AI Players don't know how to use itms

[genius11433]

The AI players in the "Playtest" function make some very dumb moves in their item usage.

 

During a playtest against a medium-difficulty Connie, My Active Pokemon was a Snivy with two Grass Energy attached. On my Bench were a Gurdurr with two Fighting Energy attached and a Snivy with no energy attached. Connie plays Pokemon Catcher and flips heads.

 

ANYBODY in that situation would have switched in the Snivy with no Energy. Connie, however, switches in the Gurdurr, to which her Zorua is weak!

 

And that is only the most egregious example. Another that I see is that AI players CONSISTENTLY use Plus Power and don't take advantage of it: either they use it on a Pokemon with an insufficient amount of Energy to attack, or they use it on a Pokemon, only to make that Pokemon retreat!

 

Please make the AIs better able to use their items. Playtests don't really work if the computer will make dumb moves that no human ever would.

[Mod_Poplar]

Hi genius11433,

 

I'll be submitting your feedback for review and leaving your thread open in the meantime.

 

As always, we appreciate your input!

[GR0]

The AI actually made a good move there. Well, perhaps bad timing, but think of this: the Snivy with 0 energy was no threat. If it's beaten, you lose 1 card (not even an energy!) and your opponent gain 1 prize. You still have a 2-energy Snivy, so that 0-energy Snivy had practically 0 importance (the 2-energy Snivy is prefered for evolution, after all). That doesn't put a dent in the game's flow. Prizes aren't everything: as long as it's not up to the final prize, the field's more important.

 

Now take Gurdurr: it's close to evolving to its final stage. Dangerous (for a theme deck)! It furthermore has a pretty high retreat cost, so it's not something you want to switch out, unless you have Switch. This is the opponent's chance to deal with it, before it becomes a Conkeldurr and goes out of control. Worst case scenario for the AI: you end up with a damaged Conkeldurr, so it's more easily beaten. That's still better for the AI. Allowing you to keep it on the bench and safely set it up is certainly not prefered.

 

Regardless, I do agree the AI usually makes terrible decisions. Though I usually notice this with Tools.