. I favor to set those to 50 and 100 (so enemy will get $1400 for a truckload of ore and $2800 for a truckload of crystals).

EasyAIGemValue=50

NormalAIGoldValue=25

NormalAIGemValue=50

HardAIGoldValue=25

HardAIGemValue=50

 

Some examples for a different behavior of your computer opponent.

 

Soft background AI: - only a few people sometimes look around for amusements.

- Procs: 1

- Weaps: 0-1

- Barracks: 1

- Aircraft buildings: 0-1

gold and gem value: don't change anything.

AI settings: don't change anything.

 

Constant infantry spam: - permanent stalingrad-style attacks of infantry.

- Procs: 1 - 2

- Weaps: 0 - 1

- Barracks: 2 - 3

- Aircraft buildings: 0 - 1

gold and gem value: double the value.

AI settings:

AttackInterval=0.5

 

Tank rushing AI: - strong tank attacks.

- Procs: 2-3

- Weaps: 3-4

- Barracks: 0-1

- Aircraft buildings: 0-1

gold and gem value: at least double the value.

AI settings:

AttackInterval=4-6

Set TechLevel=20 for tanks that should'nt be built automatically, so you can limit the attacking units to be e.g. light & medium tanks or V2 rocket launchers only.

 

Aircraft Backup: - aircraft support only.

- Procs: 1-2

- Weaps: 0

- Barracks: 0

- Aircraft buildings: 2-6

gold and gem value: best double the value.

AI settings:

AttackInterval=1-5

 

Add enough power plants and one harvester per proc. Don't give him a conyard anyway.

 

Now you have a autonomous and strong opponent in your singleplayer mission.

Example mission will follow soon.