Saving Automate with two subtle changes.

Automate has some real problems because there's a stable metas with which formations to build armies. I've heard and seen people using all Queens, all Knights, or mixtures of the two. The meta is stale.

I have two changes I'd like to see added to help make the game more interesting:

First I'd like to see a variable depth added to the computer analysis. This would work by giving the King a variable cost that would result in the depth of analysis for that side. For example if you had 16 points left when you played you King, you'd have a depth 16 Stockfish playing your moves. Doing this would mean that you could play more shallow cpus and pay for sliders (Queens, Rooks, Bishops) for your army.

Second is that there should be a ramping price for units after they exceed the normal starting value. For example the third Knight should cost 4, the fourth would be 5. A second Queen would be 8. Ect. This would encourage more variable armies.

I suspect you could start the game with 50 points.

1st is nonsense, 2nd is interesting.