AI not advancing/attacking

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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> Tigers on the Hunt >> Tech Support >> AI not advancing/attacking

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AI not advancing/attacking - 5/4/2016 2:15:54 AM

DoubleDeuce

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From: Crossville, TN
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OK, is there another trigger or something to make the AI advance? Does there need to be a VP in each sector where the AI has troops for them to 'advance on'? The reason I ask is I have set up a scenario with units set to Advance (they have individual Advance commands as well), yet after 10 turns, all units are still sitting in the same spots. This is on a large 3x3 map but when I have designed several small scenarios I have never seen this behavior before.

To add to this, there are 2 vehicles, that have started and stopped their engines each movement phase, but haven't moved form the original deployment spots. Well one did a move a few hexes on the 1st turn but for the next 9 turns went through the 'Engine Start/Stop' routine but never moved.

In another sector on another part of the map I have a few units with Advance commands along with having added a VP and the units deployed in that sector there are making a beeline right at the VP hex?

< Message edited by Double Deuce -- 5/4/2016 2:18:37 AM >

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RE: AI not advancing/attacking - 5/4/2016 3:39:37 AM

DamienThompson

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I would say that the advance command is really

Advance towards closest enemy-held victory objective.

So you need to put victory objectives in the areas that you want the AI to advance into. The problem though is it might send all its forces to one victory hex and forget about others. This could produce some really weird results. In the game I am designing, I am using a mixture of hold, advance and defend an objective. Basically I don't want the Human player to be able to predict what the AI is doing.

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RE: AI not advancing/attacking - 5/4/2016 12:38:02 PM

Peter Fisla

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From: Canada
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The AI is VPO oriented, so yes you need to have a VPO on the map.

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RE: AI not advancing/attacking - 5/4/2016 12:47:24 PM

DoubleDeuce

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From: Crossville, TN
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Well, I have 18 VPO hexes on the map so that shouldn't be it. I am going to move the VP closer tot he Germans and rerun it to see if there is a range that triggers them to actually move.

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RE: AI not advancing/attacking - 5/4/2016 12:56:28 PM

Peter Fisla

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Can you post the scenario here and when I get back from work today I will take a look

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RE: AI not advancing/attacking - 5/4/2016 1:33:33 PM

UP844

Posts: 1662
Joined: 3/3/2016
From: Genoa, Republic of Genoa (occupied by Italy)
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As a wannabe scenario designer, I have always been fascinated by "AI psychology".

Since the AI is VPO-oriented, does this mean vscenario creators must always place one or more VPOs, even when victory depends on the elimination of enemy units?

I think there are some AI issues that require some fine-tuning (I apologise with Peter if they have already been addressed in Update #1):

- Most AI units running to occupy opposite Exit hexes: this can be seen both in built-in ("012 - 7th Somerset at Oosterhout") and user-made ("The Puma Prowl", "SL-7 - Buchholz Station")
- AI units not firing beyond normal range: since units are not hidden, and then do not reveal their position by firing, I do not understand why they do not fire, even when they would have an excellent chance of causing damage (e.g. in "100 men" I inadvertently moved a U.S. stack in the open in full LOS of a German 1st Line squad 7 hexes away: I was expecting a massacre, but the AI did not fire

), I can understand MGs not firing at long range to prevent breakdown, but squads cannot suffer weapon breakdown).
- AI AFVs starting and stopping without moving a single hex (as reported by Double Deuce).
- AI closed AFVs enter BU and remain BU: apart from the ones that must be BU to fire, I think that this is another case that makes the AI less effective, because of the BU penalties to both fire and movement (not to mention the impossibility of using those nice .50 cal AAMGs)
- AI artillery is much too powerful: I played the same scenario (100 men) on both sides and the AI fires 4 or 5 artillery barrages while the human player barely manages to fire 1 or 2.

I would like to see new features as anyone else, but - like Peter said when TotH was released - it's better to make the basic game engine as bug-free as possible before adventuring into any addition.

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RE: AI not advancing/attacking - 5/4/2016 1:34:30 PM

DoubleDeuce

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I deleted all the VP, saved and recreated all the VP with a couple of them closer and the infantry is moving now, but the vehicles are just starting and stopping. It's my main campaign file so let me edit out some of the units (don't want this getting out into the wild yet) and then I'll post it.

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RE: AI not advancing/attacking - 5/4/2016 1:42:47 PM

Peter Fisla

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From: Canada
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Double Deuce

I deleted all the VP, saved and recreated all the VP with a couple of them closer and the infantry is moving now, but the vehicles are just starting and stopping. It's my main campaign file so let me edit out some of the units (don't want this getting out into the wild yet) and then I'll post it.

One thing to keep in mind, vehicles don't like to drive through woods or buildings.

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RE: AI not advancing/attacking - 5/4/2016 1:53:43 PM

DoubleDeuce

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They are on the roads entering the map from the board edge. I'm wondering if the vehicles (they are halfracks) are waiting for the infantry to make contact (there are no enemy immediately visible) before advancing but the starting and stopping in the same hex without moving seems odd to me.

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RE: AI not advancing/attacking - 5/4/2016 2:29:51 PM

jcrohio

Posts: 470
Joined: 4/4/2005
From: Ohio
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I had the same problem with the ASLSK Scenario Retaking Vierville. The German reinforcements coming in on turn 2
on a road hex never moved. A second group was to come in on turn 3 on the same road hex the next turn but could
not due to stacking limitations. The first group of reinforcements finally got moving on turn 3. The turn 3
reinforcements did not come in until turn 4 and also did not move. They finally got going on turn 5 which was the
last turn of the scenario. In the same scenario there were groups of US reinforcements that came in and moved just
fine. The only thing different (at least that I could see) was that the German entry hex was completely hidden
from all the objective hexes by trees. Not sure if that would influence the AI or not.

Jack

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