# \[Not a bug\] Why does the enemy disregard matching hourglass gems?
**URL:** https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/not-a-bug-why-does-the-enemy-disregard-matching-hourglass-gems/82222
**Category:** Bug Reports
**Created:** [November 15, 2023, 4:34pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/not-a-bug-why-does-the-enemy-disregard-matching-hourglass-gems/82222 "2023-11-15T16:34:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@gmorin2](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/gmorin2)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2023, 4:34pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/not-a-bug-why-does-the-enemy-disregard-matching-hourglass-gems/82222/1 "2023-11-15T16:34:51Z")
I believe this is a bug because the enemy doesn’t know what an hourglass gem does or it would match it on 3 gem matches.
Its the same effect as getting a 4 or 5 match to continue thier survival in gaining gem color selections but after playing this entire event for weeks so far they dont, from guild wars to any of the explore modes its exactly the same except when the hourglass is making a traditional 4 or 5 match.
But i think due to the inherited nature of the enemies desire to get matches that suits its needs or when a 4 or 5 match comes up that isn’t on thier color “radar” they will match it but this hourglass gem IS broken to me if the enemy totally disregards the FREE TURN.
Or it’s just the fact that it’s just a 3 match and the developers didn’t tell the enemy that the hourglass has a benefit to even collecting just 3 of them. Either way it sucks that the advantage of the hourglass always go to me.
Balance the game if you introduce a new hero gem into the game but forget to code it to the enemy.
Samsung galaxy tablet s6
Android 13
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### Author:  [@Kezef](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Kezef)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2023, 5:50pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/not-a-bug-why-does-the-enemy-disregard-matching-hourglass-gems/82222/2 "2023-11-15T17:50:22Z")
The AI constantly makes sub-optimal moves. It’s likely an intentional feature, where the AI is coded in such a way as to make things a more pleasant experience for the human player and therefore set to a “lower difficulty”.
It’s not just Hourglass Gems. Play enough and you’ll see the AI eschew 4-matches and 5-matches on a regular basis. Not match skulls, especially at times it could kill a troop. Not cast spells in an intelligent fashion.
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### Author:  [@gmorin2](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/gmorin2)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2023, 5:58pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/not-a-bug-why-does-the-enemy-disregard-matching-hourglass-gems/82222/3 "2023-11-15T17:58:08Z")
Here’s an example of the enemy not going for the new hourglass gem but going for a blue match? This is how the new gem has played out
It’s thier turn and they opt for a blue match instead
The final bosrd after the enemy plays
So it brings up my point, Is this gem solely for my game? If so then close the thread but if not then why is the enemy not knowing that the 3 yellow matches with the hourglass gem will give it an extra turn?
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### Author:  [@KeiFlox](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/KeiFlox)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2023, 6:26pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/not-a-bug-why-does-the-enemy-disregard-matching-hourglass-gems/82222/4 "2023-11-15T18:26:32Z")
Always baffles me when the AI ignores 4+ matches.
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### Author:  [@gmorin2](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/gmorin2)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2023, 6:43pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/not-a-bug-why-does-the-enemy-disregard-matching-hourglass-gems/82222/5 "2023-11-15T18:43:17Z")
The only time it ignores a 4+ move Is when its ready to cast a spell. This is my only experience with your statement but i have to now prove it. But I’ll gladly do it. Hold on
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### Author:  [@KeiFlox](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/KeiFlox)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2023, 6:53pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/not-a-bug-why-does-the-enemy-disregard-matching-hourglass-gems/82222/6 "2023-11-15T18:53:53Z")
I have seen them ignore it while _ready_ to cast a spell, but then they don’t actually cast the spell…
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### Author:  [@McDoubleDad](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/McDoubleDad)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2023, 7:00pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/not-a-bug-why-does-the-enemy-disregard-matching-hourglass-gems/82222/7 "2023-11-15T19:00:20Z")
> [@gmorin2](#):
>
> Either way it sucks that the advantage of the hourglass always go to me.
These kinds of posts hurt my head (from banging it against the wall). We’re all at the table playing Blackjack and you’re telling the pit boss the dealer keeps hitting on 17.
Bad form, Peter.
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### Author:  [@McDoubleDad](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/McDoubleDad)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2023, 7:03pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/not-a-bug-why-does-the-enemy-disregard-matching-hourglass-gems/82222/8 "2023-11-15T19:03:10Z")
And whatever the reply is TLDR “I’m winning too many battles I shouldn’t be please fix it.”
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### Author:  [@gmorin2](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/gmorin2)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2023, 7:03pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/not-a-bug-why-does-the-enemy-disregard-matching-hourglass-gems/82222/9 "2023-11-15T19:03:29Z")
Ok here the proof that the enemy ignored the board just to cast its spell
In the first shot its my turn and there was a 4 brown match but i wanted to preserve i
So all i did was take the 3 blue match with the frozen gem making my third troop now full.
This gave the enemy a 5 match but they instead elected to cast its weapon instead
So thats why the AI doesn’t pic 4 or 5 gems but it should in my original post
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### Author:  [@KeiFlox](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/KeiFlox)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2023, 7:51pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/not-a-bug-why-does-the-enemy-disregard-matching-hourglass-gems/82222/14 "2023-11-15T19:51:47Z")
A bug is a bug is a bug, whether it helps or hinders players.
If I found a bug, even if it wildly benefitted me in the game, I would report it.
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### Author:  [@Kelana](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Kelana)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2023, 9:19pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/not-a-bug-why-does-the-enemy-disregard-matching-hourglass-gems/82222/15 "2023-11-15T21:19:06Z")
I just had the AI use the hourglass (seconds before I opened this thread). And I’ve definitely seen it happen before. I don’t think it ignores this mechanic any more than it ignores other 4/5 gem matches. At least that’s been my experience.
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### Author:  [@Graeme](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Graeme)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2023, 9:34pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/not-a-bug-why-does-the-enemy-disregard-matching-hourglass-gems/82222/16 "2023-11-15T21:34:47Z")
Just seen the AI match an hourglass gem. It was also a 4 match.
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### Author:  [@gmorin2](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/gmorin2)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2023, 10:14pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/not-a-bug-why-does-the-enemy-disregard-matching-hourglass-gems/82222/17 "2023-11-15T22:14:32Z")
Then it doesn’t apply to the discussion because the ai thinks it’s just another 4 match and not a 3 match extra turn
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### Author:  [@McDoubleDad](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/McDoubleDad)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2023, 10:43pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/not-a-bug-why-does-the-enemy-disregard-matching-hourglass-gems/82222/19 "2023-11-15T22:43:25Z")
> [@KeiFlox](#):
>
> A bug is a bug is a bug, whether it helps or hinders players.
>
> If I found a bug, even if it wildly benefitted me in the game, I would report it.
Except it isn’t a bug. AI has never played to special gems. Just cuz there’s a new one doesn’t mean it should change.
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### Author:  [@Bramble](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Bramble)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2023, 10:48pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/not-a-bug-why-does-the-enemy-disregard-matching-hourglass-gems/82222/20 "2023-11-15T22:48:02Z")
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### Author:  [@Bramble](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Bramble)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2023, 10:53pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/not-a-bug-why-does-the-enemy-disregard-matching-hourglass-gems/82222/21 "2023-11-15T22:53:25Z")
Hello 🙂
Just a heads up that I’ve closed this thread temporarily as it has derailed off the original discussion.
Please remember to keep things Civil.
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### Author:  [@Bramble](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Bramble)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2023, 11:51pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/not-a-bug-why-does-the-enemy-disregard-matching-hourglass-gems/82222/22 "2023-11-15T23:51:27Z")
Hello again 🙂
As for the bug report, it is not a bug.
The AI makes some not so great moves on purpose actually!
It’s very common in game design to have AI performing at a worse level than a real human player as otherwise things start feeling unfair quickly.
This help center article has some more information about this:
> **[AI cheating in Gems of War](https://gemsofwar.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/210140183-AI-cheating-in-Gems-of-War)**
>
> According to various tests, the AI does not cheat in Gems of War.
> We can confirm that there is ZERO artificial bias towards the AI player. The AI does not cheat.
> In fact, if you are on NORMAL Diff...
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### Author:  [@Bramble](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Bramble)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2023, 11:53pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/not-a-bug-why-does-the-enemy-disregard-matching-hourglass-gems/82222/23 "2023-11-15T23:53:27Z")
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### Author:  [@Fourdottwoone](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Fourdottwoone)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2023, 10:40am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/not-a-bug-why-does-the-enemy-disregard-matching-hourglass-gems/82222/24 "2023-11-16T10:40:31Z")
> [@KeiFlox](#):
>
> I have seen them ignore it while _ready_ to cast a spell, but then they don’t actually cast the spell…
That’s because the AI behavior is designed to be random. What happens is that the AI evaluates the things it can directly achieve with its very next action and assigns a point value to them. Example with entirely made up numbers:
- Cast a spell (200 points)
- Take an extra turn match (100 points)
- Take a normal match in a color required for any spells (20 points)
- Take a normal match in a color not required for any spells (10 points)
Then it rolls a random number in the range (200 + 100 + 20 + 10) and takes the action the roll ends up with.
Important things to know:
- The AI doesn’t know what spells do, just that a spell is ready.
- The AI doesn’t know what special gems do, just the basic color of each gem, meaning whether they can be matched or not.
- The weight of each action (meaning how many points the AI assigns to it) is based on the game mode. When fighting your own defense team, all actions are weighed roughly equally, so you see a lot of “stupid” moves. Guild Wars has the “toughest” weights, so that defense team you repeatedly totally steamrolled when testing it may put up a much better fight.
- Why random at all? Because initially the AI was way too predictable for players. Like, it always picked a skull match whenever you conveniently left one available.
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### Author:  [@TheIdleOne](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/TheIdleOne)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2023, 11:13am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/not-a-bug-why-does-the-enemy-disregard-matching-hourglass-gems/82222/25 "2023-11-16T11:13:17Z")
> [@Fourdottwoone](#):
>
> The AI doesn’t know what spells do, just that a spell is ready.
Most of what you said is accurate.
This one I don’t agree with. At the very least, spells are categorized somehow and the AI will prioritize some type of spells depending on scenarios.
It’s not uncommon to see Thralls and Wand of Stars overcasting multiple times, and the AI will definitely prioritize Doomed books over casting a Generator Empowered Troop even when everything is full during Guild Wars. If the AI didn’t know categories of spell, it should be a 1 in 4 and any random spell should just come out to combo break… except it doesn’t happen as much as it should if the AI didn’t know.
[Next page](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/not-a-bug-why-does-the-enemy-disregard-matching-hourglass-gems/82222.md?page=2)