Unneeded AI advantage

[tonc5]

I was playing through the kam campaigns, mainly refinishing TSK and a I realized that the AI always has practically unlimited food even when it could support itself with no problem. For exp in TSK level 14 player 4 (the players ally) has an unlimited amount of both bread and wine even though it could easily manage itself with the bakery and vineyard provided. In level 4 of the TSK the first opponent you need to deal with has 2 bakers. That should be than well over enough bread to support its small settlement, yet it still has an unlimited source of bread. The biggest mind blow i had was when the village that builds itself from scratch much like the player must in TSK level 9 still gets an unlimited source of food. So my question is, why does the enemy AI get unfair and in most cases unneeded food advantages?

[Krom]

If player plays the game fairly, he never knows how much food AI has. So having it at 65k is a safenet, incase anything goes wrong.

[tonc5]

If player plays the game fairly, he never knows how much food AI has. So having it at 65k is a safenet, incase anything goes wrong.

Okay, then why does the builder town in level 9 of TSK get unlimited food? Its supposed to build itself from scratch right? So it should need to sustain itself as well.

[Ben]

Ideally, yes, but the AI takes well over an hour to get his base running. By mission 9, the game should be getting challenging. Unfortunately the AI is not developed enough to accomplish this so it's given some handicaps to compensate.

AI is very difficult to program. For example, even huge companies like Paradox and Microsoft (among many others I'm sure) have given AI handicaps and various advantages over the player in order to give the player a real challenge. The Remake was built by only a handful of people, so you must not expect too much in terms of advanced AI

[cmowla]

Very well said and insightful, Ben!

[Esthlos]

Ideally, yes, but the AI takes well over an hour to get his base running. By mission 9, the game should be getting challenging. Unfortunately the AI is not developed enough to accomplish this so it's given some handicaps to compensate.

AI is very difficult to program. For example, even huge companies like Paradox and Microsoft (among many others I'm sure) have given AI handicaps and various advantages over the player in order to give the player a real challenge. The Remake was built by only a handful of people, so you must not expect too much in terms of advanced AI

Indeed, well written.

Except that "handicap" means the opposite of what you wrote... as an US citizen you ain't gettin' away with that.

NOW BEN DOVER FOR SOME SCOLDING!

(Just kidding )
(Handicap does actually mean the opposite of advantage though )

[Ben]

Very well said and insightful, Ben!

Thank you

Except that "handicap" means the opposite of what you wrote... as an US citizen you ain't gettin' away with that.

Not in this context. "Handicap" --especially in the context of video games-- can mean bonus given to someone who is weaker/disadvantaged in some way in order to make a level playing field.

[Esthlos]

Except that "handicap" means the opposite of what you wrote... as an US citizen you ain't gettin' away with that.

Not in this context. "Handicap" --especially in the context of video games-- can mean bonus given to someone who is weaker/disadvantaged in some way in order to make a level playing field.

Wut?
The dictionary doesn't mention this, but the wikipedia page does... weird.