The Nomad AI

[PitchNeeded]

Now that the new Crusader AI, Lord Woolsack is mostly ready, we now need a new Arabian AI I think. ByBurton's Nomad character is intriguing and ideal for a new AI. What is even better is that quotes are already there in the speech files that would fit a new fearsome Arabian character under the term bad_a.

Apropos evil arabic lords: I tinkered around with a medium difficulty one. I named him "The Nomad". Builds no towers whatsoever, and does not recruit archers. Only horse archers, and uses those to patrol his lands and castle. His castles have a Nazir touch, but this character uses no bread and no pitch. His industry is rather weak and relies on his taverns to get some money. Units used for defense: Horse archers & arabian swordsmen. 4 fire ballistae. Units used for raids: Arabian swordsmen Units used for sortie: Arabian archers (hordes of) Attacks: About 50:50 horse archers and arabian swordsmen. No siege engines (might chance that). --> Around caliph difficulty, but a little stronger.

I think this sounds good but I would make a few changes:

• I think the Nomad should have slingers on his keep for defence. Slings are a weapon people from the more remote areas of the desert would have used, and so would fit with his Nomad character.

• I think the Nomad should also use slingers in his attacks, along with the proposed horse archers and Arabian swordsmen. He would advance the slingers alongside the horse archers to distract the enemy archers and to fire stones up at defenders. It would also make his sieges more unique from other Arabian AIs.

• Like Emir he should train some European archers as well as Arabian archers I think, so has a few fletchers. This is far better economically, for two reasons, firstly, I cannot see The Nomad doing well with creating similar amounts of Arabian archers to Nizar (Nizar has a stronger economy with bread production) and secondly, he can sell excess bows made in his fletchers for gold.

• I don't think he should have negative fear factor. Neutral fear factor is fine I think. I just think a fearsome nomad warrior from the steppes or desert would take pride in his army and not want to have a weakened army. Also there is no neutral fear factor Arabian AI in Stronghold Crusader at the minute so that would make him unique.

• I don't think he needs four inns, three is probably enough!

• Because he has no towers, he needs more than four defending fire ballistae, he should have the maximum number available in the AIV editor (which is 8 I think?)

[Halbarad1]

Wow I really do like this idea. I do like the original castle, industry and the focus on horse archers. I also do like your idea to include slingers because they are only used by the Sultan right now and as fast as horse archers. Would fit to this character with fast troops. However, I don't wanna see him recruiting any normal European or Arabien archers.

My suggestions: How about including some kennels? I like the idea of a fast AI with strong and fast attacks, but the normal swordsmen would slow it down. Also he already uses slaves for the moat, so why not use them for attacks? So my suggested troops are:

For raids:

• Many slaves and slingers, few horse archers

For attacks

• Many horse archers and slingers, also slaves and assassins (or swordsmen), maybe also tunnelers

Fortress defense and patroling units could stay the same, more fire ballistae could also be fine but wouldn't be necessary if he would patrol with horse archers in and around the fortress.

[PitchNeeded]

How about including some kennels?

You mean caged war dogs? That would be a good idea and would fit with his character, maybe they could be situated at the outside shore of his moat or at the end of the drawbridges

For attacks

Many horse archers and slingers, also slaves and assassins (or swordsmen), maybe also tunnelers

Yes he should send slaves in his attacks if he has to dig up an enemy moat. It would also be a good idea at other times maybe if he could send slaves in his attacks (not for hand to hand combat which they are useless at) but to burn enemy buildings outside the castle during the siege.

Tunnelers might be a good idea actually, he could use them instead of siege engines during sieges.

I like the idea of a fast AI with strong and fast attacks, but the normal swordsmen would slow it down

Maybe he could use assassins as his melee troops to speed them up a bit. Horse archers, slingers and assassins might be a good siege combination for him.

For raids:

Many slaves and slingers, few horse archers

Good idea, using three fast unit types for combined unit tactics for raids would be very effective!

[PitchNeeded]

I like your idea of him having no foot archers at all too, I don't think he needs them. He could send out combined groups of horse archers and slingers to respond to threats to his economic buildings.

[ByBurton]

So, as this is my AI character, I will state why I have him this way:

1. ONLY horse archers - no slingers. Why? I wanted him to be completely focused on horse archers, and not have units on his keep. And slingers are slower than horse archers. I only want horse archers as his defence, offence.

2. Changes to the attack force. As I have stated, I want the AI to 99% use units on horses, and horse archers are the only arabian units that have horses.

3. Why do I not include slaves in raids? He recruits them for digging already? Because too many AI lords already use slaves, and slaves are not very noble.

I wanted my lord to be like Dschinghis Khan in Stronghold Crusader, but in my own way. No castle whatsoever, just a quick little lake around its keep. No stationary archers, nothing.

[PitchNeeded]

@ByBurton OK, fair enough about the point about the slinger/ horse archers speed difference meaning it might not work.

I know its your AI too and I am really looking forward to it being in the game (and to help you, I have suggested a source for quotes for him in the opening paragraph of my first post here). I have a few questions though, I hope you don't mind.

1. Could he perhaps just send horse archers out to respond to attacks like Wazir does and cut out the need for Arabian archers?

2. Could he send tunnelers to dig tunnels during the siege? They would work well I think considering he has no siege equipment for the siege.

3. Could I help out and make a castle or two for this new AI according to your specifications for the Nomad's castle? :D Do you still want him to have negative fear factor and if so to what degree?

[ByBurton]

@PitchNeeded

1. He does not recruit any foot soldiers, instead sends masses of horse archers to respond. A few even are send into melee, so the rest of the horse archers can shoot for longer.

2. Tunnelers just don't fit. I get that you want him to be stronger, but I don't. He attacks the walls with horse archers, and with a few swordsmen. That is enough. The attacks aren't what make him strong.

3. Sure, I will write what I want I need in his castles, and how they are generally supposed to look, ok? No, feel free to change the fear factor to anything in range from -5 to -1. I actually planned to make a few more castles myself, because I want different variations of him. Most with full or almost full negative, but he should have a negative "look", ok?

Do you have steam?

[ByBurton]

P.S.: I also changed Richard, to be a homage to Saruman from lord of the rings.

Uses all slow, strong and armoured units. Loves cutting down trees, and his mines. Builds a round castle, and focuses on the weapons for his army. Units used for defence: Crossbowmen, arabian swordsmen, european swordsmen, pikemen. Units used for sortie: Crossbowmen (ranged), a LOT of Swordsmen (melee) Units used for raids: A few crossbowmen, together with european and arabian swordsmen, as well as pikemen. Units used for attacks: Crossbowmen, a lot of pikemen for digging, and some for attacking as well. Primary and secondary attack force are european and arabian swordsmen. Siege engines: 1 siege tower, battering rams and catapults.

Loves spamming melee infantry. Does not care about defensive crossbowmen on towers until later in the game.

Edit: Builds up to 20 iron mines, if there is enough iron.

[Halbarad1]

Since only Kalif and Snake do use slaves for raids and every other AIs just uses them for digging they are less used then horse archers but however. Sad for us that you want to make him only on your own but however, that's your right. Question: Is there somewhere some kind of tutorial on how to edit an AIs troops, farms, ...?

One suggestions left: If you want your character to be noble and like Dschinghis Khan, I would suggest you to call him "The Khan". Doesn't sound like some kind of reaver.

[PitchNeeded]

@PitchNeeded Sure, I will write what I want I need in his castles, and how they are generally supposed to look, ok? No, feel free to change the fear factor to anything in range from -5 to -1. I actually planned to make a few more castles myself, because I want different variations of him. Most with full or almost full negative, but he should have a negative "look", ok?

I have a good idea for one of his castles based on the design you have done for him, so I will look forward to doing that soon.

Do you have steam?

Yes

Oops, I have one more question: do you think the set of quotes I suggested are OK for his character? I shall have a look later in the Stronghold Crusader files and try and find some binks that can be used for him. You may need to just use bad_soldier (of allied Wolf, Rat, Pig and Snake message fame) though.

[ByBurton]

@PitchNeeded I have no idea about which quotes you mean, and I don't care about them too much, sorry. You can feel free to use whatever you want to use. But inform me if you can come up with something useful.

The Nomad aiv.txt

[ByBurton]

@Halbarad1 I am sorry... Edit: The Khan sounds good.

[ByBurton]

By the way, the screenshot you used to begin this issue is out of date. It has not enough houses and an inn too much.

[PitchNeeded]

Edit: The Khan sounds good.

Although that is also the name of a character in Stronghold Crusader 2 so maybe you would be better with a name more unique

@PitchNeeded I have no idea about which quotes you mean, and I don't care about them too much, sorry. You can feel free to use whatever you want to use. But inform me if you can come up with something useful.

The Nomad aiv.txt

The quotes are located here:

Stronghold Crusader Extreme/fx/speech

and start with bada_anger01 and end with bada_vict03

Yeah I have listened through them there and they sound like they would fit very well with The Khan/The Nomad!

[YouMoMCallME]

@PitchNeeded and @ByBurton Do you need any help with a new AI?

[Halbarad1]

@Lolasik011 is there some kind of tutorial on how to create a new AI/ change an AI? I do know how to use AIV editor and how to change videos and sounds, but how do I change AI farms, troops and the way how the AI uses its troops?

[YouMoMCallME]

@Halbarad1 For this, an AICE editor is created. But so far he is not in the public domain ... I think he will be released soon. I'm waiting for him too.

[ByBurton]

AICE is released now, but the UCP version not yet.

[ByBurton]

Update: I am updating all my AICs right now, because I am planning on creating sort of a skirmish trail with some new AIs replacing old ones. The Nomad got a complete rework, and I still calling him Nomad. Khan would be too much of a steal from Firefly Studios.

These missions will be focusing around my new AIs of course, and will include missions ranging from extremely easy to extremely difficult. If anyone is willing to play-test, please, contact me on Discord (Kimberly #7579)

[Sh0wdown]

Khan would be too much of a steal from Firefly Studios.

I don't think so, "Khan" has been around for a long time. But maybe it's just me because I haven't played the other Stronghold titles.

[PitchNeeded]

'The Nomad' is a good name I think.

Looking forward to your skirmish trail, ByBurton.

I would like to do a skirmish trail with some player made AIs but only when Sh0wdown's speech file extractor is released, as I want the AIs to have speech files :D

[DarkThief-Darek]

I am updating all my AICs right now, because I am planning on creating sort of a skirmish trail with some new AIs replacing old ones.

@ByBurton How will you want to publish your skirmish trail? Will you customize the Extreme Trails? I opened an issue addressing the absurd gold values there. Are you planning your mission around those starting gold values, or do you something different?