Has anyone yet managed to create a decent offensive AI?
The main thing I'm finding is A to B movement is where the problem lies. If I set an Order to go from A to B and the AI runs into enemy troops - they just run through the middle of them (albeit stopping and shooting enroute). I was kinda expecting that the AI would see the Zone set up in the Order as a mini-objective and the AI would do what was necessary to achieve that objective. But it doesn't (or seems not to) - it just runs straight towards it regardless of whats in the way.
The only way around that is to set up a whole load of mini-orders where you anticipate contact would occur such as :
Run to Bocage line and wait for 5 minutes.
Cross Bocage and run to next line of Bocage .. wait 5 minutes.
Thats all well and good, but if the Player hasn't got any enemy in the way - the AI is just sitting around needlessly when it could be pressing forward unopposed.
In the scenario I was wanting to create, I'd set up a situation where an engagement would take place between 2 Combat Patrols. I'd set a number of Objectives that each Patrol would have to "Touch" and then the necessary Orders for the AI side to go from one to one. The idea being that eventually the 2 patrols would cross (I'd set it so there were a number of potential hotspots depending on how fast or slow the Player would move).
Worked fine ... until the 2 opposed patrols came into contact with each other .. While me, the player controlled side, would do the necessaries, the AI would fire a few shots off and then just run away following the next order and I'd have to chase them across the map ..... Not exactly what I had in mind ..
I'd have thought something simple would have existed within the AI that said "enemy contact established - interupt current order, engage, then continue with current order when successful".
But no. Which is either a shame .. or .. I'm doing something soooooooo wrong somewhere ...
Anyone any idea which it is?