Question about the AI

[Theicla]

This subject was explored in the AI gets really lucky thread a few months ago where jeffr23 described the “AI gives up” behaviour on console:

@jeffr23

Most of the problem is that it’s allowed to get lucky. As I understand it, on the PC the AI will never pass up a 4-match or a skull match. Here in console-land, sometimes it does, and when it passes up skull match in favor of a 3-match only to have the top row fall in with 4 skulls (and so on), our monkey brain’s confirmation bias thinks that happens more often than the times when is does a 3-match for no good reason.

(Also, the AI seems to completely give up once it’s down to a single troop, only taking skull matches maybe 20% of the time or so then. Does the PC version do that?)

At the time, I suggested this is an efficiency mechanism to simply speed up the console endgame when the odds have fallen overwhelmingly in the player’s favour.

I’ve also said that if you’re particularly boneheaded and continue to make dumb moves even at that point, the A.I. will turn around and bite your arse off. You will LOSE… spectacularly.

Happened a few times to me until I stopped goofing around with the A.I.‘s last troop heh. Memo to lil’ kitten Warlords: Don’t ever try playing with your food unless you’re guaranteed an Extra Turn for the kill!