Unresponsive AI

[thamesdown]

Hello, my first post,

I have checked the forums, Slitherine, Matrix and Steam, read the online Editor manual and downloaded some online scenarios but I am still getting stuck with Scenario design at a very very basic level. I have no screenshots to show so I will describe my problem as well as I can.

I have 1 Human British unit on a Primary VP with a British flag. I have 1 AI Japanese unit in its own zone 7 hexes away that I want to attack the single VP. It is Team 1. It does not move on test. Whether I tell it to Move to the VP Hex or Attack in general, it does neither. It is in supply and has Command points etc. Strangely, if ordered to move to a Hex that is not a VP or is unoccupied it DOES move.

One problem at a time. I've given up trying to get the AI to deploy Reserve units at the Scenario's start despite associating the relevant hex with 0-1.The list goes on...

I'm guessing it's all in the triggers but I'm missing something (probably howlingly simple). I've bought all the dlc's bar 2 and really want to get on with using this great software.

Thanks.

[bru888]

Welcome, td. If you are willing to zip up your scenario folder and attach it to your next message here, I will take a look at it and advise you if I can (emphasis on second "if" ) . Remember, it must be in a file with an extension of .zip to be attached to your post and you must include the entire scenario folder in it.

[thamesdown]

Thank you bru88,

I have read many of your posts. If I had but a drop of your expertise, I wouldn't be writing this.

I will work a little on my test scenario and add a couple more elements that I am struggling with before I send you the file.

Regards.

[thamesdown]

Thank you bru888,

I have read many of your posts. If I had but a drop of your expertise, I wouldn't be writing this.

I will work a little on my test scenario and add a couple more elements that I am struggling with before I send you the file.

Regards.

[thamesdown]

Hello bru888,

I've attached the scenario file (I think).

After my initial post, I spent a good few hours trying to unravel the mysteries of the triggers - after all, the many successful Scenario designers in the various forums all advise the same thing, try, try and try again.

I just cannot make the Japanese unit do anything. It just sits there entrenching...I want it to attack the British unit sitting on the Flag.

The scenario is hopelessly basic - I have not even placed any terrain. I'm hoping you will look at the file, have a good laugh and then be able to point me in the right direction.

One success though - I was able to use the Reveal hex function so I could see what the Cavalry were doing during all this experimentation!

Regards.

[gunnyjs]

Ok this is what has worked for me in order to get the AI to attack. Ok so I do a Trigger and make it a "Turn Start" trigger meaning where it reads Trigger event I click on the arrows so it shows "Turn Start" ok so this means this trigger is going to occur at the start of a turn. Ok Great, then I tell it what turn to start this trigger so under Conditions I choose "Check Turn" [hang in there with this cause it actually works] Ok so then I choose say turn 15 and click on the correct alliance if it is an polish unit I want to attack I choose the polish alliance. Ok great almost done then for Effects I choose SetUpAITEAM The GREAT THING about Set up AI Team is that you can then by clicking on the arrows have the AI TEAM go into a LOCAL DEFENSE at 6 hexes away [you specify the number of hexes]

So what happens is this unit that is on AI TEAM 1 is going to on or after turn 15 go into a Local Defense posture when ANY enemy unit gets withing 6 hexes of it.

So you would put this unit 5 or 6 hexes away from this unit that you want it to attack but it is going to attack any unity that comes near it after turn 15 in this example.

This may or may not work for you as it is tied into a turn number. But if this does work for you then read on cause there is a little more to it. YOU MUST assign the unit or units you want to attack an move after turn 15 in this example to an AI team - you do this FIRST by clicking on a UNIT THAT IS ON THE MAP and then click on the hard to see little AI team thing it is near the BIG WHITE HELMET where it reads rename unit. Make sure you first select the nation then click on the unit on the map the unit will show a - where it reads AI TEAM unless you have assigned it previously to a team. Ok so when you click on the unit then on the little AI TEAM thing you then click on an AI Team to put this unit into [you can put many units in one ai team] so lets say you put it in ai team 1

Ok great now go to the AI SETUP TAB that you will see when you click on the Scenario Settings button. Now it will show 1 - AI TEAM 1 - idle - a green helmet [if the unit you chose was a land unit] and then the number 1 if you only put one unit into this AI Team

This page helps you keep track of your AI Teams - AI Teams allow you to attack and do stuff they are essential. Ok great the way you keep up with AI Team 1 that you make is to click where it reads AI TEAM 1 at the AI SETUP TAB and then type in there whatever you want such as 1st attacker

Ok so what happens is this unit you want to do something is on AI TEAM 1 and you told it to go into a LOCAL DEFENSE Posture when any enemy unit gets near it after turn 15. When you piddle with Setup AI TEAM under EFFECTS you specify which AI TEAM you want to do something with which means you click through the arrows until it reads 1st Attacker because this is what you named it. then for this AI Team which is AI team 1 because you put this unit in ai team 1 this unit will then do a local defense because you choose local defense as you cycled around the arrows.

Local Defense is nice because they may move or may not move or may move later according to how much enemy is near them but they will attack.

NOW, if you want a unit to definitely attack then do all the same things except choose "SEEK AND DESTROY" AND, AND, put the Aggression level on 100 this can cause a unit to be activated after a specified turn to charge an any unit that comes withing 20 hexes of it. YOU specify the distance I made an ai team do it at 20 hexes you can make it 6 - they charge in like kamikazi

There are also other choices which I have not tested. The move to hex for me does not work the units simply move there at the very start of the scenario even if I associate it with a turn thing.

[bru888]

You may have discovered a bug, td. I'm working on a case to post in Tech Support. I will link this thread to it.

EDIT: Done. http://www.slitherine.com/forum/viewtop ... 90#p706190
Thanks. You may have done a service here.

[thamesdown]

Hello bru888,

Thank you for the time taken looking at my file. Reading subsequent posts, I placed a single Japanese infantry unit next to the Cavalry one, tagged it as AI no2 and gave it the Seek & Destroy order with radius 7 & Aggression 100. It worked! Is that why the original Cavalry unit would not respond - because it would not abandon its own valuable position (Supply point)?

The scenario still ended as a Draw how-ever, even though 1 Japanese unit was lost in action and the British retained the Primary VP - those triggers again. And the AI Japanese still did not deploy its 1 Reserve in the 0-1 designated Deployment hex at the start of the scenario. I know you're very busy, bru888, but is there any chance you could use my file to put me straight on those last 2 issues? Please.

Regards.

[GabeKnight]

AFAIK the AI does NOT deploy units on its own. You'll have to script the "spawn" event.

[bru888]

Hello bru888,

Thank you for the time taken looking at my file. Reading subsequent posts, I placed a single Japanese infantry unit next to the Cavalry one, tagged it as AI no2 and gave it the Seek & Destroy order with radius 7 & Aggression 100. It worked! Is that why the original Cavalry unit would not respond - because it would not abandon its own valuable position (Supply point)?

The scenario still ended as a Draw how-ever, even though 1 Japanese unit was lost in action and the British retained the Primary VP - those triggers again. And the AI Japanese still did not deploy its 1 Reserve in the 0-1 designated Deployment hex at the start of the scenario. I know you're very busy, bru888, but is there any chance you could use my file to put me straight on those last 2 issues? Please.

Regards.

Regardless of whether we think it might be "because it would not abandon its own valuable position (Supply point)," the fact of the matter is that the unit should obey the Move to Hex command and would not budge north, south, east, or west. For me. I have reported it as a potential bug in Tech Support, as you saw. "Potential," as in asking a question. Now let the developers do their jobs and either take a look at it, fix it, or not.

[Shards]

The AI will guard victory points along the way, and I'd say this is generally desirous behaviour to stop players easily cutting their supply.

I'd be interested in an expansion of this experiment where the capture points are moved further apart and the territory is moved up. I'd guess that there's a range where the AI feels that it's VP is safe and can therefore attack to its orders