Reasons why the computer will not cast the spells you script

[tinkthank]

I have often noticed that some of my favorite scripts (power of the spheres, phoenix power, flame arrows, wind guide) do not get cast but rather astral shield followed by something I dont want DESPITE the fact that the commander definately has enough gems on him. So what reasons could there be in those cases?

Since my searches on this topic turned up either inconsistancies, I thought I would start a thread here and hope people would add.

To my knowledge, the tactical AI spellcasting will not cast your scripted spells if they are
- impossible to cast (e.g. underwated/land conflict)
- you dont have enough gems
- if you scripted Quickness, your following spells might get replaced by some random spell you get from extra "quickness" spell (I think??)
- there is no appropriate target (in range)?? (is this right)?
- when else?

[Taqwus]

It may also ignore your gem-burning spells if it believes that the opposition doesn't merit it. It's unlikely to cast Master Enslave on a single Call of the Winds strike, say.

[Sand]

Hmph. I'd prefer a "I Mean It!" option or something that casts the spells regardless of opposition. I'd rather burn a few gems than lose a spellcaster because he thought the opposition was weak.

[Demosthenes]

The AI doesn't seem to want to cast redundant spells in SOME cases. I can't get it to cast Aim after Wind Guide is active. But that doesn't seem to apply to the whole casting *foo* resistance even though the target already has greater *foo* resistance than the spell can provide.

<edited for clarity>

[ March 05, 2004, 18:15: Message edited by: Demosthenes ]

[PvK]

No target in range is definite a reason. Another seems to be "Hey look, bloodslaves! Fun!". http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

PvK

[PvK]

Oh, another is - "I used the gems that spell needs, to save myself fatigue when casting an earlier spell."

PvK

[tinkthank]

Yes.

I wonder how the "doesnt merit it" is calculated. In the example in my original strat, I was storming a castle in which the enemy's pretender was sitting, a Titan surrounded by a few ( but only a few) beefy units. It seems the computer calculates numbers, not power. I had tons of gems, I really wanted to make sure nothing got screwed up -- and I *think* that because flaming arrow, antimagic, wind guide, arrow fend (I think it was a hill fortress and there wwere tons of javs coming at me) were not cast as I had scripted I got hurt badly (many troops but also prophet and 1 other nice general died) when I should have taken only minimal cannon fodder losses. Kind of dissapointed in that, it really makes me think: ah, great planning here by me muhahah -- argh but what for!?

[Argitoth]

untits with quickness just go through thier script twice as fast, they don't randomly pick a spell for the extra action.

[Arryn]

Originally posted by Argitoth:
untits with quickness just go through thier script twice as fast, they don't randomly pick a spell for the extra action. <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Actually, they sometimes do. I have seen a mage do: Pick 1, Random, Pick 2, Pick 3, Pick 4, Random, Pick 5. I've also seen other combos.

[mivayan]

Maybe the gem-saving ai should be disabled when storming a castle, since castles are sometimes defended by a small number of very strong mages and your huge army cant get at them because of the walls. The gem-saving ai is great to avoid wasting gems on small battles, but the storming of a castle is often carefully planned.

Any bad things about the idea?

[SurvivalistMerc]

Good idea, miviyan, regarding storming castles.

I can also tell you...get a group of R'lyeh starspawns and script them with quickness, stellar cascades x 4. They don't follow orders. Not even when you increase their astral power to 5 or 6 each with starshine skullcap and another commander using banner of the north star. This makes stellar cascades rather cheap. And it's precision 100.

[SurvivalistMerc]

I meant range 100. Because "out of range" is a very good, valid reason for the computer to refuse to do what you tell it to do.

[mivayan]

Stellar cascades is range 30, precision 100. So range could be the reason.

[Norfleet]

Originally posted by Arryn:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Originally posted by Argitoth:
untits with quickness just go through thier script twice as fast, they don't randomly pick a spell for the extra action. <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Actually, they sometimes do. I have seen a mage do: Pick 1, Random, Pick 2, Pick 3, Pick 4, Random, Pick 5. I've also seen other combos. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">A unit with a NORMAL level of quickness, that enables it to take only two actions per round, will follow its script, and burn through it 2x faster.

A unit with quickness that allows it to take *3* or more actions per round will take two actions out of its script, then perform the rest of the actions of the round according to the "final" command like Attack, Spells, Stay Behind, etc.

So if a unit with 3 actions/round is scripted to do (Mirror)(Personal Luck)(Mistform)Attack, it will cast Mirror Image, then Personal Luck, then Attack, then next round it will cast Mistform, and continue Attacking.

[SurvivalistMerc]

mivayan,

You're right. I read precision 100 and didn't notice the shorter ranger. Now it all makes sense. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[tinkthank]

OK. Well it would be nice to know what anyone "at the top" thinks about this. Could this be changed? I think it would be really worth it.

[Goad]

I found out the hard way not to bother with wind guide when my Sidhe Lord, 9 Daoine Sidhe bodyguards, 4 knights and 60 longbowmen were routed by about a dozen hobugs & a mage casting mind burn. Thank you AI. I lost 30 archers, all 4 knights, and 3 Daoine Sidhe while my Daoine Lord amused itself casting protection and sermon of courage.

It's just as effective, much more reliable, and quite a lot cheaper just to have a couple air 1 mages cast aim-aim-aim-aim-aim. Just keep your archers off to themselves or the stupid mages will cast aim on militia instead of the longbowmen.

[Tuna-Fish]

Originally posted by Norfleet:
A unit with a NORMAL level of quickness, that enables it to take only two actions per round, will follow its script, and burn through it 2x faster.

A unit with quickness that allows it to take *3* or more actions per round will take two actions out of its script, then perform the rest of the actions of the round according to the "final" command like Attack, Spells, Stay Behind, etc.<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">How exactly can you get over 2 actions/turn?
iirc, there are 5 ways to increase amount of actions:
1. Spell quickness (+1 action)
2. Boots of quickness (+1)
3. W9 blessing (+½)
4. Spell quickening (+1)
5. Champion trident (+1)
What all of them stack?
W9 blessing and the Trident stacking with quickness would make sense, but do boots of quickness and the spell stack? What about quickening? Do they ALL stack?
And when they stack, is it just adding or multiplying? (ie boots & spell = 3 actions or 4?)

[Graeme Dice]

Originally posted by Tuna-Fish:
[QB]How exactly can you get over 2 actions/turn?
iirc, there are 5 ways to increase amount of actions:<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">All magical quickness effects, such as that from the boots of quickness, the jade armor, the quickness spell, and the champion's trident give you an extra action per round, but do not stack with each other. Heroic quickness does stack with these items, as I have a 125% heroic quickness unit with a jade armor that gets 5 attacks the first round, and 4 attacks the second round.

[Norfleet]

Originally posted by mivayan:
Maybe the gem-saving ai should be disabled when storming a castle, since castles are sometimes defended by a small number of very strong mages and your huge army cant get at them because of the walls. The gem-saving ai is great to avoid wasting gems on small battles, but the storming of a castle is often carefully planned.<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Yeah, don't think it's possible to wind up ACCIDENTALLY storming a castle, unlike, say, winding up in a fight with a scouting force instead of the main army you were expecting.