[Freeciv-Dev] Re: AI Generally

[Andrew McGuinness <cogers@xxxxxxxxx>]

--- Erik Sigra <sigra@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> > I too agree that the AI code is opaque, though
> some of it work quite
> > well, that doesn't help if it is impossible to
> modify. Though I did
> > already "save" parts of ugly AI-related opaque
> code in
> > handle_unit_move_request() and the goto. (not
> accidentally the parts
> > needed in any case)
> >
> > I also think the right war to code a new ai is to
> make it client side.
> > That would accomplish:
> > 1) You very easily get clear of the ugly legacy AI
> code
> > 2) The AI will have it's own thead, making it
> possible to make it use
> > much more CPU without completely stalling the
> player (the server will
> > currently not take new input while the AI is
> running). For single player
> > games you could just disallow the human player to
> move units until the AI
> > had finished, but he could still look around and
> manage cities in the mean
> > time.
> >
> > -Thue
> >
> 
> I'm wondering how the saving of games will be done
> with client side AIs.
> 
> With server side AIs, the `AI-mind´ (long time
> plans, strategies and
> knowledge, the kind of things that human players
> save in their brains
> between their playing sessions)  can be stored in
> the standard savegame
> file.
> 
> But with AI-less server, the standard savegame file
> only contains `the state
> of the game´ and nothing else. Do you plan an
> approach where every
> AI-clients saves a `Mind-File´?
> 
> I can't think of any other solution. Not saving a
> Mind-File could maybe
> result in an AI-player after a reload wondering
> "What was my intention with
> this transport full of hoowizers? Where did I plan
> to unload them? Where to
> send them after that?" or "How was my civilisation
> organized into regions
> and what were the priorities of thoose regions?" or
> "Wich of the players was
> mean to me so I started building these nukes? They
> are ready now!"
> 

As has been pointed out, the current AI doesn't keep
state, but a good one would.  It would be really neat
if the client-server protocol included a generic
"player memory" that could be used by human players to
keep notes.

It is worth keeping in mind that there is an advantage
to keeping some low-level forms of automation (GOTO,
worklists, etc.) on the server side as it allows them
to continue in effect if the client gets temporarily
disconnected.


=====
Andrew McGuinness                Luton, UK
andrew_mcguinness@xxxxxxxxxxx

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