AIs for huge maps

[Jammersix]

I'm interested in Red AIs for the two biggest maps. Lots of AIs.

 

I like Quick Battles, I like building my own force, and I like playing U.S.

 

So if one of you geniuses built lots and lots (more is better) different, scattered, diverse, weird, huge, wise, foolish, uninhibited, classical, strange, standard, completely unhinged Red force OBs and AIs, life would be grand. Use all the points. Follow the doctrine or break all the rules. Call in the airstrikes or dig the infantry in. Order a cavalry charge with the armor or set perfect ambushes.

 

I have demonstrated rather clearly that I have absolutely no talent for building AIs. Playing one of my AIs is like listening to a dog with one nut stuck in the gate "sing". My AI commanders wait patiently for the enemy, and when they see them coming sit down for a nice cup of tea. Then the survivors throw up their hands and leave.

 

So I need a real AI commander to go wild.

[kevinkin]

Going real wild with AIs for QBs is a bit tough since (in your case) the red force is not known to the AI designer.

If the player is willing to build the OPFOR with some constraints the designer might be able to issue a QB map

with some degree of crazy predictability of how the AI will conduct combat around the map. Map size is not an issue but playability is.

Interesting challenge that being said.

Kevin

[Jammersix]

Oh. I see.

 

The AI designer doesn't know the Red force OB. Duh.

 

So the map would come to me (the player) with restraints on how to build the Red force?

 

And if you (the designer) create the Red force OB, then it's a scenario, and I can't build my force, right?

 

I think I see the problem.

 

I think I could live with building the Red OB. One way would be to build a couple dozen different Red OBs at a time, and assign them random names, save them, and then just pick one to play. So if I had a bunch of OBs on a map with a bunch of AIs, I wouldn't have any idea about what was about to happen, and I'd still have to come ready for anything.

[kevinkin]

One caveat however, is my experience is with CM RT FI & SF not BS. So check the documentation and see if the OOBs are removed from maps when selected for a QB in BS. If the rules for QBs have not changed and you have one of those other games perhaps the two of us can explore your idea a bit. I like trying to get the most out of the editor anyway. A potential name for the QBs ,,, Operation Straight Jacket 1 2 3 etc..

Kevin

[Jammersix]

I have Shock Force.

 

When I check the documentation, I'm not sure what you're asking me to look for-- it sounds like you want me to see if the OOB itself is removed, and it seems to me that one, it would have to be removed for the map to be used in a QB, because a human would want to build his own on both sides, two, the QBs have an option to have the computer build an OOB, and three, I'm not sure they'd document what the game would do if you built a QB map complete with two OOBs.

 

Can you think of a way I can run some tests to find out what you want me to find out?

Edited February 27, 2015 by Jammersix

[Jammersix]

The CMBS manual states that if forces are purchased and placed on the map, they will simply be ignored. All the reinforcement groups and all the groups can be used, but the AI will assign forces to the groups randomly.

 

I thought of another way-- I pick a QB map, I purchase and place my forces, I send it to you.

 

Well, wait, it will ignore my forces.

 

I was going to say you purchase, place and build multiple AIs, but I don't think that will work.

[kevinkin]

I have SF so we can use that. If I were to select the OPFOR we would have to play a H2H QB. That is not what you are thinking. So the way to do this is send me or someone else the map you really like and we will develop a couple of crazy AI plans and send it back to you with instructions on how to arrange the OPFOR OOB in the unit selection screen. With a little luck the forces selected will be assigned to AI groups in a predictable way so the AI designer will know where to place and move the OPFOR in a reasonable way. You will know the composition of the OPFOR but not their tactics for a given AI plan. The "creative" use of triggers (not in SF), battle time limit, environment and objective value and placement could very well produce unusual QBs.vAs far as testing, just send the map or map name to me or another with SF and we can give it a whirl.

Kevin

kevinkin@comcast.net

[Jammersix]

Okay. Problem.

 

Shock Force does not let a human pick the map for a Quick Battle. I suppose one way I could coerce the game into choosing our map would be to remove all other choices... 

 

Another issue is that Shock Force has a weird naming scheme that I believe it uses in determining which maps are available for a size and type of battle.

 

I'm interested in huge assaults, and would like the AI to choose huge forces against me. It looks to me like there are only three maps in Shock Force that have "assault" in their name. So you'd probably need to add "assault" to the name of our doctored map, if it starts life as a non-assault map.

 

That all said, I like the map named "QB Assault Village".

 

And thank you in advance for the work you're about to invest. If this works, I hope others choose to develop QB maps.

 

For something different, I also like the map named "QB Attk Large Forest 269", but that probably suffers from the naming convention I mentioned.

Edited February 27, 2015 by Jammersix

[kevinkin]

Just checked and no map or OOB selection allowed in SF - both computer generated. It's been a while.

Let's take this conversion over to email if OK until we figure out the specifics. I have another idea.

Kevin

kevinkin@comcast.net