how does the ai pick which ability to fire?

Unknown

Hi all,

I've got a question for the hardcore players (or for anyone with keen powers of observation). I've always wondered if there's any guiding principle(s) behind which abilities the defending team will use when they have more than one active ability in the same color. I suspect it's just random, but if it's not it sure would be nice to know how it works when you're picking your defensive team. One possibility I thought of is that maybe the ai will try to use the ability corresponding to its "strongest" color -- for example, we've all seen cases where the computer hoards yellow AP to for Sentinel of Liberty instead of using Thunder Strike. Is that because Captain America's does more damage matching yellow than Thor?

PuceMoose

It seems to me that the AI will by default choose the highest AP power it has, but every turn it has a percentage chance to user a cheaper power (maybe 35% or so?) This is all just conjecture of course, but it seems to bear out with my experience.

One nice way to manipulate the AI is to stun a character that has a dangerous high-AP power ready to rock. This will quite frequently cause the AI to use the cheaper power when the more expensive power character is stunned - it seems like it often can't "see" the power, since it's tied to a temporarily unavailable hero. A good example of this in action is if you're facing a Thor/Wolverine team. If the enemy manages to get 12 red AP, and you stun Wolverine, the AI will quite often use the much weaker Mjolnir's Might instead of the face-wrecking adamantium slash.

Unknown

If the AI has enough to fire the most expensive ability on the team it will always use that one.

Otherwise, the chance of AI using a lesser ability is a % based on the difference between (highest AP cost of that color - ability's cost). That is, the chance of saving up when your blue is ATU (5) and Ballistic Salvo (20) is very good, while the chance of saving up when your green is Berserker Rage (9) and Thunderous Clap (10) is very low. Realistically, the AI rarely saves up for its more expensive abilities unless it has an AP pump of some sort. Note that each ability check is independent. For example if the AI had ATU (5), Magnetized Particles (10), and Ballistic Salvo (20) and it has 15 blue AP, it can do Magnetized Particles only, ATU only, both, or none of the above.

Remember that goon abilities count for this consideration, so Merciless Crush at 10 green AP can sometimes save you from an Onslaught (5).

Dayv

Also remember that it will never use the same power more than once a turn. I *believe* a free turn from a cascade counts as a new turns and could cause it to use the power twice if it uses it before and after the cascade, but I'm not 100% certain of that.

Dayv

I had the AI sit on 9 green AP today and wait to fire Doc Ock's "Armed and Dangerous" (12 AP) instead of immediately using X-Force Wolverine's "X-Force" for 8 AP. It might be the only reason I won the match.

ThatOneGuyjp189512

basically the best theory i've seen was in another post. From what i've seen, it's random, say if they have 12 green AP with Thor/X-Force team, RNG will set a number and basically if it's higher/lower than that number they'll fire the power, so it might take a few turns to do it but the likely hood it fires X-Force over Call of the Storm increases with each subsequent turn it doesn't get a green match.

donietsche

I believe that some kind of A.I. customization would be appreciated. Let say you can assign for each character - and for each color - a priority degree (from 1 to 3): you could "safely" assemble a team using characters with conflicting powers, without the significant risk of the A.I. screwing up the match (by choosing to fire the weaker power and/or delaying the desired one).

Imho it would bring an element of real strategy to the defensive part of the game (and it could be a good move in order to promote roster diversity as well).