A guide to the AI of planeswalkers using ability factories

[Sloth]

Now that 14 of the 21 implemented Planeswalkers use AbilityFactory abilities and are no longer hardcoded, I've added some basic AI checks especially for Planeswalkers:

1. Abilities that are flagged as ultimate will be considered before the other abilities.
2. At the end of the turn the computer will use one of its abilities (with some rare exceptions).

I will now list the AF using Planeswalkers with their current AI usage and possible weaknesses that should be improved.

Ajani Goldmane - hardcoded.

Ajani Vengeant:
The AI will use his ultimate as soon as possible in Main1/Main2.
Will use his second ability if it can kill a creature during Main1.
Will use his first ability during Main2 if the ultimate is not available (I'm still working on improving this ability).
Verdict: Playable

Chandra Nalaar - hardcoded.

Chandra, the Firebrand:
Will use her ultimate if it could kill one creature or the human during Main1/Main2.
Never uses the second ability.
Will use her first ability to kill a creature/human in Main1/Main2 or to ping the human in Main2 if the ultimate is not available.
Verdict: Playable

Elspeth, Knight-Errant - hardcoded.

Elspeth Tirel:
Will use her ultimate in Main1/Main2 when he things the trade is in his favor.
Will use her second ability in Main2 if he controls no creatures.
Will use her first ability in Main2 if he controls any creatures and the ultimate is not available.
Verdict: Borderline Playable

Garruk, Primal Hunter:
Will use his ultimate in Main2.
Will never use his second ability.
Will use his first ability in Main2 if the ultimate is not available.
Verdict: Very Playable

Garruk Wildspeaker:
Will use his ultimate in Main1 (but AF PumpAll is not very advanced).
Will only use his second ability in Main2 if he controls no tapped lands.
Will use is first ability in Main1/Main2 (but AF Untap is also not so AI friendly).
Verdict: Borderline Playable

Gideon Jura: the effect of the ultimate is not supported for the AI in forge.

Jace Beleren:
Will use his ultimate in Main2.
Will never use his second ability.
Will use his first ability in Main2 if the ultimate is not available.
Verdict: Only useful in the right deck

Jace, Memory Adept:
Will use his ultimate only to deck the human in Main2.
Will never use his second ability (only when his own library is empty).
Will use his first ability in Main2.
Verdict: Very Playable

Jace, the Mind Sculptor - hardcoded.

Koth of the Hammer - hardcoded.

Liliana Vess:
Will use her ultimate if there are any creatures in a graveyard in Main1/Main2.
Will never use her second ability.
Will use her first ability in Main2 if the ultimate is not available.
Verdict: Very Playable

Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker:
Will use his ultimate as soon as possible in Main1/Main2.
Will only use his second ability if the first finds no targets in Main1/Main2.
Will use his first ability in Main1/Main2 if the ultimate is not available.
Verdict: Playable (but expensive)

Nissa Revane:
Will use her ultimate in Main1/Main2 if there are elves in his library.
Will use her second ability in Main2 if there are no longer Nissa's Chosen in his library.
Will use her first ability in Main1/Main2 if there are Nissa's Chosen in his library and the ultimate is not available.
Verdict: Very Playable (in the right deck)

Sarkhan the Mad - hardcoded.

Sarkhan Vol:
Will use his ultiamte ability only in Main2 (but will only get there if there are no creatures on the board, because the AI will use the first or second ability in Main1).
Will use his second ability if he controls no creatures but the human does in Main1.
Will use his first ability if he controls creatures in Main1 (AF PumpAll AI is still lacking).
Verdict: Borderline Playable

Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas:
His ultimate is not flagged as such and will thus only be used if he can kill the human in Main1.
Will never use his second ability (no AI has been written for targeted AF Animate)
Will use his first ability in Main2.
Verdict: Playable (quite good with lots of artifacts)

Tezzeret the Seeker - hardcoded.

Venser, the Sojourner: got SVar:RemAIDeck:True because his first ability won't be used.

If anyone wants to convert a planeswalker to keyword or wants to improve one of the existing, I can share further testing results.

[moomarc]

Venser, the Sojourner: got SVar:RemAIDeck:True because his first ability won't be used

Would it not be worth adding an if clause that lets the ai use the first ability if it has creatures (or other permanents) with a positive ETB ability or 'leaves play' ability. I just think it could be a powerful card for the AI; so even if you keep the SVar so that it won't show up in randomly generated decks, is it possible to add the AI checks so that Venser could still be added to constructed decks and played well by the AI (seeing as it will have appropriate support cards).

[Hellfish]

There may be a case for implementing an AF_Blink as the AI doesn't handle two separate things interacting very well (which is what blinking currently is). I may hop on this, but I've got one other project I want to focus on first.

[Sloth]

There may be a case for implementing an AF_Blink as the AI doesn't handle two separate things interacting very well (which is what blinking currently is). I may hop on this, but I've got one other project I want to focus on first.

The AI can use blink abilities to rescue permanents that would be destroyed, but that does not help Venser.

[Hellfish]

With an AF there could be a generalized AI that could look for posistive ETB triggers.

[Sloth]

With an AF there could be a generalized AI that could look for posistive ETB triggers.

I don't think we need a special AF for that. I will try to add this to AF ChangeZone.

[Doublestrike]

Wow, this is a thankful bunch of people!

[friarsol]

Planeswalkers were easily the card type that lost the most ground when we changed over to our current scripting system, while the abilities could be scripted the AI stopped being able to use them effectively. These types of changes is exactly what we need to cover when streamlining everything.

[friarsol]

It looks like Koth of the Hammer 's first ability is wrong (isn't granting Red) The AI won't use the second ability right now at all, would it be worth converting him since the AFs would be pretty similar?

[jeffwadsworth]

It looks like Koth of the Hammer 's first ability is wrong (isn't granting Red) The AI won't use the second ability right now at all, would it be worth converting him since the AFs would be pretty similar?

Done.

[jeffwadsworth]

Elspeth, Knight-Errant also looks doable now. Done.

[slapshot5]

. Ajani Goldmane should be scriptable too.

[jeffwadsworth]

. Ajani Goldmane should be scriptable too.

Done.

[slapshot5]

and Tezzeret the Seeker

[jeffwadsworth]

and Tezzeret the Seeker

I will add it tomorrow unless someone else does it. Sleep beckons.