Well it took me about a half a day to map a pretty cool map and another day to figure the trigger thing out, and about a WEEK to finally get computer controlled players to play semi-smart.
So here is the blurb of my AI experience:
In AoM editor, AI is set up for each player under Scenario then Player data...
Change control to CPU for the player(s) you want to be computer controlled.
Click on AI, the select AI file window appears. Now here is where the experience begins, originally I was 'double clicking' on the file name (i.e. defaultai.xs), the window would dissappear and I assumed that that chose the file. Upon playing the map, my computer controlled characters sucked! They would move around, but it definitely wasn't like playing the computer player in one of the game included maps.
Well in Captn Kids AI tutorial I happended to catch (paraphrasing) "make sure when you choose the AI file, that you click 'open'." Well when I was 'double clicking' I never got a chance to select 'open'. So I went back into the editor with my map and 'single clicked' on the AI file and then clicked on open... and behold! The computer controlled characters played much, much better on my created map. Go figure?
So I have tested this a couple of times. I have cleared all AI on under player data on my created map. Just selected CPU controlled. Started an actual new multiplayer game with it, and the most of the time the computer players suck. When I go back into the editor with my map under player data and select an AI file (by single clicking and selecting open), saved, start up an actual multiplayer game the computer players are MUCH smarter. Upon testing, the double click of an ai file in 'player data' had the same result as not selecting an AI file at all.
Now this didn't make the computer players 'super smart', I definitely use DomBrain AI and Battlemachine AI, it depends on where the computer player is located on map etc.
I know that most of you will skim this post and say "whatever" but I have a feeling that this post may shed some light on why AI seems to suck sometimes on newly created maps.
Cheers,
Rostro