Computer player - attacks/counterattacks. How it works ?
 

I created scenario for Human vs Computer battle.
Computer player doesn't want to take VH.
Its armies go to me to the rear line.
Computer player armies don't search for my armies - stop in the my rear line and don't maneuver it is more.


Really computer such fool ?!
As AI works in battle ?!
As to me to make that it grasped VH and search for my armies for battle ?!

Re: Computer player - attacks/counterattacks. How it works ?
 

Yes the AI is a fool,but I personaly have never seen this kind thing you decribe happen.

The AI always goes headlong for VH's but adjusts somewhat when it finds the enemy on it's way,as to take out resistant forces for example,but the VH's are always the main focus.

It could be a large map and you left too many gaps in your line??
In that case they broke through and searched out your rear assets.

Re: Computer player - attacks/counterattacks. How it works ?
 

winSPMBT 6.0

I did tests:
Map 100x60.
Create Assault and Meeting Engagement scenario, manual purschase units for both side.
VH in total in one, no rear line VH.
My unit (APC) grasped this VH and retreating, and hide.
Armies of the computer moved to pass by VH to the my rear line battlefield and stop there and no moved, only defending fire.

Re: Computer player - attacks/counterattacks. How it works ?
 

Does the VH have a value? The AI will drive toward the highest value hex that is closest. If the VH has no value the AI will ignore it.

Re: Computer player - attacks/counterattacks. How it works ?
 

VH have cost.

Re: Computer player - attacks/counterattacks. How it works ?
 

Not heard of quite as you describe but the AI can be unpredictable, normaly goes for the VHexes but have known it ignore them till half way through the game & make a B line for my rear area. It also is not uncommon for it to ignore them at the start heading straight past them & then swinging round, trying for a flanking move possibly.
In your case sounds like it did something along those lines & then decided to hold the routes to the Vhexes. It will probably decide to take them later in the game.
Sometimes these tactics make for a poor game but can also make for a very good one because its been unpredictable.

Re: Computer player - attacks/counterattacks. How it works ?
 

I made one more test.
Usual Meeting engagement battle.
AI attacked VH and came back to them again.

Probably in manual created scenario AI becomes the fool ?
There will be new tests...

It is a waste of time DISCUSSING this without SEEING the scenario so post it and then it will be much simpler to see what's going on then try to guess what you are forgetting to tell us.

I have no doubt what we don't know will be significant because, as others have already said, this is unusual behavior and if it was normal more than you would report it.

My guess is you have a high cost VH off map but without actually seeing the damn thing we are all just spewing hot air but inexperienced scenario / map designer + weird results usually = serious scenario design flaws ( but it's SO much easier to immediately blame the AI....)

What we want to see is the FIRST scenario you were complaining about.

Don

Re: Computer player - attacks/counterattacks. How it works ?
 

As Don says - we would need to see your original scenario.

but -
- ensure that all victory hexes have a value of 50+ and are on the map
- ensure that you have set up reaction turns for all AI HQs too.

Your other statement about ignoring the hexes and charging past in an advancing situation - is now normal AI behaviour. The AI can and will decide to "go deep" in Camo games, ignoring any V hexes it considers too far away to deviate for, for now.

Very fast armies - like the USSR tanks and APC mix - can therefore camp out a force on your baseline for a wee while, looking for nearby troops to bash, e.g. your arty park, if you left a clear path to the rear zone. Then this pack will eventually go for the objectives from that area, which can result in a "rear assault". It's happened to me with a thundering great herd of T-62 and BMP unexpectedly arriving right up my derrière ... :( And, no, I had no scouts out watching that road along the top of the map into to my rear area.:doh:

Do not expect the troops to simply make a straight line for any victory hexes laid out. In the early game, they will tend to avoid those too far away and proceed with advancing into enemy territory initially. Also, tanks may wait a turn or 2 before advancing at all, letting the light troops go first (light tanks, mech inf, recce).

Our AI does not do the "tin lemming charge" act of the original SSI code :).

Cheers
Andy

Re: Computer player - attacks/counterattacks. How it works ?
 

Here this scenario.

It is very interesting question - AI and its tactics.)
Now I strongly busy, but I will return to tests and to discussion.

Re: Computer player - attacks/counterattacks. How it works ?
 

Let me know if I understand these details correctly then we'll go from there........


You built a scenario with the Human player as the South Africans attacking vs the AI defending with the Angolans

Yes ?

To test it you set the South African side to computer control to see what would happen so BOTH sides were being played by the AI

Yes ? No ?

If no ......did you set the South Africans to Computer control and play the Angolan side as the human player ??


You wrote

The original set up is Angolans defending under computer control so unless the V-hexes were taken by the South Africans there would be no reason for the Angolans to take the V-hexes so before we go any further I need those first questions answered.

I can tell you when I set it up as AI vs AI the South African side did attack and try to take the V hexes and I saw no attempt to make an end run. so "Computer player doesn't want to take VH." doesn't make any sense at all under the circumstances.



Don

Re: Computer player - attacks/counterattacks. How it works ?
 

I played for South Africa, the computer for Angola.
I grasped VH, but the computer didn't counterattack.

It would be more interesting, if the Angola armies counterattacked, but they sit in trench, were passive.

Re: Computer player - attacks/counterattacks. How it works ?
 

Well then - what reaction turn had you set for the defending AI then?. If you want an early counter attack then you had best set that to a low number, at least for some platoons you want to step off early. I forget the "magic number" for hold in place forever - 99 or 98? - it is in the GG somewhere in the section on reaction turns. You likely do not want that, except for e.g. ammo trucks parked by some AI arty.

Otherwise they will wait till the default, and so not start counter attacks till the last half of the game (Random test each turn for go/no go if a hex is held by the other side). Did you wait till half way through the game or later, or were you expecting an immediate counter attack on say turn 6? - if you want that, then set the reaction turn to a very small number as mentioned above. Simples.

A reaction turn of 0 can have them attacking even before you take a hex, if they see something that they decide is a target.

Andy

If you had included those first two sentences in your initial report and the scenario instead of speculation on the "foolishness" of the AI we would have been able provide the answer right away and you wouldn't have looked foolish yourself for blaming the AI when it's ONLY DOING WHAT YOU TOLD IT TO DO !

EVERY formation on the Angolan side is set to reaction 99.....see Andy's answer in Post #13. YOU have told those troops to hold their positions and NOT to counter-attack right away and that is what the AI has done with them.

However none of that explains what else you wrote.....

Given the way that scenario is set up none of that makes any sense at all.

Explain please.



Don

Re: Computer player - attacks/counterattacks. How it works ?
 

Tuning reaction units - it for me new knowledge.
Thanks, Mobhack !

Re: Computer player - attacks/counterattacks. How it works ?
 

The game advises you dont do this but it seems to work fine though it requires a bit of forward planning.
In a defend scenerio set it up as a meeting to start with & deploy the force you want to react early or set them as reinforcements then switch scenerio type to defend.
This stops those units being dug in & leaving fortifications, the other option is to deploy them so their now empty fortifications form a 2nd line of defence that the defenders could use. However remember these fortifications will become visible to the attacker once he sees the owning unit.
If you set up a counter attack it is also worth putting some arty as reinforcements.setting them so arrive in time to support the attack.

Re: Computer player - attacks/counterattacks. How it works ?
 

Thanks,Imp , I and made.
The Angola units long wait, that at the end of scenario to counterattack.
Also different unit (rifle section; Recoiless, Armor vechicle and etc.) have the "reaction turn".