Dev Blog 25/10/18

[parsehtml]<p><img class="frame" src="https://www.taleworlds.com/Images/News/blog_post_63_taleworldswebsite.jpg" alt="" width="575" height="290" /></p> <p>Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the most important features of any single player game. Getting it right is key to the experience: it has to be almost invisible, so players (sort of) forget that they are playing against a machine. It has to be clever and fast enough to be a worthy opponent, but not too much – humans are fallible, after all; and ultimately the player, as the hero of the story, is supposed to win. It has to make use of the game mechanics at hand, not just to be fun and varied but to show the player what can be done. This rings especially true in a game such as Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, where skill-based combat and epic large-scale battles are at the core of the experience.</p></br> [/parsehtml]Read more at: http://www.taleworlds.com/en/Games/Bannerlord/Blog/83

 

[mikeboix]

With this, I understand that the ia and her behavior is no longer hardcoded. If this is not so, mike you are right and there is nothing new...

Thankfully you still pay attention to these blogs so you can remember these details. Thanks for summing this up to me, compadre.

 

[TehRalph]

Information presented seem really encouraging. After gamescom videos however, I take them with a pinch of salt.

To be fair, all we saw in Gamescom was low level looters and bandits. Realistically, these types of groups wouldn't have had much, if any, formal training, and would therefor suck at any type of engagement against a trained force.

 

[NPC99]

To put it simply, individual AI needs to be as precise as possible to ensure that each agent can perform effectively in combat. It needs to carry out any orders that are issued to it, as well as, assess the current situation to make its own decisions on what actions to take.

Three segregated layers of battlefield AI should result in more realistic behaviours. I’ll be interested to see how troops engaged in close melee respond to retreat orders. Clearly, the self preservation priority of individual AI should delay an agent’s response until it is safe to comply. If so, troops will disengage piecemeal, breaking up their protective formation, which will be quite realistic and very dangerous.

Loved the second screenshot - great view of the horizon, showing one of Bannerlord’s excellent terrain borders. I always hated the ugly humps skirting Warband’s battlefields.

With this, I understand that the ia and her behavior is no longer hardcoded. If this is not so, mike you are right and there is nothing new...

Given the need for highly optimised code at individual AI level to cope with the processing load of large battles, I believe this level is still hardcoded as peviously advised.

 

[vicwiz007]

That's nice. I would have liked to have a response to all the talks about AI issues in the Gamescom demo though. Can we confirm that they were set on uber-noob please?

 

[Noudelle]

Clearly, the self preservation priority of individual AI should delay an agent’s response until it is safe to comply. If so, troops will disengage piecemeal, breaking up their protective formation, which will be quite realistic and very dangerous.

That's a good point. I Never thought of this before. I imagine that, with morale now being a more fleshed out mechanic, this could be a very interesting mechanic.

 

[vota dc]

It is great!
I can put great generals with bad AI soldiers that break formation when lose 10% hitpoints
Or great soldiers lead by a madman that put archers on charge and make the cavalry sit on a hill
Or bad soldiers with a bad general!

TLD had stupid orcs that used bow like gangsta use pistols but was just a visual effect, now it is possible!

 

[Serb]

will the equipment you wear get affected by the enviroment? I mean outside of blood stains
not sure if thats related to the 3d guy or its on aother department
sorry for any potato english

 

[Bjorn The Dead]

However, it is important to note that the orders issued by the formation AI only determine what is expected of each individual agent, but it doesn’t directly make them do anything: this is left to the individual AI to interpret and carry out.

With this explanation, this skill makes more sense right now.

Great blog Callum!

 

[dr4gunov]

Information presented seem really encouraging. After gamescom videos however, I take them with a pinch of salt.

To be fair, all we saw in Gamescom was low level looters and bandits. Realistically, these types of groups wouldn't have had much, if any, formal training, and would therefor suck at any type of engagement against a trained force.

True. They most likely would be able to count

 

[KhergitLancer80]

Information presented seem really encouraging. After gamescom videos however, I take them with a pinch of salt.

To be fair, all we saw in Gamescom was low level looters and bandits. Realistically, these types of groups wouldn't have had much, if any, formal training, and would therefor suck at any type of engagement against a trained force.

True. They most likely would be able to count

Not to mention previous M&B games kept the ai adjustable in difficulty settings and majority of the players in GC were journalists or random people who never played a M&B game before. I think since TW was probably expecting this(this wasnt their first GC experience) they set the difficulty to lowest option and that affected the AI. Not just combat wise but also strategically. Thats maybe why those outnumbered bandits did not run away.

I think we cant judge the AI by what we have seen in those videos.
Though I am optimistic since I have seen some things like how they grabbed weapons from ground, how they stick together as a formation etc. Also in the 39 minutes PC gamer video, the enemy AI lord was cautious etc.

 

[Noudelle]

Information presented seem really encouraging. After gamescom videos however, I take them with a pinch of salt.

To be fair, all we saw in Gamescom was low level looters and bandits. Realistically, these types of groups wouldn't have had much, if any, formal training, and would therefor suck at any type of engagement against a trained force.

True. They most likely would be able to count

Not to mention previous M&B games kept the ai adjustable in difficulty settings and majority of the players in GC were journalists or random people who never played a M&B game before. I think since TW was probably expecting this(this wasnt their first GC experience) they set the difficulty to lowest option and that affected the AI. Not just combat wise but also strategically. Thats maybe why those outnumbered bandits did not run away.

I think we cant judge the AI by what we have seen in those videos.
Though I am optimistic since I have seen some things like how they grabbed weapons from ground, how they stick together as a formation etc. Also in the 39 minutes PC gamer video, the enemy AI lord was cautious etc.

Thank's for mentionning this video. I'd never seen it before. I haven't watched all of it yet, but I'm glad to see that even looters will try to encircle you.

 

[Terco_Viejo]

A Reddit user just shared this:

Now that I've noticed the image, the tension and chord of the composite bow are not applied correctly. And taking a look at the video Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Captain Mode - Khuzait vs Empire (2017) also appears this error. I hope I haven't delayed the release of the game for another two years..

 

[hiclipucli]

enough for endless text...WHY dont publish som videos about AI ????!!!!

 

[fedeita]

That's all nice and great but I didn't see anything of this in the gamescom's demo, why not sharing some videos showing your progress?

 

[Lemondude]

Now that I've noticed the image, the tension and chord of the composite bow are not applied correctly. And taking a look at the video Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Captain Mode - Khuzait vs Empire (2017) also appears this error. I hope I haven't delayed the release of the game for another two years..

You're just nitpicking. Such a small thing you didnt even notice until somebody specifically pointed it out to you. And you have to remember that Bannerlord isn't based completely on real life, maybe in Calradia composite bows are made differently???

 

[Kortze26]

Spoiler

A Reddit user just shared this:

Now that I've noticed the image, the tension and chord of the composite bow are not applied correctly. And taking a look at the video Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Captain Mode - Khuzait vs Empire (2017) also appears this error. I hope I haven't delayed the release of the game for another two years..

I just found myself speed reading through all the comments to make sure someone pointed this out.  Otherwise, the blog was a good one.

I have a question about the A.I. formation performance, though.  If I have melee units forming a shield wall and they are ordered to stay put, are they still likely to charge an approaching enemy like we saw in the footage from last year's gamescom?  I would like to think that the units in a shield wall will stay put until receiving a charge and the momentum of the incoming enemy formation is dispersed.  Also, will it be possible to mod a testudo or schiltrom formation if it's not already in the game?  Would it be possible to get units to actually lock their shields? 

 

[JuanNieve]

About formations: it would be cool if we can order to our heavy infantry to brace their lance or pikes in this way

At least the first line to counter heavy cavalry charges.

This video has good information about the formations of the Roman legions in the republic

Spoiler

 

[The Meddling Monk]

Some lords might be more cautious and prefer to seize the high ground before setting up in a defensive formation

Spoiler

 

[nGabor]

A Reddit user just shared this:

Now that I've noticed the image, the tension and chord of the composite bow are not applied correctly. And taking a look at the video Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Captain Mode - Khuzait vs Empire (2017) also appears this error. I hope I haven't delayed the release of the game for another two years..

I just wanted to point out the same thing!
This is a shame at this stage of development, and also from a Turkish company! Turkish people traditionally use composite bows.
Maybe its a bug and will be corrected, but than they sould check their screenshots before posting.

 

[nGabor]

Now that I've noticed the image, the tension and chord of the composite bow are not applied correctly. And taking a look at the video Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Captain Mode - Khuzait vs Empire (2017) also appears this error. I hope I haven't delayed the release of the game for another two years..

You're just nitpicking. Such a small thing you didnt even notice until somebody specifically pointed it out to you. And you have to remember that Bannerlord isn't based completely on real life, maybe in Calradia composite bows are made differently???

Maybe it is nitpicking, or maybe not. But from what I saw in Warband and the dev blogs, M&B is based on real life and it is not 'fantasy'. And that bow is completely illogical and stupid. In the current design the rigid arms are completely useless. This way it is just an extremly short recurve bow with two rigid arms for decoration or to be in the way or whatever reasons. But it is not a composite bow. It is a nonsens, and for me it is a big immersion breaker. By the way for me it is such a small thing, that this was the first thing I noticed on that screenshot.

I also hope they will correct the positionings of the hands on the different weapons (I guess it is not a big deal but who knows). These are little things, and maybe not that important, but add a lot to immersion and overall polish.