17-12-2001 04:38									#1
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I've got a question about how the AI will deal with task force formations.

Let's say that my task force is a Space Superiority task force in a claw formation, with capital ships (carriers and ships with long-range firing capability) at the apex and pickets (fighters and destroyers used to destroy enemy fighters+missiles and harry enemy capital ships) at the tips of the claw.

The enemy has somehow circled around my task force without me knowing it, and my capital ships are soon going to be attacked by the enemy task force coming at me from behind. I've got to get my pickets between the enemy task force and my capital ships, and I've got to do it quickly.

Clearly, the fastest way for me to rearrange my pickets is to have them break formation; follow a straight line between their current position and their new position (the new position being the tips of a claw that is facing the enemy task force). In executing this maneuver my task force will be a chaotic jumble of ships for a few moments, but with any luck they will be properly rearranged before the enemy task force gets in firing range of my capital ships.

My concern is that the combat AI will set up "invisible walls," seriously restricting ship movements. The worst case would be if the AI demanded that the task force remain in claw formation throughout the duration of its pivoting maneuver; in other words, the task force will remain in claw formation, and the claw will (very slowly) turn to meet the enemy threat. The "invisible wall" will keep the ships in tight formation, even if it causes the desctruction of the task force.

Another case that would not be quite so damaging would be if the pickets were not allowed to get too close to the task force's capital ships; i.e. if the AI set up a bubble around the capital ships and said "Only capital ships may be in this bubble; everybody else must go around the bubble." The pickets might still be able to break formation, but they cannot take the fastest route to their new positions; they must circle around the invisible bubble.

The question, then, is: which of these cases (or what case that I have not mentioned) does the MOO3 AI adhere to? Does it allow for ships to completely break formation if necessary, does it set up "invisible walls" that ships may not cross but still allow for some freedom in resetting formation, or does it require that each ship adhere to the task force formation at all times?

A follow-up question would be: if two friendly task forces happen to come in extremely close proximity, will they continue to function as separate entities, will they "communicate" back and forth (in order to avoid redundancy in target selection, for example), or will they be capable of behaving as a single entity (if, for example, both task forces had similar or identical goals, and both task forces had taken some casualties such that combining task forces might be preferred to keeping the damaged task forces separate)?

	17-12-2001 07:14									#2
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Another issue dealing with the rearrangement of the Claw taskforce: is it possible for my ships to collide in the chaos of battle? For example, if my pickets take the direct vector through the cluster of capital ships, is it possible that a few of my (hopefully smaller) ships might accidentally collide with the capital ships in the tight maneuvering space, or with other fighters also trying to maneuver around the capital ships? For that matter, might this happen when my task force is locked in combat with an enemy task force? Is it possible that the enemy might intentionally send ships on a collision course with my own?

	17-12-2001 07:47									#3
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I do know that ramming is definitely not included. It's assumed that standard pilot qualifications involve being able to avoid other ships.

As for your maneuvering question, I don't know.

	17-12-2001 11:02									#4
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quote: Originally posted by Sencho I do know that ramming is definitely not included.

I take it this includes intentional ramming (Kamikaze fighters/scouts/destroyers/etc.)?

	17-12-2001 12:13									#5
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quote: Originally posted by technophile I take it this includes intentional ramming (Kamikaze fighters/scouts/destroyers/etc.)?

Yup, these are included under ramming. The general concensus is that, on balance, crews wouldn't do that kind of thing on their own.

	17-12-2001 12:34									#6
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quote: Originally posted by Sencho The general concensus is that, on balance, crews wouldn't do that kind of thing on their own.

How about self-descruction?

	17-12-2001 13:14									#7
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I think the same thing applies here. One of the goals of Moo3 is to put you in charge of a living, breathing empire. One where your subjects have their own goals and aren't just your personal playthings.

	18-12-2001 01:39									#8
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Just FYI, I've put the original set of questions to our space combat guru, and when I get some answers back I'll bring them by.

	18-12-2001 01:46									#9
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Thanks. Just something I was concerned about; if the AI sets up too many invisible walls then you can bet that I'll try to find some way to exploit the hell out if it.