AI Logistics?

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AI Logistics? - 7/12/2020 8:48:30 PM

SeattleKCD

Posts: 21
Joined: 4/5/2005
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It appears to me that the AI does not have to worry about supplies or supply lines.

I have seen large forces of enemy units swarm at my borders, and when I fight them back, they have no roads or cites for 10 or more hexes, or any sign of source of supply. I have also cordoned units that I don't want to deal with and just left them there, they never die for lack of supply.

I can see free folk not needing a supply line, although seems like they should have to be within some distance of a freefolk settlement.

Maybe I am missing something, but I find this a huge omission in the game. One of the first tenets of warfare is threatening the enemies supply lines. They can do it to you, but can ignore it themselves.

Post #: 1

RE: AI Logistics? - 7/12/2020 8:54:04 PM

Jdane

Posts: 456
Joined: 6/5/2020
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It depends on the AI type. Manual section � 5.18. AI RULES DIFFERENCES � is a must read that will confirm your observations and give you a better idea how AI supply works.

It is a game design choice you can disagree with, but it is also one of the rules of the game. This makes independents a little more tricky to deal with, but I like the odd supply collapse on an entire front because one their units went out of hiding to cut a road in a sector I wasn't monitoring.

(in reply to SeattleKCD)

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RE: AI Logistics? - 7/12/2020 9:28:05 PM

SeattleKCD

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Joined: 4/5/2005
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I am not opposed to irregular forces, but there should be some rationality to it. Like I said this makes sense for Freefolk, they are good at scrounging. However given the environment on most planets in this game, that scrounging seems like it would have to be tied to nearby settlements.

Also while I did not realize there were minor nations with no cities, I can accept that. They would be more like a loose confederate of small settlements. It seems in this case that they should not be able to field a coherent army with 10+ units including armor/buggies, and well armed infantry. They should have to have some rational source of food, fuel, and ammo. It seems like it would not be too hard in these cases to allow each settlement to support 1-3 units, and those units must stay within 5 hexes and have an open path of movement to them. The units of independent settlements would work to maintain a zone around their settlements and defend them. The city-less nations units can fight together, but only within the constraints of the settlements being close enough. This would feel much more realistic, than units that have no obvious reason to be able to sustain themselves.

(in reply to Jdane)

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RE: AI Logistics? - 7/12/2020 10:35:43 PM

Twotribes

Posts: 6929
Joined: 2/15/2002
From: Jacksonville NC
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Well it is what it is, any minor with a city the unit must trace a path back to the city no roads needed. Majors get free roads and don't need truck stations but again they have to trace line of supply to shq.

And believe me minors can field a LOT of militia if you give them time to build up. In one game of Robinson Cursou I managed to entice two very small Minors that had 25 in one and 12 or 15 in the other. And was fighting a couple with 15 to 20 militia units.

< Message edited by Twotribes -- 7/12/2020 10:36:16 PM >

(in reply to SeattleKCD)

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RE: AI Logistics? - 7/13/2020 1:38:09 AM

SCSNV

Posts: 10
Joined: 7/11/2020
Status: offline

I'm not quite sure it always applies to city-less minors. I just encircled a giant blob from a city-less minor and starved them out. But I have no idea of the finer points of when it does/does not apply.

From a logical (and historical) standpoint, though, it isn't absurd for city-less minors to carry their supplies with them. Nomads, by their definition, are not sedentary/do not have homes, and instead rove around, carrying all their supplies with them. I don't believe Raiders can be city-less (so you can probably swap 'city-less minor' with 'Nomad'), but if they can, then it would be more-or-less parallel to the steppe empires/khanates of the ancient and medieval world (e.g. Mongol Empire).

(in reply to SeattleKCD)

Post #: 5