Let new players learn the game faster..

By giving them an option of "autopilot"

Allow them to let the AI run their game if they feel overwhelmed or challeneged. This won't stop experience players but it will let new players learn and have fun faster.

Notify all in the server that "autopilot for __ player has been enabled"

Also, enable full maphacks for all servers. which will make it easier for newer players.

enable maphacks in all games.

veterans always scout better than new players.

vetrans always aware of map.

newplayers are not

and?

this is about new players not veterans

new players are the basis of spring

i say make one version "new player friendly"

although can't see that autopilot idea working i like the maphack idea if it's implemented as a modoption or on a separate host

Also this will open wonderful possibilities for a smurfs...
LittleNabbit will be happy

for lead dev

quote: "autopilot" their way to fun

This strikes me as a contradiction in terms.

The gadget doesn't run when there are no AIs to handle. Enabling it for teamgames would have a performance cost. But that's not a major concern.

We could technically have CAI act as if it controls a player's resources. This would work. But I think it would need many improvements to work well. CAI is fairly rigid in it's control so players may end up fighting for control of a subset of their forces. We'd need some sort of extra logic, for example CAI could not control the units that a player has selected or given manual orders to. It would be best to turn CAI into a widget such that it has easy access to the player's UI. This would allow it to read more about their unit selection and orders.

Another (perhaps unimportant) issue is that CAI is quite bad. It is particularly bad when it has few resources which will be the case in a teamgame.

quote: newer players, who might download for the sole reason of testing this "autopilot" system

People downloading games solely to test autopilots? Riiight.

CAI may be not as "efficient" in handling ressources, but there are some things that an AI is able to do:

* Always make as much energy as you have mexes, except team is excessing/overdriving a LOT - needs high priority constructors…

* Intercept scouts with units given to it…
* Rebuild/Ressurect radar coverage if you have no los but an idle con…

You don't even need CAI for it - just the right widgets/code.


Good ideas:

* Add a help-widget where a player can enter something like "com", "goli", "sumo" and it shows a few counters to it - sorted after units from factories you have and you have to build.
Newbes may just have forgot the best counter.

* Add a Tasklist widget.

Show:
* the ammount of energy which is spend on shields and how much overdrive it would be.
* how much metal some part of the map makes if you cap mexes and connect to your OD grid.
* retreating enemy heavies, and how much you have spend to get them to their low health.