Rome: Total War Mark Maratea CIS588 Winter FEB 2005

Game Overview Rome: Total War is a hybrid real-time tactical (RTT) and turn-based strategy (TBS) game. The game contains 20 factions, 11 distinct cultures, and over 100 types of units, over 10,000 unique battlefields

AI Overview Tactical (Combat screen) –Unit deployment, formations –Unit movement, morale, retreat/flee –Each soldiers has its own AI. Strategic –City Management (Taxes, Buildings, Training) –Diplomacy, Spies, Assassins –Senate missions –Over land unit movement

AI Techniques Tactical –Culture based rule-based system (expert system) –Flocking –No evident learning –Some Fuzzy logic –Pathfinding

AI Techniques Strategic –Simple rule based for where to send units, what buildings to build, etc –Possibly some fuzzy logic for which units to train (hard to test) –A* pathfinding (overall very basic terrain)

Tools No information was available.

Strengths AI is very fast and scalable – able to simulate over 10,000 individuals in one battle. Realistic unit actions – units react to their surroundings/situations as you would expect.

Weaknesses No learning – enemy reacts the same way each time. No tactical innovations. No long term strategy – enemy will sacrifice long term growth for no reason (ie. makes too many troops in a town, depleting the population.) Diplomacy makes very little sense. Tactical pathfinding issues – unit stacking

Assessment The AI is significantly better than the previous installments (Shogun and Medieval) but still has a way to go. A learning system would greatly improve the AI’s battle performance and extend the replayability. Overall, the AI adds to the game’s enjoyment.