List of flaws in artificial intelligence (SSB4): Difference between revisions

Flaws occur in the artificial intelligence of both ''Super Smash Bros. for 3DS'' and ''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U''.

In ''Smash for 3DS'' prior to version 1.0.5, the AI appears to be generally more proficient than that of ''Melee'', retaining most of the improvements made to it with the transition to ''Brawl''; these include properly extending/charging smash and special attacks, as well as using more varied options with them, shielding and dodging attacks more often, using alternate recovery moves (such as side specials) and/or aiding their recovery with them, and having better recognition of items while actively seeking out for powerful ones, generally without ceasing fighting like in previous Smash games.

When not in lag, CPUs will almost always [[shield]] (usually perfect shield), [[roll]] away or [[sidestep]] against their opponents' attacks, to then take advantage of the attack lag suffered and [[punish]] them, commonly with a [[grab]] or uncharged [[forward smash]]. Like in ''Brawl'', CPUs will also try to approach grounded foes at close ranges by using [[aerial attack]]s, rather than just using them to attack foes standing on platforms or in midair, and will [[air dodge]] attacks more prominently when going airborne; high-leveled CPUs will also actively [[tech]] on any nearby solid surface they hit when launched a high distance, and will try to escape from grabs as quick as possible, usually not letting their foes pummel them more than two or three times before being released, even at damage percentages of 100% and over.

Besides shields, CPU characters with [[counterattack]] special moves are also very precise with them, using them more prominently against any direct non-grab attacks when not in lag, and those with [[reflect]]ors or [[absorb]]ers will hesitate to use them against any projectiles (if they are reflectable/absorbable so) shot in their vicinity.

CPUs in ''Smash for 3DS'' are also slightly better at [[edgeguarding]], as characters without projectiles will now attempt to edgeguard offstage more often (though those with projectiles will still usually attack from the edge, spamming them) by jumping a fair distance away from the edge and intercepting with an aerial or special attack (preferably those that [[meteor smash]]), while very rarely self-destructing unlike in the previous games.

As stated above, the AI also makes better use of items than in the previous games, retaining most of their behaviors from ''Brawl'', such as trying to repel other players when going for an item, waiting to use a [[Final Smash]] until they are in close proximity to an opponent (a behavior also exhibited by CPU {{SSB4|Little Mac}}s using the [[KO Uppercut]]), and remaining on their [[revival platform]] until a character using a powerful item or Final Smash finishes the attack. It also seems to be more aware of opposing items; it will tend to stay away from areas where a powerful item covering a wide range (such as a [[Snorlax]] or [[Hocotate Bomb]]) is about to come down, and will avoid walking directly into set [[Motion-Sensor Bomb]]s, [[Pitfall]]s or hostile Pokémon, a flaw that they commonly exhibited in ''Brawl''. Additionally, CPUs will shield and dodge potentially dangerous items thrown at them more often.

As a side note, CPUs in free-for-alls will no longer only target human players, now targeting other CPUs and fighting against each other if a human player is out of range, like in ''Smash 64'' and ''Melee'', though they will still preferably target players with high damage percentages to earn KOs as soon as possible. Unlike in ''Brawl'', CPUs will now avoid taunting opponents after they are KO'd, now doing so rarely (and usually only if they are Star KO'd), leaving them less vulnerable.

CPUs in ''Smash for 3DS'' are not without flaws, however, which are unfortunately much more potent than in ''Brawl''. When at long distances from foes, CPUs will [[spam]] projectiles nearly as much as in ''Melee'', periodically using any [[projectile]]s with significant horizontal distance they have (except Final Cutter), even if these can be reflected or absorbed (though unlike in previous games, CPUs will stop using projectiles after they spot a player with an active reflector or absorber); these include regular attacks that serve as projectiles, such as {{SSB4|Mega Man}}'s Mega Buster attacks and the {{SSB4|Villager}}'s forward air. Unlike in the previous games, CPUs will also still attempt to use projectiles right after shielding or dodging an attack even when at close distances from foes, often leaving them vulnerable due to their usual lag. Characters without projectiles will also spam long ranged, straightforward special moves, even those they didn't use to spam before, such as [[Falcon Kick]], [[Rollout]], [[Spin Charge]] and [[Wario Bike]], using them in the same way, and CPUs with counterattack moves also abuse them to the point they end up spamming them as well, allowing human players to bait them and respond with a grab.

CPUs also have poorer defensive abilities than in ''Brawl'', as they may hold their shield until it's close to breaking when protecting from an attack at a fair distance, or hold it up, drop it, and repeat the process over again until the player comes near, leaving them punishable. They will almost always decide to use rolls over other types of dodges, which can be easily punished when spammed; CPUs may also roll when foes get close without attacking at all, or when they do for dodging their attacks; in the latter case, CPUs will mostly roll constantly towards their foes until they stand still or attack. For punishing attacks, CPUs will almost always use a grab or forward smash after dodging, generally not using other out of shield options (the latter which gives problems to characters whose f-smash is laggy, such as {{SSB4|Ike}} and {{SSB4|Dedede}}), and will almost always grab when a foe is directly at their front in any other situation, causing them to be easily predictable, avoidable and punishable themselves.

They also seem to ignore the landing lag from air dodges, becoming vulnerable when air dodging close to the ground, while never trying to interrupt them with other actions (features that were neither present in ''Brawl''). Moreover, CPUs will still not attempt to evade or fight off edgeguarders (with the exception of Kirby), causing them to be easily KO'd, and will under-utilise some characters' recoveries, by not trying to use some characters' faster recovery options or not using some special moves to aid recovery. They still have difficulty recognizing walls on stages like [[Living Room]], and will commonly not consider height differences or obstacles when using projectiles or straightforward special moves, resulting in them spamming such moves even when players are higher on slopes, nearby platforms or behind walls, being nowhere near hitting them. CPUs also still exhibit weird behaviors on complex stages such as [[Gaur Plain]], where they have difficulty pursuing players and aiming recoveries, and are prone to being hit by hazards on stages like {{SSB4|Mute City}} and [[Boxing Ring]], as well as being fairly easy to KO in scrolling stages such as [[3D Land]].

In general, despite some of the improvements made to it, the AI in ''Smash for 3DS'' plays generally poorer than in ''Brawl'', being much easier to predict and KO, as well as having poorer defensive abilities; thus, it is much less efficient.

**During the period a player has respawn invincibility, CPUs will still jump into a nearby platform, and will flee to others when the player pursues them, without attempting to dodge their attacks. On stages without platforms like {{SSB4|Final Destination}}, they will still roll constantly towards the nearest edge until the player's invincibility wears off, being easily counterable.

**They will persistently try to use certain projectiles or special moves even when only one of them can be out at a time, or when a certain period of time must pass for the special to be used again; they will just use it again with no results, causing them to become vulnerable most of the time. These moves include [[Clown Cannon]], [[Mechakoopa]], [[Wario Bike]], [[Banana Peel]], {{SSB4|Robin}}'s four special moves (of which {{b|Thunder|Robin}} and [[Arcfire]] suffer the most from this behavior), [[Robo Beam]], [[Gyro]], [[Pikmin Throw]] (CPUs will use it even after having thrown all possible Pikmin) and [[Bonus Fruit]].

**CPUs will try to spam certain [[approaching attack]]s as much as projectiles, using them as the same rate and on the same situations; these include Wario Bike, [[Wizard's Foot]], [[Super Speed]], [[Straight Lunge]], [[Rollout]], [[Falcon Kick]], [[Spin Charge]], [[Burning Dropkick]] and [[Power Thrust]]. CPUs will also often use [[Headbutt]], [[Plasma Whip]], [[Shield Breaker]] (in {{SSB4|Marth}}'s case, though not {{SSB4|Lucina}}'s), [[Raptor Boost]] and [[Onslaught]] when at a close distance from the player.

**CPU characters with chargeable projectiles that can be stored, such as {{SSB4|Lucario}}, {{SSB4|Wii Fit Trainer}} and Robin, will often spam weak projectiles after unleashing a fully charged one, even if they don't reach the foe at all.

**A CPU {{SSB4|Rosalina}} will never intentionally attempt to make Luma attack projected away from her upon using [[Luma Shot]], only calling it back to use the move over again, causing it to be easily KO'd by foes. She will also persistently try to call Luma back even when it's stunned from an attack (period during which it cannot be called back), leaving herself open to enemy attacks.

**CPU {{SSB4|Diddy Kong}}s have a tendency to spam [[Peanut Popgun]] in an attempt to hit players who are on platforms above them, even though the gun cannot be aimed high enough to so do.

***CPU Diddy Kongs will additionally never intentionally pick up [[Banana Peel (move)|Bananas]] they drop.

**CPU {{SSB4|Wii Fit Trainer}}s using [[Deep Breathing]] will never attempt to end the move earlier, and may use it repeatedly even though it becomes slower per use, allowing players to easily punish the CPUs with powerful attacks.

**A CPU {{SSB4|Villager}} will rarely perform [[Timber]] properly. Additionally, the CPU fails to detect where it planted the sapling or tree. It will even occasionally attack its own tree (instead of using the axe) when it grows.

**CPU {{SSB4|Luigi}}s, {{SSB4|Dr. Mario}}s, {{SSB4|Sheik}}s and {{SSB4|Zero Suit Samus}}es will never aid their recoveries with their respective [[down special]]s, causing them to fail their recoveries and get KO'd if their other recovery moves do not attain enough distance to get back onto the stage.

**High-leveled CPU {{SSB4|Wario}}s will almost always try to aid their recoveries with Wario Bike before using [[Corkscrew]]. When knocked out of the move's jump, however, they may persistently attempt to use the move again even if they haven't got the Bike back, initiating Wario's "searching around" animation and getting KO'd. They may also exhibit this behavior if their Bike is onstage due to a prior use of the move.

**CPU {{SSB4|Diddy Kong}}s will use horizontal trajectories of [[Rocketbarrel Boost]] in most cases. While this can be effective in some situations, they will still use it even if they are close to a blast line, when a vertical trajectory would have been more optimal, causing then to be KO'd when they could have survived otherwise.

***CPU {{SSB4|Mii Gunner}}s will exhibit similar behaviors with [[Arm Rocket]], assuming the move is equipped.

**CPU {{SSB4|Palutena}}s will never aid their recoveries with Super Speed or [[Angelic Missile]] (assuming they have said moves equipped), and will never attack players when using [[Jump Glide]] until landing, grabbing a ledge or being knocked out of the move.

***Like in ''Brawl'', CPU {{SSB4|R.O.B.}}s will exhibit the same behavior as with the latter move when using [[Robo Burner]].

**Regardless of their level, CPU {{SSB4|Kirby}}s will often spam their [[forward aerial]] to attack edgeguarders during their recovery, which, while giving them less chances of being [[gimp]]ed, is a very predictable and stoppable process as the CPU will never attempt to act differently.

**CPU {{SSB4|Meta Knight}}s still tend to use [[Dimensional Cape]] over their other special moves to recover, even when [[Shuttle Loop]] and [[Drill Rush]] are vastly superior options; they usually only use the former when a ledge is directly above them, and never use the latter at all.

**CPU {{SSB4|Fox}}es and {{SSB4|Falco}}s will often aim their up specials against nearby onstage players during their recoveries; while they won't self-destruct less often than in ''Brawl'', this attempt can be still easily countered due to these moves' long startup, causing the CPUs to be KO'd more easily.

**CPU {{SSB4|Captain Falcon}}s and {{SSB4|Ganondorf}}s will never use [[Raptor Boost]] and [[Flame Choke]] (respectively) to recover alternatively. CPU {{SSB4|Charizard}}s will also never use [[Flare Blitz]] to recover.

***Additionally, CPU [[Pac-Man (SSB4)|Pac-Men]] will not only never use [[Power Pellet]] to recover, but, when using [[Pac-Jump]], will never attempt to bounce on the trampoline again  unless a wall in front of them forces them to do so, causing them to be KO'd if the first bounce doesn't achieve enough distance for them to recover.

**CPU {{SSB4|Ness}}es will always hit themselves with PK Thunder in the same upwards, barely horizontal trajectory when recovering, often causing them to fail to recover if the ledge or platform they are aiming at is at a more horizontal distance (as the CPU commonly won't wait to be below it to use the move either).

**A CPU {{SSB4|Shulk}} that has a ledge stolen from him will not use [[Air Slash]] as soon as possible, waiting too long to use it, missing the ledge and self-destructing. Additionally, he may sometimes choose to use [[Back Slash]] when below a ledge, even though it will not help him reach it.

**High-leveled CPU [[Mega Man (SSB4)|Mega Men]] will usually attempt to use [[Crash Bomber]] after [[Rush Coil]] if they don't grab an edge instantly with the move, despite the fact that it does not affect recovery; in some occasions, this can cause them to miss a nearby ledge and get KO'd. Lower-leveled CPUs may even use Crash Bomber only, without using Rush Coil at all, causing them to be KO'd without trying to recover.

**When using [[Soaring Axe Kick]] and [[Stone Scabbard]] for recovery, CPU Mii Fighters won't wait to be underneath the ledge they're aiming at, at a range the distance given by the move is more desirable for recovering, habitually using the move instantly after their midair jump and self-destructing easily because of the moves' falldown.

*CPUs are extremely incompetent at attacking foes hanging on ledges: when this happens, they will most of the time just stay in place and spam their usual special moves, even if they don't reach the foe at all, and will attack with a down tilt or smash only if they were previously near the ledge, rarely approaching at all. This easily allows the player to get up freely or stall the CPUs on the ledge by edge hopping and attacking them from above.

*When a player charges a special move whose charge can be held indefinitely, such as [[Hero's Bow]] or Rollout, CPUs without projectiles (or approach special moves they spam) will behave rather eccentrically: they will recurrently jump and fall down while moving a slight distance forward, repeating the process and randomly rolling away from the player as they get closer, only attacking if the player is within close range as they jump or land. While they still attempt to dodge these attacks when released, this behavior can be easily exploited by unleashing the attack as they are falling down, invariably hitting them.

*When [[Shuriken of Light|Shurikens of Light]] are shot repeatedly against them, CPUs without reflectors will just hold their shields in place, ignoring  the move's effect of gradually becoming stronger, causing their shields to be drained quickly, rolling away only when their shield is about to break, allowing the player to easily shield stab them or break their shields afterwards. They may also shield in place even if the move doesn't reach them at all, not dropping it until the player ceases fire.

*While approaching, CPU {{SSB4|Bowser}}s and Warios have a tendency to use their [[jab]] even if no foes are within the move's range, causing their approach to be slower and easier to counter.

*In battles with [[character customization]] enabled, CPUs will attempt to shield against moves even if they are strengthened enough by [[equipment]] to break them in one hit, allowing for easy [[shield break]]s and follow-up attacks.

===''[[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]]''===

The AI in the Wii U version is considered much more proficient than in the 3DS version, and even more than in ''Brawl'', having most flaws from both games fixed while keeping their positive attributes from them, such as precisely responding to any attacks thrown at them and using items more effectively. High-leveled CPUs will now use aerial attacks even more prominently, also [[short hop]]ping or [[fast fall]]ing them when necessary, in a style closer to that of experienced players. They will also choose better follow-up options when using certain attacks, now [[combo]]ing throws into aerials more often, and using varied attacks in a more effective way rather than always using the same attack in a given situation, and will also choose stronger out of shield options, now always using out of shield up smashes when possible (something they did very rarely in the 3DS version), as well as occasionally using other smashes or powerful attacks.

CPUs with projectiles will also try offstage edge guarding more often, and CPUs themselves will now finally try to evade edge guarders, as high-leveled ones will always try to air dodge attacks thrown at them when recovering (if possible) while carrying on their recovery afterwards; they will also always [[footstool]] opponents coming near when they have the opportunity, a behavior also exhibited by Mii Fighters in [[Multi-Man mode]]s, including [[Cruel Smash]].

CPUs will now also make wiser use of projectiles and special moves than in 3DS, using them less often and in more effective ways, such as by waiting before they can be executed again (rather than just trying to execute them again for naught), and not using them if the foe is on a position completely out of the moves' range. When launched in [[tumbling]] state, rather than almost always trying to air dodge as in 3DS, CPUs will now more often respond to pursuing players with aerial attacks, not air dodging until a foe directly tries to attack them, and jumping when not menaced at all.

For the first time in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series, CPUs partaking in [[Team Battle]]s will automatically and immediately [[Share stock|use any remaining stocks]] that other CPU teammates may have, regardless of their level, giving them better chances of success.

Despite all these improvements being made to the AI, though, it still possesses some minor flaws. CPUs will still use projectiles more frequently than regular attacks when at far distances, which, despite their better use of them, still leads to them being predictable and counterable; similar to in ''Smash for 3DS'', CPUs will also sometimes use projectiles at close range from foes, even when direct attacks are more preferable, and some CPUs like {{SSB4|Wario}} and {{SSB4|Captain Falcon}} will still use [[Approach attack|approach special moves]] as much as in 3DS. They still seem to ignore character differences with regular attacks, as for example, they might still use aerial attacks with {{SSB4|Little Mac}}, and will still fight with their usual "playstyle" in free-for-alls, causing them to use grabs or other attacks that can only hit one opponent at a time, instead of others that can hit multiple foes more frequently, giving them several problems especially in [[8-Player Smash]]es (hilariously, a Level 9 CPU can lose against seven Level 1 ones in a Team Battle because of this).

Aside from this, CPUs still behave rather eccentrically in complex or custom stages, where they can have difficulty recognizing walls and hazards or jumping across platforms, as well as aiming recoveries, and can still occasionally self-destruct on scrolling stages like [[Pac-Land]], where they'll remain attacking foes and usually won't escape fast enough from the [[blast line]]s.

Additionally, while CPUs will now always evade edge guarders when possible, they still do this to a fault, as they may prioritize air dodging over actual recovering, which, when attacked repeatedly, can make them miss the ledge or platform they were aiming at (if their recovery move doesn't grant enough vertical distance), failing a recovery that was possible and getting KO'd.

====Specific examples====

While most of the specific flaws from the 3DS version's AI have been fixed or are less likely to happen in ''Smash for Wii U'', some exclusive to this version are still present:

*On [[Windy Hill Zone]], CPUs that are knocked off the edges will often not attempt recovery until it is too late, resulting in them hitting the rotating springs; an act that can very likely cause them to self-destruct. Their tendency to do this does not change even if they manage to bounce to the side instead, as they will once again not recover soon enough, which effectively KOs them seeing how low the springs are positioned.

*On large stages such as [[Temple]], CPUs will often not pursue players who are a great distance away from them, and instead focus on fighting any other CPUs or players who are nearby, sometimes even for prolonged amounts of time, unless they have only one opponent.

*On [[The Great Cave Offensive]], CPUs will still jump to use aerials or try to reach higher-placed foes even if below a low ceiling with [[Danger Zone]]s, receiving avoidable damage and eventually self-destructing.

*On [[Delfino Plaza]] and stages with a similar layout, CPUs will usually aim their recoveries below the main platform instead of aiming for the ledges (thus requiring less height to recover), causing them to get KO'd if their recovery moves do not grant enough distance to propel them above the platform, when they could have given enough distance for them to grab the ledges instead.

*If a CPU is cornered near the edge of a stage by a human player, and the player is facing away from them while wearing a [[Back Shield]], the CPU may continuously attack the shield or tech backwards rather than trying another option such as jumping over the player.

*When at a distance, CPU {{SSB4|Wii Fit Trainer}}s have a minor tendency to charge their [[Sun Salutation]] for a fraction of a second, before shielding for an equally long amount of time, and rapidly switching between the two, leaving themselves open to punishes.

**Additionally, CPUs do not normally wait for the appropriate amount of time after launching from a barrel cannon, and thus enter other cannons while on fire, causing potential KOs.

*CPUs at Level 6 and below tend to exhibit some strange behaviors most prominent when pitted against one human player (and no other characters at all).

**They have a tendency to walk into strong/charged attacks.

**They sometimes stall for a split second upon landing on the ground, leaving themselves open to punishes.

**They also have a habit of short-hopping off the stage after players who are close to the blast line (or recovering from a low height) as if they are about to edgeguard them, only to quickly use their double jump to reach the stage again. While not necessarily problematic, this can be a problem for characters who have subpar recoveries and/or fast falling speed (such as {{SSB4|Little Mac}}).

*CPUs of characters with more than two jumps will often intentionally use up their extra jumps and hover right by a ledge before grabbing it, leaving them wide open to edgeguards.

*When the bridge is destroyed on [[Bridge of Eldin]], CPUs, including high level ones (most notoriously, {{SSB4|Little Mac}}) won't even attempt to cross the broken bridge. Instead they will just run near the [[blast zone]], close enough to where they'll get damaged but not to the point of SD'ing. The only way to stop this behavior is to cross the bridge, compelling the CPU to actually attack the player.

* [[Flaws in artificial intelligence]]