Strategic bombing IA

[LNDavoust]

I'm trying to do something different for a strategic bombing scenario (just air scen), and (not) surprisingly I'm having designing problems. I still haven't figured out how (if possible) to direct the enemy strategic bombers against cities, or in general attack supply in hexes without units on it. Am I missing something regarding the IA of air units? Any ideas?

For the moment I have bypassed the problem using the Population Center unit from the Battle of Britain Mod, but the solution is not aesthetically satisfying, i think.

I thought that maybe a unit without an associated 3d-model (therefore invisible) could work, but for the moment the editor refuses to play or save the scene if i put it in the map, so.... Have any of you be able, in any of your many designing adventures, to load a unit without a 3d-model in a scen?

Thanks guys

[LNDavoust]

So, this would be the target city, with the hexes that should be attacked by the strategic bombers...

... which is pretty enough, but this state the bombers just attack the hexes with units.

Alternatively...

with this version of the city, the bombers act as they should, but the city looks much worse (IMHO).

[GabeKnight]

Have any of you be able, in any of your many designing adventures, to load a unit without a 3d-model in a scen?

Kind of. My early tests with modding and modelling produced such "invisible" units due to completely wrong scaling. The units were waaaay too small-sized and practically invisible inside the game (but you could still move/interact with them... ).

No problem producing those, if you'll need them - although I hope you'll find another solution.
[Some "experimental" units (the "Sturer Emil" model probably) may even still be downloadable somewhere in my mod-thread.]

[w/ Population Center] this version of the city, the bombers act as they should, but the city looks much worse (IMHO).

Agree. But wasn't there a possibility to set a scaling factor to individual or classes of units? Smaller buildings (50%) could work nicely.

[Horst]

I once implemented such bombing runs too in an original campaign mission. Without structures and other units, there seems to be no way to initiate strategic bombing. Generally, I'd reduce supply points only to few hexes/targets like defensive structures serving as HQ, but placing a train as kind of train station improvisation should work too. Most importantly, all these units may not be able to hide in terrain for AI-SBs to detect. Also set the AI aggression to 100 that the AI-SBs tend to ignore enemy AA.

[LNDavoust]

Have any of you be able, in any of your many designing adventures, to load a unit without a 3d-model in a scen?

Kind of. My early tests with modding and modelling produced such "invisible" units due to completely wrong scaling. The units were waaaay too small-sized and practically invisible inside the game (but you could still move/interact with them... ).

No problem producing those, if you'll need them - although I hope you'll find another solution.
[Some "experimental" units (the "Sturer Emil" model probably) may even still be downloadable somewhere in my mod-thread.]

I mean, it wouldn't be an ideal solution, but it should work. The "invisible units" wouldn't be controlled by the player, they would just be there as baits for the strategic bombers. The scen is just for air units, so no problem with land attack/defense, or with interacting with other units or whatever.

I must confess i have looked for the Emil in the current version of you mod or in the thread, Gabe, but without luck If i cannot find a better/smarter solution, maybe I will ask you for help. Speaking of that...

[w/ Population Center] this version of the city, the bombers act as they should, but the city looks much worse (IMHO).

Agree. But wasn't there a possibility to set a scaling factor to individual or classes of units? Smaller buildings (50%) could work nicely.

That sounds like a better solution. Unfortunately I have never been able to tweak even the simplest 3d detail (i tried... i really tried). If there is a way to edit the scale of the units without touching the 3d model, i don't know how to do it. I have not found anything in the forum, although there is a file in the data folder (variables.txt) which seems to me it could be related whit this, although again i don't know if it could affect to something specific like a single units, (it seems it controls the general size of units by category (air, land and sea). I have been playing with it today without success.

What I will try to do it's to edit the skin from the City Centre to obtain something similar to a factory. I have found this one in a an old thread which i like a lot (unfortunately without a 3d model )

viewtopic.php?f=374&t=70070&start=20

[LNDavoust]

I once implemented such bombing runs too in an original campaign mission. Without structures and other units, there seems to be no way to initiate strategic bombing. Generally, I'd reduce supply points only to few hexes/targets like defensive structures serving as HQ, but placing a train as kind of train station improvisation should work too. Most importantly, all these units may not be able to hide in terrain for AI-SBs to detect. Also set the AI aggression to 100 that the AI-SBs tend to ignore enemy AA.

Yep, good points. Until now I've been using bunkers, fuel deposits and trains as targets. The AI bombers seems to do a good job except with the AA, i will try raising the aggresion.

By the way, Horst, I realized today that you included in your mod the Fiat Ansaldo CV35 with flamethrower, which is gonna be extremely useful for my Guadalajara scen. Thanks a lot!

[LNDavoust]

What I could do editing the skin. A factory? Perhaps with a big chimney could seems one... Even the bricks are too dark. Maybe there is still space for improvement...

Meh, not partculary happy this time. Well, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose *shrug*