Infantry TacAI targeting trucks ** tutorial spoilers **

[Lt. Badger]

I've read many times on these forums advice to move the infantry into place and let the TacAI choose their targets for them. Unfortunately, when I was trying out the Tutorial scenario in CMAK this evening,

** spoiler space for those who have not played the tutorial **

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

my infantry kept ignoring the Italian infantry and MGs that were shooting at them from the palms and the radio building, and instead concentrating their fire on the two unarmed trucks parked next to the radio building. I had to keep giving them targeting commands to remind them that they ought to shoot at those guys with the guns who were shooting at them.

Why would the TacAI want my infantry to keep shooting at those trucks? What sort of targeting priority would put the trucks ahead of the guys with guns? Anybody else seeing this, or seeing it in other scenarios?

Lt. Badger

[edit to add spoiler notice

**

[ December 15, 2003, 09:37 PM: Message edited by: Lt. Badger ]

[Elmar Bijlsma]

The TacAI prioritizes on threat to you but also on your threat to it. The easier the kill the more it favours targeting it. While the lethality of a truck is nil, you can't find an easier push-over.

I guess your troops just got tempted by the easy, quick kill. The fact you had a need to re-target is an amazing feat in itself, most trucks die near immidiatly. In my attempt at the scenario my vehicles had a go at the trucks first, too. But they killed them so fast they could soon focus on the real threats.

[Michael Emrys]

One way to approach the problem would be to give your troops covered arcs that exclude the trucks until they've finished more urgent business.

Michael

[Lt. Badger]

My second go at this scenario went more like what Elmar said - my guys shot at the trucks again, but the trucks died quickly and my guys went back to shooting the guys with guns.

I think the problem the first time was that I only had infantry surviving at that point without the support of the MGs in the scout cars - I had failed to take out the AA gun before the assault and it quickly killed all of my scout cars. On my second time I gave that AA gun 3 minutes of mortar fire before I went in, and never heard a peep out of it after that! With all of my scout cars intact, I rushed the building with MGs blazing, and they didn't waste much time destroying those trucks and then getting back to the business of knocking out the MGs on the second floor. Whee, that was fun! Much nicer ending this time!

Still, I wish the TacAI would ignore unarmed trucks, at least until after the known threats are eliminated.

Lt. Badger

[Michael Emrys]

Covered arcs, covered arcs, covered arcs.

Michael

[Elmar Bijlsma]

Originally posted by Michael Emrys:

Covered arcs, covered arcs, covered arcs.

Michael

You use a covered arc when a burst of MG fire would work just aswell? That's... that's... un-natural!

[Michael Emrys]

Originally posted by Elmar Bijlsma:

That's... that's... un-natural!

[best paternal tone]

Son, I've done many, many things in my life that are unnatural. It's more fun that way. (But I leave the sheep to Mace.)

[/best paternal tone]

Michael