We have a special treat today for Zero Hour fans. For the first time in just over 5 years, we are proud to release a new version of the Advanced AI Mod for Zero Hour!
Over the past several months, r42 has been improving upon the original mod author's work. Today, we are pleased to officially sanction his latest version, v0.98, which can now be downloaded from the mod's website.
For those unfamiliar with the mod, it improves the tactics used by computer players in Zero Hour. The mod was created to overcome the Zero Hour AI's predictability: after you've played enough skirmish matches, it becomes clear that the AI uses the same tactics, builds medicore bases, and often keeps too much cash in its banks for no particular reason. If you're a Zero Hour fan looking for more challenging skirmish games, then this mod is for you.
Here are some of the latest changes to the mod:
- Now works with both Zero Hour 1.04 and the community-created balance patch v1.06.
- Medium is now the same as Hard but without 50000 additional money. Easy is practically unchanged. All factions are now balanced regarding the amount of cheat money that they have.
- Added more base defenses.
- Reduced lag.
- AI can now re-enable important unfinished upgrades.
- Added scripts that change the attack priority for power-related base defenses to 1 if the AI sees that its enemy has no power.
- Resolved 0% building progress bug.
- All USA Factions:
- Now reuse their strategies if the Strategy Center is destroyed and then rebuilt.
- Use the Drone Armor upgrade.
- Missile Defenders now properly use the Laser Guided Missiles ability.
- All USA tank/vehicle teams will now attack infantry with hellfire drones.
- Supply priority changes for all USA factions.
- Particle Cannon now draws its 'S' sign a little wider.
- Vanilla USA:
- Now uses the MOAB upgrade.
- USA Airforce General:
- Air Force General now uses the Carpet Bomb from Strategy Center.
- All GLA Factions:
- Now use Bomb Trucks and Battle Buses.
- Improved behavior for Bunker and Palace teams.
- Improved script for GLA technical rush. If there is no Tech Center it will surprise you! (The first time, of course.)
- Fixed tank priorities for "GLA Prior Change Back" scripts.
- Fixed a battle bus issue.
- GLA Toxin General:
- Additional Black Market for the Toxin general.
- GLA Stealth General:
- Additional Scud Storm and 2 Black Markets for the Stealth general.
- Vanilla GLA:
- Fixed Vanilla GLA bug where it used GPS Scrambler every 40 seconds never used the Sneak Attack at all.
- Vanilla GLA camouflage upgrade.
- All China Factions:
- Now use the Dragon Tank's firewall ability.
- Changed team state from Aggressive to Normal for all Black Lotus teams (helps them hack properly).
- Fixed uncrushable minigunners.
- China Nuke General:
- Fixed a problem preventing the China Nuke General from building a barracks.
- Stealth General:
- Stealth General can now manage Hijackers' captured tanks and vehicles -- will merge them into an attack team and build upgrades (Battle Drones and the Overlord's upgrades).
A full list of changes can be found here. If you're a Zero Hour fan, I highly recommend you give this mod a try, and feel free to leave your comments in the forums.
I'd also like to personally thank r42 for resurrecting this excellent mod after so long - great work, r42!
Last edited by MicScoTho on Sunday, October 11, 2009 at 9:12:09 PM.
