Can I rely on Mage AI for most trivial fights?

Vallmyr

Hello all!

So normally I hoard spells and never cast them or use scrolls because of the "I might need them later!" thought process, which I'm trying to get out of.

I'm playing SoD and realized that when using Dynaheir or Edwin and just keeping them on their starting AI they actually are adequately competent spellcasters. I understand for Mage Duels in BG2 I'll have to micromanage as I am use to but can I rely on this mage AI for the most part? I'm playing on Core Difficulty because I'm garbage at these games despite playing them for about 4 years now lol

mlnevese

If you don't get desperate because your wizard cast a stoneskin on him/herself after resting and is shooting magic missiles on enemies, then yes.. the Advanced AI is enough... for tough fights in BG 2 you'll need to take direct control though... ahhh the memories of killing Firkraag with a magic missile storm coming out of 3 mages

sarevok57

I've made my own scripts for my spell casters and I have turned them into spell casting harriers, whether it be gibberling or dragon my casters start going ham on any enemy they see

I've noticed with the advanced AI option its pretty good, but it doesn't go passed level 3 for offensive spells, but its pretty good defensive wise

mlnevese

It also does not like chromatic orbs...

sarevok57

yeah, there is a lot of spells it doesn't like actually, luckily thanks to NI I was able to make my own scripts, by copy pasting some of the awesome scripts from advanced AI, and then adding in all the spells I use

Vallmyr

Interesting. I'm use to micro-managing all the time and mage duels in BG2 I found quite fun but in Bg1/SoD where those are non-existent (I think) I'm finding letting my mages auto-cast is making fights easier than having me never cast ever lol

mlnevese

@sarevok57 Have you ever considered releasing them? Many people like to play with good, smarter AIs on their side

sarevok57

if people ever wanted them I could, but it would just be better if I made them from scratch for people ( like I did for my friend, I made him some custom scripts from scratch to suit his play style aka his cleric will cast their most powerful healing spell first as soon as anyone in the party takes even a single HP of damage)

the thing about my script, is that its kind of specific, I think I had an IWD one where it will cast any offensive spell you have, you will cast regardless of what it is, so when I remade my better ones for BG I only scripted the spells that I would use

although I was thinking about making mega scripts, where if you are a wizard it will make it so you always have stoneskin on, it will cast mirror image when it sees and enemy, and then start casting it's highest level spell on enemies and keep going

and then for clerics, armor of faith, draw upon holy might, and then do the same for offensive spell casting and if party members are at 50% health start casting the highest level healing spell

so scripts like this would be great for me, but what if other people want it so you casters don't cast defensive spells? what if they don't want their clerics to heal in combat?

so if I were to make scripts for people I would just prefer to make them to the taste of the player if ya know what I mean

JumboWheat01

I have learned to never rely on the AI when it comes to spells. More often or not you'll be eating fireballs or having really useful spells being blown on cannon fodder. I set my mages' AI to the passive one that causes them to sling away unless I tell them to cast a spell manually.

Bigfish

I don't know if I'd say you could rely on them. I think it's more apt to say that they will use spells more often, which is a plus in that my casters would habitually chuck rocks because I would save spells for when they were needed, which was not often, so having them spam magic missiles and bless means they end fights a bit faster at the cost of having to rest more before big encounters... which I would do anyway because people needed healed.

Vallmyr

Bigfish said:

I don't know if I'd say you could rely on them. I think it's more apt to say that they will use spells more often, which is a plus in that my casters would habitually chuck rocks because I would save spells for when they were needed, which was not often, so having them spam magic missiles and bless means they end fights a bit faster at the cost of having to rest more before big encounters... which I would do anyway because people needed healed.

Yeah, this basically explains my entire issue XD

I always hoard spells and never use them but with the AI I actually finish fights much faster and since I rest before tough battles anyway I think I might as well use the AI. Now I've played BG1/BG2 completely micromanaging everything but I think I have more fun letting the AI do its thing.

sarevok57

I love having great AIs on my casters, besides, why have spells if they are never going to use them? the only time I want to micromanage is the boss fights and I don't care if my team sleeps 100 times in one dungeon/area ( team narcolepsy for the win) also, once you get to higher levels, you have so many spells to burn through that even rest management seems to go down

mlnevese

I really miss such great AIs as BP Series... It's a shame it's no longer being updated.

I like the new Advanced AI but sometimes it fails to initialize in some characters...

DJKajuru

spellcasting AI isn't for me 'cause I usually avoid resting until the end of a dungeon, so I'd rather choose my spells wisely .

sarevok57

mlnevese said:

I really miss such great AIs as BP Series... It's a shame it's no longer being updated.

I like the new Advanced AI but sometimes it fails to initialize in some characters...

I've noticed that characters I imported over to SoA from BG1 somehow breaks the Advanced AI and they never use abilities or cast spells, plus advanced AI only goes up to level 3 spells ( except for the dispelling ones like breach and ruby ray and such)

but if I start a new game in BG2 then it works just fine, most strange indeed

mlnevese

You know... If I wasn't so far in my current playthrough I'd start a Let the AI decide playthrough and post it in the forum... Maybe some modder would even be inspired to create a new AI

Grum

I try to rest as little as possible. Preferably not at all in a dungeon unless it thematically makes sense. So spells are precious resources that can't be wasted. As such...no mage AI for me. But I'd imagine that it'd be frustrating to see powerful/useful spells being 'wasted' on cannon fodder, or used on enemies which are immune.

Bigfish

Grum said:

I try to rest as little as possible. Preferably not at all in a dungeon unless it thematically makes sense. So spells are precious resources that can't be wasted. As such...no mage AI for me. But I'd imagine that it'd be frustrating to see powerful/useful spells being 'wasted' on cannon fodder, or used on enemies which are immune.

I actually ran in to that while playing siege of dragon spear. Got so used to Mage AIs I didn't notice Neera got replaced with a stock versin until I was at the end and found out she didn't know haste and my casters blew all their good spells on the elevator.