BA Skirmish mode with unit production (Beta updated v2)

[rf900]

Beta playable version available. Download: Base Skirmish Beta

MP conversion (Done )

LST file link for iPad and ingame download: http://anyone.hol.es/Files/BaseSki.LST

One more twist on the gameplay, this time for the skirmish mode, player and AI will have bases and can "buy" troops during the mission. Similar to RTS games like CoH, just kept it simple, no base building, resources increase per turn and units purchased appear immediately near base. Also lots of bonus available to the player, but their use costs resource points.
You will win by capturing points for more time than the enemy or capturing the opponents base.

Instructions for modders
------------
I tried to keep the logic as independent as possible on the map, so it is possible to apply it to any map with few modifications: Use AI points 1 to 5 for the ones to capture, 6 for player base and 7 for enemy base

Credits: Merr for paradrop code and other skirmish custom code.


Changes:
------------
I have given some advantages to AI so it is more of a challenge. It also has some custom AI behavior that should play to win by capturing objectives or base if needed.

AI:
Starts with more units
Starts playing first
Has some options to give advantages (customizable)
Can know the number of units you have in a certain area
Can buy more than 9 units per turn (if has enough resources)

Player:
Has more bonus to choose from
Can merge infantry units
Can only buy 9 units per turn max
Cannot buy airborne only drop them, Ranger cost increased to 60


Bugs:
------------
AI units not fully acting like they are supposed to.
Paradrop animation sequence unfinished.


ToDo:
------------
improve ai
improve options panel
improve ai bonus use (medic, rally, resupply)
MP conversion (Done )


Skirmish options:
------------
AI Bonus Level: 0: no bonus, 1: bonus use resource points with normal cost, 2: bonus use resource points at discount, 3: free low bonus use, 4: free med bonus use, 5: free high bonus use
AI Types: 0-random, 1-intelligent (recommended), 2-all for themselves, 3-balanced groups, 4-none, 5-none

[GottaLove88s]

Saludos Carlos! Hey, your Skirmish Mode looks really intriguing.
Will your engine work for MP? Do you need any extra play testers?



PS. Have PM'ed you on your Grand Campaign for SP. Great idea!!

[rf900]

I really should be doing this for MP, most of the work is on the AI trying to act smart. Still not sure if the buy panel actions can be translated to multiplayer, I think I read in another post they wanted to allow that actions in UI panels could be replicated/know in MP replay. Will investigate further...

All of this came just because I was playing CoH and looking desperately for a pause button

[pipfromslitherine]

The ability to use UI to insert orders into the MP replay (so everything works as it should) will be live in Rommel. I need to add details to the wiki. Looks very cool - we very nearly looked at attempting something like this for some Rommel MP maps, but decided against it for time reasons in the end.

Cheers

Pip

[rf900]

Thanks Pip, I already have used the new callback force points change that was recently included and works perfectly, waiting for the release to include it in the Desert campaign carryover transformation. Will look into applying this skirmish mode to multiplayer, having a bit of a fight with the UI panel, any quick answer on as to why the dds images do not appear correctly in the panel, do they have to be tga or other format?

[pipfromslitherine]

I'd suggest starting another thread in the modding forum and we can probably work out the issue in no time - lets you keep this thread for announces on the mod itself, rather than filling it with technical jargon

Cheers

Pip

[Amaris]

I started working on a project to purchase units in game with a HQ unit:













But I do not think I have time to finish this project one day.

[GottaLove88s]

Looks promising, Carlos!

Because the UI 'purchase window' is quite large, could you list all of the options available? (might need to limit buy options tho)
Are re-inforcements differentially priced?

So a UI 'purchase window' might look like...

ORDER REINFORCEMENT

Firefly (cost 15)
Sherman (cost 10)
Bren Carrier (cost 5)
Vickers MG (cost 3)
Scout (cost 3)
Infantry (cost 2)

CONFIRM?

[rf900]

That was my first idea Amaris, now I wanted to tie the buy panel to a bonus button so you don't have to move the map to your base to buy units, also want to include an icon of the unit but maybe I will put just the name and cost.

The cost will be the same one used in the force purchase pool, also bonuses will have a cost instead of a cooltime.

The worst thing right now is that I have to write the units in the script, so it is a typical US vs German, to do other sides it needs to be rewritten similar to Mers random skirmishes. Also I the AI logic is quite generic so it is not purchasing non mobile units like mortars or big guns.

[GottaLove88s]

Also I the AI logic is quite generic so it is not purchasing non mobile units like mortars or big guns.

Carlos, can you instruct the AI to buy units based on the SP player's unit composition... ?

For example...

Create a new variable called 'forcevalue' (add up the current value of the SP player's side, using Slith's normal costs, at the start of each turn)
If 'forcevalue' < a large number, assume that the player mostly has infantry -> AI randomly buys infantry, scouts or mortars
If 'forcevalue' > a large number, assume the player has plenty of armour -> AI randomly buys armour, ATGs or bazookas

It won't be perfect, but it should match a little closer... You could weight the randomised choices, so there's a 50% chance of infantry, 25% chance of scout, 25% chance of mortar, etc.

[rf900]

Yes, but I want to limit how much the AI can "cheat". I am already counting the number of player units in certain areas even if they are not visible by the AI. Still once we playtesting it will probably be needed to add aid to the AI, the easiest way it would be to give it more resources, but I want to look at other possibilities as the one you describe.

Again I want it to be map independent avoiding to give specific instructions like place antitank weapon in a particular tile. Hope to have a playable version soon so it can be tested.

On another subject, I put up some costs for bonuses compared to unit costs (infantry is around 45, sherman is around 105), let me know if you think they are balanced:

SetUniversalVar("boncost_BombingB17", 90) ;
SetUniversalVar("boncost_USBattery", 60) ;
SetUniversalVar("boncost_BombingB26", 70) ;
SetUniversalVar("boncost_DrillSgt", 30) ;
SetUniversalVar("boncost_Hurricane", 25) ;
SetUniversalVar("boncost_P47", 35) ;
SetUniversalVar("boncost_Rally", 15) ;
SetUniversalVar("boncost_Resupply", 15) ;
SetUniversalVar("boncost_Revive", 15) ;
SetUniversalVar("boncost_Typhoon", 50) ;
SetUniversalVar("boncost_airborne", 80) ;

[LandMarine47]

A very cool project! I personally LOVE the Company of Heros games (have you tried the 2nd? Really good to bad they skipped Kursk.) perhaps with further scripting you can turn a Building/VP into a "Store" where you can buy units.

[rf900]

I love to come back from time to time to CoH, but can only play small maps and even those get me crazy sometimes. Wished there was some kind of turnbased mode, or high strategic mode in which you only produce units and move them around but they will act on their own with a similar AI the opponent uses.

Until I can make this for multiplayer I will try to keep it simple, want to find out if the AI will play good enough. Just managed to put some code so that it is able to move artillery pieces to defend captured points. Wished I could make it understand better how to defend a point, where are the chokepoints in the map, where the player may come from, flank the player ...

[leci]

Please let me know when this is playable.

Thanks. Gilles

[rf900]

Put some new screenshots on first post. Looking good, doing some final checks to release an early playable version with poor AI

[rf900]

I have put a download link in the first post to a playable version, the AI has some bugs in it, but if you give it more resources it can provide a good challenge.

Don't abuse the paradrop bonus as it probably needs to be limited. Would appreciate any feedback, also if you want to use it in other maps it is very easy to apply it, put some instructions in the first post, but let me know if you need help.

[LandMarine47]

WOW! This looks awesome! Too bad I can't play with it since I'm on iOS. Hope you port somehow (I bet merrs codes aren't easy to convert from PC to Apple devices)

[rf900]

Will put a link to iOS soon, I want to test it a bit more in PC till is polished. I only use Merrs code for the paradrop, if it gives too many problems I will remove it.

[rf900]

Added LST file link for iOS. Tested in vanilla and it works fine.

The AI has grown too complex, so instead of continuing with a single complex one I am going to offer the player to choose between different AI play styles to see which one fits better.

[LandMarine47]

I got this upon completion