AI (general)

Role in LOVE

The AI (artificial intelligence) is the computer controlled opposition who's objective is to eliminate player monoliths. Another possible name for the AI is the Scavengers, as that pretty much sums up their disposition and actions. The AI represents the main enemy in LOVE, and is the only opposition to players' settlements. Currently there seem to be balancing issues that have yet to be worked out regarding the difficulty and severity of AI attacks throughout the game. Reports are mixed but range from incredibly severe attacks early in the game to hardly any attacks towards the endgame. The AI consists of several different parts that combine collectively to work against players. The AI scales with the number of players online.

A small bridge built by the AI director near a base.

A large obnoxious bridge built through a base by AI to get to a player monolith.

AI Director

The AI Director (name pending?) is the game force that modifies the world of LOVE. It is responsible for much of the architecture found naturally throughout the world including bridges, tunnels, and AI bases. The director has the capability to build bridges to assist AI troops in attacking settlements. It is still unknown how the director functions and what its conditions are to build such structures, but it has been known to build bridges over settlement walls or over large open spans. Often there are block-sized holes in AI structures. The reason for this is unknown, but may possibly be due to messed up director algorithms or possibly AI artillery.

If left unchecked for several hours with no defended player settlement, the AI will build and colonize most of the map. In this state of AI 'saturation' much of the map is unsafe to travel and new settlements are near impossible to create and defend without several players. Roaming AI 'gangs' are everywhere and will blindside the player after they spawn and begin moving throughout the world.

AI Bases

AI bases pop up periodically throughout the world of LOVE, created by the AI director. Typical characteristics of an AI base include one or more AI troop spawners, turrets, manufacturing tokens, and sometimes complex buildings placed by the AI director. AI bases are the only known location of manufacture bombs. Most if not all of the AI bases encountered will also contain one or more tokens that are normally found throughout the world of LOVE. Some AI bases also contain artillery which is by far the greatest danger to player settlements. The artillery has the capability to fire over great distances, often one-shooting the players' monolith early in the game.

If a settlement is threatened by a nearby AI base, action can be taken to shut it down and even destroy it. Turrets pose the greatest threat to a player attack on an AI base. AI commonly implement BFG turrets or forcefields to deflect incoming attacks. Turrets can now be taken down temporarily with chaff pods, and forcefields can be shut down by disrupting the AI's power supply. If one gets close enough to an AI troop spawner, one can temporarily disable it by shooting the small red beam towards the bottom of it. The beam will slowly recharge to its original height, at which point AI troops will begin to spawn again. Teleporters can be used to move players quickly to an AI base to launch an attack.

There is only one way to destroy an AI spawner, and it uses the AI's own bomb pods that can only be manufactured within the AI base. By collecting these and using them to blow up the spawners an AI base can be completely decommissioned. Bomb pods are very powerful though, and the manufacturing token associated with them is often destroyed in the process.

The easiest way to destroy an AI base is to steal all their tokens. A tokenless base will be destroyed after a few minutes.

AI unit as seen from above.

Rare closeup of AI unit.

Silhouette of an AI character at night.

AI Troops

AI troops are the units used to directly combat players and their monolith and tokens. They resemble player models vaguely, but as is the art style of the game it is hard to describe their appearance. A quick way to tell AI units apart from player units is that a players name will appear at the bottom of the black border above the game window. AI units appear as moving entities without player names above them. If you are unsure whether something is a player or an AI unit there is no harm done by firing at it, as there is currently no friendly fire in LOVE.

It seems the AI units' default weapon is the blaster, for which they have unlimited ammo. AI units have also been known to use other weapons as well including the slug rifle, rockets, and grenades. AI units also are able to use bomb pods. The weapons that they use depend on the tokens they have in their base. Beware of AI units wielding the slug rifle as they have incredible accuracy and can hit players from immense distances.

Also, never forget that AI troops can climb, so walls help against stray shots but not against troops climbing over it.

AI Occupation Assaults

Since the Beta version of Love the AI is capable to launch occupation assaults. This assault is launched when an Occupation monolith is placed next to a settlements monolith. This special monolith will create 3 more AI troop spawners and spawn AIs. The AIs occupy the area and stop the players from placing tokens or terraforming until the Occupation monolith is destroyed. Usually placed tokens will not be destroyed by the AIs, but it also happens that a settlement will be eradicated.