More AI difficulty options

Comments: 49

• 16 May, '22
  Smok

  Remove "with extra starting resources" and I'm all for it. I dream of AI that improves in decision making with difficulty, not one that cheats more.

• 16 May, '22
  Daimadoushi

  An AI that stops throwing its units in suicide missions for no reason would already be a nice improvement.
  
  Maybe cheating can be annoying when noticed, but somethings like getting a strong advantage when fighting neutral battles so that it can maintain a strong army easier could help.

• 16 May, '22
  Jay

  Love this idea, go both directions, Very Easy *for total new players learning how to move*, Easy *tone down a bit so a.i. not rushing*, Normal *balanced fight*, Hard, Very hard. I'm sure this is no easy task but it would go a long way to making the game accessible to a wider range of players, gaining new users while not nerfing the fun for veterans or hardcore players.

• 17 May, '22
  Yoiku

  This has been the biggest dealbreaker for me so far. I will admit that I am not great at strategy games, but I really enjoy playing them regardless. Each time I've closed out of the game I've been really frustrated after quickloading backwards to see if I could beat that AI that rolled in and handed my ass to me, but no. More or less if the scouting info states the fight to be Medium difficulty, it's too difficult, or rarely I survive it with a few units left. I'm sure more skilled players are laughing at this statement and that's fine by me. I would still like settings to make the AI easier so scrubs like myself can also enjoy the game beside the hardcore veterans :')
  
  At the start it's not too bad, but I'm a player that likes to take their time exploring, building up and amassing a big army before I go at enemy bases... and that point the AI has gotten so strong it seems like they've definitely had more resourses (endless gold at least) to throw away.

• 17 May, '22
  JadthePokemon

  Argee with Yoiku's comments. The game underidentifies the AI's army's strenght. Any medium oppenent decimates my army and any challenging opponent is really impossible. Also, I like to explore and build a formidible army then explore.

• 17 May, '22
  BarelyScratched

  You could toggle how aggressively the AI uses spells based on the difficulty as well. If you're on easy or normal, then the AI shouldn't come in and decimate your entire army with an AoE spell before you can even move. But on hard (or whatever), less or no holding back.

• 17 May, '22
  Nate

  No reason not to provide detailed individual control of the skirmish AI's cheats. How much of an economy boost. How much of a unit production boost.

• 18 May, '22
  Worthlesstowel

  Agreed, game is way too easy (skirmish mode).
  
  AI doesn’t fight enough monsters, doesn’t pick up goodies —> under levelled and under powered —> tiny armies.
  
  They have no other choice than send their troops in suicide mission against your OP heroes and 8 unit stacks.
  
  Maybe making them generate less heroes would be a good starting point as it would allow them to more concentrate XP around fewer heroes

• 19 May, '22
  Gildagriffon

  Biggest problem with ai atm, that makes it very weak is that Ai only picks 30%of its units into army, even if i set wielder cap to 1, when i defeat enemy wielder and siege ais main castle im finding out that he keeps huge chunk of his army inside main base and never uses them.

• 19 May, '22
  Lord Farquad Merged

  I have noticed whenever I play against Arleon even medium AI is quite easy to me (I am not skilled in this game though). This is especially true if they get first hero who is faey. Whereas Barony of loth on easy comes into my kingdom at turn 25 with decent army (at this moment Arleon AI in my games barely clears his surrounding if even that) - this of course is different on different maps but the pattern is same just the count of turn changes.
  
  I also noticed that going into more faye/spellcasting is much weaker than going into humans as Arleon (I am unsure, maybe Faye is much stronger late game or in better hands).
  
  I post this in same thread as these might be connected - maybe disparity in strength of AI is just a consequence of disparity of strength of different Factions. In my opinion playing against easy of different Factions should be similarly hard (although you might need to change up your strategy).

• 19 May, '22
  Munin Admin

  "AI/faction disparity skill/strength" (suggested by Lord Farquad on 2022-05-19), including upvotes (1) and comments (0), was merged into this suggestion.

• 19 May, '22
  Lord Farquad Merged

  I have noticed whenever I play against Arleon even medium AI is quite easy to me (I am not skilled in this game though). This is especially true if they get first hero who is faey. Whereas Barony of loth on easy comes into my kingdom at turn 25 with decent army (at this moment Arleon AI in my games barely clears his surrounding if even that) - this of course is different on different maps but the pattern is same just the count of turn changes.
  
  I also noticed that going into more faye/spellcasting is much weaker than going into humans as Arleon (I am unsure, maybe Faye is much stronger late game or in better hands).
  
  I post this in same thread as these might be connected - maybe disparity in strength of AI is just a consequence of disparity of strength of different Factions. In my opinion playing against easy of different Factions should be similarly hard (although you might need to change up your strategy).

• 19 May, '22
  Munin Admin

  "AI/faction disparity skill/strength" (suggested by Lord Farquad on 2022-05-19), including upvotes (1) and comments (0), was merged into this suggestion.

• 19 May, '22
  Willie

  Would be nice to have an option to make game easier for us that are not professional gamers.

• 22 May, '22
  Max

  Please add hard, very hard and impossible AI dont mind if ai get cheats... ai too weak now

• 23 May, '22
  Alex Merged

  Yes, I also don't have the time to replay most part of the game just to get to the next map. I love all of the game, but for the little time I have to play, it is just too difficult. I mean, I am in mission 3 now, and every wielder in this mission almost killed me and I was so weak after the confrontation, that I could not defeat the following one... now stuck at the battle against ALDUS and bruteforcing the "quick battle" button to hopefully get it done...

• 23 May, '22
  Marin

  Skirmish mode is currently to easy (medium level). Please add more difficulty levels (at least two more). Thx

• 26 May, '22
  Theodor

  Me and my friends as old HOMM players also found that the AI was way too easy currently, mainly due to the AI keeps feeding their units to a lot stronger wielder of ours until they have no army left and there is no big fight to be had at any point unless it is PvP. If there is any way to improve AI to consider the army strength before attacking better, that would be great addition.
  
  After first game we already thought to set the AI for harder and then found it was already at the hardest setting, that was a major disappointment in otherwise very promising game. Cheers!

• 27 May, '22
  Duncan McFarlane Merged

  Definitely and make the current setting "very hard" with multiple easier ones that give the player bigger starting armies and more money and resources, and reduce the strength of neutral forces. (Could also add a harder one "Impossible" or "extremely hard" for the small minority who think the current campaign is too easy)./

• 28 May, '22
  Kasrkin

  AI IS VERY WEAK ! please make it harder !! Very easy to play vs AI

• 28 May, '22
  Delyan

  Skirmish at the moment is unplayable for any experienced player. The AI is not progressing, buying enough units, developing cities, make rational fighting choices, picking mines, free sources on the map. These are all things, that are the core of the gameplay. It's like playing pacman, but without the ghosts, you have no worthy enemies. First 10-20 turns while the player is developing the game is great, but once you hit level 7-8, there is no point of going on, because the AI stays much lower level then you.
  This has to be fixed as soon as possible and more and more players will finish the campaigns and try the skirmish and will find these problems too.

• 06 Jun, '22
  I don't believe in doors

  maybe even a normal and easy for those of us struggling.

• 06 Jun, '22
  please :)

  I wish you improve the skirmish AI alot please. The game is awesome but this makes it even more sad not to have a strong skirmish AI. I would love it to build strong wielders with high levels and alooot of units. Maybe it should have like 1 or 2 "main" wielders with the biggest army and just farming XP and stacking units and attacking. I dont care if it cheats or not.

• 16 Jun, '22
  Femke

  The AI doesn't collect resources near its own towns, and I very rarely find that it's able to field armies that can stand against my own. Because I collect all of the resources, I'm able to build and grow, and it feels like they like never really get that powerful. Especially when I take a town, and then are just piles of resources laying around for me to collect for free, it really just snowballs my advantage.
  
  Also, in larger maps, there seems to be very little conflict between the AI oppenents. I would expect to see one faction gaining power as it conquers others in the same way the player does, meaning that there is at least one powerful opponent to deal with towards endgame, rather than three weak factions that you have to just chase around the map.

• 23 Jun, '22
  Moderator Admin

  This is something that we want to do during Early Access!

• 23 Jun, '22
  TheBlasterPastor Admin Merged

  "Add difficulty option in game menu" (suggested by Daniel on 2022-05-19), including upvotes (8) and comments (1), was merged into this suggestion.

• 11 Jul, '22
  E

  Great game that reminds me and my brother of Heroes 3 through and through. Enjoyed the hell out of the combat and layers of strategy.
  
  Our beef was the AI. It needs BIG improvements. People have already commented that the AI Wielders don't pick up resources and units at town.
  
  We also noticed that in combat the AI always targets the smallest stack of units when it is clearly the stupidest choice to make. It makes it very easy to bait the AI and win battles unscathed.
  
  Once again, great game so far, and it would be amazing with a better AI. We look forward to any updates. Thanks.

• 19 Jul, '22
  Patryk Merged

  Currently thr campaigns are way too easy even on hard difficulty. Among other things we want the AI to collect resources and visit map objects. Similar problems with too easy campaign killed generaly good game which was HoMM7.

• 22 Jul, '22
  TheBlasterPastor Admin

  "Harder levels of difficulty and rational (more advanced) AI in campaign" (suggested by Patryk on 2022-07-19), including upvotes (1) and comments (0), was merged into this suggestion.

• 22 Jul, '22
  Rahlekk

  This is the main feature that I'd like to see currently. A competent AI changes this game from 10 hours of fun to 300+ for me. Currently the normal AI is very easy to beat as a new player, and just boring.

• 25 Jul, '22
  please :)

  maybe if the ai would have ways of getting bigger stacks of units (and preffered combination of units), for example like having one or two "main wielders" that constantly pick up and stack units or have other support wielders that could bring them units, than it might have the effect, that it calcultates differenty to attack objects, what would lead to more xp and so on. this game has so much potential and a stronger ai might be the last missing piece of the puzzle :)

• 10 Aug, '22
  Khorne Merged

  AI needs to be improved, more difficulties. Sometimes AI movement on the map is meaningless, focused on insignificant things, or missing to gather every ressources freely available all around the map so it let us having free farm (at least for campaign mode). I finished both campaigns in hard. And honestly AI isn't that hard, it's too easy. In the last mission of ta a, when you got drakes, u literally snowball everything and AI gives up. Implementing harder difficulties is required, not only "hard mode" but at least like HoMM "expert" "impossible" modes. Even in custom games, some AI literally afked 80 turns because they can't break through neutral armies in their native location , so basically, when I farmed the entire map and reached lvl 25 with my hero , I faced lvl 5/8 enemies heroes after 80 turns ... simply because they were stucked.

• 14 Aug, '22
  Khorne

  "Add more Ai difficulties" >>> realized.
  It's not. U just added easy and normal difficulties.. the issue is not fixed. We need hard , expert or impossible difficulties please.

• 15 Aug, '22
  Benjamin

  I need harder AI to be able to play this game again. Its too easy and boring..

• 23 Aug, '22
  Alde

  too easy and boring..

• 05 Sep, '22
  Alde

  We need hard , expert or impossible difficulties please. For skirmishes.

• 23 Sep, '22
  s0b4k3d

  Agree with Alde and Benjamin - harder AI choices for skirmishes is a must - love the game - but at some point it's like sword fighting a child who is holding a pool noodle instead of a sword.

• 29 Oct, '22
  Will

  This issue is not released/fixed...
  
  I would like to see AI difficulty options as one setting (Hard, Expert, Legendary),
  AI/players starting resource modifier as a second setting (Map Default, extra gold, extra of X resource),
  And extra AI/player income over time as a third setting (% extra earned each round, X extra gold each round, N extra resources each round)
  
  Then when you play against Legendary AI starting with 10 of everything and getting 10k gold/day its a slight challenge ;)

• 29 Nov, '22
  Snjkzx Merged

  Add hard/expert , extra resources etc for AI players

• 30 Nov, '22
  Moderator Admin Merged

  You can now choose difficulty setting in the campaign settings.

• 01 Dec, '22
  FreezeZ Admin

  "More AI difficulty for skirmish maps, Solo/multiplayer" (suggested by Snjkzx on 2022-11-29), including upvotes (1) and comments (0), was merged into this suggestion.

• 18 Dec, '22
  Cid

  I play on Easy mode and still have trouble sometimes. If additional higher difficulty levels are added, maybe Easy could be made slightly easier to provide a wider spectrum of difficulty in both directions. Please remember that some players are super bad at the game but still love playing.

• 31 Dec, '22
  malk

  do i miss sth .. status released ?
  i do still have 2 difficulty modes "normal" and "Easy" is there something coming ?

• 11 Jan
  Anonymous

  I find normal difficulty to be pretty easy (though I've had a few years of playing HOMM3).
  My issue is that AI seems to:
  -idle around on small/tight maps (unable to break out of starting areas, by the time I reach them I'm like lv9 vs lv5)
  -not able to grow its economy intelligently (looking at postgame charts shows they had a very flat growth of stone/wood/gold)
  -not building towards anything in particular (eg it could pick from two or three build orders and work towards it if able)
  
  Oh! That reminds me of what other strategy games like Civ does; AI players could have different "personalities". Eg overly aggressive, territorial, defensive, exploration, etc. From what I've seen, this isn't *too* hard to implement (famous last words), they often just use different weights for their internal calculations for decision making

• 03 Feb
  FreezeZ Admin

  "Easier Game Difficulty" (suggested by Alhi on 2023-02-03), including upvotes (1) and comments (0), was merged into this suggestion.

• 03 Feb
  FreezeZ Admin

  "Adjustable Campaign Difficulty" (suggested by Fab5Freddy on 2022-05-26), including upvotes (40) and comments (5), was merged into this suggestion.

• 29 Apr
  Kac

  Hello, I played test for 70 hours. I see Computer Intelligence as the biggest problem. Instead of building advanced buldings it builds a lot of basic ones. It almost does not occupy mines (even after clearing the guards). It has an army split between multiple heroes, and while the human player has 7 dragons and the AI has no final unit. Please focus on a good computer AI, let there be a good opponent, like Homm 3,5. Otherwise, I didn't notice any game problems.

• 18 May
  Morgan

  How this is "released". In skirmish maps AI is not capable to rise an army, upgrade its own base or even capture any production buildings. I'd like to see AI opponents get more units and resources.

• 25 May
  UnLimiTeD

  Would it be possible to make this mod-able, maybe by exposing a script players can edit/replace?
  Could even be an esoteric data type and difficult syntax; I'm sure someone would be up to the task.
  Ideally, split between Combat and overworld AI.