Adding bots to Ogame universes with low player counts

    • Alliance and Player Interaction

    • Adding bots to Ogame universes with low player counts

      I currently play in a universe with a low number of players (465 in writing) and it can be really difficult to obtain resources in order to catch up to those players who has played for months in the same universe.

      In order to help new players in old universes and in order to get a good start in a new universe, I suggest that bots are added until a certain number of players has joined the server. To be more specific I suggest that there will always be at least 1.000 “players” in any universes at any given time. When the number of real players exceed 1.000 players, the last bot should be removed from the universe, and when the number of players drop below 1.000 new bots should join the universe. Mind that the number 1.000 is only a suggestion and is open for discussion.

      Note: When I say 1.000 players, I mean 1.000 REAL players, mot counting inactive or V-mode players. This way it is harder to tell exactly how many real players are present. Bots should not respond to mail send InGame.

      These bots should look like ordinary players, grow at a certain rate (slower than a typical player), send resources between own planets, just like ordinary players does. These bots should generate resources for low players to loot. The bots should have some kind of minor defense, just to prevent looting only with transporters. It will force new players to obtain a minor fleet in order to loot these bots. The bots will always have a certain amount of resources on the planets compared to the capacity of the storages

      I will leave the discussion open as to whether or not these bots should attack each other and /or normal players. If the majority is for, then so be it, if majority doesn’t want the bots to attack then they won’t.

      This suggestion is ment to increase action in universes with low number of players. But specially to increase action among the lower ranked players. The bots should grow until a certain point has been reached, like 100.000 points and then start over from 0 points. If a player joins a universe and happens to have the same nick as a bot, the bot should quit the universe and start over by a new name.

      If there are things I haven’t addressed or though of, then feel free to ask. I know the problem isn’t an issue on most .org servers, but we are only 5.3 mil Danes so the number of danish players are rather limited and the Danish servers would really benefit from such a system.

      I know that such a change can take time to implement, but I still hope that this suggestion will be taken seriously as a method to improve activity on servers with low numbers of players and I believe that this would also help keep some players on the servers. Players who would otherwise quit the servers.

      --EDIT--
      Exactly how these bots grow, I'll leave to develop team to decide. It is a rather complex situation and I think it best to leave it to experts to decide this. Dev team knows best how to implement this.

      I know of other browser games where bots simply grow at random over time. One could look to Tribal Wars to understand Barbarian Villages and their growth. Perhaps something similar could be done in Ogame??
      -- END EDIT--
      Dark Matter LogBook
      Adding bots to Ogame universes with low player counts

      Here you have the "freedom of speech" as long as you say "everything is OK".

      The post was edited 2 times, last by Molle: Clarification. ().

    • this idea sound interesting for me.
      Maybe could also to be an algorithm for what any time this bot's planet receive an attack and attacker win, planet increase production of defence (no always same level) ........... so that attackers have really to think how to attack, not to do something similar to attack an inative.
      Algorithm could also to think in consideration point of last attacker to decide how increase defence.

      And maybe, if exist this algorithm will be possible to remove limit of point of bot .......... to arrive to have target also for big players after long time.
      Of course could happen that in an universe there are not new players for long time, so algorithm should expect an account growth even in the absence of attacks received (as saying original idea of Molle)

      I like idea to link number of bots with a target of players in the universe (don't counting inactive and vacation)

    • @DeltaT
      Really I DO understand that implementing bots should be done VERY carefully and only after a HUGE "think it over". I must admit, I wouldn't want to play against bots any more than you. But in a universe with less than 500 people, including inactive and v-modes, it's really no fun at all. I have all the same doubts as you might have, I just see more benefits than problems.



      @TGWoI'm delighted to see that you are trying to find ways to make it work. EXACTLY how the bots are to grow, I do not know. I mentioned Tribal Wars and that one could look towards their system, where a building or a defense structure just appears at random after a given time period, regardless if there are resources for it on the planet. That is a possibility. But the bots shall still be affected by the attacks from the real players. So defense structures should have the same chance of being rebuild/destroyed. And the resources taken will need time to regenerate on the planet.

      And yes, some sort of algorithm would control the growth of the bot. But we would also need some different ways the bots would grow, so they are not all just the same. Are you suggesting some kind of AI, where the bot will increase defense if attacker win? I don't know if that is a good idea. But I know that we'll have to be really careful when designing these bots.


      I understand that this is a potential disaster waiting to happen if not done right, so for once I'll encourage GF to take their time (they usually do after accepting a suggestion) and not implement bots before they are 100% sure they won't have a negative impact on the servers. That is also why I suggest that the number of bots drops as the number of active players increase. Because lets be fair. No one wants to play against bots if we don't have to.
      Dark Matter LogBook
      Adding bots to Ogame universes with low player counts

      Here you have the "freedom of speech" as long as you say "everything is OK".
    • It's an interesting idea to have bots in the universe that could grow themselves, it could be fun for some players to ACS attack them or something and gain some profit. A lot of thought can be put into how they will grow, how much should you profit from them, will they have fleet. I just think that if they attack people then it could be problematic :)
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      TM - OGame.dk
      Mail: erikfyr@ogame.dk
    • Let's not call them bots. :)
      Let's call them Interactive NPC's.
      And this could also be useful as a round-the-clock thing for every universe.
      Imagine an alliance attacking an NPC planet to get some cool loot, which includes Repaired Ships from the DF after the battle (much like expedition), Dark Matter crates, Resources, Items, and even Rescued Officers (:D).

      If any of you tried EVE, you know what i am talking about :)
    • I haven’t played Eve, much to the annoyance of certain friends who are also on this forum.

      Nonetheless, I like the premise of this idea a lot. I would suggest a few alternate ideas though about how to implement such a premise.

      As of right now. The idea gets my up-vote! I might go into more detail when I have more time to do so :stick:


      :thumbup:

      Hits: Countless | Top 10s: Enough | RiP Kills: Over 9.000 | Play-style: Relentless

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Peppa K ().

    • LOL. When I suggested this I had just startet the current server. Now I'm rank 13 out of 401 players (including inactive and V-moders). But as time has gone by, I realize that new players would NEVER be able to catch up to us in front, so they'll never start... Unless of cause there were some "dumb" bots to farm. I also realize that if there were bots for the smaller players to farm, perhaps not so many would have quit?

      In my original suggestion I suggested that the bots should grow up to 100.000 points. I might have a change of heart on that one. I'd like for the bots to grow all the way op to the noob protection limit, 499.999 points. This will allow ONLY smaller players to attack them, thereby benefit the ones the system were intended for, the smaller players. This will allow the smaller players to catch up to the higher ones.

      The biggest issue I see with the bot system is that a bot might take a position that I'd want for strategic purposes, but it's a minor detail and a work around should be fairly simple. Not allowing bots to take up position 1, position 8, position 12 or position 15 in a system. This will always keep the "hot" position 1 available a real player. It will also keep the "large" position 8 available for real players, and the deut producing pos 12 and 15 free as well.

      Ofc some sort of algorithm should make sure that the bots are spread out evenly throughout the universe and that there will be tops 1 bot player in a single system.
      Dark Matter LogBook
      Adding bots to Ogame universes with low player counts

      Here you have the "freedom of speech" as long as you say "everything is OK".
    • There's something similar to what you're describing in Ikariam (which is a GF game), the Barbarian villages. They're located on every island, and not in a spot where a player could colonize, so they don't take up "player" slots. You can attack it, but if you keep attacking the same one, it "grows" and becomes much harder (over time) to attack, and requires more troops to defeat. (The larger/harder ones also yield much more loot than the lower ones.)

      Since something like this already exists in a Gameforge game, perhaps someday they might drag something of the sort over here?
      GA - OGame.us