Q177861: Age of Empires: Contents of the Stratsmp.doc File
Article: Q177861
Product(s): Microsoft Home Games
Version(s): WINDOWS:1.0
Operating System(s):
Keyword(s): kbmm aoe
Last Modified: 08-NOV-2001
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Age of Empires, version 1.0
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY
=======
The information in this article is a copy of the contents of the Age of Empires
Stratsmp.doc file, located in the Docs folder on the Age of Empires CD-ROM.
This file is formatted for Microsoft Word 97 and you cannot open it with WordPad.
For more information about this issue, please see the following article in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q177787 Age of Empires: WordPad Cannot Read Stratsmp.doc or Strattyp.doc
MORE INFORMATION
================
Sample Strategy File
September, 1997
(c) Microsoft Corporation, 1997
Overview of .ai (artificial intelligence) file creation
You may modify this file to create new computer player strategies. To do
so, follow the instructions below and save the file as a text file with an
.ai extension.
.ai files contain the units, buildings and research that will be performed
by the computer player in the general order listed. The computer will try
to progress through the list and maintain what has been built. For example,
when a unit or building in the list is destroyed, it will generally be
replaced before a new unit or building further down on the list will be
created.
The sample list below contains one of every item to be trained, built, or
researched in Age of Empires. Storage Pits, Houses, and Granaries (although
included in the list) can be handled completely by the computer player
(if the appropriate strategic number is set for the computer player). In
other words, these need not be placed in the list at all; the computer
player will build them when they are needed.
The sequence of items in this list is important. For example, the Market
must be built before a Farm, etc. As long as the game rules are respected
by maintaining the prerequisite order, items in the list can be
resequenced. The technology tree foldout is a good reference source for the
prerequisites.
Items on the list that cannot be built or researched (for any reason) are
eventually skipped (the skipping can be controlled by setting strategic
numbers in the computer player's .per file).
If there are already units on the board that are also in the Strategy list,
these units will be counted as already created and will not be rebuilt.
Notes on .per (personality) files
The computer player is really controlled by two files: This .ai file
and another file called a .per file. The .per file contains strategic
numbers that the computer player users to control the actual execution of
the strategy contained in a given .ai file. The default strategic number
system should work well for most of the strategies that you write. If you
need or want to modify the strategic numbers, see the persnlty.doc
file in the Docs folder of your Age of Empires directory.
Item descriptions
Some of the names contained in this file do not correspond directly with
the game names. They are as follows:
Description Actual
----------- ------
Soldier-Chariot2 Chariot Archer
Soldier-Chariot1 Chariot
Composite_Bow Research Improved bow
Longbow Research Composite bow
Boat-War4 Catapult Trireme
R73 Legion Research Phalanx
R77 Legion Research Legion
Soldier-Catapult1 Stone Thrower
R54 Heavy_Catapult Research Catapult
R36 Massive_Catapult Research Heavy Catapult
Hints & Tips
Here are some tips for creating your own .ai files. The sample file at the
bottom of this document does not necessarily adhere to the principles that
follow. Instead, this list is placed in an order that makes the items easy
to find so that you may create your own list.
Keep the quantity field down to 1 or 2. Higher quantities will cause the
computer player to pause on that item until the quantity is fulfilled.
Do not research or build an item from a building directly after
constructing that building. Example: Don't place the Bowman after the
Archery Range. Doing so may cause the computer to pause on the Bowman
until the Archery Range construction is complete. Instead, put another
item between the Archery Range and the Bowman.
Do not place two or more items in a row that come from the same
building. Example: Priest, followed by Polytheism, Mysticism, and
Astrology. Instead, stagger items from multiple buildings to ensure
that production at one building does not slow progress through the
rest of the list. Good example:
Priest
Man
Polytheism
Man
Mysticism
Market1
Astrology
Limit retrains (see below) of early-age infantry and archers.
This ensures that when they are killed they will not be retrained.
This frees slots (under the population cap) for them to be replaced
by higher-level soldiers. The same concept applies to villagers and
fishing boats.
Limit the number of units trained to approximately 50. When the
computer reaches its population cap of 50, its advance through the
remainder of the list will slow down. If your list calls for 30
villagers and 30 military units, do the following:
- Put 10 villagers, or early-age soldiers on limited retrain. This
will open slots for 10 superior replacements later.
- Put the last 2-10 units you want to have trained in the very last
line of the file. This way, if you exceed the population cap, you
will do so on the last item and not interrupt the progress of the
list.
Start by modifying an .ai file that is already close in content to
the file you want to create. If that list is missing certain items,
copy them from the list below and paste them into your .ai file.
In the Stone Age, the computer must be able to quickly locate
forage bushes, trees, and/or water. Failure to do so will cause
the computer not to place a Granary, Storage Pit, and/or a Dock.
This may prevent your .ai file from reaching the Tool Age, since
these buildings are necessary prerequisites for reaching the
Tool Age.
Test! After you have completed your .ai file, put it into a scenario,
give the computer unlimited resources, and observe the build process
on x2 speed. Insure that all items are correctly built. Delete items
that have limited retrains and ensure that they are replaced with other
units. This technique will greatly accelerate your .ai design and
development process.
Legend for the prefix to the ID number
Each object in the game has a unique ID number. In the strategy file,
that ID number is preceded by a qualifying prefix. The prefixes are listed
below:
B - Building - Will be rebuilt if destroyed.
A - Building - Will be rebuilt up to to the number of times
specified in the "Limited Retrains" column.
R - Research - Item will be researched if possible. If not possible,
it will be skipped according to the strategic numbers.
C - Research - Item will be researched if possible. If not possible,
the computer player will progress no further until
this critical research is done. For example, if the
computer player does not have enough food to advance to
the Tool Age, it will wait to collect enough food and
will not skip the Tool Age).
U - Unit - Will always be replaced if killed.
T - Unit - Will be trained up to the number of times specified
in the "Limited Retrains" column. Example: 1 indicates
that this unit will be created once. Once killed, this
unit will not be created again.
Limited
ID Description Qty Parent Retrains
-- ----------- --- ------ --------
B109 Town_Center1 1 -1
U83 Man 6 109
B12 Barracks1 1 -1
T73 Soldier-Inf1 2 12 1
U83 Man 6 109
C101 Tool_Age 1 109
B87 Range1 1 -1
U83 Man 2 109
U4 Soldier-Archer1 2 87
B101 Stable1 1 -1
U83 Man 2 109
U299 Soldier-Scout 1 101
R40 Leather_Armor_-_Soldier 1 103
U83 Man 1 109
R41 Leather_Armor_-_Archer 1 103
U83 Man 1 109
R42 Leather_Armor_Mounted 1 103
U83 Man 1 109
R46 Tool_Working 1 103
U83 Man 2 109
B70 House 3 -1
R11 Stone_Wall 1 68
B45 Dock_1 1 -1
R16 Watch_Tower 1 68
B79 Watch_Tower 1 -1
U13 Boat-Fishing1 1 45
B72 Wall_Small 5 -1
U15 Boat-Trade1 1 45
B84 Market1 1 -1
U19 Boat-War1 1 45
U17 Boat-Transport1 1 45
B72 Wall_Small 5 -1
R107 Wood_Working 1 84
R108 Gold_Mining 1 84
R109 Stone_Mining 1 84
U83 Man 2 109
B50 Farm 2 -1
R81 Domestication 1 84
R63 Axe 1 12
U73 Soldier-Inf1 1 12
C102 Bronze_Age 1 109
T83 Man 2 109 2
U41 Soldier-Chariot2 1 87
R5 Medium_War_Ship 1 45
U19 Boat-War1 1 45
R6 Merchant_Ship 1 45
U15 Boat-Trade1 1 45
R4 Fishing_Ship 1 45
U13 Boat-Fishing1 1 45
R32 Artisanship 1 84
R28 Wheel 1 84
B104 Temple1 1 -1
T83 Man 1 109 2
U125 Priest 1 104
B70 House 3 -1
R21 Mysticism 1 104
R22 Astrology 1 104
R24 Polytheism 1 104
R23 Jihad 1 104
R43 Scale_Armor_-_Soldiers 1 103
R44 Scale_Armor_-_Archers 1 103
R45 Scale_Armor_-_Cavalry 1 103
R51 Metal_Working 1 103
R47 Bronze_Shield 1 103
R13 Medium_Wall 1 68
R12 Sentry_Tower 1 68
B101 Stable1 1 -1
U37 Soldier-Cavalry1 1 101
U40 Soldier-Chariot1 1 101
B0 Academy 1 -1
U93 Soldier-Phal1 1 0
R64 Short_Sword 1 12
U75 Soldier-Inf3 1 12
R65 Broad_Sword 1 12
U75 Soldier-Inf3 1 12
U41 Soldier-Chariot2 1 87
R56 Improved_bow 1 87
B70 House 3 -1
U5 Soldier-Archer2 1 87
R57 Composit_bow 1 87
U5 Soldier-Archer2 1 87
B82 Government_Center 1 -1
B49 Siege_Workshop 1 -1
U35 Soldier-Catapult1 1 49
R34 Nobility 1 82
R112 Architecture 1 82
R31 Plow 1 84
B103 Storage_Pit1 1 -1
C103 Iron_Age 1 109
U39 Soldier-Cavalry3_Arc 1 87
R80 Irrigation 1 84
R7 Trireme 1 45
R8 Heavy_Transport 1 45
R9 Trireme_with_Catapult 1 45
U250 Boat-War4 1 45
R19 Monotheism 1 104
R20 Fanaticism 1 104
R18 Afterlife 1 104
R30 Coinage 1 84
R110 Craftmanship 1 84
R111 Siege_Craft 1 84
R37 Alchemy 1 82
R114 Writing 1 82
R35 Engineering 1 82
R113 Aristocracy 1 82
R106 Balistics 1 82
R15 Guard_Tower 1 68
B79 Watch_Tower 1 -1
R14 Fortifications 1 68
B72 Wall_Small 1 -1
R48 Chain_Mail_-_Soldiers 1 103
R49 Chain_Mail_-_Archers 1 103
R50 Chain_Mail_-_Cavalry 1 103
R52 Metalurgy 1 103
R117 Iron_Shield 1 103
R54 Heavy_Catapult 1 49
U11 Soldier-Balista 1 49
U25 Soldier-El_Archer 1 87
R66 Long_Sword 1 12
U75 Soldier-Inf3 1 12
R71 Heavy_Cavalry 1 101
U37 Soldier-Cavalry1 1 101
U46 Soldier-Elephant 1 101
R73 Phalanx 1 0
U93 Soldier-Phal1 1 0
R25 Juggernaught 1 45
U277 Boat-War5 1 45
R2 Catapult_Tower 1 68
B79 Watch_Tower 1 -1
R27 Helepolis 1 49
U11 Soldier-Balista 1 49
R36 Massive_Catapult 1 49
U35 Soldier-Catapult1 1 49
R79 Centurion 1 0
U291 Soldier-Phal3 1 0
R38 Heavy_Horse_Archer 1 87
U39 Soldier-Cavalry3_Arc 1 87
R78 Cataphracts 1 101
U37 Soldier-Cavalry1 1 101
R77 Legion 1 12
U282 Soldier-Inf6 1 12
B276 Wonder 1 -1
End
Additional query words: 1.00 contents age aoe ages empire ageofempires
======================================================================
Keywords : kbmm aoe
Technology : kbHomeProdSearch kbAOE kbGamesSearch kbZNotKeyword kbAOESearch
Version : WINDOWS:1.0
Issue type : kbinfo
=============================================================================
THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.
Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1986-2002.