AI: Rough Terrain Immobilization

[RERomine]

Do AI units face the same risk of immobilization in rough terrain and soft sand as the player does?

[narwan]

Yes, but the AI will tend to avoid getting units stuck in such terrain (by moving slowly or avoiding the hex altogether).

Narwan

[RERomine]

Getting immobilized or slowing down both work for me. The AI has to cross a large wadi to get to me and it's pretty rough. Lots of Matilda II tanks (50+) and I was hoping to get time to work on them at a distance or even better, have some get stuck to narrow the odds some.

[DRG]

They will unless you have "Breakdown" set to OFF in preferences.

Don

[RERomine]

Originally Posted by DRG

They will unless you have "Breakdown" set to OFF in preferences.

Don

I figure it's ON because I have an ammo truck stuck in soft sand.

[PanzerBob]

Soft sand has got to be the bain of desert warfare, I've had more vehicles stuck in the stuff tahn I care to remember!

Bob out

[RERomine]

The AI must have been real careful because I didn't see any stuck in the post game review.

[iCaMpWiThAWP]

Originally Posted by RERomine

The AI must have been real careful because I didn't see any stuck in the post game review.

They avoid these hexes, or move slow on them, also, to cross Rough and sand is like to gamble, you can win...or lose...

[RERomine]

Originally Posted by iCaMpWiThAWP

They avoid these hexes, or move slow on them, also, to cross Rough and sand is like to gamble, you can win...or lose...

In this case, there didn't appear to be a risk free way around them. It looked like a dry river bed in the desert, for lack of something else to call it. Basically, it was three hexes wide with rough on the sides and a rough slope in the middle. It twisted from the top of the map South two thirds of the way down and then angled back to the Southeast. It didn't quite come all the way to the bottom of the map.

That said, I didn't check it for safe crossing points because I didn't need to cross it. It wouldn't have altered my deployment for the delay. People might evaluate avenues of approach, but I think the AI deploys first and then takes the fastest and most direct route to the objectives. There is no basic forethought apparent in deployment with respect to the avenues of approach by the AI.

Before I have developers coming after me with tar and feathers, I should add that I wouldn't expect the AI to worry about avenues of approach during deployment. While it might be possible to create a program that employs planning and tactics like Rommel or Patton, it would probably have to run on a mainframe system because of all the horse power it would need. It's not practical to program for everything, since it's a game. I'm just pleased to seem improvements over this version compared to other and earlier versions available.

[Mobhack]

Originally Posted by RERomine

In this case, there didn't appear to be a risk free way around them. It looked like a dry river bed in the desert, for lack of something else to call it. Basically, it was three hexes wide with rough on the sides and a rough slope in the middle. It twisted from the top of the map South two thirds of the way down and then angled back to the Southeast. It didn't quite come all the way to the bottom of the map.

That dried up rough river bed terrain feature is called a "Wadi", and was one of our earlier landscape creations.

That said, I didn't check it for safe crossing points because I didn't need to cross it. It wouldn't have altered my deployment for the delay. People might evaluate avenues of approach, but I think the AI deploys first and then takes the fastest and most direct route to the objectives. There is no basic forethought apparent in deployment with respect to the avenues of approach by the AI.

Before I have developers coming after me with tar and feathers, I should add that I wouldn't expect the AI to worry about avenues of approach during deployment. While it might be possible to create a program that employs planning and tactics like Rommel or Patton, it would probably have to run on a mainframe system because of all the horse power it would need. It's not practical to program for everything, since it's a game. I'm just pleased to seem improvements over this version compared to other and earlier versions available.

The Camo AI does evaluate the line of approach a little. It will try to utilise paths that avoid bad going. It will also try not to run full-tilt into sticking terrain should it need to go across it but to try to only move a hex or so into same at its move start for reduced sticking chance.

It will also try to go deep and come in from behind your flank, sometimes. I have had panzer 3s and T34 do that, usually on thick woods maps. But more noticeable in MBT where the AI has access to e.g. BMP and T64, I have had it roll up the artillery park in my rear zone when a flank was left unguarded.

The original SSI code was however a simple case of a horde of "tin lemmings" charging down the objectives as fast as possible, and the deployment for the attack was a predictable "Greek Phalanx" lined up in the middle 2/3 of the map just a couple of hexes behind the AI deployment line, for the most part.

Cheers
Andy