AI "reaction" question

[Skirmisher]

Hi Everybody,
I was thinking it might be a better idea to just use reinforcements more,especially when you want something to hold for a long time.

I had some problems with the reaction button to,I had sappers set to react near end of game so they could surprize the enemy as they attempted to take the victory hexes,yet they were on the move shortly after the game started. So in that case if I had just made them reinforcements at the proper time they would have been were they were supposed to be.

[DRG]

"Reaction turn" has two uses. One you control, one you don't

In a sceanrio ,an AI formation with, for example 5 as its "reaction turn", is free to move as it sees fit when it reaches turn 5, UNLESS an objective is taken by the human player which triggers a counter-attack. That's the part you don't currently have full control over

Counter attack is based on the ratio of V-hexes NOT in the AI's hands

1] if 50% of the objectives are enemy held/neutral, there is a 5% chance EVERYONE (including react 99) units will charge

2] if between 75% and 90% of the objectives are enemy held/neutral (but not 100% ) - there is a 25% chance to counterattack with EVERYONE

3]if >=90% of the objectives are enemy held/neutral, the AI will attack with about 45-50% of the formations per turn

It's done this way TO BE unpredictable. There is no way for a player to know if tripping a V hex will set off a chain reaction and every game will be different in that regard. We have gone to GREAT lengths to ensure the game is NOT predictable. It's also why we don't like explaining these things becasue now people know the odds they are facing whereas in the past it was all a big mystery ( which was the intention....)

However, This is why you had trouble holding unit in place or predicting when it would move even though you had it set to react on "turn 99".

What we are looking at is adding a special reaction turn number that will force formations set to that number to ingore counter attack orders in scenarios.

Don

[Skirmisher]

Thanks Don,

That clears quite abit up. I understand that you want the play experience to be unpredictable,but the editing shouldnt be. Haveing the ability to absolutely hold a unit or units would be a good addition.

[DRG]

From the AI's POV it makes perfect sense to control the V hexes. That's it's "Prime directive" when the order goes out to counter attack that's what it expects it's troops to do....CA and regain the lost V hexes. The alternative is to sit there and loose the game. However, it cannot know that leaving prepared postions to retake a V hex isn't a great idea if the scenario designer has set up the game to allow certain V hexes to be taken by the human player right away and that trips rule number 1 5% of the time and the scenario designer is confused as to why his troops stay in place most of the time but sometimes go berserker.

We are looking at adding a change to the patch that will allow formation and/or units to ignore the CA order. There are a number of options we are exploring

Don

[Skirmisher]

Sounds good.

When I was playtesting the scenerio I had made where the units moved to soon I had set all the victory hexes to nuetral,in retrospect I should have made them owned by the AI. That way it would not have reacted.

[dita]

Thanks for the rpley Don.

Giving the option to the player to change the "holding" of AI units would be great. Though I do fully appreciate keeping these percentages and inner workings "under your hat"

In my scenario, it was a defence, with all the V hexes controlled by the Human, thus, I assume, the AI was reacting to item 3 in your list.

[Mobhack]

dita said:
Thanks for the rpley Don.

Giving the option to the player to change the "holding" of AI units would be great. Though I do fully appreciate keeping these percentages and inner workings "under your hat"

In my scenario, it was a defence, with all the V hexes controlled by the Human, thus, I assume, the AI was reacting to item 3 in your list.

So you did not take note of the big box in the scenario editor section of the manual with the title PLEASE NOTE then?, in particular the sentence begining "In a delay or defence scenario.."

Cheers
Andy