Explanation of Suicidal Generals from CA

**Red Harvest** · 03-24-2005, 19:14

This was posted by Dutch of CA @ .com

The AI does go to quite a lot of trouble to evaluate troop strengths of groups of units against other groups - taking into effect a lot of fairly detailed things like frontage, unit disorder, relative kill rates and morale. Flanking sub-objectives and so on play a big role as well.

But there is a chunk of code of last resort, which is there so that something gets done when there are no good choices, and that generally tries to find a weak point for the strongest unit to attack. This is the code which was referred to in the comment above - what it says is a layman's simplification of a part of a system, and shouldn't be taken as gospel as to what precisely is done or not.

Hopefully that clears up any misunderstanding...

Very useful info.

He then added this in a subsequent post:

The problem is, sometimes using the general's unit as a battle-line-breaker is the right thing to do, and a very effective tactic. Especially if the army has few units and/or a lack of armoured troops. It's just that identifying those cases, and discouraging the remainder, has proven a little tricky. The AI as a whole has been one of the areas which we have been focussing on, for, um, "future products".

**Nelson** · 03-24-2005, 19:26

The AI as a whole has been one of the areas which we have been focussing on, for, um, "future products"...

This is certainly what people want, hopefully expressed in a Rome expansion.

**Dutch_guy** · 03-24-2005, 20:08

it's good that CA actually commented on this matter
also nice to know that they are trying to make a better AI in the next products

**Oaty** · 03-24-2005, 21:11

So if the generals are modded to a weaker unit, and then taking into account they have a unit of cavalry that is stronger than the general............ would I be less likely to see the general on the opening phase of combat.

Movement speeds in a way kills the A.I. even when support was alongside the cavalry it is quickly lost in the quick charge.

The other problem is I found a weak center is a killer for the A.I.

I've found it is usually best to put your worst units in the center. Well the A.I. hits your weakest units pushing them back and in no time the A.I.'s best units are surrounded on 3 sides

**Red Harvest** · 03-24-2005, 21:27

The weak center effect makes sense. I've long used the approach of keeping weaker units in the center. Great generals sometimes did this with weak or unreliable units (Hannibal for instance.) It boosts their morale because they are near the best officers, they are supported on the wings, and they can't very easily run away. No wonder the AI is always charging my center with all its captains and generals.

I'm glad to see CA's explanation, but I still can't understand why they didn't opt for pushing other strong units against the weak point, rather than the general's cav. He really should have been used primarily as a heavy reserve.

**SpencerH** · 03-24-2005, 22:32

Its not that generals shouldnt be thrown into the fray, its that timing when to use generals is tricky. Too soon and they get chopped, too late and they're ineffective. There must be some way to mimic human calculations as to when to employ them.

**screwtype** · 03-29-2005, 07:29

IMO, they should program the generals so they only join the fray either when the enemy is on the verge of routing, or when the AI's own troops are on the verge of routing. IE they should be used as an emergency reserve, to enter combat only at the critical moment.