
Author: 	Alexander 'submarine' Seizinger		icq: 138100896		alexander.seizinger@gmx.net


Installation: 	Windows users:

		Simply extract the archive into your spring\ai\ folder and make sure, the following subfolders exist:
		
		\ai\aai			-> readme, faq and different logs 
		\ai\aai\cache		-> map data (metal spots, water, etc)
		\ai\aai\cfg\map		-> map config files
		\ai\aai\cfg\mod		-> mod config files
		\ai\aai\learn\map	-> map learn files
		\ai\aai\learn\mod	-> mod learn files
		\ai\aai\log		-> log files 

		\ai\bot-libs\aai.dll 	-> main ai dll

		If one of these folders does not exist, AAI will crash!

		
		Linux users: 

		AAI will get the path of a writable directory from spring and load/save its files there
		e.g.  /usr/local/games/taspring 

		Apart from that the structure is the same as for windows users.



		Please note, that there are hardly any buildtables included in this release. AAI should make better 
		unit choices after a while. For further information, have a look at the AAI FAQ.

		Furthermore I want to emphasize that there are quite some opportunities to change/improve AAI's way of
		playing the game. Have a look at the cfg/help/mod.cfg for further information. If you think you created 
		a cfg file which makes AAI play a certain much better than the default one mail it to me to include it 
		in future releases.



License:	Since AAI v0.70 all files have been released under the GPL



Mod Support:	AAI must know the internal names of the starting units of the different sides (e.g. ARMCOM 
		and CORCOM for most TA-mods). There are also some constants you may want to play with, so 
		AAI tries to load the config from a file in the aai subfolder. The name must be the same as 
		the modname, with ".cfg" extension (e.g. xta_se_v066.cfg for XTA mod). If you are not sure 
		about the correct filename, just start a game running that mod. AAI will complain about 
		missing cfg files and put the desired cfg filename in the log files.

		See example.cfg for more information.
		
		By default, AAI has cfg files to support the following mods:
		- XTA 0.66
		- XTA Pimped Edition V7
		- TA:WD 5.65
		- AA 2.21 Standard
		- AA 2.21 Forge
		- OTA Shiny 5.5
		- OTA Classic 5.5
		- BoTA 1.3
		- KuroTA 0.47
		- Star Wars 1.0
		- TLL 1.04
		- FF 1.18 		
		- Gundam Annihilation 
		- Expand & Exterminate 0.163
		- Spring 1944
		- TA Battle Fleet



		
	!!!	Remember due to updates of these mods the filenames might change as well, so you have	!!!
	!!!	to rename the mod.cfg file yourself							!!!




Known bugs/	- AAI sometimes suffers from a bug in the pathfinding (units sometimes get stuck when close 
Limitations:	  to buildings/objects)

		- Game crashes when ai units get captured

		- AAI does not use nukes, antinukes, emp missiles



Thanks to: 	- Nicklas Marcusson for porting/compiling the linux version of AAI, lots of help with debugging

		- TA Spring devs for creating the best open source rts game i know

		- Jelmer 'Zaphod' Cnossen for some functions and a lot of helpful discussions

		- Krogothe for his mex spot algorithm

		- AccidUK for debugging and some coding suggestions

		- Tournesol and Firenu for helping me getting debugging to work

		- Yuritch for testing and providing me with improved mod config file 
		
		- All other testers who are not listed here
		
		- All other people who gave some feedback 


AAI 0.7?	- Fixed some more possible crash bugs 




AAI 0.76	- Fixed the most common crashbugs in release mode

		- Added basic attack behaviour for air only mods



AAI v0.75	- Completly redone attack system: AAI will now attack more elaborately 
		  (attackers move on if are cleared, bombers returning to base when target destroyed, attack groups now 
		  retreat under several circumstances, combat groups are guarded by aa units - however it still tends 
		  to send in streams of attackers - will be adressed in one of the next versions ) Please not that at the 
		  moment the new attack system does not work with air only mods such as FF at all. AAI will build a base 
		  as well as combat units and react to the actions of the player but it will not attack in a proper way

		
		- Added MAX_ATTACKS statement to mod.cfg which determines the max number of independent attack waves at
		  the same time (set to 4 by default)

		- Modified artillery sorting in preparation of artillery support in one of the next versions.
		  Added GROUND_ARTY_RANGE, SEA_ARTY_RANGE and HOVER_ARTY_RANGE statement to mod cfg. These replace the
		  former MOBILE_ARTY_RANGE statement (it's no longer valid, remove from old cfg files)

		- For linux users: AAI will now store its files in the only writable datadirectory automatically (where 
		  spring saves all its other files) 

		- AAI now tries to get a safer rally point if combat units are killed en route 

		- Builders now try to flee when attacked 

		- AAI now takes allied buildings into account when expanding its base (to prevent AAI from building within
 		  the base of someone else)	

		- Improved AAI's building placement at the beginning of the game (buildings will not be spread out 
		  that much anymore to reduce walking time of commander (thx to Accid_UK for the idea - should have been 
		  already implemented in 0.70 but has somehow been commented out)   

		- Tweaked economy/factory/defence building placement and selection

		- Fixed a bug that prevented AAI from building naval power plants

		- Fixed a bug which sometimes caused builders to leave their construction site

		- Fixed a bug that caused AAI to temporarily run out of scouts when requesting several scouts it could 
		  not build at that time 

		- Fixed a bug that caused serious confusion concerning unit speeds (unfortunately mod learning file 
		  version had to be changed)

		- Fixed a very rare crashbug in the building placement algorithm

		- Fixed a possible crash bug in the airforce handling (thx to Nicklas Marcusson for reporting it)



AAI v0.70	- AAI now handles anti air/assault units, bombers and fighters with different groups 
		  (requires a little bit of learning to work properly)

		- Added new category SUBMARINE_ASSAULT to improve AAI's behaviour on water maps 

		- Added MAX_ANTI_AIR_GROUP_SIZE, MAX_NAVAL_GROUP_SIZE, MAX_SUBMARINE_GROUP_SIZE 
		  and MAX_ARTY_GROUP_SIZE (not in use yet) statement to mod cfg	

		- Added FAST_UNITS_RATE and HIGH_RANGE_UNITS_RATE statements to mod.cfg

		- Added different sub-groups for air only mods (light, medium, heavy & super heavy air assault)

		- Added a message being displayed from time to time when AAI has not been loaded succesfully

		- Completly new combat unit selection (in theory, aai should react more dynamically to its 
		  opponent's behaviour - requires some learning to work porperly)

		- Improved/fixed building of stationary defences - only terporary, defence placement will be reworked 
		  within the next versions (MIN_SECTOR_THREAT statement added to mod.cfg)

		- Idle builders will now try to reclaim wreckages/features in/close to the base

		- Improved unit detection a bit (some bogus weapons like mobile jammers in aa will not be considered 
		  being combat units anymore, static mobile units (like dragons claw) will be filtered out as well)		 
		
		- Improved assistance management e.g. factories will now call assisters both based on buildque length 
		  and buildtime of single units (thx to accid_uk for his suggestion)

		- Added MIN_ASSISTANCE_BUILDSPEED statement to mod cfg

		- AAI now takes the position of its base into account when placing stationary defences for 
		  extractors outside of its base

		- New power plant selection (fixed AAI not building pocket fusions in ff) 

		- Fixed a spelling bug when reading cfg files (keyword had been MAX_ASSITANTS instead of MAX_ASSISTANTS)
		  (thx to Acidd_UK for reporting this bug) 

		- Fixed a bug that prevented AAI from upgrading metal extractors

		- Fixed a bug that could cause AAI to freeze when builders get stuck

		- Fixed scout spamming bug 

		- Fixed possible buffer overflow when reading cfg files (thx to FizzWizz for reporting)

		- Fixed a bug that crashed the game on small maps when MAX_MEX_DISTANCE was greater than 
		  map size (e.g. small divide)

		- Fixed a bug that prevented AAI from rebuilding killed builders


AAI v0.63	- AAI now upgrades radars/jammers 
	
		- Added MIN_FACTORIES_FOR_RADAR_JAMMER statement to mod cfg

		- Added support for Expand&Exterminate

		- Added support for mods with buildings as starting units (like AATA)

		- Added mod cfg file for BoTA (thx to yuri)

		- Tweaked defence building selection
	
		- AAI now prefers armed metal extractors when building far away from its main base

		- Fixed some bugs in the BuildTable (buildtable version changed)

		- Fixed a bug causing the buildmap not to be cleared when a building has been destroyed

		- Fixed a bug concerning speed groups

		- Fixed various crashbugs (big thank you to nicke for helping me finding them)

			

AAI v0.60:	(AAI's folder structure changed as well as all cache/learning files - i heavily recommend deleting old 
		 AAI versions before installing AAI 0.60)
	
		- Experimental water map support, view FAQ for more details

		- Changed buildtable: Hover crafts got their own category (no longer part of ground units) and several
		  code cleanups to optimize speed

		- AAI remembers which usefulness of different assault categories and orders further combat units based on 
		  that (i hope this will especially help adjusting the amount of land, hover and sea units aai uses on a 
		  mixed land/water map) 
	
		- Added support for stationary artillery (e.g. berthas) (added MAX_STAT_ARTY statement to mod cfg)

		- Added support for air repair pads (added MAX_AIR_BASE statement to mod cfg)
		  edit: seems to be broken somehow 

		- Added support for several factories of the same type (added MAX_FACTORIES_PER_TYPE statement to mod cfg)

		- AAI now defends extractors outside its base up to a certain max dinstace with cheap defence buildings
		  (added MAX_MEX_DEFENCE_DISTANCE statement to mod cfg)		

		- Builder selection improved, AAI now uses closest idle builder

		- AAI now sorts combat units into groups according to their max speed 
		  (added UNITS_SPEED_SUBGROUPS statement to mod cfg)

		- Improved Air Force handling (added MAX_AIR_GROUP_SIZE, MIN_AIR_SUPPORT_EFFICIENCY statement to mod cfg)
			
		- Improved/Fixed several mod cfg files

		- Improved ressource management/AAI will now upgrade extractors to better ones

		- Improved defence building selection

		- Fixed a bug that crashed game right at the start on certain maps (eg. Battle Holmes)
		  (thx to HiEnergy for reporting this bug)

		- Fixed a few crashbugs

		- Fixed various smaller issues/bugs

		- Extended memory sharing between multiple instances of AAI and fixed a shared memory related crashbug
		


AAI v0.55:	- AAI is now compatible with the modified ai interface of spring 0.70	
	
		- Extended map learning files/every mod now creates own map learing files

		- AAI tries not to send builders in setors which turned out to be too dangerous

		- Fixed a rounding related crashbug

		- Fixed a bug causing AAI to stop constructing new buidlings

		- Fixed a bug causing AAI to build rows of sensor towers in SW:TA			

		- Fixed several bugs in the energy management causing aai not to build any further power plants



AAI v0.50:	- Completly new ressource management system (will be further improved in future versions)

		- Buildtable will now be shared by all instances of AAI (this mainly reduces aai's memory usage as well as 
		  a slight increase in loading time when running more than one aai-player at the same time) 

		- Improved factory/builder request system/modified buildtable, to be able to add support for AATA	

		- Improved radar/jammer placement

		- AAI now builds metal makers and storage buidlings
	
		- Added support for metal maps 

		- Added support for air units only mods (e.g. Final Frontier)

		- Added a general.cfg holding information that is used for all mods (e.g. allowing users to adjust how much
		  cpu-power AAI takes for scouting)
		
		- Fixed a bug when AAI stopped building after completing a few buildings

		- Fixed a bug that crashed AAI right at the beginning on certain maps (especially metal maps)
		  (thx to IMSabbel for reporting this bug)

		- Fixed a few crashbugs

		- Added mod support: Final Frontier, Gundam Annihilation

		  

AAI v0.40:	- Scouting redone
 
		- Construction units now assist other builders/factories when needed

		- Added support for mods with more than two sides -> cfg files changed, replace with new ones
		
		- Improved building placement (aai now prevents "diagonal rows"), fixed a building placement 
		  related crashbug as well

		- AAI now uses radar

		- AAI now uses air units

		- Hopefully fixed a bug concerning blocked buildsites


AAI v0.30: 	- AAI now builds defence buildings (will be extended later on)

		- Improved expansion
	
		- All learning/cache files now contain an internal version to provide better compatibility in the future. 
		  if there will be any changes in the future newer file versions will be created automatically

		- Fixed various bugs, AAI should be running much more stable now

		- Switched to krogothe's mex spot algorithm


AAI v0.20: 	- First released version

		- Completely rewritten metal/energy management -> still not working very good

		- Improved selection of more expensive units (prevents AAI from building level 2 
		  units too early (in most cases...))

		- A certain amount of units will be build to counter air units

		- Various minor fixes and code improvements


AAI v0.10: 	(internal version)

		- Works with different mods (see config file section for more information)
		
		- AI builds a little base 

		- AI builds all kinds of units and tries to attack enemy bases

		- AI learns about important locations in a map on its own 
		  (and saves results in a learning-file)








