Why is the AI moving my troops?

[hakan]

Just a short question.

I am getting rather frustrated about this AI moving my troops. I prefer to organize and move my troops manually. And usually it goes fine. But suddanly the damn AI takes over and move troops that I already have moved to a good positions. Why? Is it when you move a HQ? And if so, how do you turn the AI off? When you play online, you may loose a game bacause of this.

One more thing. Sometimes I quickly wanna focus all art. and mortar fire on one spot. I simply press “4” and mark all support units. Then I order them to fire. It works fine, but after they have fired, they suddanly may moved away to some damn strange possitoin back on the map!! Why can’t the damn AI keep the hands off my troops??? I just want them to fire, not fire AND retreat... (Yesterday I almost lost against Steed because all mortars and art. regrouped, and the same happened when I played against Yakstock.)

So, my question is: What should I do to make the AI stop moving my troops?

/Josef Stalin

PS Pardon my bad english DS

[MarkShot]

This thread may help you to get a better sense of the style in which most people play the game:

tm.asp?m=1162367

[Banquet]

ORIGINAL: hakan

Just a short question.

I am getting rather frustrated about this AI moving my troops. I prefer to organize and move my troops manually. And usually it goes fine. But suddanly the damn AI takes over and move troops that I already have moved to a good positions. Why? Is it when you move a HQ? And if so, how do you turn the AI off? When you play online, you may loose a game bacause of this.

One more thing. Sometimes I quickly wanna focus all art. and mortar fire on one spot. I simply press “4” and mark all support units. Then I order them to fire. It works fine, but after they have fired, they suddanly may moved away to some damn strange possitoin back on the map!! Why can’t the damn AI keep the hands off my troops??? I just want them to fire, not fire AND retreat... (Yesterday I almost lost against Steed because all mortars and art. regrouped, and the same happened when I played against Yakstock.)

So, my question is: What should I do to make the AI stop moving my troops?

/Josef Stalin

PS Pardon my bad english DS

I can't see any reason why your ART units would move. Assuming you've given them a defend order to mark them as FS and then order them to bombard.. and you don't accidentally order them to move - then I've never seen them moved by the AI.

As for other units moving.. If you order HQ's to move then any subordinates of theirs will move too. Anything you've already detached (by giving a prior move order) will not move with their old (organic) HQ's. However, any orders you give to individual companies will now be under direct command of the 'map' HQ and so if you order that HQ to move, it may also move these units as they are now it's direct subordinates.. You have to remember you are the commander in charge - but you are not everyone. When you give orders to anything you are affecting a delicate command structure that involves a lot of subordinate officers.

At least, that's the way I understand it.. anyone feel free to correct me [:)]

[Arjuna]

Actually, if you give a unit an order then it is under your direct command. Its command bar should be white and it will show a blue line to the on-map boss. But even if you order the on-map boss to do something it will NOT affect other units you have given a direct order to ( ie those with white command bars ).
 
BTW I just tested what you did - ie ordering a whole group of arty units - and sure enough they all start moving to the subject's location but only if the Rest after Bombard option is checked. If this is unchecked they all defend in-situ. In fact they should all rest in situ if resting. So this is a bug. Well spotted.
 
TT2968 - AI - Ensure arty units rest in-situ when Rest After Bombard option checked.
 
Until we fix that in a patch I would recommend that you turn off the Rest After Bombard option if you are going to order multiple arty units. There's no reason to do so if you are ordering single arty units.
 

[Banquet]

ORIGINAL: Arjuna
But even if you order the on-map boss to do something it will NOT affect other units you have given a direct order to ( ie those with white command bars ).

Are you saying that if you order, say 1st company, 3rd Battalion to defend a bridge and so take it out of 3rd Battalion's command and under direct command of the 'on map' HQ that moving the 'on map' HQ will have no effect on 1st company? Even if it has already carried out it's prior order?

[Arjuna]

Yep. You can test this easily. Just order a single unit to defend in-stu and then give the on-map boss an order to Move somewhere. The single unit should stay put. Remember that the blue line indicates the current superior and the green lines indicate the direct subordinates. In the above example, if you select the single unit you will see a blue line from it to the on-map boss. However, if you select the on map-boss you will not see a green line from it to the single unit. That's because it is under the players direct command.

[Banquet]

Understood, thanks

[JeF]

On the other hand, you have to pay attention to the fact that if you ordered 3rd Batallion to defend the nearby village and order 1st company to go to the bridge, it is very likely that the HQ from the 3rd Bn will reassess the position and start moving units to achieve its current task. To avoid that, use the defend/in-situ formation, once again.

JeF.

[hakan]

This thread may help you to get a better sense of the style in which most people play the game:

tm.asp?m=1162367

Yes, it dit! Thanx! The answer seems to be: If you want to detach a platoon, then give the platoon an order.

Regards,
Håkan

[hakan]

BTW I just tested what you did - ie ordering a whole group of arty units - and sure enough they all start moving to the subject's location but only if the Rest after Bombard option is checked. If this is unchecked they all defend in-situ. In fact they should all rest in situ if resting. So this is a bug. Well spotted.

Well: If you press "4" and order all arty units to bombard, then after the bombardment the arty units regroups way back on the map, even IF you have ordred them not to rest after bombardment. (Look at the pic. down here).

This must be a bug?

Regads,
Håkan Larsson

[Arjuna]

Where was the bombard target location? Was it where they are now heading to?

[MarkShot]

Hakan,

I think you might avoid the movement of the units above by doing the following (I don't have time to test at the moment):

(1a) Check rest after bombard (this also forces an in-situ formation).

(1b) Either conduct and an actual fire mission or force a pseudo one for one minute.

(2) Once they go to rest, then uncheck rest after bombard.

(3) Target a friendly (like self target) with the senior unit for one minute.

(4) Their posture should revert to defend (on-call) however the formation should remain in-situ. Everyone should stay put.

Even with order delays, the above should only take a few minutes of simulated time.

Give it a try and let me know.

[MarkShot]

Another comment, in general remember that arty units when managed by the AI as a force want to have their subject (units and/or task marker) in range to conduct a fire mission but be at a standoff distance. I think that accounts for what you are seeing.

[hakan]

Where was the bombard target location? Was it where they are now heading to?

No. The arty did not move to the same lacation as the bombardment location.

In the example above I gave all supporting units the order to bombard the inf. unit down in the left (marked with a red cirkle). After the bombardment, however, all arty moves north (also marked on the map above).

I have stopped giving orders to "all units". Instead I give orders to single units. If you are stressed, however, in a multiplayer game, it's good to be able to give orders to ALL arty to give defesive, or support fire.

//Larsson

[hakan]

Another comment, in general remember that arty units when managed by the AI as a force want to have their subject (units and/or task marker) in range to conduct a fire mission but be at a standoff distance. I think that accounts for what you are seeing.

I always move the units my self, hence they should not be managed by the AI. And this was just an example. It happens at all kinds of ranges.

You may test it in some fight: Move your arty units separatly (i.e. no AI) to some good defensive position on a hill. Wait for the enemy. When the enemy approaches press "4". Mark all support units. Give the order to bombard the enemy unit, and wait. After the bombardment (10 sec) they will give up their good positions, and move to some strange place way back on the map. And then you are in trouble. Suddenly you may stand with all arty units on a bad possition, out of range... :-/

Anyway: I still love the game. It's one of the best ever made. But this is somewhat annoying.

Regards, Håkan

[Arjuna]

Yeh it looks like the firebasing code has cut in for some strange reason. I'll be looking to fix this soon.