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

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Age of Empires, version 1.0 
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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

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