AIO

[tenebre6]

So is it possible to play against the AI now? or not. I keep reading different reports.
is the AI a mod or something?

[AxelNL]

ORIGINAL: tenebre6

So is it possible to play against the AI now? or not. I keep reading different reports.
is the AI a mod or something?

No - but the Netplay mode is currently behaving good enough to play (but do make gamesaves often, esp. between naval combats, and do not study the e.g. the pools form when the other is land moving - risc on getting out of sync). On a evening of play reloading is needed a couple of times. Other than that I enjoy playing with my opponent very much!

[davidachamberlain]

AI is a future enhancement - might get started before the end of the year, but who really knows how long it will take to make it real?

WIF is probably the most complicated board game I have seen short of Advanced Squad Leader.

AI for WIF has a lot of different variables, so I expect it won't be finished quickly.

AND I have trouble imagining that it would be as competitive as a person.

I find playing solitaire to actually be fairly good since the turn process gives you a chance to take the opposing point of view. That combined with the fog of war from dice roles for everything from weather and initiative and turn ending makes for a less predictable game.

Dave

[tenebre6]

I have and played the board version for years, and I agree an AI is a monumental undertaking
I generally played the paper version solitaire as it was so difficult to get someone together long enough to finish. so ... not much has changed there

[lecrop]

AIO is a very difficult and very long-term commitment, and IMHO I think it will never be a rival for a moderately competent human.

I prefer that efforts focus on preparing the half-map scenarios (Fascist Tide and Day of Infamy), and PBEM playing.

[Divadov]

Don't works for the moment!!!

[RFalvo69]

I honestly hope that they totally ditch the AI and focus all their energies in implementing the missing rules and squash bugs (both in game and in net play).

Trying to program a true AI for MWIF would be, IMHO, a hard labor which will end in a dead end anyway. It will only syphon energies from what I feel being the right path: giving the players a polished and complete single player/MP experience of MWIF.

Six years since this game was published. It is not the moment to take our eyes off the ball.

[pvincent100]

Hi,

I played this board game years ago (super fun) and just this week purchased the Matrix PC version. I had a look at the 'Start New Game' tutorials and they show 5 options, one of which is AI opponent. After reviewing all the tutorials I then go to start the game and see only 3 Options. Further reading informed me that there is no AI and by the looks of this a very long way off. So a few suggestions here...

1. Make it very clear there is no AI Opponent yet (I am feeling a little gypped!!! - Aussie lang for a bit ripped off).
2. Its an awesome game so I will persevere and master this (and yes I concede doing solitaire for both sides will make me learn this a lot faster
3. Almost to a rule "AI's" usually just charge at 'hidden chock points' and rely on faster build rates to send against you - Warcraft and Civilization spring to mind here as massive sellers but a pretty simply AI - but if success is any measure nothing to be snarled at. Needless to say both are fun to play (I still play Civ3).
4. 'Standard' AI, as in Point 3, would certainly ruin WIF!!
5. I have a suggestion... I am not affiliated with these guys in anyway... but the only Team probably capable of doing AI for this game are (probably - and any time soon) Strategic Studies Group (SSG) . They wrote Warlords & Warlords 2.... and to this day probably the only decent AI ever. Also these are Australian Based (just as the actual Board Game writers are).
6. Give SSG a ring, maybe they can help. I spent 16 years in IT and I'm not a slouch at coding different stuff but WIF is massive, and brilliant, and needs state-of-the-art AI

I hope I'm not crossing any bounds here, I would love to see this game get the AI treatment... also Warlords (&2), did not use the usual cheats but tried to actually outplay you (with great success), that's why I'm recommending them. I don't know how they did it, but it is fantastic! If you are struggling to get the AI off the ground they may be able to help.

Kind Regards

Phil

[brian brian]

ORIGINAL: lecrop

I prefer that efforts focus on preparing the half-map scenarios (Fascist Tide and Day of Infamy), and PBEM playing.

There is no point to developing a 100% pure PBEM mode where every single decision point in the game is handled by email and the MWiF software handles all the resulting email. That will just never happen.

The game is already highly playable via email.

You just have to do a minor amount of the emailing required, on your own. You can even play a game completely by email communication if you find an opponent willing to answer an endless series of emails like this in J/F 1942: "A German ship enters the North Sea. Does the CW intercept?" next "The German ship enters the Faeroes Gap. Does the CW intercept?" next "A German ship enters the North Atlantic. Does the CW intercept?" next "A German ship enters the US East Coast. Do the Allies intercept?" break point here for multi-player as USN and RN each have ships in zone, so each must answer question. The Allies decide to intercept. They succeed. Email to German player: "Does ship stop moving". German player answers no. Interception Combat begins. Next email: "Do Allies wish to add aircraft to sea zone?" and on and on and on. Air Combat would often be even worse.

Those questions do have to be answered - that is part of playing this game - but no one is going to choose to answer them one at a time, email by email by thousands upon thousands of emails like that. And your next tiny decision has to wait for a response email from your opponent.

And despite that, it could still be done via pure email, if 2 opponents agree, but if you aren't doing those question-response emails somewhat live by pre-arrangement, the game will move at probably a Real Time pace - 6 years to play out the war, maybe longer. And if you both agreed to do a naval movement phase at 8pm this evening, email would be by far the slowest possible way to answer those questions, compared to Internet chat, Skype phone call, mobile phone text, screen sharing, your choice.

The opponents must communicate all through each side's "turn". Electronic communication can be used to do that, and is. It is in no way difficult. A pure, one-email-at-a-time approach would be the worst possible way to play this game.