AI plans

[usgubgub]

After a long time without using the editor because of "outside world interference" with my favourite pastime I am trying my hand at designing a new scenario. I have all the games and modules (CMBN, CMFI, CMRT and, finally, CMFB), but my new effort is in CMFI.

I got to the stage of trying out some AI plans and I find that where the famous "Exit between...and..." section was there are only the + and - buttons, but no times. This happens in all games.

I also can't find the "Wait for..." button when I go to set up a trigger based order after set-up.

Is this a bug or am I missing something? I read the V3.0 manual but can't find clarity there.

 

Please help as I am now stumped and can't move forward.

Edited May 5, 2016 by usgubgub
Error in text

[kohlenklau]

...at work and don't have the manual in front of me.

1. Wait for issue.

a. Do you have some objectives that are triggers created?

b. Or create an order for one AI group and set it as "can trigger".

 

 

[ASL Veteran]

When you click on the + and - buttons then that alters the time for when that order takes place.  The wait for button is right there when you have the specific order selected.  However, you have to have a VP location painted on the map and named first or nothing will show up when you select the wait for button because until you create a trigger there is nothing to select.

[kohlenklau]

maybe you are experienced, so just my 2 cents!

tips when learning to program the CM AI:

1, "Deactivate" 4 of the 5 AI plans, just focus on 1 as you watch in "scenario author mode" over and over.

2. Keep the map really small and only have a handful of units on the map. just A1, A2, A3 and A4 maybe.

3. Use a high visibility terrain (crop 6) in the tiles to be the places to be targets for movement of an AI group as you add orders. Easier to see in 2D and 3D.

Fix later to some other terrain type as you desire.

4. Use landmarks onscreen to help develop the plan, delete them later when all done.

Have fun!

Edited May 6, 2016 by kohlenklau

[usgubgub]

I don't think I explained myself clearly.

I have painted set-up zones for the groups, and set order 2 as "can trigger". No "wait for..." button appears.

More strangely, in set-up, where the time clocks should appear next to the + and - signs for "exit before...exit after..", there is nothing, so that it is impossible to set a time. It has simply disappeared.

My question is, is this normal under any circumstances? If so, what am I missing? If not, is it a bug?

 

I have uploaded the file if anyone wants to have a look.

Night attack on Point 476.btt

Edited May 6, 2016 by usgubgub
Typo

[kohlenklau]

Oh, sorry. I misunderstood.

[ASL Veteran]

I don't have CMFI installed anymore so I had to load up CMFB and look.  The only time what you are describing happens is if you are painting your set up order with AI Plan 1 and then you are in AI Plan 2.  Yeah, so I went back in and double checked.  When you initially open the editor and you select AI Plans everything will be as you describe.  No wait for button and no plus or minus buttons to push.  As soon as you paint a setup zone then the wait for and the plus and minus buttons will appear but they will only appear for an AI Plan that you have painted a setup zone or an order.  If you subsequently delete the setup zone or the first order the wait for and the plus and minus buttons will remain.  Soooo, if you have painted a set up zone for Allied Plan 1 and you currently have Allied Plan 2 selected it will appear as you describe because you haven't done anything in Allied Plan 2 yet.

[usgubgub]

Thanks, I am glad there seems to be an explanation, I'll check it out. Are you talking about set-up zones in the AI editor context or in the Map editor context?

[ASL Veteran]

I probably shouldn't have used 'setup zones' here.  I was referring to the first 'order' within the AI section for when you paint the 'setup' order for the AI.  Set up zone is different and is painted onto the map while in the map portion of the editor.

[usgubgub]

Thanks. I will have a go and see if things change. All of this is confusing, the manual should be clearer on this.

[kohlenklau]

In case you've never seen these.....

Proambulator's Youtube series on AI

 

[usgubgub]

Brilliant, thanks. I have progressed leaps and bounds and am now fully conversant. It's a lot of fun!

[kohlenklau]

great! Here are some of my old notes just for $hits and grins....

A tiny battle I have been having fun on while learning a bit more about the AI triggers.

208m x 208m. An evening axis probe by the human player against the US Army AI. 

Axis set-up zone is right there on the road at map's west edge, 1 tile wide.

 

 

 

1. "Tripwire" AI Trigger (enemy).

2. AI Trigger (enemy armor)

3. These are US Army listening posts surrounded by AI Trigger (Friendly).

4. Another "Tripwire" AI trigger (enemy). But they are half-way to the farmhouse...

5. AI Trigger (Friendly). 

6. AI Trigger (Friendly). 

 

You can only have one set of triggers per scenario so the 3 boxes for #3 are for different AI plans where you can vary the location of the US Army soldiers on OP duty.

 

Anyway, here is how it went in I thought a somewhat comical manner when I watched it unfold on scenario author mode.

 

AI Group A5 is the trooper on OP duty. His AI orders are to hide until the tripwire is triggered. Then he can do a variety of things, like go ambush 75m or max assault or dash to the rear. edit:  Triggers for each unit are linear. So for this Group A5, usually an "OR" sequence will only occur in numbered order, and the next order will not take place until the previous trigger is invoked. either by time or action. But here the "OR" meant that for various AI plans A5 can be Rambo and press forward or turn yellow and immediately head to the rear or stay in place and take a few shots.

•  

Well, he is the one who will/might trip the friendly trigger around his post. 

 

AI Group A1 is LT Lovejoy the platoon leader. He is on hide (asleep!) and gets an order triggered by the OP soldier. LT Lovejoy then gets his a$$ up and runs off to wake up some of the dogfaces. He trips 2 other friendly triggers at 5 and 6 to send off a bazooka team and to wake up the 3rd squad who were grabbing some shuteye. He then gets on the phone to the company CP to report in...

 

The private with the bazooka goes out to his ambush position along the road and if the enemy armor trigger is eventually tripped, he goes on Ambush armor 75m.

 

The 3rd squad dashes off south to behind a rock wall and if the Germans trip the 2nd tripwire, they will assault forward.

 

---so far I tend to only use the terrain triggers versus the order style triggers. It is easy to get the order style all messed up. Maybe in the future I will start to use them.

Edit: But here is a wise caveat from Geroge MC:

"I use the KISS principle myself. Like your example above I use a core set of AI triggers that can be used across various plans. By keeping plans simple and broad based you can hope to account for the myriad ways a player may choose to attack/defend. Trying to get too clever wit AI plans (as I've found out to my cost) just leads to all sorts of unintended consequences! I occasional use friendly AI triggers to spring friendly movement but you have to be careful with this. If a friendly unit is wiped out early it can totally FUBAR the AI Plan. In this case having a slightly earlier default move order helps alleviate the worse outcome."

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Edited May 8, 2016 by kohlenklau

[kohlenklau]

Also maybe you already know or discovered the below about programming fire support for the AI....

 

AI Mortar success!

I had 2 different FO's on map from start and placed them in good spots with LOS.

Then made the actual mortars show at R1=5, R2=10, R3=15.

I deployed them to make sure that the FO had them in contact. And a platoon HQ as well. Responsible adult types with radios.

The mortars do spend a turn deploying upon arrival. 

But then pretty soon the board lights up with pretty green lines. If someone carelessly is spotted. 

This one FO had 2 different missions going. They appear to take the normal long times to get the mission set-up. 5 minutes, 7 minutes, 9 minutes. They do fire spotting rounds and adjust.

A round too far left, a bit later a round too far right, a bit later one more or less on target, then a bit later, 4 rounds. bam bam bam bam. 

It wasn't on the area of the AI plans Support Targets Axis. The platoon HQ also set-up a mission.

Unfortunately, it can't happen at night or when viz is very low due to fog or smoke.

So, this could be part of an AI defense plan for a scenario or also for AI on the attack. You don't need to get the initial preplanned barrage style from turn 1. It could come later on...

Actually, I now recall I did use an off-map mortar team that came in at R2. So, you could sprinkle low supply off-map mortar teams in with your R groups. They don't take up an AI slot either.

A prolonged defensive mortaring to make every round count. 

[usgubgub]

Thank you very much, this is all very helpful. I'll be working with these ideas for a while to become more proficient.