As a long time players, we've built an "understanding" of the AI based on a long history of fighting game experience (hysteresis). Many of us have noticed the AI changing over time. With that perspective, the AI deep dive did not address many of the issues that plague the game currently and I have no idea why the player base finds it so appealing. So here are a few issues that are glazed over and why it doesn't take AI 2.0 to fix them:
A frame perfect button masher with random outputs ( More on this later )
This is a huge deal. I've said on many occasions that the AI appears to be frame perfect (just frame) and this means that 60 times per second (used to be 30 times a second), the AI can read your input and react accordingly. This is in no way a reasonable standard for a fighting game. The average human reaction time is 15 frames which is why it feels like the AI is so smart. I remember stating that I hope Kabam would adjust the AI for 60FPS due to concerns of the AI essentially doubling in speed... it appears they didn't. Why do you get parried by the AI? It's able to make a decision to block multiple times in the parry window. The AI is now blocking, then letting go of block, then special intercepting on reaction.
What DOES the AI know? Distance - How far apart are the Attacker & Defender
There's a large omission here. How far the A and D are apart and the available options matters greatly. Lots of us noticed the AI suddenly learning to walk up and light or parry. This wasn't a thing in the past. My head canon is that they changed two things.
1. The minimum space that forces a dash Dave used to have a name for this distance where the AI would dash but I forget.
2. The ability of the AI to choose to walk into light range
What they aren't saying here, is whether or not the parameters have been tweaked to make raw intercepts harder and to make backdrafts riskier since the AI doesn't have a problem rolling a light at that reduced distance.
What DOESN’T the AI know? Each Action the AI can take is given a weighted chance of being rolled.
This one is easy. If the weights weren't tweaked, there'd be no reason to bait intercepts. Over 60 frames, it would roll a special attack at least once. Weights are obviously tweaked in different content and baiting specials (or the lack thereof) is clearly "working as intended." Not to mention that these states or actions are not finite and final. They are able to be tweaked or added to. It's obvious that this has happened.
The biggest problem I have with AI 2.0 is that it seems to suggest that nothing can be done about the AI as it stands so wait for AI 2.0. I do not believe that to be true. Most of us don't want a stupidly easy and predictable game, however, how quickly the AI reacts has to be modifiable.
Does it need the average 15-16 frame reaction time? No but should it be able to hit you with a light at the perfect distance because they've reduced the distance that forces a dash while juicing it up to a 60 times per second AI? No. Why was the AI re-parrying and why are we being parried more often than ever (by Shocker for example)? Tweaks to parameters made by Kabam. What about recovery times?
I could go on but it is unreasonable/unacceptable to look at the AI 2.0 post as a solution to the issues plaguing the game right now. And I don't believe that AI doesn't know states (just don't).