Matrix Games Forums

While, strategy games are probably still a long way from having an AI that can compare with a human player, which games do you think have a good AI?

Of Matrix games that I have played:

Panzer Corps - not so good AI and scripted in a defensive context
Unity of Command - decent AI
Advanced Tactics Gold - I've been impressed with this game's AI. The AI gets bonuses against the human player, but it also functions pretty well in it's thinking processes. It's particularly good at trying to cut off the human player's supply lines. That the AI functions well on random maps, in an offensive context and without scripting, is particularly impressive.

Command Ops series. (Well known for having a good AI, some say one of the best if not the best)
Wings Over Flanders Fields 3 (A Sim but has a really good AI)
Graviteam Tactics series (can pull off some interesting moves at times)
Steam and Iron (and the other games in the series. No one really mentions the AI, which must be a good sign)
Dwarf Fortress (extremely in depth AI's going on)

However I'm prob not the best person to say as AI's often beat me..I'm not one that will study an AI to find out all it's faults.

I've been impressed by the AI in Hannibal: Rome and Carthage in the Second Punic War and Decisive Campaigns: Barbarossa.

top of list is Vic's Decisive Campaign series and Command Ops

-Heroes 3 of might & magic+Horn of the abyss (free mod). Extremely challenging AI!
-Europa Universalis IV. Very good AI with loads of computer opponents and variables.
-Pike & Shot: Campaigns. I don´t own this game but many people think it has a powerful AI.

Rome II Total War after the last patch has a good AI as long as you don't play one of the majors like Rome or Carthage. Playing one of the Britian factions except the Incinni (sp) is a pretty good game and if you can't get out early you'll probably get crushed. Get the mod that lets you play all the factions for the best experience of Rome II TW now.

Hi,

Command Ops and Flashpoint Campaigns are at the top of my list. [&o]

Highly recommend either (or both).

Rob.

[Deleted by Admins]

A bump to get rid of the spam bot name.

Check out Strategic Command. Some of the things the AI can do are pretty awesome. Hubert did studies on how human players were acting differently to the AI top improve the AI and it's really impressive.

ORIGINAL: the_iron_duke

Advanced Tactics Gold - I've been impressed with this game's AI. The AI gets bonuses against the human player, but it also functions pretty well in it's thinking processes. It's particularly good at trying to cut off the human player's supply lines. That the AI functions well on random maps, in an offensive context and without scripting, is particularly impressive.

Agree.

Vic has improved it a lot during the last few years.

AI War Fleet Command.
Best AI ive played against, it will kick your arse and then some

I second AI War: Fleet Command. It's a stressful game in which the computer punishes you mercilessly if you show it any weakness.

Sengoku Jidai has the same engine than Pike & Shot. To my mind both of them have an extraordinary AI.

On the other hand, I´ve read very positive opinions about DC3 AI. Think I´m gonna get it sooner or later. [:)]

Well, that is some very good advice from all. I think Pike&Shot is very good, too. But with all respect, Jafele, I found Sengoku strategic game rather a joke and the tactical rather boring. Could be as I know nothing of the time period. And AI may be good for all I know.

In a crunch, I would go with everything on Wodin's list except that Flanders thing? [;)]

ORIGINAL: rosseau

Well, that is some very good advice from all. I think Pike&Shot is very good, too. But with all respect, Jafele, I found Sengoku strategic game rather a joke and the tactical rather boring. Could be as I know nothing of the time period. And AI may be good for all I know.
[;)]

Sengoku is similar to P&S but with different background. If you love P&S you will like Sengoku. In truth they are battle simulators, not strategic or operational games. Both games are very realistic and the researching work is simply amazing.

An interesting discussion about P&S and SJ.

Lots of good mentions here already that I would've put on that list! Wodin's list is great, and I'd have it WITH the Wings over Flanders Fields thing, too [:D] Seriously, it has really excellent AI, my favourite feature of which is the fact that it's not merely obsessed with killing you, but has this sadly-unusual tendency (for a game) to actually think about its own survival - and has a fight/flight/ignore logic that takes into account things like skill, fatigue, and advantages in number and altitude.
Another good flight sim AI deserving of mention is in the also-single-player-only Battle of Britain II.

In shooters, I'd vote the Stalker series - but with the caveat that it's not that impressive in the stock games; it's in the various major mods (of which there are many) that the AI can be really impressive and results in some of the best firefights you can get in single player.

I want to get more into Pike and Shot! I definitely thought the AI there was quite good, though with the caveat that some of it is due to the combat mechanics which basically takes units completely out of your control once they're engaged in melee combat or pursuit.

I'm a huge fan of the AI in Scourge of War (I can only judge by the Gettysburg series - haven't played Waterloo yet, though I own it) - particularly since the proper way to play that game at any level above brigade is to learn how to delegate orders to your AI subordinates and watch them carry it out. And they're generally pretty good at it, but each have different personalities and tactical styles - as do enemy commanders. You end up thinking much less about raw numbers or micromanaging units as a result, and start thinking about who Division commanders A, B, and C's are, what their troops are like, what situation they're in and what you could reasonably count on from them.

A somewhat simpler, quicker-paced and easier-to-get-into Civil War title would be Ultimate General (originally UG: Gettysburg, now in early access as UG: Civil War), which also has really excellent and very customazable AI - if you like Total War games, this series is made by a team led by Darth of the DarthMod fame who was famous for his brilliant AI mods for TW titles from Rome through Napoleon. They really know what it takes to give you a challenging AI opponent - which regularly kicks my butt in unpredictable ways. If you want very good AI in a game that's quick to learn - this one's your ticket!

In my experience:

- AI War: Fleet Command (I have the game with all the expansions - 'nuff said)
- Command Ops 2 (the way you see the various sub-formations organise themselves according to the orders given and the doctrine is a thing of beauty by itself, even when you are not fightning).
- Decisive Campaigns: Barbarossa: From the AI itself to the "AI" of the various Generals. How Halder didn't lost his sanity is a mystery.
- Galactic Civilization 2 has not only a personalised AI for every race, but you can squeeze your processor power to the maximum via sliders. I never tried GalCiv3, but the feedback was meh...
- AGEOD's game usually have a good AI - and you can give to the AI extra processor time.

Outside strategy games:
- Alien Isolation (the AI of the Alien is more scary than the Alien itself [X(])
- F.E.A.R. 1, from 2005, is a first person shooter (with a supernatural element) which has, according to the masses, still the best enemy AI ever done. I played it back in the day, and I can confirm that it was amazing.

The best AIs I've played: Command Ops, Europa Universalis IV and Pike & Shot

Command Ops2 is my top list next is DC:Barbarossa and then Pike&Shot/ Sengoku Jidai