Matrix Games Forums

OK. Bad news first, Battlefront isn’t finished. The good news is that the reason for the delay is that we’re working on a brand new AI system. This is based on the Warcard system, which did such a great job of controlling the AI in our Carriers at War game. The problem has always been that it’s much, much harder to apply the Warcard system to a land battle, which has more units, more combats, more objectives and even more terrain than a carrier battle. We now think that we’ve solved this problem.

There are two main benefits to the new Warcard system. The first is that AI will be a lot smarter. It will have a much better idea of the overall game situation, better information on the tactical level and a better capacity to react to changing events. The second benefit is that there will be a shift in power from the programmer to the scenario designer. The new AI system works using mechanisms that are much closer to the way in which human players view the game, which will make it much easier for scenario designers to create their own AI.

I know that the delay will cause disappointment and we apologise for that. If we had simply used an improved version of the Decisive Battles AI then the game would have been finished by now. However, we truly think it will be worth the wait. So as to not cause further disappointment, I have been strongly advised to nominate Fall 2006 as the new release date. We’ll continue to keep people informed via the website Designer Notes and in the forums on various aspects of the game.


Gregor

Frankly, for me this is great news. [:D]

The Warcard System was a blast in CaW, and was the best AI I ever found in a computer Wargame. I seem to remember that the Battlefront game system games also used some for of Warcard for their AI too, and they had quite smart AI too.
Also, this Warcard System allowed for better designed scenarios with customized AI for each scenario, which is a blast too.

So I'm not disappointed at all, on the contrary, I'm very very happy about this .

I'm sure it will be worth the wait. I rather see an excellent game than a fast release.

...And I that have vacation next week and hoped to get hold of this game [:D]
But that doesn´t matter because I value the AI in single player games as the most important part so I will gladly wait for the new AI engine.

"...which will make it much easier for scenario designers to create their own AI."

That's good news in itself. Take the time to get it right, no worries here.

Does anyone have more insight into how this system works? I never played CaW.

Serious bummer BUT how can you not respect a decision to make the game better? Here's hoping it wont take all that long to complete.

ORIGINAL: Gregor_SSG

If we had simply used an improved version of the Decisive Battles AI then the game would have been finished by now. .


Gregor

That statement alone not only validates my anticipated delay of the release but proves without a shadow of a doubt that BF will indeed be a new "breed" of SSG wargame and will be well worth the wait. I salute you for updating us on this and am impressed and thrilled at the prospects of your new "baby". Thank you![&o]

Yeah CAW AI was pretty good. And I've waited so long for some Matrixgames titles this of course is just to be expected. Just hope the next report isn't "sorry guys but we are going to redo the whole thing (ala Combat Leader) and abandon you all once again.

ah...where were you abandoned the first time?

I didn't play CAW, but this sounds like good news to me. A good AI is a paramount consideration for me.

Can anyone tell me what "Warcard AI" is? Does the computer use a deck of cards instead of dice?

ORIGINAL: Grotius

I didn't play CAW, but this sounds like good news to me. A good AI is a paramount consideration for me.

Can anyone tell me what "Warcard AI" is? Does the computer use a deck of cards instead of dice?

I am interested in this answer also since one of my less desireable (yet non-critical) parts of DBWWII (BiN and BiI) was the die roll generator.

I know nothing about Warcard AI either. What is it?

Give that ole AI some of that "Warlords IV" after the 1.04a patch type of challenge. That is one great game now after the patch. I find myself getting smoked on the two highest difficulty if I don't start out at a lower level and get some good leaders and artifacts. Just add plenty of "options'' for those of use who don't care if the ai cheats or gets handicaps and units from out of nowhere.

ORIGINAL: ravinhood

Give that ole AI some of that "Warlords IV" after the 1.04a patch type of challenge. That is one great game now after the patch. I find myself getting smoked on the two highest difficulty if I don't start out at a lower level and get some good leaders and artifacts. Just add plenty of "options'' for those of use who don't care if the ai cheats or gets handicaps and units from out of nowhere.

A tempting idea, but I don't think we can just pull units out of nowhere in a historical wargame. Our users are pretty smart and if they see units that add up to two or three complete 9th SS Panzer Divisions running round at Arnhem they are bound to smell a rat!

Gregor

The worst kind of strategy games is those where the AI actually cheats. Increasing difficulty in a strategy game should increase and optimize the AI - routines avaiable to the computer not getting him added morale, strength, supply etc or drain the single player of it. Unfortunately there are very few games with really good AI:s out there. Most so called strategy games trust too much in the multiplayer part so they think they don´t need to develop a very good and time-consuming AI for single player. I am glad there is such a place as Matrix Games where authentic strategy games could be gathered under one place. A very good AI game right now is Galactic Civilization II which seems to have the same kind of approach to serious gamers as Matrix and its partners has.

karlxii, I guess it'll come as a shock to you that the AI in GalCiv2 gets major economic bonuses at the higher difficulty levels to provide a challenge to players.

Well, as long as that is clearly stated somewhere. Though I have got the impression the AI is very good up to the point where it does not cheat [:)]

ORIGINAL: hank

ORIGINAL: Grotius

I didn't play CAW, but this sounds like good news to me. A good AI is a paramount consideration for me.

Can anyone tell me what "Warcard AI" is? Does the computer use a deck of cards instead of dice?

I am interested in this answer also since one of my less desireable (yet non-critical) parts of DBWWII (BiN and BiI) was the die roll generator.

I know nothing about Warcard AI either. What is it?

Just happened across this forum post. First of all, bummer the game is going to be delayed, but good that the time is being used to improve the AI.

Ah, the Warcard system from CAW... I'll try to explain.

The Warcard system is a way to program the AI with a fairly straightforward GUI. It allow programming of the AI without having to write code. It's sort of a logic tree, where time or circumstances trigger certain decision making processes, which in turn can drive taking certain actions or going to a different part of the tree. It's really a seriously cool way to program AI. It's like chess, the basic steps aren't too complicated, but the way you can use the Warcard system is pretty complex.

Damn, this would be easier to explain if I had the Complete Carriers At War manual in front of me, it has more than a hundred pages dedicated to a comprehensive tutorial and then a breakdown of the Warcard components and system. But I'll try without it and work from memory for now...

A warcard controls the behaviour of the entity. During AI programming (scenario building) a warcard is basically a GUI screen menu where you can set attributes, parameters, triggers and behaviour of an entity. In CAW all task forces and land bases each had a starting warcard. There are also warcards that get activated by other warcards when certain circumstances occur.

I'll use a simple example, in this case an airbase. The starting warcard will be activated at the start of the scenario. A starting warcard, which is different than later cards that are called by previous cards, tells the airbase how to behave at the beginning of the scenario. For instance, in CAW it would set the sectors in which air recon would be performed and also set the daily CAP over the base. It might also say that should an enemy entity of a certain type approach within a certain radius, then an airstrike would be launched against it. It also would set one or more triggers. A trigger is a circumstance which would transistion the behaviour of the airbase. For instance, the scenario designer has planned for a squadron on the base to be transfered at the end of the first day. So the warcard for the airbase would trigger a switch to a second warcard at the end of the first day, this new warcard taking into account the reduced number of squadrons at the base.

Airbases review their current warcard once each day to see if it needs to be swapped for a new card. Task forces check once an hour for circumstances that might trigger a swap to another card. For instance, if at that hourly check the TF is within a certain radius of an enemy base, it would swap out it's card for another card which changes the composition of the CAP over the TF.

As I recall, there can be 255 warcards in a single scenario in CAW. There is a starting warcard for each base and task force, and as I mentioned an entity will swap to another card if circumstances dictate. Also it's possible for the current card to have more than one card to select for a given set of circumstances. A scenario designer can, for instance, say that there is a 50% chance of transitioning to card A, 35% to card B, and 15% to card C. This allows for replayability of the scenario.

In CAW, you can chose to let the AI also control one or more commands on your side (Allied or Axis) as well as the enemy. This allows you to have fewer things to control and so is a way for newbies to get introduced to the system. Also you can use this feature to have the AI control some mundane aspect of your side, like being the commander responsible for daily recon flights, if the scenarion is designed that way.

As I mentioned, the Warcard system is basically a GUI for building AI behaviour. It doesn't cover low level AI activities. For instanse, the current warcard in effect for a carrier TF will say to launch an airstrike if an enemy TF of a certain type is found within a certain radius. The lower level AI will automatically select the best mix of aircraft to use and how and when to launch them.

Darn, this is making me all nostalgic for CCAW and I'll have to dig it out tonight and sigh and wish that it would be reissued in a more modern version. Glad to hear that Battlefront will use this system, it really is a very interesting and unique approach to allowing the scenario designer more control over the game.


UPDATE: Great, I write out all the above and then find this link that describes how the Battlefront Warcard system will work.[;)] Great stuff though and I'm very much looking forward to it.

this is great how is it coming along?

Thanks very much for this great explanation of the Warcard System. Sorry I never was able to experience Carriers At War. I am really looking forward to Battlefront no matter the delay.

ORIGINAL: Temple

Just happened across this forum post. First of all, bummer the game is going to be delayed, but good that the time is being used to improve the AI.

Ah, the Warcard system from CAW... I'll try to explain.

When I first saw this I was hoping for a rejig of the 1980's Battlefront Games - I guess this could be as good or better - those games were always a bit limited but they did have good AI - and still do - I still play them and they are still challenging........or is it that I am still incompetant....[&:][:(][8D]
 
I think hte version of CAW I played might have pre-dated Warcard too?  but SSG have always had good AI, so I hope this continues the family trait!