AI: triggers and pauses

[Freyberg]

AI Question:

I am trying to set up an order that will trigger when the enemy reaches a certain phase line, after which will follow a series of timed orders (shoot and scoot in effect).

In the AI screen, when setting up an Order, in the bottom LH corner, there are counters and the 'wait until' button.

Setting up the trigger is no problem, but the timing counter is confusing.

Do the Exit Between counters refer to 'absolute' timing, i.e. relative to the beginning of the game;
or are they 'relative' - i.e. if I set it to "exit between 1:00 and 2:00" the unit will wait for a minute or two and then proceed to the next order?

Thanks for your help.

[Pete Wenman]

8 hours ago, Freyberg said:

to 'absolute' timing, i.e. relative to the beginning of the game;

Yep all timings are relative to the game clock and so absolute.

P

Edited January 13, 2018 by Pete Wenman

[Freyberg]

4 hours ago, Pete Wenman said:

Yep all timings are relative the game clock and so absolute.

P

Thanks - I thought that might be the case - that's a bit awkward then.

Has anyone developed a workaround to allow a series of orders to follow from one trigger event?

[Pete Wenman]

11 minutes ago, Freyberg said:

Has anyone developed a workaround to allow a series of orders to follow from one trigger event?

You might be misunderstanding the trigger mechanism just a little.

The two times set the period for which the trigger is live (on the game clock). So a trigger will not work if activated before the first time, and the trigger will automatically activate by the end time if not previously triggered. 

However once live the trigger orders will activate as soon as the trigger is activated (the following turn).

Keep in mind that triggers are not conditional and so will always trigger based on either being tripped while active, or at the end of the active period. (Although this can be set for after the game end, but doing so means the unit can be given no subsequent orders)

HTH, but to be honest the best way to get your head around the concepts is to set up simple movements in the editor and replay them in scenario author mode until you can see the connection between the orders you have issued and AI movement you want to see.

P

[Freyberg]

3 minutes ago, Pete Wenman said:

You might be misunderstanding the trigger mechanism just a little.

The two times set the period for which the trigger is live (on the game clock). So a trigger will not work if activated before the first time, and the trigger will automatically activate by the end time if not previously triggered. 

However once live the trigger orders will activate as soon as the trigger is activated (the following turn).

Keep in mind that triggers are not conditional and so will always trigger based on either being tripped while active, or at the end of the active period. (Although this can be set for after the game end, but doing so means the unit can be given no subsequent orders)

HTH, but to be honest the best way to get your head around the concepts is to set up simple movements in the editor and replay them in scenario author mode until you can see the connection between the orders you have issued and AI movement you want to see.

P

No, I think understand them perfectly well.

What I want is a series of timed orders to proceed from a single trigger event, not at a pre-set time. Like this:

order 1 (triggered)
(pause)
order 2
(pause)
order 3
...and so on.

The triggered order is easy - but because the clock in the game is absolute, other orders cannot follow from a triggered order.

 

[Pete Wenman]

14 minutes ago, Freyberg said:

What I want is a series of timed orders to proceed from a single trigger event, not at a pre-set time. Like this:

Does the wait for trigger in the AI editor not do this ? This trigger relies on the orders of another unit to be activated rather than a terrain type objective.

 

[Freyberg]

11 minutes ago, Pete Wenman said:

Does the wait for trigger in the AI editor not do this ? This trigger relies on the orders of another unit to be activated rather than a terrain type objective.

 

Yeah, I thought about that - it's a very fiddly workaround though, for what should be a straightforward series of pauses.

And if the other unit is knocked out or fails to fulfill its orders, the trigger won't happen.

I hope BF add some flexibility to the AI in future patches or updates - it doesn't sound like a major overhaul would be required.