Features and differences between the AIs?

by **avamk** » 29 Oct 2011, 04:33

Hello,
I have recently discovered Mage, and it looks great!
As a relative newcomer, is there information on the two AIs offered in Mage, features, differences, etc? Also, what does the difficulty of the AI mean? Is 10 the hardest/smartest?
Thanks for making a great game, especially a Free (as in Freedom) one!

by **Iran** » 05 Nov 2011, 01:06

I noticed in the MAGE that AI (mad) doesn't deal well with certains situations. For example when you have Terror of the Kruin Pass on the battlefield (or Terror of the Kruin Pass and others Werewolfs) and you attack with Terror of the Kruin Pass (or with Terror of the Kruin Pass and others Werewolfs), the AI doesn't block your attacks no matter the situation.
I thinks the situation above also occurs when you have Undead Alchemist on the battlefield.
In others situations the AI doesn't attack you (I think when you have one Phyrexian Unlife and lands on the battlefield).

Thanks

by **avamk** » 07 Nov 2011, 11:35

Thanks for sharing your experience.
I am wondering, however, what are the general differences between the two AI?
As a newcomer, what should I consider when choosing between the two??
Thanks.

by **nantuko84** » 14 Nov 2011, 15:49

As a developer, I can say that the difference in valuation function that counts the current state value (it affects on what abilities or spells will be played). The minimax was developed by Steward, the mad one was developed by me by combining the Steward's ideas with the updated function from Magarena (that's why first it was called AI-MA and finally got AI-MAd name).

Though I can't say which one is better, most of the time they will act the same, sometimes not, but the main
problems when AI doesn't attack or doesn't do anything - there will be the same for both of them.

Hope new version will come soon, then we will get rid of two versions of AI as I agree that they don't make sense for players, and replace them by one.