Computer can erase barons?
Computer can erase barons?
The last time I thought I'd found a bug I was proven wrong, so I have some trepidation, but I've seen this many times now.
I'm playing a very hard level, and the I got to the point where it had created a baron (always a last resort!). This is good for me, as you can then use that to your advantage: all its men are tied up in this strength-sapping 54-man behemoth. This is the reason I don't use them myself: you become very inflexible. Anyway I keep the baron alive so that the computer can't effectively attack me as I have 50 smaller guys munching up his territory.
HOWEVER. It appears that the AI can, on a whim, decide it doesn't want the baron any more. I'm almost certain it doesn't run out of territory and die: I never see a cross to show it's died. It's just not there all of a sudden on the next turn. As far as I know, I can't perform this same feat of wishing away the expensive strength-sapper when I've got rid of whatever I don't want in my way: I'm stuck with him unless I can manage to have him stranded somewhere.
Could it be that I'm somehow just missing something? Right now the computer just had its turn and there is no baron any more and no cross for a dead baron either.
I'm playing a very hard level, and the I got to the point where it had created a baron (always a last resort!). This is good for me, as you can then use that to your advantage: all its men are tied up in this strength-sapping 54-man behemoth. This is the reason I don't use them myself: you become very inflexible. Anyway I keep the baron alive so that the computer can't effectively attack me as I have 50 smaller guys munching up his territory.
HOWEVER. It appears that the AI can, on a whim, decide it doesn't want the baron any more. I'm almost certain it doesn't run out of territory and die: I never see a cross to show it's died. It's just not there all of a sudden on the next turn. As far as I know, I can't perform this same feat of wishing away the expensive strength-sapper when I've got rid of whatever I don't want in my way: I'm stuck with him unless I can manage to have him stranded somewhere.
Could it be that I'm somehow just missing something? Right now the computer just had its turn and there is no baron any more and no cross for a dead baron either.
Never seen that happen, and I've played a LOT of games with AI. What does tend to happen sometimes, is a baron gets caught in a small bubble of a cut, and the AI loses it without losing many other men.
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- Sean OConnor
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When a territory gets cut in half the game needs to create a new village in the newly created territory. It tries to put it on an open space, but if none are available it tries on a grave, then a tree, then a castle and then finally on a man. It also tries to put it in a central position in the territory.
Are you using a version before 5.0? The algorithm was slightly different then (it tried to put new villages in the furthest top left open position)
There's no (intentional) code for the computer to try and lose one of it's Barons though!
Are you using a version before 5.0? The algorithm was slightly different then (it tried to put new villages in the furthest top left open position)
There's no (intentional) code for the computer to try and lose one of it's Barons though!
As someone who has written programs and had people complain about problems that literally could not happen, I hesitate to say this. However, (unless I missed something big) in the game I just lost (on the version for the ipad) the AI had 2 barons in the same territory and I didn't cut his territory at all, but the next turn (with me almost eliminated) he only had one baron.
Also, it doesn't say in the rules anywhere - when territories are joined, is there any heuristic for figuring out ahead of time which HQ will be kept?
Also, it doesn't say in the rules anywhere - when territories are joined, is there any heuristic for figuring out ahead of time which HQ will be kept?
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strange, I don't know how to explain ityogshog wrote:As someone who has written programs and had people complain about problems that literally could not happen, I hesitate to say this. However, (unless I missed something big) in the game I just lost (on the version for the ipad) the AI had 2 barons in the same territory and I didn't cut his territory at all, but the next turn (with me almost eliminated) he only had one baron.

I think that it's the Hq of the largest territoryyogshog wrote: Also, it doesn't say in the rules anywhere - when territories are joined, is there any heuristic for figuring out ahead of time which HQ will be kept?
I need to write something, so i create that signature.
- Fusion_power
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Erasing units
I've definitely witnessed the AI erasing Barons/Knights.
I've tried to figure out what creates that scenario but have found none. It's definitely not just a territory being split and having a hut spawn on a unit, it often happens when there is no split.
If you want a way to test it I have a method you could try. Play a map with a bottleneck that can be guarded by one baron, and situate yourself so you have half of the map (that can support the baron, of course) and the computer cannot advance.
This should create a stalemate (assuming the AI has resources for guarding barons as well) but it often doesn't... I bide my time and click End Turn, and the AI often reshuffles its forces a little. Sometimes (but not always) in this scenario it just disbands the baron which allows my own baron to storm through.
I've tried to figure out what creates that scenario but have found none. It's definitely not just a territory being split and having a hut spawn on a unit, it often happens when there is no split.
If you want a way to test it I have a method you could try. Play a map with a bottleneck that can be guarded by one baron, and situate yourself so you have half of the map (that can support the baron, of course) and the computer cannot advance.
This should create a stalemate (assuming the AI has resources for guarding barons as well) but it often doesn't... I bide my time and click End Turn, and the AI often reshuffles its forces a little. Sometimes (but not always) in this scenario it just disbands the baron which allows my own baron to storm through.
Re: Erasing units
Ditto.Re-Peat wrote:I've definitely witnessed the AI erasing Barons/Knights.
I have seen this dozens of times (iPhone version). It has happened where the computer's territory has not been comprimised in any way. The computer's Baron is simply gone. In the case I am describing the barons do not starve. As all other units are still alive. No intervening other computer player captured any territory either.
I can not think of any other game function that could allow this to happen. It seems like a bug to me.
Erasing Barons
I can "bank" all players except the baron. But I have seen incidents where the PC has not been starved but the baron has been removed from play.
I have also seen a number of "can't happen" situations where from the first move a warrior has appeared from a 4 hexagon island and done one further move before being starved. Something which I have been unable to myself. I suspect this is a bug, but such things as Barons being removed from play do seem to happen.
I have also seen a number of "can't happen" situations where from the first move a warrior has appeared from a 4 hexagon island and done one further move before being starved. Something which I have been unable to myself. I suspect this is a bug, but such things as Barons being removed from play do seem to happen.
- Fusion_power
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I have observed the same thing as Re-Peat and panicboy, except it my case it was with a knight.
It was on iPhone version, map Ette (5th row, 2nd column), hard. There is a narrow single hex wide, two hex long bridge between the central/left island and the right peninsulas. I had control of the entire main island, and light brown had control of the right peninsula. The AI offered to surrender one turn before I had completely dominated my area. I declined, so brown brought their knight up to the right side of the narrow bridge. In my next turn I finished taking the mainland then moved my knight to my side of the bridge, toe-to-toe with their knight.
On their next turn, their knight simply disappeared. There were no trees, the computer had one territory, other men did not disappear, there was no tombstones, and their territory had not shrunk a single hex in the last turn.
On the plus side it broke the stalemate before I even had to get a baron, but it sure looks like a bug to me!
Sean - I hope I have provided enough detail for it to be reproducible for you!
It was on iPhone version, map Ette (5th row, 2nd column), hard. There is a narrow single hex wide, two hex long bridge between the central/left island and the right peninsulas. I had control of the entire main island, and light brown had control of the right peninsula. The AI offered to surrender one turn before I had completely dominated my area. I declined, so brown brought their knight up to the right side of the narrow bridge. In my next turn I finished taking the mainland then moved my knight to my side of the bridge, toe-to-toe with their knight.
On their next turn, their knight simply disappeared. There were no trees, the computer had one territory, other men did not disappear, there was no tombstones, and their territory had not shrunk a single hex in the last turn.
On the plus side it broke the stalemate before I even had to get a baron, but it sure looks like a bug to me!
Sean - I hope I have provided enough detail for it to be reproducible for you!