Battle AI acting strange

**Daevyll** · 03-23-2011, 11:05

Originally Posted by Kocmoc

Well, the problem with the AI is simple.

The guys who prgramm the AI are not the best player themselves, so we cant expect, that the AI does any better than them!
I will do a quick list:

1. Open formation isnt used

I agree, havent seem the AI use it so far. Odd, since it did use it in previous TW titles. I'd expect this to be patched.

2. even with more missles than you, he is attacking with melee

I've had the AI move to standoff range and shoot when it had a clear superiority in missile troops (like 2-1 ratio).

3. terrain advances are not used

I disagree. AI definately moves to elevated positions, uses forests for cover/ambushes etcetera.

4. army mostly is bunched up, so you can hit a lot with your archer

Up to a point; they stay in formation whilst marching, but then so do I. Better to lose a few men extra to missiles (you're going to have causalties anyway) than to spread out too far and lose much more because of unsupported and cut off units (especially if enemy has cavalry).

5. frontal movement all the time

Not 100% sure what you mean, but I have seen the AI respond to me trying to get cavalry units round the back by 'detaching' one or more spear units and sending them backward to face my cavalry.

In all I think the AI is a big improvement over previous titles. Occasional glitches are there, but nothing like before.

My biggest gripe is that I still think the AI commits its generals to combat to easily; my biggest victories are won when I kill the general early, causing a huge morale hit to the enemy. I often dont use my own general in combat at all until it is time to chase down routing troops :)
Much more useful to use his abilities and morale-boost-circle-thingy.

**Kocmoc** · 03-23-2011, 11:26

Alright.

Do you got any numbers of sitting in woods and get shot by archers? Its just an example...
The AI dont place archer in woods, (not to mention the open formation or in low ranks). You lose around 50-70 less just by standing in woods.
I mean, if I program the engine and put the stats together, I expect the AI and the guys who create it, use the knowledge they created themselves.

In almost every game vs the AI, i see him placing his archer in back, mostly bunched up and than shoot, while his melee is attacking.
He dont stop shooting, even if he outnumber me in a spot with melee. He kill more of his own units than rip of my mens!

The archer units should always do a range-check around the unit they shot at. If there are more than 1 own unit around in a circle of (example) 20, than the archer dont shot into it. Since we have the circles involved in the game, it should be pretty easy to get such a check in this game. Simple range-check and done!
The friendly fire in S2 is skyhigh, i never would shoot into my own units, unless i sent cheap units vs expensive and shoot on purpose.

The movement and the attacking is also very very weird. He send single units vs certain single units. So i see some ashis trying to attack one unit of my archer, ignoring anything.

Another very important factor is the moral support from your general. I would ensure, that at least low moral units (lets bring a cap of 5 as example) dont move out of this circle. Or at least make a max out-movement, maybe 50 more, so the general can run into range once a unit start wavering.

The AI seems not to consider any moral support, imo there should be a lot more rangechecks for melee units, i wouldnt send any melee unit solo somewhere unless:

1. its pretty high moral unit, lets say 10+
2. its a cav
3. 50% of the enemy units are routing

This are just examples, we have no idea how the real stats are looking, since CA want to keep it secret.

I just can take what i see and know and assume. Some things are obvious, i dont need to know certain things, to see, that the AI fails to use terrain advances or do some silly moves.