ORIGINAL: ralphtrick
ORIGINAL: Telumar
Another idea that i have is to expand on the .ai file and strategic bias system in doing something like "AI doctrine" that can be switched during the scenario (by events). The AI doctrine could contain settings like agressiveness, air settings (combat support vs interdiction), emphasize on destroying enemy forces or capturing objectives. Starve cut off enemies or destroy asap. Stubborn defense or elastic defense. Acceptable Loss ratios. etc.
Some of those are easy.
Aggressiveness is captured already, I think.
Combat support vs interdiction is possible, right now, it's random.
Destroying forces or capturing objectives. I'm not sure how to do that one.
Starve cutoff units or destroy should be possible.
Stubborn defense or elastic is simple, I think.
Acceptable loss ratios - what do you do when they are exceeded? withdraw the formation?
Yes, aggressiveness is captured by the Strategic Bias.
Combat support vs interdiction - get me right, i don't mean either this or that, i mean an emphasize on the one without omitting the other.
Acceptable loss ratios - what do you do when they are exceeded? withdraw the formation?
You know this is difficult and no simple answer can be given. Yes, withdraw is an option, but so is exchanging a formation by another or if on the attack cancelling the offensive etc. Things that i (and others) do are looking at own losses, i.e. in infantry, and compare it to the replacements. Something that good players in longer campaigns do look at (i.e. FitE). But as said, in longer camapigns. In a 15 turn game this is not as significant as in 200+ turns scenario.
The longer i think about it, the less i like my idea about the doctrine screen. A good AI probably wouldn't need it. And most is so situation dependent that it's impossible to catch all with something as generalized as a global AI doctrine.
ORIGINAL: ralphtrick
On the first one, that's part of why I need advice on the strategy layer. I don't know enough about when Elmer should try to do a breakthrough and encircle some units (without being cut off) and when to head for the victory hexes and when to do something else. If I don't know those things, it becomes pretty hard to advise ELmer. There are all kinds of resources on small unit tactics, but very little on strategy.
So, let's get that clear. You are looking for player advice on how and why they do this and that? Tactics, operational evaluations etc. No nerdy tech stuff, just nerdy armchair general stuff? If so, have you looked in the AAR section? Though i doubt that there is such an AAR with a player going into 'deep musing'.. but one never knows. There has been a TOAW workshop at gamesquad.com when TOAW3 came out which might be worth a look, i think the old threads should still be there in the AAR section.
Maybe it would be better if you asked a specific question, maybe even present a certain situation and simply ask what and how to do and what and why not etc. You'll get as much opinions as players answering, but it wouldn't hurt. The other thing that would be even better is play, play and play, but that would eat up your precious programming time...[:'(]
3.5 adds an 'OverExtended' supply level if defined by the scenario designer. There is code to rest units when the formation supply levels go below 25%, I'll need to enhance that if the overextended supply levels are in place. I've tried to make Elmer dance less, but I know that I can do more. Some of the moves can definitely be eliminated, part of the problem is that he doesn't have an overall plan.
