The PBS file tcgdecks.txt contains all the premade decks, such as:Exactly what do you want? I can make / Design Cards (Big and Icons) and everything, but i don't understand the english very well :( so i am not understanding what do you want
1,STARTERDECK,Starter Deck,0,BASEDIGLETT,3,BASEMACHOP,4,BASEMACHOKE,2,
BASECHARMANDER,4,BASECHARMELEON,2,BASEGROWLITHE,1,BASEPONYTA,4,BASERATTATA,2,
BASEDRATINI,1,BASEBILL,1,BASEENERGYREMOVAL,1,BASEENERGYRETRIEVAL,1,
BASEGUSTOFWIND,1,BASEPOKEDEX,1,BASEPOTION,2,BASESWITCH,2,BASEFIGHTING,14,
BASEFIRE,14
I'm calling it an extension to Essentials. Essentials itself remains untouched, and the TCG scripts are maybe a dozen additional script sections you can throw in. They're as editable as any Essentials script.Hey Maruno, can you update your first post with all of the information about this?
I'm wondering, is this an addition to Essentials, or at least an editable? I thought you said earlier that it wasn't going to be, but now I see you talking about others adding stuff in (maybe I'm making stuff up lol).
Maybe you are interested in adding the decks from the GBC game?I was asking if people wanted to make their own decks like this, to be included with the project.Code:1,STARTERDECK,Starter Deck,0,BASEDIGLETT,3,BASEMACHOP,4,BASEMACHOKE,2, BASECHARMANDER,4,BASECHARMELEON,2,BASEGROWLITHE,1,BASEPONYTA,4,BASERATTATA,2, BASEDRATINI,1,BASEBILL,1,BASEENERGYREMOVAL,1,BASEENERGYRETRIEVAL,1, BASEGUSTOFWIND,1,BASEPOKEDEX,1,BASEPOTION,2,BASESWITCH,2,BASEFIGHTING,14, BASEFIRE,14
Practice deck 1 (The one you use against Sam):
14x Water energy
10x Psychic energy
2x Squirtle
1x Wartortle
1x Blastoise
2x Seel
1x Dewgong
2x Staryu
1x Starmie
3x Goldeen
2x Seaking
1x Lapras
2x Abra
1x Kadabra
1x Alakazam
3x Drowzee
2x Hypno
1x Jynx
3x Rattata
2x Raticate
2x Bill
1x Full heal
2x Potion
Practice deck 2 (The one Sam uses against you):
13x Lightning energy
11x Fighting energy
1x Double colorless energy
2x Pikachu lvl 12
1x Pikachu lvl 14
1x Raichu lvl 40
1x Raichu lvl 45
2x Jolteon lvl 29
1x Electabuzz lvl 35
4x Machop
2x Machoke
2x Machamp
2x Diglett
1x Dugtrio
2x Rhyhorn
1x Rhydon
1x Hitmonchan
1x Onix
3x Eevee
2x Rattata
2x Raticate
1x Prof. Oak
1x Bill
1x Gust of wind
1x Potion
Fire & lightning deck:
10x Fire energy
10x Lightning energy
2x Double colorless energy
2x Charmander
1x Charmeleon
1x Charizard
2x Growlithe
1x Arcanine lvl 45
2x Ponyta
1x Rapidash
1x Magmar lvl 24
1x Magmar lvl 31
1x Pikachu lvl 12
1x Pikachu lvl 14
1x Raichu lvl 40
3x Voltorb
1x Electrode lvl 35
1x Electrode lvl 42
2x Magnemite lvl 13
1x Magneton lvl 28
2x Rattata
1x Raticate
1x Prof. Oak
2x Energy search
2x Bill
1x Potion
2x Pluspower
2x Defender
2x Switch
Water & fighting deck:
12x Water energy
10x Fighting energy
2x Double colorless energy
2x Poliwag
1x Poliwhirl
1x Poliwrath
2x Seel
1x Dewgong
2x Staryu
1x Starmie
2x Goldeen
1x Seaking
2x Sandshrew
1x Sandslash
3x Machop
2x Machoke
1x Machamp
2x Rhyhorn
1x Rhydon
1x Hitmonchan
1x Prof. Oak
3x Potion
2x Bill
2x Full heal
2x Energy search
Grass & psychic deck:
12x Grass energy
12x Psychic energy
2x Weedle
1x Kakuna
1x Beedrill
2x Exeggcute
1x Exeggcutor
2x Nidoran (female)
1x Nidorina
2x Paras
1x Parasect
1x Pinsir
3x Abra
2x Kadabra
3x Drowzee
2x Hypno
1x Jynx
1x Farfetch'd
1x Tauros
2x Bill
2x Potion
1x Full heal
2x Energy search
2x Gust of wind
Imakuni? deck:
10x Water energy
16x Psychic energy
4x Psyduck
3x Golduck
4x Drowzee
3x Hypno
2x Slowpoke lvl 9
2x Slowpoke lvl 18
3x Slowbro
4x Farfetch'd
4x Imakuni?
2x Pokemon flute
2x Maintenance
1x Gambler
I'm Ronald deck:
9x Fire energy
10x Water energy
8x Fighting energy
3x Charmander
2x Charmeleon
3x Growlithe
1x Arcanine lvl 45
3x Squirtle
2x Wartortle
2x Seel
1x Dewgong
2x Lapras
3x Cubone
2x Marowak lvl 26
1x Prof. Oak
2x Energy search
2x Gust of wind
1x Switch
1x Pluspower
1x Defender
1x Energy retrieval
Invincible Ronald deck:
7x Grass energy
6x Fire energy
7x Fighting energy
4x Double colorless energy
3x Grimer
2x Muk
4x Scyther
3x Magmar lvl 31
3x Geodude
2x Graveler
2x Kangaskhan
2x Chansey
2x Prof. Oak
2x Pluspower
2x Scoop up
2x Gust of wind
2x Energy retrieval
2x Bill
2x Energy removal
1x Gambler
Powerful Ronald deck:
7x lightning energy
9x Fighting energy
7x Psychic energy
3x Double colorless energy
3x Electabuzz lvl 35
2x Hitmonchan
2x Hitmonlee
1x Mr. mime
2x Jynx
1x Mewtwo lvl 53
2x Doduo
1x Dodrio
2x Kangaskhan
2x Lickitung
3x Tauros
1x Energy search
2x Gust of wind
2x Energy retrieval
1x Super energy retrieval
2x Energy removal
2x Pluspower
1x Switch
1x Full heal
1x Gambler
Love to battle deck:
26x Fighting energy
4x Machop
3x Machoke
2x Machamp
2x Mankey
1x Primeape
3x Rattata
2x Raticate
2x Doduo
1x Dodrio
1x Tauros
4x Defender
2x Full heal
3x Potion
4x Pluspower
Muscles for brains deck:
26x Fighting energy
2x Double colorless energy
3x Machop
2x Machoke
2x Machamp
1x Mankey
1x Primeape
2x Hitmonchan
2x Hitmonlee
3x Meowth lvl 15
2x Persian
1x Lickitung
2x Tauros
1x Kangaskhan
1x Bill
1x Energy removal
1x Revive
1x Potion
1x Super potion
2x Pluspower
1x Full heal
2x Gust of wind
Hard pokemon deck:
25x Fighting energy
4x Geodude
3x Graveler
2x Golem
3x Cubone
2x Marowak lvl 26
2x Rhyhorn
1x Rhydon
3x Onix
1x Snorlax
3x Bill
2x Potion
2x Poke ball
3x Gust of wind
4x Defender
Blistering pokemon deck:
4x Fire energy
7x Fighting energy
5x Psychic energy
2x Double colorless energy
3x Ponyta
2x Rapidash
4x Cubone
2x Marowak lvl 26
4x Rhyhorn
2x Rhydon
4x Onix
3x Jynx
2x Prof. Oak
3x Bill
2x Gust of wind
3x Defender
3x Switch
2x Pokemon trader
2x Mr. fuji
1x Energy retrieval
Lovely Nidoran deck (The one used in the science club):
24x Grass energy
3x Nidoran (male)
2x Nidorino
1x Nidoking
4x Nidoran (female)
2x Nidorina
2x Nidoqueen
2x Grimer
1x Muk
2x Koffing
1x Weezing
1x Pinsir
2x Doduo
2x Meowth lvl 15
2x Farfetch'd
1x Prof. Oak
2x Bill
2x Pokemon breeder
2x Poke ball
1x Switch
1x Gambler
Etcetera deck:
8x Grass energy
4x Fire energy
4x Lightning energy
4x Fighting energy
4x Psychic energy
1x Caterpie
1x Weedle
2x Nidoran (female)
2x Oddish
2x Tangela lvl 12
2x Charmander
1x Magmar lvl 31
2x Pikachu lvl 12
1x Magnemite lvl 13
2x Machop
1x Diglett
2x Gastly lvl 8
1x Jynx
3x Bill
3x Energy search
3x Pluspower
3x Poke ball
2x Defender
2x Energy retrieval
Anger deck:
10x Fire energy
8x Fighting energy
4x Double colorless energy
3x Growlithe
2x Arcanine lvl 34
3x Cubone
3x Rattata
2x Raticate
3x Doduo
2x Dodrio
3x Tauros
2x Prof. Oak
3x Bill
2x Defender
2x Computer search
2x Energy retrieval
2x Gust of wind
4x Pluspower
Flamethrower deck:
22x Fire energy
4x Double colorless energy
2x Charmander
2x Charmeleon
1x Charizard
2x Growlithe
1x Arcanine lvl 45
2x Vulpix
1x Ninetails lvl 32
3x Magmar lvl 24
2x Flareon lvl 28
3x Eevee
1x Pokemon trader
3x Energy retrieval
3x Bill
3x Gust of wind
2x Pluspower
1x Super energy retrieval
2x Switch
Reshuffle deck:
23x Fire energy
2x Double colorless energy
2x Ponyta
2x Growlithe
1x Arcanine lvl 45
4x Vulpix
3x Ninetails lvl 35
4x Pidgey
3x Pidgeotto
2x Pidgeot lvl 38
1x Jigglypuff lvl 13
1x Wigglytuff
1x Tauros
2x Lickitung
1x Kangaskhan
2x Bill
1x Energy removal
1x Super energy removal
2x Switch
2x Energy retrieval
Ghost deck:
6x Grass energy
15x Psychic energy
3x Double colorless energy
4x Zubat
3x Golbat
2x Gastly lvl 8
2x Gastly lvl 17
2x Haunter lvl 17
2x Haunter lvl 22
4x Gengar
3x Meowth lvl 15
3x Ditto
2x Prof. Oak
1x Bill
1x Full heal
2x Potion
2x Pokemon breeder
1x Gust of wind
2x Recycle
Naptime deck:
8x Grass energy
18x Psychic energy
4x Paras
4x Exeggcute
4x Gastly lvl 8
2x Haunter lvl 17
2x Haunter lvl 22
4x Jigglypuff lvl 14
3x Wigglytuff
2x Bill
3x Pluspower
2x Gust of wind
2x Potion
2x Switch
Waterfront pokemon deck:
18x Water energy
7x Psychic energy
2x Squirtle
1x Wartortle
1x Blastoise
2x Poliwag
1x Poliwhirl
1x Poliwrath
2x Goldeen
1x Seaking
2x Psyduck
1x Golduck
2x Staryu
1x Starmie
2x Slowpoke lvl 18
1x Slowbro
1x Farfetch'd
2x Dratini
1x Dragonair
2x Bill
1x Pokedex
2x Switch
2x Potion
2x Energy retrieval
1x Gust of wind
1x Super potion
Lonely friends deck:
8x Grass energy
9x Water energy
4x Double colorless energy
4x Scyther
4x Poliwag
2x Omanyte
1x Omastar
1x Aerodactyl
2x Jigglypuff lvl 13
2x Jigglypuff lvl 14
4x Wigglytuff
2x Prof. Oak
2x Bill
4x Mysterious fossil
4x Clefairy doll
4x Potion
2x Scoop up
1x Super potion
Sound of the waves deck:
24x Water energy
2x Tentacool
1x Tentacruel
3x Krabby
2x Kingler
3x Shellder
2x Cloyster
2x Horsea
1x Seadra
3x Seel
2x Dewgong
3x Lapras
3x Bill
3x Pluspower
2x Energy removal
2x Pokemon trader
2x Full heal
Pikachu deck:
6x Water energy
16x Lightning energy
2x Surfing Pikachu
2x Surfing Pikachu (Different version)
1x Pikachu lvl 12
1x Pikachu lvl 14
1x Pikachu lvl 16
1x Pikachu lvl 16 (Different version)
2x Raichu lvl 40
2x Raichu lvl 45
4x Flying Pikachu
4x Bill
4x Potion
4x Full heal
4x Poke ball
4x Switch
2x Super potion
Power generator deck:
26x Lightning energy
2x Pikachu lvl 12
1x Pikachu lvl 14
1x Raichu lvl 40
1x Magnemite lvl 13
1x Magnemite lvl 15
1x Magneton lvl 28
1x Magneton lvl 35
3x Voltorb
1x Electrode lvl 35
1x Electrode lvl 42
1x Electabuzz lvl 20
1x Electabuzz lvl 35
3x Jolteon lvl 29
2x Zapdos lvl 64
4x Eevee
2x Bill
2x Switch
2x Pokemon trader
4x Defender
Boom boom selfdestruct deck:
8x Grass energy
14x Lightning energy
8x Fighting energy
4x Koffing
3x Weezing
4x Magnemite lvl 15
2x Magneton lvl 28
2x Magneton lvl 35
4x Geodude
3x Graveler
2x Golem
2x Prof. Oak
2x Energy search
2x Defender
Legendary Ronald Deck:
20x Fire energy
4x Double coloress energy
1x Gambler
2x Pokemon breeder
3x Energy removal
1x Pokemon trader
1x Professer oak.
2x Scoop up
4x Bill
4x Evee
4x Dratini
3x Dragonair
2x Dragonite (legendary)
2x Kangaskan
2x Moltres (legendary)
1x Zapdos (legendary)
1x Articuno (legendary)
1x Vaporeon (colorless energy version)
1x Joltien (colorless energy user version)
1x Flareon (colorless energy user version
I've already added the Blackout, etc. decks that came alongside the first 3 sets (9 decks in total). As for the decks in the GBC game, some of them use cards that aren't included in this project, so they'd need to at least be altered accordingly by someone who knows more about deck-building than I. They're all listed on Bulbapedia.Maybe you are interested in adding the decks from the GBC game?
And do you plan on adding the tcg decks like "Blackout", "Overgrowth", "Zap!" and "Brushfire"?
I really don't think such strategies need to be separated. It all boils down to "use the best cards", and what constitutes a "best card" depends on the environment (i.e. what other cards are in play, etc.). This can certainly become convoluted very quickly as the AI develops, as there'll be all sorts of checks and evaluations. This is especially true when you start thinking of combos.EDIT
A suggestion how to manage the AI:
Why not add some check for strategies to the prefabricated decks in the PBS file?
For example you could make a check if the deck is an "Evolution deck" or if you mainly use Basic cards.
And because the AI can only use prefabricated decks you have to make different AI for "Evolution decks" and "Basic Card decks".
For example "Evolution decks" should concentrate to evolving their pokemon as fast as possible and using them and "Basic Card" decks (with cards like Electabuzz) should try to overwhelm the opponent at the beginning of the game.
This way you can even combine different checks.
As an example lets use the both strategies above. If you have selected "Evolution deck" and "Basic Card deck" the AI should try to overwhelm the opponent with strong Basic cards at the beginning and try to evolve their other Basic cards as fast as possible. After the weak Basic Cards are evolved the AI should stop using strong Basic cards and start using evolved pokemon cards.
You see that if you combine strategies you need a priority for each one. In the above example the "Basic Card deck" strategy should have a little bit higher priority then the "Evolution Deck" strategy. This way the AI should use the "Basic Card deck" as its main strategy but it doesn't ignore the "Evolution deck" strategy.
Of course you need conditions for each strategy when to get higher or lower priority. For example the "Basic Card deck" should have a condition that this strategy gets lower priority when you have evolved cards. And because the "Basic Card deck" strategy has now lower priority then the "Evolution deck" strategy the AI starts to use evolved pokemon.
And you need to determine which cards can be called "strong" Basic cards so the "Basic Card deck" AI knows with which cards it should try to overwhelm the opponent.
Hope the stuff i said makes sense. I am not a programmer so i don't know how programming actually works. So sorry if i talked nonsense. :)
Yeah the list is on Bulbapedia but you shouldn't mix up the Auto Deck Machine decks with the decks not available in the Auto Deck Machine! The Auto Deck Machine decks are meant for players and the other decks for the AI. There are cards that make the AI harder to beat and cards that need a strategy which the AI cant come up with.I've already added the Blackout, etc. decks that came alongside the first 3 sets (9 decks in total). As for the decks in the GBC game, some of them use cards that aren't included in this project, so they'd need to at least be altered accordingly by someone who knows more about deck-building than I. They're all listed on Bulbapedia.
You should be careful so that the "cheat" is not to obvious. :DOf course, the AI is going to cheat. That is, it'll make its choices while knowing about cards it shouldn't be able to know about (e.g. cards in the player's hand, which prize card is best to take, whether it'll draw something good because of Professor Oak). However, it won't influence the outcomes of coin flips or whatever, so it'll be fair that way. I think making the AI omniscient is the only way it can be made to stand a chance against players.
So the AI will do anything that it is able to do before attacking? Isn't it sometimes better (smarter) if the AI skips some actions if it doesn't need to do it? For example saving an Energy card for next turn is sometimes better then putting it on a Benched Pokemon that doesn't need any more energy. Or saving Professor Oak until you have less cards in your hand.As for how the AI will actually work, I have a vague idea. At the start of its turn, it looks around the duel and lists everything it is able to do (play a card from the hand, use an in-play effect such as a Pokémon Power, retreat, etc.), and then assign a desirability value to it. Calculating this value for each action depends a lot on the environment, and is the convoluted part. Once all the values are calculated, it will do the most desirable action and repeat (recalculating the values for what's left). Once there's nothing left to do, it will attack if possible and desirable - the good thing is that an attack is always the last thing in a turn (and there's always just 1 attack per turn), which makes it a bit simpler.
Energy Removal should hit the active Pokemon if it has enough energy to attack or if it will get enough energy to attack next turn. If the active pokemon will not get enough energy to attack next turn the AI chooses the pokemon with the most energy on the Bench. This is the simple way you could do it. If you want it smarter you should make it check the attack power of the benched pokemon and if they have enough energy to do this attack. If there is a benched pokemon that has a much stronger attack then the opponents active pokemon and enough energy to do this attack and if your opponents active pokemon have/will get enough energy to retreat next turn choose the benched pokemon. Which energy to choose is easier then choosing the pokemon i guess. "Color" energy should always get priority over "colorless" energy. "Color" energy that has the same type as the card should always get priority over other "color" energy.It sounds simple when I write it in just one paragraph, and some actions will always be desirable (e.g. play Bill) and some will never be worth using (e.g. Mankey's Pokémon Power, as the AI will know all those cards via cheating anyway). However, when is the best time to play Energy Removal, and which Pokémon/energy should be hit by it? How about Super Energy Removal, which involves a cost to the user and may not be worth it (and if so, which card should the AI pay)? There's a huge amount of thought that needs to go into the AI for even a single effect, and I think that such thought needs to be done in order to make the AI worthwhile.
Yeah an AI that can handle any situation is much better but much more complicated as well. I thought a deck-specific AI is more intelligent and easier to do and that is why i suggested it. After all the AI can't use any other deck then the specific decks you give it. And any prefabricated deck you can give the AI has most likely a strategy that would benefit that deck. Instead of hoping the AI comes up with the strategy itself you can guide it a little right? :)As you can see, any emergent "strategy" will depend entirely on the make-up of the deck. It can only depend on the cards you've got available ("work with what you've got"), and it's up to the AI calculations for each card to decide how useful (and therefore desirable) it is. The overall behaviour of the AI will simply look like what it does the most, which depends on what it's got (e.g. an energy-controlling strategy will appear if there are a lot of energy-controlling effects in the deck). I don't think there's any need to include deck-specific AI profiles (particularly as it would tend to rail-road and hurt decks which could sometimes benefit from profiles they don't have), and instead throw every situational calculation into the one AI used for everything.
There is no Auto Deck Machine, so that's not a problem (and in any case, the available decks would be defined by the Machine itself). Every single premade deck, no matter how it's used or where/if it's available to the player, is defined in the same way.Yeah the list is on Bulbapedia but you shouldn't mix up the Auto Deck Machine decks with the decks not available in the Auto Deck Machine! The Auto Deck Machine decks are meant for players and the other decks for the AI. There are cards that make the AI harder to beat and cards that need a strategy which the AI cant come up with.
That's all part of making the AI. It's all calculations about whether it should play a particular card. Whether it is able to play that card is only the first (easy) step.So the AI will do anything that it is able to do before attacking? Isn't it sometimes better (smarter) if the AI skips some actions if it doesn't need to do it? For example saving an Energy card for next turn is sometimes better then putting it on a Benched Pokemon that doesn't need any more energy. Or saving Professor Oak until you have less cards in your hand.
I only mentioned those cards to give an example of how there's a lot of calculations involved in deciding whether to use them; I wasn't actually looking for help with them right now. However, your large paragraphs show that there are a lot of things to consider.Energy Removal should hit the active Pokemon if it has enough energy to attack or if it will get enough energy to attack next turn. If the active pokemon will not get enough energy to attack next turn the AI chooses the pokemon with the most energy on the Bench. This is the simple way you could do it. If you want it smarter you should make it check the attack power of the benched pokemon and if they have enough energy to do this attack. If there is a benched pokemon that has a much stronger attack then the opponents active pokemon and enough energy to do this attack and if your opponents active pokemon have/will get enough energy to retreat next turn choose the benched pokemon. Which energy to choose is easier then choosing the pokemon i guess. "Color" energy should always get priority over "colorless" energy. "Color" energy that has the same type as the card should always get priority over other "color" energy.
Super energy removal should first check if you have more energy then you need in game. There is an order you can check this. First control the active pokemon. If AIs active pokemon doesn't has enough Energy to attack there is no need for other checks because you don't have enough energy.
If the active pokemon has enough energy check your bench for the amount of pokemon with energy cards. If its zero super energy removal would target AIs active pokemon and it is not worth it. If you have pokemon with energy on your bench check if you have at least one energy on your hand. If you dont you should check if your active pokemon has enough hp to survive next turn. if it has or you have an energy card on your hand there is no problem using super energy removal and choosing the weakest pokemon on the AIs bench. Colorless energy is preferred to pay of course. :)
Possibly, but you'd need to do it over and over for each AI profile (not the entire thing, of course, but significant amounts). I imagine strategy is the hardest thing to make an AI do, and that it's probably actually easier to let it deal with each card on its own merit rather than teach it how to follow a strategy. There's the added bonus of being able to adapt to changes in the game, such as shifting to an aggressive style when you can afford it (e.g. when you could win by being aggressive rather than following a stall-type AI profile).Yeah an AI that can handle any situation is much better but much more complicated as well. I thought a deck-specific AI is more intelligent and easier to do and that is why i suggested it. After all the AI can't use any other deck then the specific decks you give it. And any prefabricated deck you can give the AI has most likely a strategy that would benefit that deck. Instead of hoping the AI comes up with the strategy itself you can guide it a little right? :)
Colorless Energy is useless for Charizard. Any Colorless energy card can only be used to pay for Colorless energy requirements on a Pokemon. For example, if a Charizard required a Fire energy for one of its attacks, you cannot use a Colorless energy card for it.II disagree with your last sentence, though. The only Colorless energy is Double Colorless, which can be very useful (for any Colorless Pokémon, or Charizard, etc.). I'd say figuring out if there's an excess card anywhere is a good place to start (the level of emergency can allow alternatives, of course).
You are right about it taking more effort and time to create AI profiles. But IMO its worth it. I know a guy who is improving the AI from the good old "Age of Empires 2" because the included AI was dumb. You could beat the computer opponent in minutes in "extreme" mode. But after i updated with his patch i cant even beat in "middle". You know what he did? He made an independent AI for each Civilization! This way he maximized the use of their advantages in battle and minimized their wasteful behavior in terms of resources. If you are a AoE2 player i can link you to his site if you want. :)Possibly, but you'd need to do it over and over for each AI profile (not the entire thing, of course, but significant amounts). I imagine strategy is the hardest thing to make an AI do, and that it's probably actually easier to let it deal with each card on its own merit rather than teach it how to follow a strategy. There's the added bonus of being able to adapt to changes in the game, such as shifting to an aggressive style when you can afford it (e.g. when you could win by being aggressive rather than following a stall-type AI profile).
This is a good point! I can imagine that troubleshooting would be more time consuming if you have more then one AI which uses the same broken part. On the other hand you would know where to fix the other AI before you even look at it.The one big thing needed for creating a half-decent AI is testing. That means the game itself needs to work first, so I can throw out a release and let you all report on how the AI worked (noting any particular cleverness or stupidity), which then lets the AI be modified and improved. This is one of the reasons I'd like to concentrate only on one AI rather than a variety. It's also easier to troubleshoot.
Could you post them here again if it doesnt bothers you? :)p.claydon said:well the template i posted in the tcg section on here has decent deck icons and energy icons (different sizes)
I see you're forgetting Charizard's Pokémon Power. I know how energy works, and I still say that Double Colorless Energy is great in the right deck.Colorless Energy is useless for Charizard. Any Colorless energy card can only be used to pay for Colorless energy requirements on a Pokemon. For example, if a Charizard required a Fire energy for one of its attacks, you cannot use a Colorless energy card for it.
However, any energy card can be used to pay for any Colorless energy requirements.
That is why it is much easier to pay for Colorless energy requirements and that makes the Colorless energy worthless/dispensable. Double Colorless is a useful card because it provides two energy at once and that is good for some cards with more then one colorless attack requirements.
AoE is a bit different because a given civilisation's units are always the same, and the progression between ages and tech trees and all that are fixed. TCG decks can contain many different cards, and cards are drawn randomly in a duel. I think it's far too much hassle to make multiple AIs, given this randomness which would need to be accounted for.You are right about it taking more effort and time to create AI profiles. But IMO its worth it. I know a guy who is improving the AI from the good old "Age of Empires 2" because the included AI was dumb. You could beat the computer opponent in minutes in "extreme" mode. But after i updated with his patch i cant even beat in "middle". You know what he did? He made an independent AI for each Civilization! This way he maximized the use of their advantages in battle and minimized their wasteful behavior in terms of resources. If you are a AoE2 player i can link you to his site if you want. :)
The point is that in some games it is smarter to make an specific AI which can handle a situation perfectly instead of making an general AI that can handle any situation average. I don't know if the TCG is one of these games but i think so.
This is a good point! I can imagine that troubleshooting would be more time consuming if you have more then one AI which uses the same broken part. On the other hand you would know where to fix the other AI before you even look at it.
But like i said i don't know much about programming myself. I just see interesting stuff people do and i try to apply it theoretically on other things. :)
As for how the AI will actually work, I have a vague idea. At the start of its turn, it looks around the duel and lists everything it is able to do (play a card from the hand, use an in-play effect such as a Pokémon Power, retreat, etc.), and then assign a desirability value to it. Calculating this value for each action depends a lot on the environment, and is the convoluted part. Once all the values are calculated, it will do the most desirable action and repeat (recalculating the values for what's left). Once there's nothing left to do, it will attack if possible and desirable - the good thing is that an attack is always the last thing in a turn (and there's always just 1 attack per turn), which makes it a bit simpler.
I cant believe i forgot its ability. xD Maybe because I always preferred (and played) Blastoise over Charizard.I see you're forgetting Charizard's Pokémon Power. I know how energy works, and I still say that Double Colorless Energy is great in the right deck.
I said it will be possible, eventually. I may include an energy-only booster set as an example of how to create mix-'n'-match booster sets, but it certainly doesn't need to be a feature. Mix-'n'-match booster sets will cause problems with throttling rarities, though, so I may ditch throttling and have booster pack contents be entirely random.And you once mentioned that you will make boosters for energy cards right?
Maybe instead of this you should give an infinite number of each Basic Energy to the player. Basic Energies are always needed in mass and its bothersome to open boosters (even if they are for free) to get them.
That depends on the AI. If it's really good, it will develop a strategy according to the cards in the deck. I.E. In YGO there are effects that make you discarding cards as a effect, not as a cost. For most cards that doesn't changes a thing and you would want to avoid it, but in certain decks it is the main strategy to discards cards because of effects (because that will activate their effects respectively) or to have an empty hand.The point is that in some games it is smarter to make an specific AI which can handle a situation perfectly instead of making an general AI that can handle any situation average. I don't know if the TCG is one of these games but i think so.
Personally, I would include that as a feature.the__end said:And you once mentioned that you will make boosters for energy cards right?
Maybe instead of this you should give an infinite number of each Basic Energy to the player. Basic Energies are always needed in mass and its bothersome to open boosters (even if they are for free) to get them.
That was my thought when I made this thread. Turns out I started making my own anyway.I just came across this thread today when I was thinking of making a Pokemon TCG, I thought 'Why bother if someones already making one right?' So how far have you actually got with this whole project, in terms of programming and such?
That's very nice to hear. Your skills will be very welcome, as soon as I come up with an actual list of what needs doing.Sorry, I'm replying without reading the thread yet, I'll get to that later this evening probably.
I'd like to contribute (inb4 fullmetal stabs me xDD). Is the interface going to be an exact clone of the old games, or are you trying to reinvent it to a nicer, newer interface?
I could help with that (I'm a graphic designer by trade), or with coding.