AI initial placement

[PEB14]

For initial placement of AI unit, I usually decide precisely where they sit. For the scenario I'm working on, I decided to delegate to the Ai some decisions. So I painted yellow zones in the "SetUp" order for each grou. I ensured that all the yellow painted areas are placed in a big, single SetUp zone, as painted on  the map menu.

Then, in the "Units" menu, I drop all groups' units inside the SetUp zone of the map (but not necessarily inside the yellow-painted areas).

When I start the game, units are exactly in the position where I let them in the "Units" !

Am I suppose to place all Groups inside their allocated yellow-painted areas???? Isn't the AI supposed to to the job as long as the yellow-painted areas are inside the SetUp zones?

[kohlenklau]

Hi Pierre,

Something seems odd. 

My brain doesn't want to think about AI plans anymore so I am loving to be 99% focused on just H2H stuff.

Now I just ask the usual questions!

-you are playing against the AI in scenario author mode?

-your test AI plan is the only one activated, the other 4 are set to "not used"?

-proper set up zone color? 

I can open one of my scenarios to refresh my memory

Edited November 19, 2023 by kohlenklau

[PEB14]

Hi Phil,

9 minutes ago, kohlenklau said:

Hi Pierre,

Something seems odd.

Indeed…

 

9 minutes ago, kohlenklau said:

My brain doesn't want to think about AI plans anymore so I am loving to be 99% focused on just H2H stuff.

Mine is devoted to campaign buildings. I know, this is pure masochism…

 

9 minutes ago, kohlenklau said:

-you are playing against the AI in scenario author mode?

Absolutely.

 

9 minutes ago, kohlenklau said:

-your test AI plan is the only one activated, the other 4 are set to "not used"?

Yes they are.

 

9 minutes ago, kohlenklau said:

-proper set up zone color?

Not sure what you mean exactly… I've painted only one big SetUp zone in the "Map" menu for the AI side (big blue blob…). And I ensured that all the yellow-painted "SetUp" areas for the 4 groups of my AI plan are all within this big blue blob...

 

[kohlenklau]

Allies are blue, right? That is what I meant. This is CMBN or CMFI? CMRT is backwards.

OK, another thing...AI group numbers are correct? You were in a certain group and made setup and then orders INSIDE that same group? You see the group number while observing in author mode? I have accidentally wandered out with the dropdowns and slipped into a different group...

This stuff is all I can think of... 

Just trying to group attack the problem.

EDIT: send it to me if you want me to have a look

Edited November 19, 2023 by kohlenklau

[WimO]

The Red shades and Blue shades colours are best avoided for the A.I. side when creating single player scenarios.

I setup the A.I. using one of two methods. The first method is to paint yellow setup squares on the map. The second is to place units directly on the  map without yellow setup squares. I use the second option when I want units to closely hug the bocage or a wall or deploy properly inside a building. Units in yellow setup squares do not always deploy inside a building when a building sits partially on a yellow map square. Similarly they do not hug the bocage if a yellow setup square is beside the bocage. Also, if a yellow square straddles the bocage or a wall, you never know on which side the unit will deploy. I only use the yellow setup square in fields or woods.

No need for yellow setup squares. Even when you setup your units without yellow setup squares, you can still use the yellow squares for 'movement' orders. Unfortunately it is still very difficult to get units to move very close to linear cover. This takes a bit of movement manipulation.

I NEVER use blue or red setup zones for the A.I. side.

I usually start by setting up my units directly, broken down into squads. Then I paint a number of yellow squares equal to the number of squads. These will all have the same group number. For example if an American platoon breaks down into 9 squads plus its HQ, then I paint 10 yellow setup squares. During their movement orders I try to maintain the same number of yellow squares for each movement step to prevent the squads merging back together again - unless that is what I want them to do.

TIP: Movement orders can also be used to turn shooting ON and OFF without moving the units. For example. At time 00:10:00 the 9 squads and HQ unit A14 move 'normal' to a new location indicated by 10 yellow squares where they are told to be 'active'. However, at 00:12:00 they are told to be 'cautious' without moving out of position. Thus they were shooting wildly for two minutes during their arrival after which they changed to only shooting at confirmed targets.

 

[kohlenklau]

I am almost always on the itty-bitty scenario committee and maybe have a few AI plans with a little variety in where AI controlled guys set-up. So I DO use the yellow squares for set up for each plan. Maybe I use the blue and red zones just to try and keep my brain aligned to what I am doing. But I have even goofed up with using the zones.

I don't know what is going on with your scenario Pierre. Good luck man

 

[CarlXII]

16 hours ago, WimO said:

I NEVER use blue or red setup zones for the A.I. side.

That works fine if the scenario is a singleplayer ONLY scenario i guess....If the scenario is ment to be playable both vs the AI and as a H2H scenario those setup zones are needed i belive.

19 hours ago, PEB14 said:

When I start the game, units are exactly in the position where I let them in the "Units" !

Have you tried hitting the GO button (ones) to see if they jump into place (according to the yellow squares) when the scenario gets going ? 

 

[George MC]

Aye you have to hit the 'GO' button for the AI controlled units to shift their position. Also AI units will only shift position if a/ they have been allocated a AI group and b/ that AI group then ha s new set-up position painted in the AI plan under 'set-up'. Oh and also check the AI plan is activated...

Yup if to be played H2H you will need set-up zones for both sides.

 

[kohlenklau]

We all need to have George's cell phone number for 24/7 distance support!

Of course it is a credit card charge with ramped up rates depending on the late hour disturbing his beauty rest. Cha-ching.

 

[PEB14]

@WimO@kohlenklau@George MC@CarlXII

Gentlemen, thank you for your support!

 

1 hour ago, CarlXII said:

Have you tried hitting the GO button (ones) to see if they jump into place (according to the yellow squares) when the scenario gets going ?

30 minutes ago, George MC said:

Aye you have to hit the 'GO' button for the AI controlled units to shift their position.

That… I'm… It's… unbelievable !! I just scratched my head and tried things and tricks for an hour… and all I needed was SIMPLY to push the GO button?! I can't believe it… It works!!! The IA units are instantly teleported to the yellow areas!

 

18 hours ago, WimO said:

Similarly they do not hug the bocage if a yellow setup square is beside the bocage. Also, if a yellow square straddles the bocage or a wall, you never know on which side the unit will deploy. I only use the yellow setup square in fields or woods.

Yeah, that's an issue. I thought that the "facing" (MAJ+click) painting in the AI plan would do the job, but it just does THAT: adjust facing. It looks like the wall/hedge's side an AI unit deploys is only determined by the friendly map edge — which obviously doesn't work well for hedges and walls which are orthogonal to the friendly edge…

 

18 hours ago, WimO said:

I usually start by setting up my units directly, broken down into squads. Then I paint a number of yellow squares equal to the number of squads. These will all have the same group number. For example if an American platoon breaks down into 9 squads plus its HQ, then I paint 10 yellow setup squares. During their movement orders I try to maintain the same number of yellow squares for each movement step to prevent the squads merging back together again - unless that is what I want them to do.

I guess you mean TEAMS, not SQUADS?

[PEB14]

7 minutes ago, kohlenklau said:

We all need to have George's cell phone number for 24/7 distance support!

Of course it is a credit card charge with ramped up rates depending on the late hour disturbing his beauty rest. Cha-ching.

 

Yeah! But when you're wondering about the AI, don't forget @CarlXII's phone as well, he's pretty impressive regarding this topic…

[PEB14]

One more question, even though I'm pretty much certain that the answer is "no !":

- is there a way to show simultaneously on the map the "yellow zones" from all AI groups for a given order #?

- is there a way to show simultaneously on the map the "yellow zones" from all the orders phases for a given AI group?

That would be so useful…

[WimO]

No.

No.

Sorry.