Combat Hack Idea

[Krytol]

I think it would be cool to hack/reprogram Combat so that player 2 was controlled by the computer. I have no idea how hard that would be - it's just an idea.

[Spector]

A great idea. It couldn't be that difficult, since the original game was only 2K, an extra 2K would take care of the AI.

And let's face it, with the speech revelation of Berzerk, this would be a cakewalk for those in the know about Atari programming. Another job for someone to do!

[Chris++]

I admit that I've played Combat about ten times since 1981. This is mainly because I'm a loner when it comes to video games -- I've never had much fun playing head-to-head, because I always wipe out whoever I've talked into manning the other joystick. (The exception is Archon on any 8-bit, at which I can also mop the floor with anyone who cares to play; but at least it's a bit more challenging!)

 

So, yeah, I would absolutely play Combat a whole lot more if Stella were trying to beat me. I think it's an extremely well designed game. It would have to be decent AI, though -- not like the constantly firing opponent in Air-Sea Battle!

 

 

CF

[Room 34]

It would have to be decent AI, though -- not like the constantly firing opponent in Air-Sea Battle!

 

The sad thing is, the AU (artificial UNintelligence) opponent in Air-Sea Battle and Canyon Bomber usually kicks my ass!

 

Shows how much "skill" is really involved in those two games...

[Chris++]

LOL...okay, it would have to have an AI better than Scott.

 

 

CF

[Room 34]

LOL...okay, it would have to have an AI better than Scott.        

[Thomas Jentzsch]

I think a decent working AI for Combat will be very tough. The game area is to 'open' and requires a lot of possible reaction patterns. Normally simple AIs only work that good because the computer opponents are in superior number (Pac Man), can react faster or have an easy job to do.

 

Even modern games with a lot more cpu power mostly still lack of a really good AI.