Editing AI performance

[neonlicht]

Oh man - apologies- I was asleep for a few days (figuratively speaking).

AI and REN - I would expect that you might actually find REN to work worse with the AI - and that is almost entirely due to the way that the OOBs were built.

In REN altohugh you might find a few scenarios using a combined shot and pike set of attributes those were not in the test (and I doubt they ever really were tested outside of the scenario designer having played around with it on his own). And I am saying that because I had access to the development team boards - and I know that no one at the time provided any feedback.

Partly that was due because it wasn't in the initial release, and was sort of a 'hrm - I've tried this out.... ' type of thing - and no one ever did - mind you that is semi-irrelevant in the sense that the engine allows you to do this - so one scenario designer's take on something is not going to be the last say over and above the capabilities of the engine  - and just sort of brainstorming it and putting it out there is only one take on it.

The pike and shot interplay -and the fact that nearly all of the stock (probably all - as I am not 100% sure the units that were rated for both pike/shot ever got added as anything other that someone's experiment --- is what trips up REN royally.  The AI is essentially seeing block as Square in the Napoleonic series and functions accordingly.  In other words- there are some units that can only initiate melee in block formation ... but the AI probably won't assume a block formation without cavalry in the vicinity. . . if you follow, then you can probably 'game' the AI infantry into never going into block formation -thereby preventing it from effectively functioning as a unit that's primary function is to melee.

Now, the answer (or closer to the answer) is to rate units with both functions -and that requires using modifiers. Luckily you can apply negative ratings, although I don't think I have ever seen any in use in any stock scenarios in either title in the series (the one I was working on -was- going to make use of this).  However I decided talking about techniques and why I was doing them was a bit more along the lines of what I would rather be doing with my time.

Believe me - you will learn some history ... :) it's largely in the books and then playing around with things like it sounds like you are doing.   I might have to come back to this.. sorta tried doing it quickly - might have missed some things.

This is very interesting & useful info--much appreciated. I'll experiment some more--time allowing--and also do some more reading. Thanks again :-)