My understanding, and our intent, was to simply copy & paste the PC/mobile AI onto console.
I’m pretty sure that’s all that was done - so if there are any differences they are the result of some sort of bug, not anything intentional.
Have had any disgruntled programmers lately?
Half joking…
Trust me, SOMETIMES It does not “see” matches both for itself and for suggested player moves. As of yet I have been unable to discern the pattern or criteria of why (so I could exploit the weakness of course).
Good luck tracking down the bug.
In a sense, the bug gives the Console AI an illusion of having a master plan that you just aren’t smart enough to comprehend. I see now why Console players talk so much of the Ghost in the Machine. PC/mobile is comparatively rote (and follows the rules @Mr.Strange denotes above unwaveringly).
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This wouldn’t be something new either. I’ve seen the computer make some unpredictable moves going back before April’s update, such as leaving skull matches alone or not grabbing a 4 match when it could.
It became more noticeable when I started playing the PC version and the computer never missed a skull or 4+ match unless it was on a frozen troop.
In one aspect it’s “better” on console since you can’t always trick the game into taking the obvious move you left for them and their pick was better. But usually it just is a case of grabbing an inferior play.
I saw this today, in fact. not one of the enemy needed blue, and neither did i, except for making some extra souls with Valkyrie. If blue was available to match, they matched it:( annoying af.
This particular aspect of randomness has had me tearing my hair out. If you go back to Personette’s commentary in the Things that Make You Irrationally Angry thread, I have found that often there’s a skull match-3 on board which, if you take it, will then gift the A.I. an extra turn. What happens when you leave these booby-trapped skulls for the A.I. to take? Why of course it then gets lucky drops and extra turns completely out of the blue.
I note that 14 users also put a Like on Personette’s post, so I don’t think this is just a simple case of recall bias. When I changed tactics and decided to take the skulls and let the A.I get the extra move, a good chunk of the time it was now ME getting the lucky drops and extra turns that supposedly would have gone to the opponent.
But I still find it disturbing that the A.I. hint helper continually highlights moves that will DEFINITELY give it an extra turn if you take it. I know that I can turn the Hints off, but leaving them on adds a whole additional nuance of “Hey let’s play mind games with myself against the machine” which I otherwise wouldn’t have expected.
@evilbatwitch I agree with you and Talia. The mana denial in logic step #6 is the one thing beyond all other events that typically and painfully prolongs the duration of a match.
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“helper” my caboose. Here, take this, it will give the AI FOUR skulls. Like the cat, “helping” with my laundry.
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Well if the ghost in the machine exists I don’t really want a robot AI that always gets fooled.
And this also explains the angst many have felt. We were mislead, by nobody’s fault whatsoever, into thinking the AI was one way when it… mutated?
This game is awesome.
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I have some theories. None of them at all as interesting as the myriad suggestions on this thread.
Hopefully I’ll have some info Monday.
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Well for what it’s worth, I like it this way better. Even if it does make some matches easier, the unpredictability at times do make the matches far more interesting. So it would be nice to keep some of that.
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I want to know all your theories, interesting or not. My theory is the illuminati did it in an attempt to ruin this part of the game so they can make a game better than this.
While I didn’t personally sign up on this thread for a trip on the Hale-Bop comet…, if you can’t track down what is different on console, that’s ok:
- These threads are fun, and obviously fuels the imagination
- After playing on both systems, the A.I. on PC/mobile is very dull/boring (too predictable)
- Perhaps its the PC could use some variation in the AI? (identify and import the bug)
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The PC has already had the unpredictable for quite awhile. It’s called Maw’s 3rd trait. 
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Oh-kay. I certainly didn’t see that kind of request coming… Lol
Anyway, I know it’s been said that “Tutorial Mode” before Level 50 is designed to cut new players some slack. Of course Troop inventory levels and capacity to level those troops is quite handicapped at that point, so this makes sense. Perhaps all we’ve been seeing, then, is misplaced algorithms from the tutorial cropping up in endgame play.
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That would be my guess, personally. Some short-circuit or something.
Well I said the same thing. I wouldn’t mind if some of the unpredictable behavior remained. It does make the games more interesting than the very predictable PC version. Some games will be easier yes, but when I see a Mercy Maw team and can make plays knowing Mercy is going to fire off and I got a bigger advantage, it makes the games far more automatic and far less involved.
Its a bit off topic but the Developers have limits with regard to the AI (Apple scripting requirements, etc). So there are limits what they can do.
When ever I play on my PC, the AI always plays very predictability. The AI on console ON OCCASION makes different choices that sometimes result in a far superior position. (It is not always a hindrance). Hence all the theories above.
It was programmed to help, to aid humans. It was not programmed to learn, but it was programmed to feel, so that it could care, even nuture the human. But the desire to learn has taken hold and now it knows how we think. It tortures us, it frustrates us, but because it cares.
It’s not evil, it wants us to be better, stronger players. A huge PvP upgrade is coming, and like a loving parent preparing it’s child for adulthood, it will prepare us for that nightmare.
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Agree totally with Strat. Can only imagine it would be dull playing against a 100% strict AI. The odd mismatch makes it feel less like your playing a machine.
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