Watch mode and M25 missing file problem

[Robsoie]

Hello,

Usually i like to write my own hero files, trying to carefully balance the characters i get ingame.
At first i used EZHero to set the hero files quickly, then tweak them ingame.

Then, when i test my .hero files i use a team deathmatch setting pitting some heroes against other, so far no problem. But as i wanted to check the M25 AI that come with FFX 2.6 gold (as i have only :ff:) , i decided to try in Watch Mode and noticed a problem.

It seems that the "hero" side AI has no problem, they are really impressive and use all their powers, while the "enemy" side AI is a complete idiot, use very few powers, run (or fly) around aimlessly trying to actually avoid any kind of fighting... well does not put a fight.

Inversing the team (getting the characters that were on the "enemy" side to be on the "hero" squad and vice versa) confirmed this problem : the hero side seems to play the full M25 AI, while the enemy side play a "superdumb" version of some kind of AI.

I tried to change the difficulty level, but it seems to only modify the damage/resistance, the enemy side always use an incredibly superdumb AI, nothing in common with the impressive M25 AI that the hero side is obviously using at its fullest.

Is there a solution to this ?

Other problem, i noticed sometime on some of the logs an error about a missing file named m25libbase.py that is supposed to be in
.....\Freedom Force\Data\Missions\Scripts

And checking the directory, this file is not present.
To see a bit more, i opened the file m252.py,  near the beginning i noticed those 3 lines :
from m25lib2 import *
from m25script2 import *
from m25newai2 import *

While when i opened the file m25base.py, near the beginning there was those 3 lines :

from m25libbase import *
from m25scriptbase import *
from m25newaibase import *

so this missing m25libbase.py is really supposed to exist.

I don't know if FFX 2.6 gold is missing it or is just not installing it for unknown reason, but after re-installing 2 times :ff: , this file is always missing.

I wonder if this missing file is linked in any way with the "enemy" AI problem in watch mode
Someone has it ?


Maybe not linked but some time ago, i was noticing a lot of "error : melee" stating it has a wrong "0 range" in the various logs, and noticing the difficulties of the characters to go by themselves in contact with each other, a quick search on the forum made me notice that EZHero has a bug that is saving the .hero files with the melee powers with a range of 0 both in :ff: and :ffvstr:.

So i downloaded MrBrdo Hero Tool that save the hero files correctly and loaded, reseted the melee distance and saved again each of my 80 hero files.
Then no more of those melee errors, it seems to work better for hand to hand ingame.

But it did not seem to have improved the "enemy AI" not using the AI at its fullest like the "hero squad AI" in watch mode.

[Robsoie]

Really none has any idea on how to get the "enemy AI" more wanting to put a fight like the "hero AI" does in watch mode ?

[Xenolith]

You might want to try posting your question in the scripting forum because the guys who are most likely to answer this frequent that section of Freedom Reborn.  That's all I can say. :(

[Robsoie]

Thanks for the pointer, to my own shame i must say i did not even noticed the presence of the scripting board in the dozen already present on freedom reborn.

Anyways, skimming through the FFX 3.2 bug report thread (version for FFT3R and so i assume the most up to date of M25 AI), i noticed a report of a bug always present in FFX 3.2

Still live
2.  Groups of characters under M25 AI occasionally just stand around and take a coffee break.

that sounds sadly very similar to what is happening to the "enemy AI" in FFX 2.6 for my FF1, with the difference that it is more often than "occasionally" in FFX 2.6

I assume if this bug is not always fixed in FFX 3.2 there is no chance to have it fixed one day in FFX 2.6 as it is not under development anymore.

The only strange thing is that it applies only to the "enemy team" in a watch mode skirmish, never to the "hero team".

the hero team always use the AI to its fullest , attack using powers etc... while the enemy AI only attack very few time and spend most of its time either looking around or running away while being punched to death by the "hero team" AI.

Too bad, i hope one day i will find the willpower to try to understand how to make an AI file for a character so i could be able to setup skrimish between AI without having to use FFX 2.6 and the unresponsive "enemy AI" that comes with its watch mode

[USAgent]

As far as I know custom hero files on the "enemy side" in  :ff: never had much of a AI (ranged attack, melee, and fly away) thats about it.  I have never heard of any M25AI to solve that problem.  The watch mode battles really stunk.  The only way to resolve that in  :ff: is make your custom characters "built in" and then you would have to write up your own AI.  But Tasmaster X had made some downloadable built in characters with custom AI that you could use as a base if you want to start trying to make your own.

But a much (hopefully) easier solution for you would be to purchase  :ffvstr: and transfer your content over to that game.  M25 made a tool for that game where you could run your hero files though the AI generator and it will automaticly create custom AI files for those characters getting full use of every power and ability that you give them including teleporting, sprints, speeding bullets, active defences, ect, ect.. Plus you can go into those custom AI files and tweak them to your liking.  M25's Ai generator was the sole reason I made the switch myself.

[Robsoie]

Thank you very much for this reply, it confirms at least that i was not making a mistake with some files badly installed or that some of my hero files were faulty somehow.

I will give a look into the Taskmaster example to try to get an AI for the enemy side, as in the current state you are right the watch mode has lot of potential in theory, but in the current practice it is just not fun.

If i can't figure out something (but i hope to see the light), or if the custom AI can't do the trick to improve the current enemy AI, well i guess i will kiss FF1 goodbye and look for FFvT3R in a store, as the skirmish mode with characters for which i build hero files was basically the only last FF1 interest left for me, after having finished the main campaign and mods too much time to have fun in those missions anymore.

Thanks for the help.

[GogglesPizanno]

You should be able to pick up FFvTR for like $5 or so nowadays (EDIT: $6.14 at amazon).
That's less than a "Value" meal at just about any fast food place...

And with the improvements in FFX, and EZScript and everything else that has been done, Its well worth the upgrade -- even if its just to watch characters beat themselves up in watch mode.