A throwback AI

[ineffable]

I find the AI opponent to be pretty creditable in TBF. Definitely more aggressive than classic CC. Certainly more wiley and unpredictabe. No longer do AI units follow each others footsteps into established kill zones. When pressured and suppressed Ive seen the AI go to alternate fire positions rather than abandoning a position only to mill around aimlessly. This AI seems to have an idea. A big part of the improvement seems to be how it uses LOS like CC2 did. There was a little-known trick in ABTF where you could Alt+right click on an enemy unit and get their LOS line. Of course the CC2 AI would do the same to the player's units so as to maneuver more effectively outside of the player's LOS.

In TBF we have the wonderful new viewshed tool that allows for LOS to be checked from any point on the map, whether you've got troops there or not. A bit unrealistic but, considering the AI has the same capability and is more efficient with it, the Ctrl key is there to even the odds and excuse the AI from being accused of cheating, since the player can do the same. However, the AI can overlap all the LOSs from known player positions in a Venn diagram of where blindspots are, enabling it to move unseen. It can also see the Venn composite for keyhole firing positions, or where the nearest locations are available to mass fire from multiple units against oa single target.

Just as grunts in Nam called the VC Victor Charlie out of respect for their tenacious bravey, I'm calling the TBF AI, Andy Indiana.