AI Settings Tool Modification

[mattsc]

I just put a new modification called AI Settings Tool onto the 1.16 add-ons server. It provides a GUI for modifying parameters of the Default and Experimental AIs in both MP and SP. The Wesnoth AI is very modifiable, but so far changing the parameters was only possible via code. This GUI allows doing this in-game and is available via a right-click menu option.

As a simple example, it can be used to change the fraction of higher-level units recruited by the Experimental AI or allied AI leaders can be made passive to prevent them from committing suicide. Having said that, I feel compelled to point out that changing AI settings might significantly change or even break a scenario. If AI parameters are set to certain values by the author, there's probably a reason for that. So use this at your own risk.

Any feedback would be very valuable, even more so than usual on this as we are considering adding this modification to mainline for Wesnoth 1.17/1.18. Whether that will happen or not depends on how useful and usable this turns out to be.

Instead of adding more of a description here, there's a screenshot of the GUI's in-game help below.

[hermestrismi]

By your description, it is a very useful tool specifically for testing enemies' Ais.
I will try it later but I want to ask modified AI via scenario parameters vs modified AI via this option, who would be apply?

[mattsc]

I will try it later but I want to ask modified AI via scenario parameters vs modified AI via this option, who would be apply?

This tool overrides all other AI settings at the time it is used. However, if there is an event that triggers after the tool was used, that would then re-override the tool settings.

[shevegen]

Interesting idea. Makes sense to me, too. I was suggesting something, while not similar, vaguely related, e. g. we could "combine" things, or unit abilities. The same thought could be extended onto AI, e. g. to toggle some AI behaviour (in praticular of allied heroes that keep on doing suicide runs and cause the loss of the scenario).

[mattsc]

On suggestion by Toranks, I have added limited support for Micro AIs to the tool. The MAIs are generally not very well suited for this, as most require parameters that cannot easily be entered in a GUI. However, the Fast MAI (to speed up AI turns in scenarios with many units and/or large maps) and the Hang Out MAI (to make units remain close to the leader) may at times be generally useful even with their default settings, so I have added those, together with a subset of their options.

There are a few other minor changes in this version. Full Changelog for version 0.2:

Code: Select all

----- 0.2, 28 December 2022 -----

- Add support for Fast and Hang Out Micros AIs
- Disable 'Apply', 'Default' and 'Change Settings' buttons when they would change nothing
- 'Apply' button now only affects the currently displayed values
- Fix some AI parameters not being initialized correctly on the first turn
- Minor rearranging of the GUI layout