Understanding defense, how the AI plays.

Unknown

I was going to make a thread to discuss which characters/teams are best for defense, but I realized the first step needs to be fully understanding how the AI plays. I have a decent understanding of it, but there's definitely some aspects I'm not sure about. Understanding how the AI plays is crucial to being able to create a team that's good on defense (for example, knowing that the AI will use abilities once they have the required AP means that on a team with a high AP and a low AP ability in the same color, the high AP ability will rarely if ever be used).

Here are some "rules" the AI uses:
- When given the option of making a "T" or making a 4-match, the AI will always make the 4-match. This means the AI will make less crit tiles than the average human player. (EDIT: Also makes a 4 instead of an "L" - Blueshoes)
- When given the option of using a crit tile for a 3-match or making any 4-match, the AI will always make the 4-match
- Once the AI has enough AP to use an ability, it will use it, regardless of whether it will be particularly effective at that time, and regardless of whether it screws up a potentially better move (for example, it will use a tile swap ability even if there's a 5-line waiting to be made). EDIT: Apparently there are exceptions to this rule.
- The AI will only use abilities that it had the requisite AP for at the START of that turn. So abilities that generate AP are not as good in the hands of the AI.
- The AI will only use each ability once each turn, it will not "spam" cheap abilities even if it has the AP to do so.
- When the AI uses an ability that changes the color of targeted tiles or places countdown tiles, it does so at random. Therefore abilities like Magneto's blue or BW:Grey's purple are much less useful in the hands of the AI.
- The AI makes it's move seemingly ignoring whether a special tile is involved. This means they are more likely to destroy their own special tiles and/or ignore opposing ones.
- EDIT: The AI will use self-damaging abilities even if it downs them (Blueshoes)

Those are the main "rules" I've observed. What I've yet to wrap my head around is what the AI's order of preference is when given the option of making one of many 3-matches. I've been trying to observe a pattern, but more and more I'm thinking that it's actually random. For a while I thought that maybe they seem to prefer environmental tiles, or they prefer matches for AP colors they have use for, or perhaps whichever match does the most base damage, but I think those observations are a result of a bias on my part (that is, you pay closer notice when the AI makes an environment tile match because it's noticably different from the move you'd make). But upon further observation there's plenty of times I thought I could predict what move the AI would make, and it wound up being wrong.

What do you all think about the above list? Am I off on any of those rules, have you noticed exceptions? Understanding this is key to setting up a good defensive team, or at least understanding what a particular team of yours is likely to do when the AI is controlling it.

Unknown

I think that the AI will try to match colors that help its team but don't think it tries to stop you from getting the colors you need. That said, I have seen it go for tiles I've matched that it was not going for until I matched them but I could be crazy. You would think it would go for red when it has Rags in play but it seems to prefer green. Not sure what the theory is. Interesting thread - perhaps we can figure this out.

Unknown

Twanbon wrote:

- The AI will only use each ability once each turn, it will not "spam" cheap abilities even if it has the AP to do so.

I think that the AI can use an ability more then once a turn, however it has to interleave them. For example, I think that I have seen Rag do Thunderclap, Godlike Power, Thunderclap. But never Thunderclap twice in a row.

Twanbon wrote:

What I've yet to wrap my head around is what the AI's order of preference is when given the option of making one of many 3-matches.

Another hypothesis: The AI will match the highest damage/AP generating combination of using the character in the front? I do not think I have ever seen a Venom pick a red 3 match over a black 3 match with a high level Rag on the team.

Unknown

I notice that regardless of any tiles, they will always select Environmental tiles unless there's 4 match tiles.
As for colour, they seem to prefer to get tiles that useful to their AP if there's no Environmental tiles.

Also it seem to me that if there's passive ability on it, (Daken / Bulleyes / etc) they tend to match them together first. (1st : Environmental then their passive tiles)

one thing i notice that even when they have enough power to use the ability, they tend not to use on the strongest / highest HP till I have no choice to swap due to lack of color tiles to select. (it's happen a few times, i have prepare to use my tanker to absorb the hit yet they didn't use the ap until i select a weaker character and got whack badly.)

Hope this info helps.

Unknown

The Ai will also make a match 4 instead of an L-shaped match 5.

The AI will use abilities that inflict damage on itself even if that damage downs the character.

Unknown

sparksue wrote:

I notice that regardless of any tiles, they will always select Environmental tiles unless there's 4 match tiles.
As for colour, they seem to prefer to get tiles that useful to their AP if there's no Environmental tiles.

I am wondering if the AI decision tree looks like this:

1) 4-match (or 5 if it's in a line) 2) Maximize AP generation

Environment (colors only give 1AP/tile while environment give at least 3/tile) Double 3-match over single match

3) Only 3-matches available

Maximize damage? Top off a skill that is almost ready? Random?

Unknown

Yeah, from my experience, the AI seems to prioritize a match-4 over almost everything else, other than maybe a horizontal or vertical match-5.

Unknown

sparksue wrote:

I notice that regardless of any tiles, they will always select Environmental tiles unless there's 4 match tiles.
As for colour, they seem to prefer to get tiles that useful to their AP if there's no Environmental tiles.

Also it seem to me that if there's passive ability on it, (Daken / Bulleyes / etc) they tend to match them together first. (1st : Environmental then their passive tiles)

one thing i notice that even when they have enough power to use the ability, they tend not to use on the strongest / highest HP till I have no choice to swap due to lack of color tiles to select. (it's happen a few times, i have prepare to use my tanker to absorb the hit yet they didn't use the ap until i select a weaker character and got whack badly.)

Hope this info helps.

Regarding the AI preference, I just watched an AI Daken on a Daken/Hammer/Hammer team make a black 3-match when an environmental and a green 3-match were available. I think it may actually be random, and we as humans will always try to find a pattern in randomness. I think we take particular notice when the AI makes environment matches, because in our minds it's much more noticable, because we would almost never make that move. Similarly with greggray noticing the AI going for his tiles once he starts going for them, it's probably just a case of it sticking out to you because conversely, it seems like a particularly strategic move, which you don't expect from the otherwise bumbling AI.

As far as the AI "holding back" on using abilities, has anyone else noticed this? I had thought it may have happened to me in the past, but I'm pretty sure the few times I've thought that happened, I checked and it was actually a case of the ability costing more AP than I assumed ("Why isn't Thor Lightning Striking me? Oh this Thor has it at 14AP.")

Unknown

someguy wrote:

Yeah, from my experience, the AI seems to prioritize a match-4 over almost everything else, other than maybe a horizontal or vertical match-5.

The AI doesn't know what a match5 is. The only reason it gets the straight line match5s is because it sees a match4.

If it had a clue about match5 then it wouldn't ignore them all the time, creating a match4 instead.

Unknown

Zathrus wrote:

someguy wrote:

Yeah, from my experience, the AI seems to prioritize a match-4 over almost everything else, other than maybe a horizontal or vertical match-5.

The AI doesn't know what a match5 is. The only reason it gets the straight line match5s is because it sees a match4.

If it had a clue about match5 then it wouldn't ignore them all the time, creating a match4 instead.

But will it choose a match 4 over a straight match 5 because it can't tell the difference? I don't know, I'm just asking.

Unknown

Blue Shoes wrote:

Zathrus wrote:

someguy wrote:

Yeah, from my experience, the AI seems to prioritize a match-4 over almost everything else, other than maybe a horizontal or vertical match-5.

The AI doesn't know what a match5 is. The only reason it gets the straight line match5s is because it sees a match4.

If it had a clue about match5 then it wouldn't ignore them all the time, creating a match4 instead.

But will it choose a match 4 over a straight match 5 because it can't tell the difference? I don't know, I'm just asking.

I've never seen it turn down a match-5 straight line ever. Though not sure if it's ever come up at a time when there was an alternate match-4 available.

Unknown

Also, does anyone have any insights as to what the AI does when it has the option of two same-color abilities it has the AP to use? Does it always use the higher cost one? What if they have the same cost?

Unknown

Twanbon wrote:

- Once the AI has enough AP to use an ability, it will use it, regardless of whether it will be particularly effective at that time, and regardless of whether it screws up a potentially better move (for example, it will use a tile swap ability even if there's a 5-line waiting to be made).

I have definitely witnessed rare cases of holding AP back for using an ability but only under these circumstances:

- There is another character in the team that has a higher cost ability in the same colour
- There are more available matches on the board for this specific colour (that does not mean that the AI does go for it ) (could also be if there are no potential matches but enough tiles of that colour on the board, not so sure)

Twanbon wrote:

- The AI will only use abilities that it had the requisite AP for at the START of that turn. So abilities that generate AP are not as good in the hands of the AI.

That's also not true, I have witnessed definitely that I get in my face after modern storm uses her green and the AI had not enough AP for the moves at the start of the turn.


Also if you fight only one opponent (most prominent example is Venom) he always prioritizes one of the three colours he's strong in. Don't forget he's also strong in green (in fact the strongest colour of him) so he matches it a lot but has no real gain from it. I think with more than one opponent it's going in the same direction but can't say as much as I wished about it

Unknown

Twanbon wrote:

Also, does anyone have any insights as to what the AI does when it has the option of two same-color abilities it has the AP to use? Does it always use the higher cost one? What if they have the same cost?

It always uses the higher one, what happens if they are the same I haven't figured out yet

Unknown

I'd also add that the AI doesn't come after your countdown tiles.

It doesn't help a ton with picking a 'defense,' but it does help in understanding a vulnerability.

Unknown

Mommson wrote:

That's also not true, I have witnessed definitely that I get in my face after modern storm uses her green and the AI had not enough AP for the moves at the start of the turn.


)

Interesting. I've definitely noticed that they WONT use abilities the same turn they use Thorned Rose, and I don't believe they'll use Recharge's AP same turn either.

Unknown

If otherwise there are no match 4 options, the AI will match environmental tiles if you had just matched env tiles. This happens when possible better options exist. If I choose 3 env over 3 red. The AI will do likewise. If you have a cascade which matched env tiles on other than first match. The AI tends to grab env tiles then too.

Unknown

I believe the AI randomly chooses an ability to use. I've seen g.widow use pistols instead of Ragnarok using Thunderclap. I've had g.widow use sniper rifle notwithstanding wolverine. It tends to happen when AI has excessive AP. It also tends to happen when the AI happens to skip a turn or two on a particular color.

Unknown

Twanbon wrote:

Mommson wrote:

That's also not true, I have witnessed definitely that I get in my face after modern storm uses her green and the AI had not enough AP for the moves at the start of the turn.


)

Interesting. I've definitely noticed that they WONT use abilities the same turn they use Thorned Rose, and I don't believe they'll use Recharge's AP same turn either.

I think it only happens if they get a 5-way match, so it is effectively not the same turn any longer. Never seen it happen any other way.

Unknown

Twanbon wrote:

Interesting. I've definitely noticed that they WONT use abilities the same turn they use Thorned Rose, and I don't believe they'll use Recharge's AP same turn either.

They use abilities on Recharge and Hood's Dormammu's Aid. These effects take place before the turn initiates, as opposed to Thorned Rose, Agressive Recon, etc, which happen during the turn.

As for match preference, I'm inclined to believe it's random, or at least a random variable is used.

Unknown

The AI always uses the most expensive ability in a color it has enough ap to use. If there is a tie, the ai uses the move of whoever is closer to the front of your team list (center, left, right from the selection list in that order).