AI deployment in generated battles

[AB]

DRG said:
That will no longer be the case once the WinSPWW2v2 patch is released. The code has been changed so those three V hexes do not get "Special Attention". The code will treat all V hexes the same when it comes to deploying a defense.

Don

So AI will deploy around each and every VH? That will be a nice step foward, along with the ability to position VH is obviously defensive terrain.

Any way to code the AI so that it preferes to place units in more defensable terrain, such as buildings, woods, etc., or with decent fire lanes? ie; no heavy AT guns or missles in the middle of the forest.

[DRG]

No not every V hex but then, that depends entirely on how many troops it has to defend things. One of the quotes that pops up at the end of the game says ( to paraphrase ) " he who defends everything defends nothing" The AI "thinks" like that. There are randoms built into the game that change with every set up but it will now pay more attention to more of the 21 V hexes now than it did in the past when it tended to favoured those three "key" hexes when the shotgun pattern is chosen

If we made things 100% predictable everyone would figure the game out in a week and that would be the end of it so when you fight you way through a forest and find a bunker and a AT gun that you think shouldn't be there that's keeps you on your toes.

Don

[Mobhack]

If we made things 100% predictable everyone would figure the game out in a week and that would be the end of it so when you fight you way through a forest and find a bunker and a AT gun that you think shouldn't be there that's keeps you on your toes.

Yes, one of the things I did first was to fix the original SPII deployment for an advance or attack, which was successive straight rows by platoon in the centre of the map, then a line of the same 2-3 hexes back, and repeat till out of troops. A bit like a Napoleonic battle really. (Don found some nice variant code the game already used for some reinforcement/flankers and we massaged that as well).

In SP3, it was even simpler - whatever the "wavy" deployment line was, just go back one hex and the AI troops were all in a bunched line there conforming to the front line, maybe 2 hexes deep like a greek phalanx. So simply pound 1 hex back from the front deployment zone on turn 0 and you were guaranteed to damage the AI - and as SP3 considered a track hit a "kill", it was the best way to deal with uber-tanks (an 81mm barrage killed King Tigers or M1A2 equally fine in SP3 )

Cheers
Andy

[Marek_Tucan]

Heh, 81mm barrage? 60mm was enough for me, thanks
Also, apart from the deployment glitch, there were mines/dragon teeth available even on meetings or delays so a gamey tactic was to buy DT's enough to cover the entire frontline except one gap, through which then AI vehicles were to come and were to be plastered by all arty.

[DRG]

AB said: That will be a nice step foward, along with the ability to position VH is obviously defensive terrain.

I'm curious what you mean by this. The game already allows you to reposition the V hexes before a game and has for quite some time.

Don

[AB]

DRG said:
I'm curious what you mean by this. The game already allows you to reposition the V hexes before a game and has for quite some time.

Yes, i know. I meant that the AI keying off more than three VH combined with the EXISTING ability to manually position VH's.

I find that repositioning VH's works quite well when defending/delaying/meeting;ie, the AI is moving. It hasn't worked well for me when the AI is static, as the AI just clumps around the 0,7 & 14 hexes. I tend to like larger battles, so it will be helpful to have the AI defend more than just the three VH's.

I usually work around this by having a human deploy the AI for me.

AB