Author Topic: "Rubber-band A.I." (Read 1139 times)

MoonSaultKid · « **on:** July 25, 2004, 03:50:36 PM »

Don'tcha just hate it when you're playing a game against the computer, and you've given yourself a sizable lead, when all of a sudden, the comp comes all the way back to tie things up? I sure do. "Rubber-band A.I." is usually used to keep things competitive (especially in some sports and racing titles), but it doesn't always work both ways, because you can never seem to get that extra "boost" that the computer does.

Take the NES' R.C. Pro-Am, for example. That damned yellow car gets me every eighth race, coming out of nowhere, moving nearly twice as fast as my car does, even when fully powered up. Because of that, I can never finish the game with all gold trophies. $:-\$

Of course, the infamous rubber-band A.I. has managed to sneak its way into some games, giving the computer an unfair edge in a competition. What are some of the worst (or most annoying) cases of rubber-band A.I. you've experienced?

j_skizle88 · « **Reply #1 on:** July 25, 2004, 07:36:33 PM »

mario kart DD 150cc your in first for two laps but at the end of the third they come from nowhere.and fighting games.

millmill · « **Reply #2 on:** July 26, 2004, 01:38:27 PM »

NFL Blitz had much more then just a rubber band AI. If you were up by a touchdown or two late in the game, it was a guarantee that you were going to fumble the football nearly everytime you touched it, and the computer usually ended up recovering it. It was a rarity if you fumbled during any other part of the game, though.

NobodyX · « **Reply #3 on:** July 28, 2004, 03:00:19 PM »

In F-Zero GX (hardest game ever) there are a few levels in story mode that I can never beat, because when I'm actually doing good then they do alot better than they usually do, or they kill me.

ogre · « **Reply #4 on:** July 28, 2004, 05:32:32 PM »

One of these kinda AI's that i hate is in Empire Earth. Have it on the easiest setting but after a while of me advanceing through the ages at an alarming rate compared to the computer, he suddenly catches up and bum rush's me with hordes and HORDES of units tearing apart my walls and slaughtering my troops.

Stungun · « **Reply #5 on:** July 28, 2004, 11:01:41 PM »

I dunno about Rubber Band, but the cheapest A.I. I've ever seen in my LIFE is in Fire Emblem (GBA). Lemme pull up a post from PureZC, I'll edit this soon.

Though I have seen RB AIs. And people have commented on this "F-Zero" game where when you cheat, the AI players keep up with 999KM/H.

EDIT: Here's the things I said on PZC:

Quote

Fire Emblem: In the fog levels, when they cannot see your units at all, I've seen units rush out of the fog and attack a unit they COULD NOT SEE. Not only is it that the A.I. is predicting where your units lie when they can't see you, but it also voilates game rules; You cannot attack a unit that no unit can see; If you try to intrude upon it's space, you are stopped, as well. (And on that level, they had no thieves, as well.)

I gave Marcus (who has 8 luck) the Devil axe, which can sometimes hurt the wielder for as much damage as it would your foe. I had him strike; He got into a critical hit with the DE...and it struck him, for a CRITICAL HIT (TRIPLE DAMAGE)... that killed him in one fell swoop. And he had a PITIFUL critical chance, as well...

In addition, the randomized hit/miss chance ALWAYS seems to be in my foe's favor. I've got Aion trapped in a magic seal and everyone has about 40% chance to hit him... I have everyone gang up on him and only about ONE OUT OF EVERY FIVE HITS hurts Aion. Not that way when they attack ME, however!

And then, later on in chapter 24, I had my unit (Lowen) fighting a nomad in the woods. The nomad used a shortbow, and I had a 55 percent chance of hitting him. I missed him THREE TURNS IN A ROW, and he whittled me down to 6 HP. The following turn, I switched to a more accurate weapon, which boosted my chance to 60%. I was well aware that his weapon caused 2 damage, and had a 3% critical hit chance (critical hits do 3x damage). I thought "No chance in hell he'll score it..." but guess what happened the next turn? He pulled of a critical hit! That was EXACTLY THE AMOUNT OF HEALTH HE NEEDED TO TAKE ME DOWN, AND THE GAME EXPLOITED THE TINIEST CHANCE OF A CHEAP MOVE.

It also seems as if whenever I pull off a critical hit, it's always on the second strike, when it would have killed my foe anyway, without the hit, and as such is unneeded. (Happened, so far three times in three turns.) But whenever my FOE does a critical hit, it is DEVISTATING, if not deadly. The very first time I met the boss in that pirate chapter (the rider with the killing edge), he scored a critical hit, killing Lyn in one strike. (of course, then again it improves C Hit Rate...)

Aegis Runestone · « **Reply #6 on:** July 28, 2004, 11:12:23 PM »

Heh, nice way of putting it. I hate that type of AI

This tends to happen a lot with me in fighting games like Soul Calibur 2. Where I'm winning and then the comp comes back hitting me over and over, predicting my moves and not giving me any chance of moving or countering his attacks. It's really cheap.

That Guy Link · « **Reply #7 on:** July 29, 2004, 12:27:29 AM »

I wouldnt say that with Soul Calibur 2 since i've been in the same situation except my opponant had over half his health while i was a few hits away from a K.O. yet i came back and won. Ofcourse to win in SC2 you have to have develpoed a skill when it comes to guarding otherwise you just wont win after a while.

Raysyde · « **Reply #8 on:** July 29, 2004, 07:51:22 PM »

I really haven't noticed too much rubber-band AI in games, maybe it's just I play games to a point where the so called comeback doesn't help the comp win.

Forest Hunter · « **Reply #9 on:** August 03, 2004, 11:29:28 PM »

There is no rubber band AI in Soul Calibur 2 thats for sure. Aegis ya probaly just slipped in your attack or guard giving the AI enough time to get on even footing. That or you got cocky and loosed up your offense slightly.