02-10-2002 18:13									#1
	Unit AI Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

Just wondering if people understand how the AI for individual units work? These are my queries:

1. Do units have a mind of their own and act individually or is there a big picture that influences all the units? eg. Will a Tank unit act independently of other units in choosing where to move and what to attack or will it move in a stack with a MI?

2. In reference to defence of units - when a unit is built is is flagged as either offensive or defensive (I remember one of the Firaxis guys talking about this), but how does that affect their behaviour? Does a defensive unit get built and stay put (ie. to defend the city in which it was built), does it move, but only to defend static points such as a city or fortress, or do they move during war to defend stacks of offensive units (such as pikemen mving with swordsmen approaching an enemy city)?

3. Similar to number 2, but in reference to offensive units - from experience they tend to all clump together and attack as a group (an army if you will). I have encountered many modern wars in which the AI will throw 20-30 units at my border cities (cavalry, infantry, tanks, etc) which I then eliminate with some "softening up" by my artillery. Following this the remainder of the AI's units tend to stay within its cities with the exception being the new units that were just built. Is this interpretation correct? Do the offensive units function in this way and if so does that mean that by eliminating them you can temporarily ignore any possible threats from that Civ?

If you feel you have something to add or some other question then please add that in. I'm rather curious and eager to discover anything that someone else knows about the subject or may have noticed in their games.

More importantly, if you have an answer, that would be even more welcome!

	02-10-2002 18:37									#2
	Re: Unit AI Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

quote: Originally posted by Bambul 1. Do units have a mind of their own and act individually or is there a big picture that influences all the units?

Both (I think Soren mentioned this in a chat or something). But what happens if the "big picture" action conflicts with the individual unit action is something that only Soren knows and we will never know.

quote: 2. Does a defensive unit get built and stay put (ie. to defend the city in which it was built), does it move, but only to defend static points such as a city or fortress, or do they move during war to defend stacks of offensive units?

All of the above. In addition, if the odds are heavily in its favor, it may also attack! I've seen this with my own eyes a couple of times.

quote: 3. Similar to number 2, but in reference to offensive units - from experience they tend to all clump together and attack as a group (an army if you will).... Do the offensive units function in this way and if so does that mean that by eliminating them you can temporarily ignore any possible threats from that Civ?

The AI is programmed to attack with a concetrated force whenever possible. It doesn't always do so, but it tries. So the answer to your question is: SOMETIMES!