You can't set AI for scenarios, standard AI will take over at some point

[Deathcounter]

GAME INFORMATION

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• **GAME BUILD #:**v101.103.22566.0 #153638 19603495
• GAME PLATFORM: Steam
• OPERATING SYSTEM: Windows 10

ISSUE EXPERIENCED

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So I wanted to do something in Scenario Editor where I would need to switch between 2 players but I can’t use my No.AI (which works in RM, DM, BR, EW and all the modes) in Scenarios, no matter what I do, it will always default to your standard AI, even when I select No.AI, the scenario will launch with your standard AI. Granted it only activates randomly after 40 seconds, or 3 minutes but still.

Even when explicitly setting it in the scenario, saving, selecting “Either” or “AI” fixing personality or not, restarting the game. It doesn’t work

FREQUENCY OF ISSUE

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• 100% of the time / matches I play (ALWAYS)

REPRODUCTION STEPS

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Here’s the steps to reproduce the issue:

1. Create any scenario with the intent to record a game with you switching between 2 players (maybe to reinact an awesome play you made, or to replicate a bug or idk
2. Try to play your scenario with an AI that does nothing, I know you probably can’t code it out so that the sheep dont move under the TC
3. It is not possible to set your AI
4. It doesnt work, even if you set your No.AI mod (that you have to get from a mod from the voobly era), first the standard AI name will be present, and then if you stop your villagers they will automatically not stop but return their resources to the closest drop off site.

And when you have enough villagers and some sheeps under your TC it will send all Vills to get your Sheep without your input

EXPECTED RESULT

^{What was SUPPOSED to happen if the bug you encountered were not present?}

After 25 years I really think there should be an inbuilt AFK empty file AI Personality that does nothing. We shouldnt have to rely on mods or third party AI creators to make an AI that does nothing.
Please.

IMAGE

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GAME FILES (SAVE / RECORDING)

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Scenario in question
quick walling.aoe2scenario (48.9 KB)

Replay file
SP Replay v101.103.22566.0 @2025.08.21 190202.aoe2record (664.8 KB)

Couldn’t upload AI files
But the
No AI.ai file
is empty in
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\AoE2DE\resources_common\ai
and here is the
No AI.per
(as text file, couldn’t upload .per files)
No AI.txt (6.5 KB)

[Grandy02]

Regarding AI for an inactive player, I think the generally available “e3-p2.ai” personality also fulfils this function? But I agree that such an AI option should be available by default with a descriptive name, the mentioned one belongs to the semi-hidden E3 2019 scenario.
And said AI is missing in Return of Mode mode.

[Deathcounter]

Man this is even more annoying than I thought. Its literally impossible right now to set a custom AI other than standard in scenarios. The game just ignores it and after a while, standard AI takes over.

It is fairly consistent to replicate.
I want to balance my mod and for that I need to take into account micro so I micro between player 1 and 2 using CTRL+Shift+F2 and then I cant because AI takes over (despite me setting it to No AI, and whatever all these no AI mods are)

[SamePorpoise303]

Closest you can get is “e3-p2.ai” as it has been said but I’m baffled too at the fact they don’t add an AI that actually does nothing since e3p2 still moves kings, carts, ships etc. Villagers should do nothing with that though.

[thieftdp8498]

iirc wasnt this feature that it was broken and u had to put the immobile AI into the game’s folder (not local AI mod nor subscribed AI mods).

was this broken again?

[Deathcounter]

Can I please atleast get an acknowledgement?

Right now if you switch to an No.Ai Player you cannot Shift Create 5 units (AI will prevent that and only 2 pop out)

You cannot Micro Units because AI takes over and instantly attacks when another friendly is attacked, so it moves maybe 1/4 of a tile and stops the units without you doing that.

You cannot replicate a fight properly because AI will always rushes to attack the first unit that dealt damage instead of the closest (really noticeable if you have a group of melee and ranged units, the AI will send all Melee units to the ranged enemy that did the first damage instead of attacking the closest enemy melee unit)

And many such annoyances.

[Thire7]

Really the “none” option ought to actually be no ai as if it’s a human player that isn’t doing anything.