Feedback on AI Behavior in Age of Empires 4

[??]

Hello fellow Age of Empires 4 enthusiasts,

I wanted to share my recent experiences with the AI on the hardest difficulty level in free-for-all matches. I've observed some patterns that I believe could be improved to enhance the overall gaming experience. Here are my findings:

Lack of AI Interaction: In a 1v2 scenario, I noticed that the AI opponents did not engage with each other as expected. Instead, both focused solely on attacking my base. This lack of dynamic interaction between AI opponents limits the strategic depth of the game.

Simplistic Unit Production: The AI's approach to unit production seems quite straightforward, with a tendency to build only one of each military building and create a mixed group of units without a clear strategy. This simplicity can make the AI predictable and reduces the challenge for players.

Prioritization of Towers: The AI's relentless focus on attacking towers, even at the cost of its own units, seems counterintuitive. It would be more engaging if the AI considered a more balanced approach, taking into account the threat posed by both defensive structures and military units.

Timed Surrender: I observed instances where the AI seemingly stopped building units after a certain period, leading to a lack of opposition. This raises questions about whether there is a timer-related surrender mechanic. If so, it might be beneficial to reevaluate and adjust this feature to ensure the AI remains a formidable opponent throughout the match.

Limited Adaptability: The AI's lack of adaptability and failure to learn from previous encounters make each game feel repetitive. Introducing more dynamic learning mechanisms could lead to a more challenging and enjoyable experience.


Additional Points:

Limited Understanding of Mass Production: One notable observation is the AI's inability to efficiently utilize mass production. In a 1v4 scenario with high resources, I experimented by building 10 barracks simultaneously to quickly churn out units. Surprisingly, the AI did not exhibit a similar approach; instead, it seemed to favor a few buildings for unit production, missing out on the potential for a more formidable army.

Ineffective Response to Specialized Units: During a match where I focused on bombards, the AI's lack of knowledge on countering specific unit compositions became evident. Despite having a mixed group of units, the AI struggled to adapt to the slower pace of an army that included bombards. When the bombards started to wreak havoc, the AI's response was not optimal – instead of breaking formation and attacking the threat individually, the AI opted for a full retreat, missing an opportunity to effectively counter the specialized unit composition.

Consistent Behavior Across Difficulty Levels: It's worth noting that these observations are consistent across different difficulty levels. Whether playing on the easiest or the hardest setting, the AI seems to follow the same patterns, indicating a lack of adaptability and learning capabilities.

These aspects contribute to the overall predictability of the AI, making each match feel somewhat repetitive. I believe addressing these issues would not only enhance the challenge for players but also lead to more dynamic and engaging gameplay.

Let's continue the discussion and share thoughts on potential improvements and strategies to make the AI a more formidable opponent.

[YouMoMCallME]

Originally posted by HungarianStallion:

Hello fellow Age of Empires 4 enthusiasts,

I wanted to share my recent experiences with the AI on the hardest difficulty level in free-for-all matches. I've observed some patterns that I believe could be improved to enhance the overall gaming experience. Here are my findings:

Lack of AI Interaction: In a 1v2 scenario, I noticed that the AI opponents did not engage with each other as expected. Instead, both focused solely on attacking my base. This lack of dynamic interaction between AI opponents limits the strategic depth of the game.

Simplistic Unit Production: The AI's approach to unit production seems quite straightforward, with a tendency to build only one of each military building and create a mixed group of units without a clear strategy. This simplicity can make the AI predictable and reduces the challenge for players.

Prioritization of Towers: The AI's relentless focus on attacking towers, even at the cost of its own units, seems counterintuitive. It would be more engaging if the AI considered a more balanced approach, taking into account the threat posed by both defensive structures and military units.

Timed Surrender: I observed instances where the AI seemingly stopped building units after a certain period, leading to a lack of opposition. This raises questions about whether there is a timer-related surrender mechanic. If so, it might be beneficial to reevaluate and adjust this feature to ensure the AI remains a formidable opponent throughout the match.

Limited Adaptability: The AI's lack of adaptability and failure to learn from previous encounters make each game feel repetitive. Introducing more dynamic learning mechanisms could lead to a more challenging and enjoyable experience.


Additional Points:

Limited Understanding of Mass Production: One notable observation is the AI's inability to efficiently utilize mass production. In a 1v4 scenario with high resources, I experimented by building 10 barracks simultaneously to quickly churn out units. Surprisingly, the AI did not exhibit a similar approach; instead, it seemed to favor a few buildings for unit production, missing out on the potential for a more formidable army.

Ineffective Response to Specialized Units: During a match where I focused on bombards, the AI's lack of knowledge on countering specific unit compositions became evident. Despite having a mixed group of units, the AI struggled to adapt to the slower pace of an army that included bombards. When the bombards started to wreak havoc, the AI's response was not optimal – instead of breaking formation and attacking the threat individually, the AI opted for a full retreat, missing an opportunity to effectively counter the specialized unit composition.

Consistent Behavior Across Difficulty Levels: It's worth noting that these observations are consistent across different difficulty levels. Whether playing on the easiest or the hardest setting, the AI seems to follow the same patterns, indicating a lack of adaptability and learning capabilities.

These aspects contribute to the overall predictability of the AI, making each match feel somewhat repetitive. I believe addressing these issues would not only enhance the challenge for players but also lead to more dynamic and engaging gameplay.

Let's continue the discussion and share thoughts on potential improvements and strategies to make the AI a more formidable opponent.

Unfortunately the AI behavior will not change fundamental as the developers do not give full access to AI files. At the moment AI can be modified superficially, but it does not change anything drastically. Unfortunately the AI behavior in AoE 4 is rigidly programmed. There is a mod that improves the situation, but it can not solve all the major problems of AI. Also the AI doesn't use most of the abilities of units and buildings . The AI is pretty limited at the moment.

Mod https://www.ageofempires.com/mods/details/169622/

Mod theme https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/jakcie-a-i-actual-ai-improvements/232879/85

Thread discussing AI in general https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/the-ai-is-terrible/178377/183

[AyamSerundeng]

AI is pretty much weak compare to aoe2 and 3. Not quite fun to play with

[Lotor13]

Originally posted by APHRODITE:

AI is pretty much weak compare to aoe2 and 3. Not quite fun to play with

I would say, it is better than AoE2 and AoE3

AI In all games is bad - but AoE4 has a best one

I just play skirmish in AoE2, medium (moderate difficulty), the AI is completely passive

[AyamSerundeng]

Originally posted by Lotor13:

Originally posted by APHRODITE:

AI is pretty much weak compare to aoe2 and 3. Not quite fun to play with

I would say, it is better than AoE2 and AoE3

AI In all games is bad - but AoE4 has a best one

I just play skirmish in AoE2, medium (moderate difficulty), the AI is completely passive

Compare both hardest and you'll see which AI functioned properly. Aoe 2 and 3 far superior and give you challenge rather than aoe 4

[Ragnarr Loðbrók]

kinda weird tried one match with this modded A.I and it kinda was... a lackluster.... i hope the next round will be better D: it actually performed worse than before.... but well could be als RNG factor.

[sisqo102]

One thing aoe 4 ai does better than 2 is water maps. At least last time I checked, which was a while ago. Aoe 2 is totally passive and sits on its island but 4 was raiding me with transport ships and I was actually impressed. It's not so clear to me that aoe 2 ai is better on the whole.

Anyways. I would love it if they keep improving the ai as much as they can. I'll add one scenario I'd like to see improved. Similar to the tower scenario, but with stone walls in general.

I completely stone walled off the AI and when I do that they become a joke. They did not build cannons or manage to ram the walls down. In fact, they stood their army at it and idled while I blasted them away.. this was against abassid on black forest.