AI Threat decisions

[Wanderer]

It would be nice if an additional parameter was added to a unit for Threat decisions, based on number of units already attacking a single unit. It's more pronounced on the 'Charge!' command, but 'follow me' and 'hold here' have similar issues.

The AI goes after the closest target, period.

It would be nice if it could determine that 'Hey, 3 of my guys are already chasing that horse around the map! Let me go after someone else.'

Mostly this comes into play when you're arguing with say, Crossbow deserters or a Forest Bandits, where a single horse has your army tracking around the map, sucking arrow after arrow because not one of 'em are bright enough to go smack the archer upside the head.

 

[raggedyman]

The Threat Decision should also perform some kind of comparison between the values of the attacking forces...

For example, if there are only 5 river pirates left (who are worth, let's say a combat value of '15', or 3 base times 5 combatants) and they're going up against the Player Character (PC) and his entourage of 10 Vaegir knights (again, let's say a combat value of '120', 12 base with 10 combatants, not counting the PC) then the AI should be able to quickly assess it has a snowball's chance in Ecuador and begin making with the fighting withdrawal.

I think having to chase down opponents who are obviously overmatched would add some flavor to the battles....I know I give certain groups quite the chase when they're after me...

Also, using some kind of combat value system would allow the AI to prioritize its targets, so that it might logically chose to focus on those units that could hurt it the greatest without dogpiling, as Wanderer put it.

Maybe using some kind of weighting algorithm? I honestly don't know how it would be done.

 

[Captain Black]

Good stuff guys.

C.

 

[Howzer]

Yeah, I'd also like to see a unit fof 5 or so River Pirate run away from my level 30 wearing full plate and wielding a sword of war, rather than chase me as I walk backwards killing them one by one.

My biggest gripe about this game is how foot combat always ends up outrunning your opponents moving backwards and killing them one by one. I want to charge in, kill 1 or 2, watch the rest flee in terror as I catch up to THEM one by one and kill them.

Hell, the easiest way would be to add up the level totals of nearby friendlies, and the totals of nearby enemies. If you within a good range, say 5 or so total levels, your men stay and fight. If drastically outmatched, like by 10 or more, they run in terror.

 

[Wanderer]

I apparently misnamed the thread, as you guys took it way off topic from my post... but not the name of the thread.

My own darn fault I guess, damned Vaegir Raiders! Hijackin' my caravan!

 

[Skyrage]

I'd not mind seeing the commands you give simply being followed instead of ignored...that alone would be enough to manage cavalary vs footfolk...AI is indeed a bit poor at the moment...

As it is now, giving "stay where you are" or "follow me", it hardly works...

As a result, I've noticed that the cavalary charges first no matter what command I give, and they always end up getting killed just cause they storm a much superior number...

A couple of new commands would also be nice:

Defend perimiter...you try and control an area of land...basically "stay where you are" but improved...

Stand ground...units defend a very small area around them...basically let the enemy come to them...

And finally, if each unit had some sort of personal awareness radius, then it'd be possible to make them smarter...then you wont have a single cavalary unit charging a dozen enemies...he should then retreat or at least try and pick them off one by one...likewise with enemies...each unit should assess the number of allies that he has with him and the number of enemeis that are within range...and the type, and from this decide whether to fight or run...