Macisle

Recently, in the FI forum, some of us were sharing our experience of programming the AI when designing QB maps.
This is an interesting topic that I think should be immortalised in its own thread 😛
I've put my own meagre experimentation first (because it was first in that particular thread chronologically), but @kohlenklau has observed the behaviour of the AI much more scientifically; and I know there are others on the forum (including experienced designers like @benpark) who have also carefully observed how the AI allocates AI groups to forces.
I'm much lazier, I just playtest them, and if I have fun I give it a tick (also too lazy to search the forum for previous discussions of this topic, although I know it has cropped up in various contexts over years).
I'm really interested in what some of you more analytical designers have learnt, so I can apply it to my own maps
  
 
 
 
 
 

On the far left, German screen units return to their positions to intercept the revived enemy push there. As the HMG team starts to set up, an American spotting round lands nearby. That was fast!

 
Disturbingly, US artillery also now appears to be hunting for the Germans on the northern marsh road. This could be very, very bad...

 
As if to complete the minor chord, US infantry strength grows in the push on the main road.

 
With German units in the farm area forced to hide by the Rooster Gang, German HMG units are redeployed to hopefully interdict the Americans from the flank before the hiding Germans are revealed to RG fangs. 3rd company's mortar support is also able to send in some light interdicting fire.

 
Until next time...

The Hetzer-backed group on the center marsh road continues to push out US probe remnants and advance. Point scout teams dash forward to find and flush out enemy stragglers.

 
The American HQ team attempting to ambush Germans on the parallel marsh road to the left makes a break for it.

 
Scouts give chase, but lose sight of the team. They do, however, bag a bazooka man.

 
The mouth of the marsh area is beginning to come into sight. US teams there take pot shots and try to crawl away.

 
More US infantry is spotted beyond the marsh, filtering toward the Rooster Gang's position.

 
The last Hetzer with AT capability shifts right to take up an ambush position on the Rooster Gang. It hopes to intercept the enemy tanks through the less dense part of the marsh when they get close enough.

 
Meanwhile, at the far left, luck runs out for the front line German defenders as US artillery finally finds its mark. A punishing salvo takes down a number of men across the mortar, HMG and command teams there. A German local counterattack was about to be launched right through that position, but was thankfully cancelled, due to the enemy spotting rounds.

 
Lastly, the Rooster Gang, with increasing infantry support, continues to edge down the road towards the farm occupied by the German battalion commander. The tanks are not within the Hetzer's ambush zone yet.

Until next time...

Where can one even find a 4G vagina? Asking for a friend.

He's gonna cut their c2 by intercepting their phone bill 😧

Looks like the Syrians are in big trouble when trooper Jeffrey unleashes his special 4G weapon! 😁

Link

I'll be away from the forum for the rest of the summer. Here's one last pic for the road:
Some of the new WIP textures on map, with a shot of the same view from the real world.


Have a good summer, everybody! 🙂
 

I'll be away from the forum for the rest of the summer. Here's one last pic for the road:
Some of the new WIP textures on map, with a shot of the same view from the real world.


Have a good summer, everybody! 🙂
 

I'll be away from the forum for the rest of the summer. Here's one last pic for the road:
Some of the new WIP textures on map, with a shot of the same view from the real world.


Have a good summer, everybody! 🙂
 

I'll be away from the forum for the rest of the summer. Here's one last pic for the road:
Some of the new WIP textures on map, with a shot of the same view from the real world.


Have a good summer, everybody! 🙂
 

At the Luftwaffe Ministry, MG Platoon commander Hörter and the last rifleman from his HQ team hug the floor as enemy bullets slice through everything around them. They are frozen with fear and anticipate death any second. As the Soviets change magazines, the eyes of the two men open and find each other. In that moment, the gaze of each silently asks the other, "Do you want to die like a dog, or like a man?"  Suddenly, they find strength, rise and engage the enemy squad.

 
The Soviets, thinking they had won the firefight, are taken aback. Hörter cuts one down with his MP40. The remaining enemy soldiers lose their nerve and dive for cover. When Hörter and his comrade stop to reload, the Soviets exit the room and run down the stairs to the ground floor.

 
At that moment, the concrete HQ Stug rounds the corner and scans for targets. In a reversal of fortune, the Soviets are now the ones facing annihilation! But, like with Hörter, fear is replaced with courage and two Russians ignore the new threat to turn and re-engage Hörter's team.

 
The Stug fires.

 
But the shot comes too late for Hörter. Like so many men, fate has decreed that he and his comrade are indeed to meet their end in the Fire and Rubble.

(Last of series.)

Another few adaptions of independent building textures to modular for more variety:

 

 

Another few adaptions of independent building textures to modular for more variety:

 

 

Another few adaptions of independent building textures to modular for more variety:

 

 

Another few adaptions of independent building textures to modular for more variety:

 

 

Two more show-and-tells from today's work:

 

The first is a blend of stock modular and independent textures. The second, an import from Berlin with the German-style wall beams removed.

Thanks! With FR out, you should really think about picking it up. The Berlin map is super. Ben has used the available tools to create a ruined city environment masterfully.
And, when my map comes out, you can use the in-game assets to ruin your own city! 😁
Anyhoo, it's Sunday morning where I am, and so time for as much coffee and CM as I can fill the time with. Here are a few pics of first-pass adaptations of some of the independent building textures into modular textures. I'll be doing a number of these to add the needed visual variety.

 

 

 
These will all be tweaked (like the drain positions, if I keep them).

Two more show-and-tells from today's work:

 

The first is a blend of stock modular and independent textures. The second, an import from Berlin with the German-style wall beams removed.

Two more show-and-tells from today's work:

 

The first is a blend of stock modular and independent textures. The second, an import from Berlin with the German-style wall beams removed.

Looking good, and I don't even have CMRT. But I recognise a good map when I see one.

Thanks, Artkin!
I'm working on it. These days, however, I'm pretty much limited to what I can do on Sunday mornings (including any play time). So, progress is slow. 
I decided to wait until FR hit before looking at finishing FO additions. Currently, I'm working on a texture pack. Aside from barns, the map is composed almost entirely of custom modular constructions. So, I need to have more than 8 textures to make things look good.
Long story, but the only way I've found that I can make that work is to use non-tagged modular textures in groups of 8 beginning with 9. At the moment, I have 23 slots (9 to 32). I've been pulling in the best stock textures from the titles I own, along with some Kieme stuff as placeholders. After a once-through on that, I'll be improving and finalizing in multiple passes.
It's gonna' take awhile. 🤪
In the meantime, here's a winter shot for everyone. Again, these are just placeholder textures. There will be much more variety and more period feel in the finals.

Macisle, man, that's one good looking map!

Thanks, Artkin!
I'm working on it. These days, however, I'm pretty much limited to what I can do on Sunday mornings (including any play time). So, progress is slow. 
I decided to wait until FR hit before looking at finishing FO additions. Currently, I'm working on a texture pack. Aside from barns, the map is composed almost entirely of custom modular constructions. So, I need to have more than 8 textures to make things look good.
Long story, but the only way I've found that I can make that work is to use non-tagged modular textures in groups of 8 beginning with 9. At the moment, I have 23 slots (9 to 32). I've been pulling in the best stock textures from the titles I own, along with some Kieme stuff as placeholders. After a once-through on that, I'll be improving and finalizing in multiple passes.
It's gonna' take awhile. 🤪
In the meantime, here's a winter shot for everyone. Again, these are just placeholder textures. There will be much more variety and more period feel in the finals.

Thanks, Artkin!
I'm working on it. These days, however, I'm pretty much limited to what I can do on Sunday mornings (including any play time). So, progress is slow. 
I decided to wait until FR hit before looking at finishing FO additions. Currently, I'm working on a texture pack. Aside from barns, the map is composed almost entirely of custom modular constructions. So, I need to have more than 8 textures to make things look good.
Long story, but the only way I've found that I can make that work is to use non-tagged modular textures in groups of 8 beginning with 9. At the moment, I have 23 slots (9 to 32). I've been pulling in the best stock textures from the titles I own, along with some Kieme stuff as placeholders. After a once-through on that, I'll be improving and finalizing in multiple passes.
It's gonna' take awhile. 🤪
In the meantime, here's a winter shot for everyone. Again, these are just placeholder textures. There will be much more variety and more period feel in the finals.

Thanks, Artkin!
I'm working on it. These days, however, I'm pretty much limited to what I can do on Sunday mornings (including any play time). So, progress is slow. 
I decided to wait until FR hit before looking at finishing FO additions. Currently, I'm working on a texture pack. Aside from barns, the map is composed almost entirely of custom modular constructions. So, I need to have more than 8 textures to make things look good.
Long story, but the only way I've found that I can make that work is to use non-tagged modular textures in groups of 8 beginning with 9. At the moment, I have 23 slots (9 to 32). I've been pulling in the best stock textures from the titles I own, along with some Kieme stuff as placeholders. After a once-through on that, I'll be improving and finalizing in multiple passes.
It's gonna' take awhile. 🤪
In the meantime, here's a winter shot for everyone. Again, these are just placeholder textures. There will be much more variety and more period feel in the finals.