Unusual AI Behavior

[MrSpkr]

I am designing a scenario involving a long, thin map (2.5 km x .8km). At one end of the map is a set of objectives in a village, all initially held by the Soviets.

At the other end of the map is a Soviet relief column of trucks, halftracks and troops that all start loaded up along a road. The Road does not have a direct rout to the village, although it can be reached circuitously.

When playing as the Axis against the AI, the Soviet AI will advance the halftracks, but not the trucks to the village. The trucks (which all start out facing the village) simply turn 180 degrees and sit in place for the balance of the scenario. The troops abaord the trucks stay on board and never advance towards the victory flags in the village.

If I unload the trucks, the unloaded troops advance (sort of) towards the village, but the trucks remain still.

What is up with this? Is the AI incapable of deciding to move towards an already held objective 2.2 kilometers away? I don't want to put an intermediate flag between the village and the column because I don't want the AI to stop there - those troops are needed in the village, by gum!

Steve

[WWB]

The AI will not move unarmored, unarmed vehicles.

WWB

[MrSpkr]

Originally posted by wwb_99:

The AI will not move unarmored, unarmed vehicles.

WWB

Well, if true, that sounds rather dumb. Why would such a limitation be coded? In cases involving supply or relief columns, particularly when the trucks are loaded up with troops, the AI should be able to move the trucks to a secure area out of LOS of known enemy units and disembark the passengers.

I would hope this would be fixed in a patch.

Steve

[WWB]

Originally posted by MrSpkr:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by wwb_99:

The AI will not move unarmored, unarmed vehicles.

WWB

Well, if true, that sounds rather dumb. Why would such a limitation be coded? In cases involving supply or relief columns, particularly when the trucks are loaded up with troops, the AI should be able to move the trucks to a secure area out of LOS of known enemy units and disembark the passengers.

I would hope this would be fixed in a patch.

Steve</font>

[Rebus_Badger]

Does that include an unarmed/unarmoured vehicle with a limbered artillery piece? Is that big halftrack used with the 88mm completely unarmed?

There is an early scenario (alphabetically early that is) in which the axis have to move 6 or 8 trucks and a kubelwagen through a partisan town - is this completely unplayable then as the allies?? Shouldn't the scenario advice specify this rather than recommending playing as axis?

[Hensworth]

My humble advice would be to play the game.

You'll get to know the limits of the AI. The only thing it can really do with any degree of success is defend prepared positions.

In the short time that I have been playing CMBB I feel it does this much better then in CMBO (better placement of assets when given free setup).

[MrSpkr]

Originally posted by Sgt_Kelly:

My humble advice would be to play the game.

You'll get to know the limits of the AI. The only thing it can really do with any degree of success is defend prepared positions.

In the short time that I have been playing CMBB I feel it does this much better then in CMBO (better placement of assets when given free setup).

True enough on AI limitations as far as attack or defense, but this really hamstrings the AI in early battles, as the Russians don't get halftracks until later in the war.

This seems to be an arbitrary programming decision, and should be changed. Even if the AI doesn't move them well, some movement is better than nothing.

Steve

[russellmz]

can you make half-tracks with 0 ammo?

[MrSpkr]

Originally posted by russellmz:

can you make half-tracks with 0 ammo?

No. I have examined trying to do that, and hope that might be in a patch as well.

As far as the earlier remark about 'playing the game' -- buzz off. I am playing the game. I have played literally hundreds of hours of CMBO, and around 100 so far on CMBB (every waking minute of free time). I know how to play, and I think this is a poor programming choice.

Steve

[Guest PondScum]

Originally posted by MrSpkr:

I think this is a poor programming choice.

With all due respect (and where's my CMBB setup, eh?) I doubt this was a "programming choice". Feature choice, maybe. In the sense of "it would be great to have this feature, but it would take a lot of effort, and wouldn't be used very often, so cost-benefit analysis says cut it".

[Yggdrasill]

Originally posted by wwb_99:

The AI will not move unarmored, unarmed vehicles.

WWB

This is not entirely true, in my experience. When I played the Lake Ladoga scenario, the Soviet AI moved several of the forward trucks in the column. Others (those at the rear) remained immobile. Now it may have had something to do with being shot at, but I was under the impression that these vehicles drove into my line of sight.

As for the troops embarked on the trucks, most disembarked, though some did not .

Just my two cents.

thor

[MrSpkr]

Bump.