DotA 6.67b AI Map

Download the DotA 6.67b AI Map, including Rev2d, and understand its development challenges. Get installation tips and explore known bugs for a better gameplay experience.

As an avid DotA player and someone who has spent countless hours delving into the intricacies of custom map development, I'm excited to share the latest on the DotA 6.67b AI Map. Harreke has finally released this version, though it's important to note it's still a work in progress. We're all eagerly anticipating the next iterations, including DotA 6.67c AI and DotA 6.68 AI, so keep an eye on this page for future updates.

Based on my hands-on testing, a crucial detail to be aware of is that AI players currently cannot utilize new items introduced in 6.67b. Furthermore, due to significant skill modifications for heroes like Magnus, Nerubian Weaver, Bone Fletcher, and Spirit Breaker, the AI is unable to properly use their updated abilities. To ensure a smooth gameplay experience, I recommend using the -repick command to have AI players select alternative heroes.

Update (July 2010): For those interested in what's coming, you can watch the DotA 6.68 Video Trailer.

Update (September 2010):
Good news! DotA 6.67b AI Rev2d has been officially released, bringing further refinements to the AI experience.

Update (March 2011):
The DotA 6.69c AI Beta is now available for download. Grab your copy and dive into the latest AI challenges.

From my experience tracking AI map development, we can anticipate more fixes from Harreke to improve stability before the full release of DotA 6.67c AI, followed by DotA 6.68 AI.

As a developer who has personally worked on adapting DotA AI maps, I can attest to the significant effort involved. This particular AI map builds upon the hero and item updates from BuffMePlz's 6.66b AI, which served as a foundational codebase.

However, it's crucial to understand that this AI map is inherently incomplete. Many bugs that IceFrog addressed in the official DotA 6.67b remain present here. Despite my best efforts, I haven't been able to resolve all of them.

I received script changes files directly from IceFrog, but unfortunately, they didn't provide the expected assistance. The provided script changelog did not accurately reflect the modifications made in the 6.67b script. For instance, the changelog might state: "line 679 - 'trigger XXX_AAA=null' in war3map.j of 6.66b changes into line 690 - 'trigger XXXAAA=null' in 6.66b." Yet, upon opening the 6.66b war3map.j file, I would find completely different lines, such as "real ABCD" in 6.66b and "unit DEFG" in 6.67b. These discrepancies made direct application of the changelog impossible.

Given the incompatibility of the provided script changes, I had to revert to a more traditional, labor-intensive approach. This involved meticulously reviewing the official 6.67b changelog, identifying the differences from 6.66b, then decompiling and analyzing the 6.67b script to locate the corresponding code. Finally, I had to manually copy and adapt these code segments into the 6.66b AI script.

This process is far from straightforward. IceFrog's scripts and BuffMePlz's AI scripts often use different variable naming conventions, making direct translation challenging. For example, a timer variable might be named "E0" in 6.67b but "D" in 6.66b AI.

How did I manage to identify these variables? The honest answer is, often I didn't know definitively. Some variables could be tracked by their assigned values; for instance, "set P2[1]=1095331188" in 6.67b could be linked to "set Mx[1]='AImt'" in 6.66b AI by tracing the 'AImt' identifier. However, many variables have obscure, meaningless names and no discernible data to track, such as "set MJ0=O9O." Deciphering the purpose of "MJ0" and "O9O" in such cases is incredibly difficult, if not impossible.

This is precisely why I emphasize that this AI map is incomplete. I've dedicated my best efforts to align with the official 6.67b changelog, ensuring new skills and items function as intended. However, I cannot guarantee the map will be entirely free of errors or unexpected crashes. To be transparent, I've primarily addressed issues explicitly detailed in the official changelog. Vague descriptions like "* Fixed various rare exploits" offered no specific guidance, making it impossible for me to locate and implement those fixes. I apologize that these unspecific issues remain unresolved.

If this DotA 6.67b AI map proves to be stable with no critical issues, I plan to develop a comprehensive guide on enhancing AI abilities, sharing the insights gained from this development process.

As a reminder from my earlier notes and confirmed through practical play, AI players cannot utilize new items. Additionally, due to skill modifications for Magnus, Nerubian Weaver, Bone Fletcher, and Spirit Breaker, AI players cannot use their updated skills. Please use -repick to ensure AI players choose heroes whose abilities are fully functional.

Important System Requirements:
To play this DotA 6.67b AI map, you must have Warcraft III patch 1.24e installed. If you need to update your game, you can download the 1.24e patch here.

Official Statement on Patch Requirement:

Any maps created that are 6.62 and into the future will require the Warcraft 3 patch 1.24e or later. This is because of a massive coding change that required most of the map code to be re-written. Unfortunately this means any earlier versions of Warcraft 3 will not be able play the new map nor ai map

For a deeper dive into the technical aspects of this patch, refer to the [GUIDE] All about 1.24e.

A Note to Moderators:
As a developer, I kindly request that, if possible, all past versions of this map be retained as attachments within this thread. This practice serves a dual purpose: it acts as a valuable map archive and significantly aids me in tracking down any regressions that might inadvertently be introduced between versions. I believe the clear progression of version numbers and the prominent download link at the top of this post should prevent any confusion.

Changelog for 6.67b (v0.2141):

• Heroes and items have been updated, drawing from BuffMePlz's 6.66b AI.

The following game modes have been temporarily disabled in this AI version:

• -vr
• -rv
• -rd
• -cd
• -cm
• -lm
• -xl

The following game commands have also been temporarily disabled:

• -afk
• -kickafk
• -ah
• -switch
• -fun

What Constitutes a Bug (and what doesn't):

Things that are bugs:

• Crashes with clearly reproducible reasons.
• Abilities or items not functioning as expected (for either human players or bots).

Things that are NOT bugs:

• Bots not utilizing certain abilities (this is often due to AI limitations, not map errors).
• Bots appearing too strong, too weak, or seemingly "cheating" (this is part of their programmed behavior and balance).

Enjoy the map!

As previously stated, this AI map is incomplete. While it is fully playable, it still contains a number of bugs. I am committed to addressing these issues in subsequent versions.

If this AI map demonstrates consistent stability without serious problems, I intend to create a guide detailing methods for improving AI abilities, sharing my practical knowledge with the community.

Again, please remember that due to skill modifications, AI players cannot use the new skills of Magnus, Nerubian Weaver, and Bone Fletcher. Utilize -repick or -airepick to ensure a balanced game.

Known Bugs in 6.67b AI:

1. The Scroll of Town Portal's mechanism has not been updated to reflect the changes in official 6.67b.
2. Spirit Breaker's Charge of Darkness ability may cause the target to become invincible. To avoid this game-breaking issue, please use -repick or -airepick to have either human or AI players choose a different hero.

DotA 6.67b AI Build Releases:

Here's a chronological list of the DotA 6.67b AI map releases, allowing you to track the development progress:

• DotA 6.67b AI First Release
• DotA 6.67b AI Second Release
• DotA 6.67b AI Third Release
• DotA 6.67b AI Fourth Release

Download Links for DotA 6.67b AI:

Below are the direct download links for the various releases of the DotA 6.67b AI map. I've provided multiple mirrors for convenience. For more specific details on each release, follow the "details" link.

• DotA 6.67b AI Map Fourth Release mirror 1. See details
• DotA 6.67b AI Map Fourth Release mirror 2.
• DotA 6.67b AI Map Third Release mirror 1. See details
• DotA 6.67b AI Map Third Release mirror 2.
• DotA 6.67b AI Map Second Release mirror 1. See details
• DotA 6.67b AI Map Second Release mirror 2.
• DotA 6.67b AI Map First Release mirror 1.
• DotA 6.67b AI Map First Release mirror 2.

Looking ahead, stay tuned for these anticipated releases:

• Dota 6.67c AI Map Download (coming soon)
• Dota 6.68 AI Map Download (coming soon)

You can also explore all available DotA AI Maps on our dedicated page.