decision based 'AI'

suepahfly

I'm working on a online game where players can create a unit and use that unit to fight with other player units.

The unit needs to have some kind of 'artaficial intelligence' to fight (turnbased would create to much problems).

The player should be able to configure his/her unit to do certains things (attack/defend) based on a certain situation.

Say the players unit only has 10% of health and the oppends unit strikes. The obvious thing would be to duck away and try to avoid the attack.
Or
The players unit still has full strenght and healt and the opponend is almost down, the obvious thing than would be to strike as hard as possible an finish of the opponend.

My question is how do I implemend such a decission system. What would be the best way to do that.

[edit]
I say 'AI' becuse the unit isn't actually learing anything
[/edit]

Ceril

there are many ways to achieve what you are looking for in more or less complicated ways

A good start would be to just more clearly define this: Not turnbased fighting:
Is it not turnbased in the sence that a player cant affect the fight once it starts?

Is it not turn/round based at all and instead you have the units fight in "real time" by calculating some sort of AC ala "Phoenix Command"?

I would assume:
1. Players cant affect things once the fighting really starts.
2. It is roundbased eg: "round 1: Unit A attacks Unit B which defends." and the order within the round being based on some sort of initative.

Then come the values for the units, say that you got Health, Attack, Defence,Speed and Damage.

Let the players then set things like:
at 100% health: 30% Init, 20% Attack 10% Defense, 40% Damage

at 30% health: 10% Init, 0% Attack, 90% Defense 0% Damage and Retreat/Yield/Leave the fighting scene somehow, try to atleast.

Then just fix it up and have your AI be based on any number of thoose settings which could be choosen randomly at every new fight or specified.

The thing is: I dont know how your fight system is supposed to work, is it units or is it man against man? and on and on...

mw-dnb

use a random number for a dice roll.

thats how it was done in all the classic muds and rpg's.

suepahfly

The basic game play would be as followed (heavily simplified)
1. Player creates account and get xxx start credits
2. Player uses credit to buy a chasiss, limbs, weapons, sheilding and assmbles them to make a unit
3. The unit has now basic strength/speed/defence points (these are linked from the chassis/limbs/weapons/shielding)
4. Next comes the 'decision matrix' on wich the palyer configures what his units does. This will probibly somekind of tree with nodes

|_[health = 100%/shielding = 50%]
|     |_[Attack]
|           |_[weapondamage <= 10%]
|                |_[Strike opponend]
|
|_[heath = 50%/shielding =%0]
|    |_[Defend]
|         |_[avoid attacks from opponend]
|

Now this tree is fully configurable by the player, he/she can add/remove node as he/she wishes
The fight sytem it self will be unit against unit.
During a fight between 2 units the software loops throught the tree executing the pre-configured action. The fight is self is round based, Unit A executes a command from the tree, inflicting damage on unit B. Unit B then executes a command from the matrix (defending or attacking)

Player that wins gets extra credits to upgrade a unit / buy extra unit.