Discussion about the game's artificial intelligence. Auto-translated

Since the topic is about AI, I'll ask those who play GSC (Heroes of Might and Magic) against the computer (in regular maps without scripted scenarios) on Hero difficulty. The game manual describes how the computer behaves at this difficulty – it has 30,000 gold, hires 3 heroes if it has 1 Castle, uses spells in battle, and so on. But it doesn't describe how the computer navigates the map – how it finds paths, how it decides what to take from mines, and where it will be defeated. After all, a player can use a hundred zombies/swordsmen/golems with one fake/beast/hound, even if the game says there's no chance. I tried creating GSC maps (version 3.1) with the following parameters: incredible difficulty, 1 opponent, water, Dungeon, and random monster strength, with the goal of finding the Tear of Ashtar... My main goal is simply to enjoy the game – to try leveling up a hero, exploring the map (since I haven't played in a while, and I've never played as Orcs or Dwarfs)... So, I created a map (with strong monsters) – I run around, clearing my corner of neutral creatures – my main hero (Dark Elf) barely reaches level 6 – then an enemy hero, level 18 (Barbarian), arrives and crushes me. I try creating another map, first checking my and the enemy's Castles to see if our Castles are in neighboring areas (I don't want the enemy to come to me in the second week)... As a result, I find a map where our Castles are practically in different corners (with water and weak monsters). I start developing, occasionally checking the enemy hero's strength in the tavern – he develops at roughly the same pace as me – he's level 6, and so am I, and so on. Eventually, when he comes to my territory, both my and his heroes are around level 12. At the same time, I have many more artifacts because I've defeated almost all the monsters in the area, although I haven't cleared the guard posts at the shipyards, and the computer isn't even looking at the obelisks (in the first game, where it was level 18, it did). I kill this hero, my secondary heroes capture his ship and sail around... this repeats several times – I already have 3 heroes sailing the sea, there are many resources and artifacts, 2 heroes are clearing the Dungeon... but the computer keeps coming and coming to my city and prevents me from properly exploring the map. As a result, I have to abandon everything and spend several weeks chasing his heroes around the map – during this time, I find his city, take it – he retaliates by capturing my city – I have to go and recapture it – he runs away and reclaims his city... in general, after exchanging cities a couple of times, I finally corner him and kill his last hero. At this point, the game ends immediately, and the whole quest to find the Tear of Ashtar becomes meaningless. In theory, I could have had my main hero stand near his Castle (simply summoning reinforcements) and stay there for months while the other heroes search for the Tear and simply explore the map), but honestly, he just annoyed me with his constant running around.

So, the question is – is it possible to predict how the computer will behave on the map? Is there a way to protect myself from its constant running around, or at least understand where it will go?

In this GSC, for example, I found one Castle underground and another on a neighboring island, but the computer didn't capture them (and I didn't have the time or opportunity to take and rebuild them due to the computer's attacks)...

Well, that’s it. Although the AI plays quite well on the “Warrior” difficulty level, as soon as it learns the “Evasion” spell, its priority for using it increases by about 95%. As if archers are the biggest threat to the AI. It’s just plain stupidity. Imagine a Necromancer or a Warlock with powerful Dark or Chaos magic. This happens in version 3.1. It didn’t happen in version 3.0. And yes, I’m still afraid to switch to the “Veteran” difficulty. There, the AI will start cheating – it will drag heroes with seventh-level artifacts. And build castles in cities by the third week.

This isn't cheating; he simply has more resources from the start. Also, on many map templates, when playing against the AI, you should be building both the Capitol and the Castle by the third week.

This isn't cheating; he simply has more resources at the start. Also, on many maps, when playing against the AI, you should be building both a Capitol and a Castle by the third week.

However, for the AI on "Hero" difficulty to be building Black Dragons and other level 7 creatures by the third week... Yes, the AI has 30 units of wood and ore, 15 units of rare resources, and 30,000 gold at the start.

The hero already has 50 common, 25 rare resources, and 50,000 gold...