So here's the plan

Working on deobfuscating the script is taking up most of the time I put into working on the AI these days. This is because the sooner I get this done, the sooner I can start a "clean" port, which translates roughly into inserting a script into a new map (instead of what I've been doing, which is porting new features onto the old map).

Since I'm deobfuscating the script from 6.48b, much of it will have to be rewritten (also easier once I understand what's going on) and updated to account for new features/items/heroes/etc. I've already rewritten a bunch of it for the existing port, but much of that is basically a cluttered hack instead of a clean rewrite.

When I get done deobfuscating and rewriting the scripts, I think it will reach a point where it is no longer appropriate to keep calling it "AI+ 1.52", so we'll have to think of a new name and version number. =P

In the meantime, I guess I'll keep updating the ported map, which is steadily becoming increasingly outdated. I plan on putting Old Storm Spirit and Old Undying into the Fun Taverns for a Rev. 2, and then don't plan on doing anything on that particular map until 6.60 comes out. In between releases, I'll continue to work on deobfuscating and rewriting the parts of the script that need it.

That's the plan.

Hm, forgot to post this here

Ah well, by now you should have all figured out it's April Fool's Day, so go out and fool someone.

Anyway, here's the link to the latest "Rev. AWESOME" I posted on the forums, it's basically the incremental map, though it does include a fully completed Ramza character (with 20 classes, woohoo!).

Progress has slowed considerably, as I'm taking quite a bit more time to do other things in my life. Realistically though, it's tough for me to give up on this, haha. I'm working on deobfuscating the AI script, as working on my own script is making me realise just how much work went into the original script (thanks to both cloud_str and RGB) and it would be somewhat foolish to disregard everything they've done to date in making a script of my own.

So...perhaps finally sitting down and understand what the hell is going on and making changes to that script may be a more pertinent course of action. And one that will take a long, long time. =P

Anyway, map can be downloaded at the following links, have fun!

http://www.mediafire.com/?ounvzwlcnnm
http://rapidshare.com/files/216051291/DotA_Allstars_6.59_AIplus_1.52_Revision_AWESOME.zip
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=OUJFRTVY

More lack of update

The only thing I've done recently is finish up Ramza. Broken as all hell, but the system in place for this hero is almost enough to run an entirely different map. Maybe I should make a map from scratch, that could be a fun project for a while.

Still on the fence in terms of actual AI progress. I've half-started a new AI and half-started deobfuscating the existing script. And honestly, I'm half-ready to quit altogether. I'm getting a bit sick of the whining and the bitching. I don't even play DotA regularly anymore. Why do I bother spending so much of my free time putting effort into something I don't even enjoy anymore and putting up with the whining that I never enjoyed in the first place?

I think I need a vacation. A long one. This is starting to become a burden instead of a joy for me, and that's not a good thing.

Fun Taverns

So, in the Fun Taverns (with the legacy heroes), we currently have:

Remade
-Old Invoker (6.12b)
-Old Lifestealer (6.48b)
-Old Silencer (6.12b)
-Old Morphling (5.84b)
-Old Stealth Assassin (5.84b)
-Old Pudge (5.51)
-Old Chen (5.64)
-Old Medusa (5.84b)

Extinct
-Gambler (6.06)
-Void Demon (3.0d)
-Rider (5.72)
-God of Wind (6.01)
-Flame Lord (5.51)
-Avatar of Vengeance (6.32b)
-Astral Trekker (3.0d)
-Bat Rider (6.00)
-Conjurer (5.51)

I want to add Old Storm Spirit (6.57b), Old Undying (6.57b), and the version of Morphling that can change attributes to the Remade tavern.

This means that there is one spot left for a remade hero, and three spots left for extinct heroes. I have half a mind to get rid of Void Demon and Astral Trekker because, let's face it, they're stupid heroes. That would make five spots for extinct heroes.

I may combine the attribute-change Morphling with the spell-change Morphling using a similar selection algorithm as the one that's been proposed for Formless, in which case there would be two spots left for remade heroes (and possibly multiple iterations of other previously remade/extinct heroes?)

So...for you people who want to see old heroes:

Remade:
1.
2.

Extinct:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Fill in the blanks. No polls, I'm picking the ones I like. =P

DotA Allstars 6.59 AI+ (20090227)

http://www.mediafire.com/?ntonnlyk1oc

Mini-changelog:

-Fixed a serious bug that would cause the game to crash on group creation
-Changed Lord of Avernus's model to the one introduced in 6.59
-Gave Bat Rider an air-to-air attack while flying, which should remove the bug where he would permanently gain damage upon flying down
-Removed warning message for incomplete AIs when playing Deathmatch (or new Formless Mode)

*Formless Fixes
-Formless can now learn Quill Spray, Bristleback, Warpath
-Fixed a bug with Formless not being able to reset Clockwerk's abilities

And...

-Added new single-player mode: Formless mode (-formless, -fm), which will allow the player to play as Formless and cause the AI to cycle through heroes as they die. No limitations on duplicate heroes picked by AI (except Meepo, who has been disabled). Abilities are not lost when Formless dies, this may change in future versions. -fm can be combined with non-gamemode switches (like -fr, -st, -ne, etc.).

Enjoy!

Formless Mode!

Got bored yesterday and decided to try to implement this new single-player game mode. Provided that there is one human player (and any number of AI players), Formless mode will make the human player play as Formless, and every time an AI bot dies it gets assigned a new random hero (no limitations, so any hero is fair game and heroes can show up multiple times). Every time the player dies, Formless loses all of his abilities after he revives.

Kind of a semi-dm type deal, except that Formless is a constant. With the cycling AI players, this should significantly increase the number of combos that one will experience in a single game.

Currently only in the incremental map, which I'll post later after some fine-tuning to prevent some leaks. If it's popular enough maybe I'll pop it in the release as well. =)

Was going to post it today but I found a pretty serious bug in the mode, it'll take a while to fix and I'm a bit busy today. Guess you'll all have to be patient. =P

Minor update

Still on break, not worrying about the map is treating me good. =P

Some marginal progress with the new AI, bots are currently EXTREMELY basic, having similar attack patterns to creeps, with the exception of being able to retreat to the nearest allied tower if no allied creeps are nearby (i.e. the wave is killed off), and the ability to retreat back if damaged. This will take a lot of working on before it's anywhere near presentable. =P

As for the AI+ map, made some of those graphical fixes that Overflow pointed out, but I don't anticipate releasing anything until 6.60 at the earliest. I kind of want to put Old Storm Spirit and Old Undying (6.57b) and maybe -er into the map, but we'll see how busy/lazy I am.

And Happy Valentine's Day, for those of you who celebrate it. My girl doesn't read this blog but she should know that she's been one of the biggest blessings of my life. =)