$Header: /fridge/cvs/xscorch/doc/AI,v 1.3 2001/04/07 19:54:55 justins Exp $


AI file for XScorch.  
Copyright(c) 2000 Justin David Smith
Copyright(c) 2000 Jacob Luna Lundberg.


This document agrees with version 0.1.9.



CONTENTS

   Immediate Attention
   AI Conservative Strategies
   Other thoughts



IMMEDIATE ATTENTION

   Nothing on the list



AI CONSERVATIVE STRATEGIES

   Suggestions from RJ Marquette:
      I have a suggestion for a new player, call him the "Economist": His
      goal, basically, is to get you to use your shields up via lots of
      napalm/missles that hit near the shields (rather than directly on
      them).  What happens after two or three rounds is that the target can
      no longer afford to buy good shields or weapons.  By the end of the
      game, they're almost helpless.  (It's a long-term strategy instead of
      a one-round strategy.) Oh, yeah, he has to buy and use strong shields
      himself for this to work.

   I hope to merge these ideas as soon as I have some free time not hacking
   away at the network code :)

   
   
OTHER THOUGHTS

   Need a hook to say whether AI hit the intended target; if not, then the
   AI should automagically modify the angle slightly to try to hit the
   target (note, they'll need to know if the tank was closer or farther from
   their strike) (this is also rather contingient on if either tank moves).

   Need an AI that maintains a list of targets to be attacked.
   
   Need to be able to restrict AI's from buying weapons above a certain 
   yield -- this should make the AI's somewhat easier than they are now.