CS AI

[Huib Versloot]

Hi Chris,

There are several ways to make the AI perform better that were never utilized by the designers from Talonsoft. Probably because they had a lot less time than the 10+ years we had to ponder about the game and its behaviour.

A good example of a reasonably good performing AI is WF "**A Key Position" (Loon op Zand.scn), but also "**The Old Guys Got It Today" (Dairomont.scn) I made those especially to see how the AI behaves and to see if it is possible to make a scenario that has historical oob's (so no extra advantage in strength for the AI side) and no fixed units (except HQs). The two latter being the instruments most used in the old stock AI scenarios.

The secret of succes is in the placement of objectives; they are in a line from rear to front. If you only have objectives at the front, the AI will keep running towards them like an idiot even is this position is hopelessly lost.
Another point is that the AI is best as the defending side, but it can do som offensive things too. For MW there will be a scenario within a LCG where the AI will be on the offensive.
When the AI is defender make sure the AI setting in the header is very low. Default it says 100, make sure to put it to +/- 10 so that the AI won't take hilarious initiatives.
Setting individual OP fire helps during the Human players turn, during the AI turn the AI will still shoot at unfavorable targets unfortunately.
Lastly Do fix the HQ units otherwise the AI will its spend its supply capacity by moving all the time.
During testing of AI scenarios, make sure to set the game that you can see all the things the computer is doing. That way you can respond in your design to what you don't want the AI to do.

With the current AI it is possible to make challenging scenarios. The main reason I hardly make them, is because of the lack of audience for it.

Click here to see a nice AAR from someone who played "**A Key Position" against AI.


Huib