Ranger 3.04

[UnfairestEel]

I have created yet another AI

It's a pure FC AI- but it's very slow

Can someone tell me how to get it to go faster to castle age?
Help would be appreciated

It's stronger than the standard ai but it's incomplete, No flush defence has been added. (yet)

The reason for uploading the ai was just to see if someone else works out what is actually wrong with it (it's so slow)- because I can't speed it up

btw it's called ranger AI and trains lots of archer so it'll probably be strongest as a civ with archer bonuses, like mayans

1.1- Faster, not necessarily stronger

1.3- loads of new Features! Although not noticeably different on tiny 1v1 Arabia

1.4- All round better, but no faster MUST try 2v2 where two Rangers (1.4) are on a team, as two different civs (one must be mayans); Includes tactical innovations for team games!

1.6- More farming!

1.8- More fine-tuned, was bugged now fixed

1.82- counters added

1.9- a lot better but released prematurely due to the discovery of a previously unused SN, so not fine-tuned bit still the best version so far (debatable)

2.0- improved late-game greater use of counter units, and comatible with Nomad and Land Nomad maps!

2.1- extreme counters added...

2.2- A big improvement overnight so you really need to look out for this one!

2.3- A disaster waiting to happen... For you!

2.4- Same old but new

2.5- really deadly...

2.6- you can blame Ruler for the re-added flush defence

2.7- beware of the team grush...

2.8- inspired by you guys

2.9- Another big update Sorry to people actually trying to keep up

3.01- pretty much the same...

3.02- Plays Water maps decently (please don't attack it too early though)

3.03- Some serious bugs were fixed

[_II2N_]

Okay, I runned a test with mayans.

First at dark, Ranger built mill despite it had sheep found. I think it should build mill so early only if it detects foragers or no sheep are found. Then it went up with 27 villagers. Definitely too low for FC, it'll need atleast 30 for non-aztec FC. In some optimal situations less can be enough, though. If AI is going for barracks+range+blacksmith it might need more. The idea is only take 2-3 villagers/wheelbarrow at feudal so villagers spend more time at work. During dark-feudal transfer Ranger started mining gold though it didnt have even started building mining camp yet so villagers dropped gold to tc. Anyway dark age didnt have idle tc.
At feudal it first built blacksmith quite far. Blacksmith takes less time to build than range so it should be built after range. Buildings needed for FC should be built closer so villagers wouldnt need to walk so far.

Feudal: 12:39
Castle: 18:51

Not bad castle time but longer dark would speed up that.

[Campeador]

http://forums.aiscripters.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2520

[UnfairestEel]

I'm happy with 18:50 castle time

I was consistently getting over 21:XX in my tests

btw thanks for the advice! I'm actually not worried about only 27 vills if there is no idle TC
I will take the mining camp on board and make a few other changes.
I'm testing it as random so I can fix problems with different civs, the first civ it got was spanish: the only civ with no xbows (it still dominated the standard ai though)

Then it went up with 27 villagers. Definitely too low for FC, it'll need atleast 30 for non-aztec FC

What makes Aztecs so special?

[marathon]

Aztecs have turbo farming - at least 10% faster farmers than the rest civs. They also have better lumberjacks and miners and everything. But their hunting is tricky, because hunters take a while to return their cargo.

Especially for xbow rush, there is the option for a fast feudal, followed by a fast castle. This allows to set up the archer production since feudal. Kosmos uses such a strategy sometimes as Britons. It often manages to visit you with 40 soldiers around 20-22', while already in castle and with the xbow-bodkin upgrades. Very strong concept.

Xbow rush is different from knight rush or eagle rush or cavarcher rush, because you can start training in feudal. Without UP you need a long time before you manage to set up your archer production, as you need 3-4 ranges, and you can't build them simultaneously. On top of that, archers are trained in 35" (xbows in 27"), a very long time.

I've said it before, and I will say it once again: Perhaps the most powerful xbow rush AI is Strongbow with Mayans. A version of it trains exactly 30 dark villagers, it trains no villagers in feudal, and it resumes vill training in mid castle! Still, it is so powerful that it usually beats Eagles Revenge and a lot other AIs in my tests.

A "different" xbow rush can be found in Lade 1.2, it's the Aztec strategy. Not really optimised, but good for a quick look for you. In my tests it has occasionally beaten some dinosaurs like ARFFI Degel Aztecs.

I cannot test Ranger right now. I will and I will provide feedback sometime. I suspect that its 3 strongest civs are Mayans, Aztecs and Britons, in this order.

[Archon]

Kosmos uses such a strategy sometimes as Britons. It often manages to visit you with 40 soldiers around 20-22', while already in castle and with the xbow-bodkin upgrades. Very strong concept.

Twice as many as Strongbow ... no, I don't believe that.

[marathon]

Maybe around 24'. Anyway, it is possible, since it hits 12' feudal times. I have seen 11:56 feudal times on Yucatan. Then, if you train some skirms, and also some spears, then everything is possible.
Believe it

[UnfairestEel]

Wow

I just like Xbows because they are cheap and formidable when massed.

So now I know why Aztecs are considered such a great civ!

I will play Aztec Ranger vs Mayan Ranger

btw

Ranger still advances in 21:XX minutes, I am not happy about that (I'll try putting a restriction of 30 vills before advancing)

When ranger gets mayans or aztecs it will also do a mini klew (especially in early castle and late imperial)
And when ranger will play aztecs it will try and spam Jag warriors as if they are archers.

Perhaps the most powerful xbow rush AI is Strongbow with Mayans

Where/how can I get Strongbow (I'm going to check AOKH blacksmith now)

[UnfairestEel]

Upgraded to 1.1 now: definitely strongest as mayans

May add flush defence now...

[Suriel]

Where/how can I get Strongbow (I'm going to check AOKH blacksmith now)

If I remember correctly, it is somewhere in the tournaments packs. Look here: http://forums.aiscripters.com/viewtopic ... 2284#p2284.