[Freeciv-Dev] Re: Barbarians (was: Dumb AI in mid & late game)

[Jerzy Klek <qpkjeek@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi

Thanks for the info! I started working on barbarians a couple
of days ago and have some code working, but I didn't really
know their exact behaviour. Those coming from huts, I think
I have them right, but now I added those from nowhere and I get
segfaults :-(, time to do some debugging... I don't think
I will be able to implement their exact behaviour, because it
requires fiddling with the AI code. I'm creating simply new
players without settlers, and player.ai.expand set to 0, so
even if they have capture cities, they will value new cities
as 0 and hopefully not expand. This is the easiest way and thus 
viable for me.
What about barbarian units? I use Horsemen and Archers at the
beginning, and after technologies are available, they start
using Musketeers, Cannons, Knights and Partisans. Random
number of units (3-6) are created. Is it OK?

/Jerzy

> >Question off topic: barbarians - in civ and civ2, they used
> >to be found in huts and also sometimes appear out of nothing
> >(my private expression: 'barbarians out of the blue'). Can
> >anyone tell me how and when did they happen to appear on
> >the Earth's surface? I don't remember it very much...
> >I'm trying to figure out an algorithm, bot I don't really
> >remember much of their behaviour. Yes, barbarians...
> 
> I've collected a few notes, in hopes of getting around to implementing them
> eventually.  I have not started, nor will I have time in the near future.
> 
> Here are my notes, which are something of a composite from the Civ1 and
> Civ2 manuals:
> 
>   Two types:  Sea Raiders and Land Barbarians
> 
>   Sea Raiders:
>     Appear in boats near a shore.
>     They try to capture cities.
>     They do *not* destroy improvements or infrastructure
>       (they want to use it).
>     If they capture a city, they start producing more units,
>       which will go out and try to capture other cities.
> 
>   Land Barbarians:
>     Appear on land, not within any city radius.
>       (Later in game, appear even further from any city.)
>     They are "interested only in loot".
>     They pillage infrastructure, especially mines and irrigation.
>     If they capture a city, they destroy its improvements.
> 
>   Barbarian Leaders:
>     A horde is often lead by a Leader, which looks like a
>       Diplomat.  (Hey, we could have a special unit for this.)
>     If he is "captured" (killed) in combat, and is alone on the
>       square, he can be ransomed for 100 gold.
>     If all other units in the horde are killed, he runs away,
>       and (in a few turns) disappears.
> 
>   Even if they capture a city, they do not become a civilization.
> 
>   In Civ2, user may select one of four "difficulties" of Barbarians:
>     - 0. Barbarians only appear in Villages.
>     - 1. thru 3. -- Increasing frequency.