Question about AI Quality

[Fortuna]

I would like to get the game, but I'm worried about AI quality. I really liked the design in Heroes IV, but the AI couldn't tie its own shoelaces, and it ruined the game for me. I couldn't understand how the _fourth_ installment of a series could be so much worse in that regard than either the 2nd or the 3rd.

So I'm worried that Heroes V will be more of the same, and I'm getting conflicting reports from game reviews. Some say the AI is good, others that it is sadly lacking. What's the experience of the veteran players here? I'm especially interested in hearing what you think of the V AI as compared to the AI in IV.

Thanks!

[Angelspit]

I think the AI's better than in Heroes IV, but it still has some problems playing a decent game on the adventure map. That's not much of an issue if you play campaigns, where a lot of the events are scripted, but on a standard map, there is room for improvement.

[Elvin]

Simply put H4 had no AI while H5 has something.It can handle battles quite well but it is lacking on the adventure map and skill selecting.Of course to make up for that it cheats heavily(sees map,has resource/money bonuses).You will be rushed early by his main hero who will usually have a higher lvl with more army but it will give less resistance after you defeat him.The reason is enemy heroes don't retreat on a difficulty higher than normal so you'll end up having the advantage if you can overcome his best one.

[Fortuna]

Wait, enemy heroes don't retreat at the _more_ difficult levels? They get dumber as the difficulty goes up?

[DaemianLucifer]

Compared to HIV AI this one is good.Compared to the rest...Well,you dont want to do that if you want to like the game

[Elvin]

Of course they get better-the gap between normal and hard is huge.That's the only 'handicap' it gets and the game is meant to be played on hard...Hope remains as every patch fixes something and that seems easy enough to deal with.

[Fortuna]

So the AI in V is better than the one in IV but not as good as the one in III? The one in III could be counted on to do some dumb things too....

[Angelspit]

The AI is just that, an AI. As the game gets more varied and complicated, it has some problems deciding on a course of action. I think Nival did a fairly good job considering it was their first Heroes game, but we'll need to make sure they know we want considerable improvements for Heroes VI.

[Jolly Joker]

Actually the AI isn't cheating anymore, at least not the way it did previously.

[Elvin]

I'm currently playing the HoF campaign so I can't comment on AI.Have you seen difference yourself or do you have any contacts that confirmed this?

[Campaigner]

Actually the AI isn't cheating anymore, at least not the way it did previously.

33, 50 and 66% cheaper stuff is definetly cheating.

[Caradoc]

One think I'll say is that the AI is aggressive as hell in coming after you when it has an advantage. No more stopping off to pick up a few halflings. Right for the throat.

[MistWeaver]

Actually the AI isn't cheating anymore, at least not the way it did previously.

WHAT ?! Hey JJ, lets not start this all over.
H5 AI is still most cheating AI in the series. On difficulty higher than easy it gets everything on cheaper prices: 33%/50%/66% OFF.
And furthermore it doesnt lose troops in all fights vs other AI/neutrals. Or lose few if the battle has huge scale.

Comparing this to H4 AI that didnt cheat at all and had much more complex situation on adventure map - yes playing with H5 AI is more chalenging.
If to compare battle AI part, normaly I would say its equal to h4, but alas, with half year after release H5 AI heroes still dont know how to retreat. First battle simply kills rest of the scenario fun.


Overall I would give H5 AI - 4 of 10 (version 2.0 / 1.4 )
And it will be 5/10 when AI heroes will start using "retreat"

[Fortuna]

This failure to retreat thing sounds like a serious flaw.

[Fortuna]

Mistweaver,

If HOMM V AI is 4/10, how would you rank the AI in HOMM III? I'd like to know your scale.

[Alamar]

In H4 [at high difficulty levels] the AI didn't cheat nearly enough to allow it to deal with the huge numbers of nuetral creatures that would appear on a map.

This caused the H4 AI to really look bad and it hurt the game for me. Campaigns and many maps weren't a contest against other factions as much as it was a contest against nuetral stacks.

In H5 the AI cheats enough so that nuetrals don't hinder its progress. However [on the bad side] the AI cheats so much that it can afford to build its entire castle up and buy out creatures every day. Therefore the player is at an extreme disadvantage [economically] when playing the AI. ... The AI will provide a challenge on heroic simply through bull rush tactics ... If you can survive against the AI for the first 6-8 weeks of the game though then you'll start seeing all the AIs just hide in their castle and wait for you to pick them off one at a time.

On a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 is a literally unimplemented AI, 5 is Heroes 3, and 10 is the equivalent of a human expert I'd say:

1. H5 gets a 3 --- With the level of cheats that the AI has it should win every single game but manages to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

2. H4 gets a 1.5 -- What can I say about H4 that hasn't already been said?

[MistWeaver]

Mistweaver,

If HOMM V AI is 4/10, how would you rank the AI in HOMM III? I'd like to know your scale.

You see .. up until you begin to notice that H5 AI is cheating, you will receive same fun from playing with it, as from playing with H3 AI.
For some people (like me) AI's cheating is minus. Especially if its rude cheats (like free money, or lossless fights)
The reason is not just about feeling that your opponent is ignoring game rules. In addition, not cheating AI simply has an opportunity to become more challenging when mapmaker makes it cheat.

So when on one hand, H3 and H5 AI give you same challenge, before comparing them - keep in mind how hard H5 AI cheats, and how more challenging game can become vs H3 AI if to make it cheat in same way.

Taking into consideration all above, I would give H3 AI 6 of 10. But I must admit that battle part of H5 AI is initially better than one in H3. If it just could retreat...

[DaemianLucifer]

33, 50 and 66% cheaper stuff is definetly cheating.

Compared to free 10k its much better.

[PhoenixReborn]

I will give my honest impression.

For me, the A.I. in 5 is better than in 2 and in 4. I feel heroes 3 has the best A.I. and this is simply based on me going "oh! crud" just because of adventure map moves. This does sometimes happen in h5 but not as much.

For me, Hard offers plenty of challenge. I sometimes win but more often lose...therefore I'm pretty satisfied. My major gripes are with 'obviously' stupid things like shuffling back and forth or moving two steps and stopping. I also wish for some improvements in combat a.i. but overall I had some thrillingly close battles in the campaigns.

[Campaigner]

33, 50 and 66% cheaper stuff is definetly cheating.

Compared to free 10k its much better.

Can't only have been 10k gold. Must have been resources as well.

Not much better....perhaps slightly better....but those percentages are way to high! On Hard it could get a 10% cut and on Heroic 25%.

If all other cheats were taken out I can accept my version. But that's not gonna happen anyway....


Phoenix Reborn - Campaigns are scripted....those battles are set, meaning you can't lose.