IMPORTANT: State of the Game and Future Plans as of June, 2015

[bo]

ORIGINAL: Smokey2

Thanks for the belated feedback. If it was me I would look at bringing the AI forward in the process, perhaps items 0-1-4-2-3. But looking at the proposed process I don't need to check back in until next year when hopefully some work on the AI has at least commenced.

Smokey

Post more Smokey [:D] I know you probably linger on the posts, reading them now and then to keep in touch. As far as the AI goes I am one of the biggest advocates of it, no Matrix game to my knowledge has ever been released without an AI. It should have been done first, end of story.

Now for reality, without all the major bugs being fixed and the 2 half maps put into the game there is not point for the AI at this time, netplay was the course decided on by the powers that be, right or wrong [:(].

There are some who want all the optional rules coded before the AI [&:]. To me that makes no sense at all, get the game up and running with net play, solo, whatever, and when it all looks secure put in the remaining optional rules. Why, because some of these optional rules are tough to program and if they are put in now they could cause other problems that have already been resolved.

I am speaking as a non professional programmer who knows nothing about programming as 99% of the posters do not understand programming about what Steve faces each time he goes to put in an optional rule. I believe that sleek and clean is the way to go for the rest of 2015.

Bo

[GARY L]

Erik

I vote for AI

Gary

[Centuur]

I vote against it. What is the estimated time to be spend on the AI? A year? Two? Three? That's far too long compared to the other things which are easier to do...

[AlbertN]

If I am to vote for the AI, I'd vote for the AI to be last - and in my books the AI should be done only for Barbarossa and Guadalcanal scenario for learning sessions.

It will be a hell to code an AI with all the optionals in mind too - some much gamechanging like defensive shore bombing or the limited oversea supply.
Probably the AI also will require, whenever present and implemented - a standard set of Optional Rules.

But as I said, AI should come last. Heck if it was for me, updating to RAW8 would be better than adding an AI (But maybe I have the luck to have a human opponent to play against. Not that people cannot find someone around among the other forumers)

[paulderynck]

I agree with Cohen.

[wworld7]

I agree with parts of Bo's position, parts of Cohen's position and everything in between.

My hope is that coding goes well for Steve and by the end of 2015 MWIF is in a state that is solid
enough with the base game and Netplay that the AI God's grant me one wish. That wish is that the only
bugs that pop up in 2016 and beyond be so minor (hopefully cosmetic tiny ones) that when Steve fixes them
nothing else breaks.

While I wouldn't bet on this, sometimes miracles DO happen.

[pzgndr]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins
In terms of future plans, some of which may begin in parallel with a few of the remaining issue fixes, this is our current priority list. We're focusing on what we promised to add to the original release first. Again, we do want to make sure we have a stable solitaire and NetPlay version available with all major bugs resolved before we start adding these in.

Steve and Erik have had plenty of time to consider all of the inputs on this forum for a very long time, ad nauseam. The current priority list is fine. We will all get there when we get there.

[Cataphract88]

In my opinion, the AI should be prioritised over the optional rules.

[Numdydar]

The AI really needs to come last unfortunately. There really is just no other way to do it earlier.

This is due to needing to actually have all the optional rules in the game and coded properly. Otherwise the AI would need to be redone every time a new optional rule was added as some of these optional will have a major impact on an AI. And you cannot code the AI as if the optional rules were in the game as you do not know exactly how the rules will be coded until they are.

So if everyone wants an AI to come first, then we need to lock down the optional rules we currently have and not add any more (or add them in as expansions for an extra cost).

So the choices are:
No more optional rules to be added and any future optional rules added past these will cost more money in order to have an AI faster

or

Keep adding optional rules to complete a core 'set' and then add an AI after these are done an tested

Anything else will create a much worse game than we have now [:(] It is just the way programming works.

[wworld7]

IMO, your view is "the" reality MWIF faces, and well said.

From experience I know the nightmare which will come if the program is not "locked" before Steve goes full speed ahead programming the AI.
I do not believe enough time (at least in my life (I am 55)) exists to make multiple successful attempts programming the AI.

[pzgndr]

ORIGINAL: flipperwasirish
From experience I know the nightmare which will come if the program is not "locked" before Steve goes full speed ahead programming the AI.
I do not believe enough time (at least in my life (I am 55)) exists to make multiple successful attempts programming the AI.

Yeah, but it's not exactly "THE" AI for MWiF. As I understand it, Steve has strategic, operational and tactical modules. And I believe he has implemented the groundwork. Details remain to be implemented, but some of this could probably be done in parallel with other development work over the next year.

The strategic and operational AI should be rather generic I would assume, except for production and allocation issues associated with special units optional rules. The various other optional rules would affect the tactical AI but shouldn't be too difficult to add these in on top of a generic tactical AI that uses the standard movement and combat rules. Certainly it's not trivial and will take time, and I agree it's best to wait until the rest of the game is settled before finalizing the AI. Still, it would be encouraging to see some updates in the monthly reports that something is being done with some aspect of AI development.

[Cataphract88]

Whenever it is done, AI would bring so many new players to this game.

[snakerensky]

ORIGINAL: cataphract88

Whenever it is done, AI would bring so many new players to this game.

This is the reason I haven't purchased the game yet, as soon as it has AI I will be ordering it and i'm sure there are many others in the same boat.

[Cataphract88]

ORIGINAL: snakerensky

ORIGINAL: cataphract88

Whenever it is done, AI would bring so many new players to this game.

This is the reason I haven't purchased the game yet, as soon as it has AI I will be ordering it and i'm sure there are many others in the same boat.

I'm sure there are - Matrix must be losing so many sales because of this.

[bo]

ORIGINAL: cataphract88

ORIGINAL: snakerensky

ORIGINAL: cataphract88

Whenever it is done, AI would bring so many new players to this game.

This is the reason I haven't purchased the game yet, as soon as it has AI I will be ordering it and i'm sure there are many others in the same boat.

I'm sure there are - Matrix must be losing so many sales because of this.

[;)]hmmmm! Way too many sales! [:(]

Bo

[bo]

deleted

Bo

[MikeS369]

ORIGINAL: Smokey2

Thanks for the belated feedback. If it was me I would look at bringing the AI forward in the process, perhaps items 0-1-4-2-3. But looking at the proposed process I don't need to check back in until next year when hopefully some work on the AI has at least commenced.

Smokey

I agree. This game won't succeed without an AI despite the naysayers. However, I don't see AI implementation in the next 2 years if ever.

[tom730_slith]

Thanks for the update! Glad there are folks still working to improve a game I am already enjoying to a very high degree!
One thing I can predict regarding AI - when it arrives there will be complaints about it! [;)]
Meanwhile I will still be playing Global War solitaire and having a great time!

(after posting I noticed it says this is in response to someone else's post. It is not.)

[harley9699]

ORIGINAL: bo

ORIGINAL: cataphract88

ORIGINAL: snakerensky




This is the reason I haven't purchased the game yet, as soon as it has AI I will be ordering it and i'm sure there are many others in the same boat.

I'm sure there are - Matrix must be losing so many sales because of this.

[;)]hmmmm! Way too many sales! [:(]

Bo

Same boat. Hope it's a large one.

[helmick]

Same here. I'll buy once the AI is in but until then I can't justify the purchase.