Targeting AI tweaked?

[Elmar Bijlsma]

Nobody has mentioned this before so I might be wrong but I'm getting the feeling that the targeting AI is changed. The AI now seems very keen to switch targets and not always to targets I would agree that needed the extra atention and often seconds after starting a turn in wich I gave a specific fire order.

Let me illustrate with a few examples. I was sure to pick instances where LOS due to smoke/dust wasn't a problem.

*spoiler alert*

s

p

o

i

l

e

r

a

l

e

r

t

*

I had 9 MkIIIMs cresting a hill and caught 4 Lee tanks in the flank at about 200m. On cresting, the 37mm depoyed in it'[s default position at the wall opened up (400m?) and a Sherman I'd spotted earlier target one of my tanks at +/-800m. All my tanks rotated towards the Lees when the turn ended. I then gave specific targetting orders to all IIIMs to fire at the Lee tanks, prefering this incentive to a cover armour arc because I wanted to deal with the Sherman and the 37mm AT-gun next when my tankers made short work of those hulking M3s. My tanks continued rotating their turrets towards the M3s but upon reaching it instead of depressing their guns rotated back 90 degrees towards either the Sherman or the 37mm AT gun. WTF? Maybe they dind't like presenting their turret sides to them (hulls were about 45 degrees to either units,) They fired a few shots, with an expectedly dissapointing result. The Lees having rotated to face my tanks began firing and decimating my tanks. Only then did my panzers rotate back and engage the Lees. But the damage was done. I managed to KO the last Lee seconds before a shot from the Sherman finally had gotten my range. Aaaargh! :mad: While I diagree most violently with my tankers decision not to open up on the Lees like I specifficly ordered to, I can see how a mistake like that could happen.

My next tale of targeting woes I find harder to explain away. A MkIIIM moved near the wall near the church. I spotted three enemy units in their vicinity. The 37mm AT gun located there at 100m, a zook at slightly less then 150m and 4 infantry between 80m-150m. The bazooka was happily chucking rockets my way (what's up with that anyway? I hadn't spotted it before it started doing so, it's chances of succes were virtually nil even with an entire load. Seen this happen a lot in the demo) and the 37mm was plinking away at my tank with no results (it may have run out of AP) The infantry, wisely, was keeping their head down. So I order my tank to take out the 37mm. So imagine my surprise that on pressing GO my tank decide to engage the furthest visible infantry along the wall. I try again to order it to fire on the 37mm next turn but only gives up on firing at the infantry when the infantry legs it to the church halfway through the turn. It rotates towards the 37mm but infantry about 80m away starts firing on some German crews and being sympathetic my tank commander turns away from the 37mm again without firing and fires at this unit for a while. It then obeys my orders firing at the 37mm for the first time and eventually suppressing it. At wich point the the tank engages the bazooka wich has run out of ammo and my commander refuses a next turns order to engage the 37mm. Until the zook is dead and it starts popping away at the infantry located 80m away. It then fires a single shot at the 37mm again until it validly changes target to an infantry target wich was approaching from the rear and getting quite close. It kills it and goes on shelling an infantry unit about 120m away despite the gun still being supressed and the 80m distance infantry still taking pot shot at retreating crewmen. Finally all the infantry bugger off after I call in long range MG fire. Except the one located 80m away. It stubbornly holds it grounds and surprisingly firing the odd shot untill it is killed a turn or two later. Amazing. Finally, about 8-10 turns after first giving the order the 37mm gun is engaged again and it is killed.

I come to this board calling this behaviour strange. I was calling it something else at the time, I can assure you! :mad:

I had several other infuriating AI firing priorities but none stood out quite like these. So, is there a problem or is it this particulair scenario then brings the worst from the targeting AI? The Italian scenario threw me a whole lot less curveballs, might that be it? Anyone else seeing this sort of behaviour?

BTW

The AI bazookas are especially useless, the schrecks often decide to fire at equally long distances but atleast aren't quite as utterly useless.

[Elmar Bijlsma]

Watch out, Low bridge!

*bump*