The new design for your website is substantially better.

BTW, expect v2.3 (maybe v3.0 if I re-write the lot) after the weekend. I'm starting to code the full AI diplo-handling routines. In previous versions I left it to the program to handle the considerations, but now I've got the mod-skeleton I'm going to add them in.

The AI diplo-handling routines will be the ones that look at the current position and force a proposal/response based on that analysis.

EG. Player[a] looks at player[b] and says "Hmm, nice border-city. I'll extort that." Player[a] sends player[b] a request_give_city. Player[b] looks at the proposal and says "Hang on a second, he receives THIS bonus, and I receive THIS bonus. My bonus is less so I'll counter-request." Player[b] sends player[a] a counter-request for GOLD equalling value of CITY. Player[a] looks at player[b] and says "Hmmm...... I don't have much gold left so NO SALE!" and refuses counter-proposal. BTW, I got this routine running. It seemed like the easiest to do. Obviously, if player[b] receives a 'gift' proposal it's gunna say "Cool! Free stuff!" and accept.

quote: Originally posted by Dale on 01-15-2001 07:59 PM I've found the problem. I used a "Consider" statement when I should've used a "Change" statement. Will fix for version 2.3

Could you please let us know the bugfix for this i.e. where we need to replace the "consider" statement with the "change" statement ? I feel I can change this on my own in the 2.2 version (so no publishing of the bugfix version necessary) but I would need to know where....

In SMAC you could cripple the AI by giving faction A a city of yours that is about to be overrun by faction B. Faction B is going to take that city, even if they are allied with faction A. You could keep doing this and always keep everyone fighting.

If it is possible, I would suggest that the AI consider the diplomatic status outcome for accepting a free city. If the sender is at war with a faction that shares a border with the gift city, then the AI should probably turn down the free city offer.

The AI wasn't changing it's diplomatic strategy. It considered it but didn't change it. Therefore, in the 'BeginTurn' routine you need to change all the ConsiderDiplomaticState's to ChangeDiplomaticState.

Kinjiru:

At lunch I drew up some flowcharts to map the flow of diplomatic proposals and what to check (on paper of course). Pity I got beetroot juice all over it. Anyways, I thought of just that problem you mentioned. I figure it could be overcome if CityToExtort is within 10 squares of OwnCity which would make the city a border-city. That way, at least it has a fighting chance of getting defense there quickly. If you take into account the reality of supply problems, you don't want to accept a city that is too far from your borders, or on another island totally. I think this simple measure could simulate that. Any suggestions anyone?

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Author of Diplomod. The mod to fix diplomacy.

quote: Originally posted by Dale on 01-16-2001 09:32 PM Therefore, in the 'BeginTurn' routine you need to change all the ConsiderDiplomaticState's to ChangeDiplomaticState.

Thanks a lot, Dale! I did exactly that (in the 'BeginTurn' routine, changed from 'ConsiderDiplomaticState to ChangeDiplomaticState in total 3 times), however still I can get each and every city I request from others (independent from the tonality of my request).

Did I miss something ?

So question for you guys:

Do ya want me to bug-fix or continue till I get a v3.0 alpha for you to play with?

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Author of Diplomod. The mod to fix diplomacy.

I don't know if this is a bug in the game or in your mod cause I never tried exhanging advances for gold with the AI before.

Maybe it is just my version or something so I would like to have it confirmed. Otherwise I will have to reinstall the game/mod.

Keep up the good work. Looking forward to v. 3.0

DIP_NumOfPlayers = Preference("NumPlayers") + 5;

TO

DIP_NumOfPlayers = Preference("NumPlayers");

fixed the problem. Of course, if you're in a saved game you need to reload SLIC (either through the chat dialog or the cheat menu).

Just on version 3.0, I had an interesting test last night. Started a hard - small map game (so contact is made quickly). Found the Greeks about turn 5. They immediately demanded my capital. Over the next ten turns they demanded my capital 3 times, and on the last one threatened war. I rejected all of them, they declared war and sent their army at me (which consisted of a hoplite and a warrior). He beat me as I only had a warrior in my captial. The other was getting ruins. This was all within 30 turns. So how's that folks? I just don't know if it was an isolated incident.

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Author of Diplomod. The mod to fix diplomacy.

quote: Originally posted by Changmai Beagle on 01-18-2001 08:16 PM I'll probably wait until version 3.0 so that's my vote. (But just in case - in which files would I change the numplayers and the considerdiplo.... statements?)

diplomod.slc

quote: P.S Thanks for all the effort. Sounds good and I look forward.

No problemo.

quote: P.P.S It might be a while before you see any mods from me, being a beagle of little programming ability. For example. I was trying to do a bit of tweaking the other day and couldn't figure out why I was crashing. Then I realized I had left Net Nanny on and she had edited out all the "naughty bits", like "bomb_cabinet".

It'll do that. haha.

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Author of Diplomod. The mod to fix diplomacy.

quote:
P.P.S It might be a while before you see any mods from me, being a beagle of little programming ability. For example. I was trying to do a bit of tweaking the other day and couldn't figure out why I was crashing. Then I realized I had left Net Nanny on and she had edited out all the "naughty bits", like "bomb_cabinet".

That was very funny! Computers, you gotta love them!

I'm rathern new on the block here but that solution to the array out of bounds error don't work when you take away the + 5.

In the for statements you have to change DIP_civ1 to player[DIP_civ1] and you have to change all of these statements !
This is a simple C programming language error...you have to let the SLIC know which array it's about !
The player array !

But having changed this leaves me with a new error. To many arguments in ConsiderDiplomaticState.

I'm very pissed off with the support we've received for CTP2. While a good game, the glaring problems will not be addresses (namely diplomacy and AI ferocity). In response to the frustration I'm facing in trying to get the AI to perform diplomacy, I'm putting Diplomod V3.0 on the shelf. If I don't have anything else to do, I may go into it. But considering how many crashes I get with patch 1.1, and the fact that the unpatched CTP2 has almost no diplomacy SLIC available, I doubt very much that I'll continue. Thanks for your support though.

Except for the fact the AI will NEVER make a treaty or alliance (because of the internal programming settings and there is no SLIC to force a proposal/acceptance), I actually had a pretty decent AI diplomacy model working. But without treatys or alliances between AI's, what's the point of using diplomacy? These two options make diplomacy, not all the others which I have working well.

PS. If there is interest for the AI diplomacy script that I do have working, then let me know and I'll send it to Rich to update his link on V2.2.

Wes, it's a SLIC script, not just txt file changes.

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Author of Diplomod. The mod to fix diplomacy.

I've tried Diplomod and it was great...for the first time since I bought the game I actually thought that it had some kind of intelligence.

It activelly seeked out my civ and made diplomacy it's priority instead of conquest.
Also it's extremely good in making contact and diplomacy with other civ's now.

If you quit it will be a dark day in the history of CTP2, a day in which the players said : "The game sucks but we will make it work !".
I hope sincerely that you continue your work !

Here's where it stands right now:
1 - The AI's will swap maps.
2 - The AI's will buy advances from each other.
3 - The code is in there (but the stupid internal programming of the game will never allow the AI to do it) for AI's to make peace-treatys, trade pacts and research pacts.
4 - The AI will use three different AI-Human diplomatic states (friendly, war and default) and a special AI-AI state (regard penalties don't hit so hard).
5 - The AI doesn't refuse everything by default (like in V2).
6 - The AI is more demanding of Human players (give me this, give me that, etc).
7 - I still need to code in withdraw troops and a couple of 'catch' commands. I left them out so I could test at this point. Eg. The AI can make proposals to people it hasn't even met.
8 - Refining and bug catching also need to be done.

So I'm not that far off a Beta V3.0 Is there anyone who would like to beta-test for me? If so, email me and I'll send you the mod when it's ready for testing.

Thanks guys for your support.
Dale - dale.kent@mel.alphawest.com.au

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Author of Diplomod. The mod to fix diplomacy.

quote: Originally posted by Ganja on 01-22-2001 02:48 PM Here's a question I hope someone can answer. Is it possible to use the diplomod in the MedMod2 mod ? If so, how do I go about doing it?

I'm sure Wes and his gang will want to look at Diplomod to see if they can implement in future Med Mod. As for the current Med Mod out there, I don't know if it can be implemented.

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Author of Diplomod. The mod to fix diplomacy.

I've got a history file in my mod that tracks changes and what they do. Does this cover it? If not I should be able to come up with something more detailed. Though a lot of my experimentations have ended in CTP2 crashing severely or hardware locking. Don't ask me how, but it can hardware lock on ya.

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Author of Diplomod. The mod to fix diplomacy.

BTW, I've toned down (read that as refined ) the acceptance levels so that you can't just get everything from the AI. I'll try to get a proper withdraw troops going so the AI actually does retreat instead of fortifying in your territory. This (I hope) should also help the AI's in reaching their limitation of a turn-limit without troops in another AI's territory before requesting/accepting agreements.

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Author of Diplomod. The mod to fix diplomacy.

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Author of Diplomod. The mod to fix diplomacy.

As to your research question:
The research bug is unfortunately inherited into the diplo script due to the fact it's internal to CTP2.EXE. This is the same for the advance-for-gold bug. Sorry folks.

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Author of Diplomod. The mod to fix diplomacy.