AI Artillery Control is NOW AVAILABLE!

richmonder · Post by **richmonder** » Wed Dec 26, 2001 4:04 am

Here's some good news for designers in regards to controlling the fire missions for your AI forces without having the computer override your settings.

(now someone may have already found this out, but I've never seen it discussed before; therefore, I post)

HERE'S HOW IT WOIKS:

1) Buy ONBOARD arty - not offboard - if you want to direct fire missions for a specific turn and/or hexes.

2) Alter the arty units as you see fit - gun type, tubes per unit, HE rounds, smoke - whatever. You can do rudimentary stuff in the SPWaW editor, but WaWEd.exe is vital for proper control and manipulation of the unit's composition.

3) Now set up these units via the artillery barrage screen and set their hexes/turns as you see the need.

4) HERE's the key - set these units as reinforcements for ONE TURN after the end of game. They will never appear; however, they WILL fire on the turn you set for their fire mission.

A few points for consideration:

They don't fire in that neat 4-hex row as offboard arty, but the spacing isn't too bad.

Remember that tubes in spaces 2-4 don't fire with quite the accuracy of tube #1. I think that's good as it gives some spread to the pattern.

Also, remember that ROF (rate of fire) affects how many rounds a unit can get off. If the ROF is set to 6 and you have 12-15 rounds of HE per tube, it won't fire all of those.

I have no clue if the onboard arty w/ end-of-game reinforcement status will fire on any other turns other than the assigned turn (that is, if they have excess ammo after the first assigned turn for the mission). I would not think so, but there is a possibility of that.

I've found I can set up a 120mm mortar squad with 3 tubes and 3-4 rounds per tube. This gives a nice fat blanketing for any assignment. The big guns are just flat out scary when you can assign them accurately and take it out of the AI's hands.

If this is a repeat, I apologize. But otherwise - enjoy!

richmonder · Post by **richmonder** » Wed Dec 26, 2001 4:38 am

MORE GOOD NEWS!

AI aircraft can also be assigned according to these principles!

I have found they will enter on the turn you designate, and WILL attack the specific hex that you assign for attack.

Remember, set them as reinforcements to arrive one turn after the game's end. They will carry out ONE airstrike at the intended target.

Now we can specifically assign air and artillery, and we can also just give the AI artillery and airpower to use as it sees fit. The two make a deadly combination.

Warrior · Post by **Warrior** » Wed Dec 26, 2001 10:39 am

Very clever, I'll have to try this.

skukko · Post by **skukko** » Wed Dec 26, 2001 2:29 pm

Making them reinforcements and to arrive after ga,e is ended is quite a good solution. I've never seen this kind of overwalk of AI. Thanx <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0">

mosh

Larry Holt · Post by **Larry Holt** » Wed Dec 26, 2001 10:52 pm

This is basic to being able to design scenarios and ought to be in the hall of fame.

Any seconds?

lnp4668 · Post by **lnp4668** » Wed Dec 26, 2001 11:06 pm

Second.

RockinHarry · Post by **RockinHarry** » Thu Dec 27, 2001 11:10 pm

Thanks... <img src="smile.gif" border="0">
This always caused me big headaches while designing and timing scenarios..at least lots of work. Will try your solution tonight!

What still works great for me, is the "decrewed" AI onbord artillery, with crews having proper reaction turns to walk to their guns and start shooting when I want them to! <img src="eek.gif" border="0"> But the method is very awkward, as you need to edit save games much....

Unfortunately older methods for solving this AI artillery issue (radios, preplot strikes) don´t work anymore. <img src="frown.gif" border="0">

__________
Harry

Wild Bill · Post by **Wild Bill** » Fri Dec 28, 2001 2:06 am

Rich, if you will, write this up as a doc file, and send it to me and Louie Marsh, team leader for the WBR page.

I would like to have included as a design hint on that page. That way some folks will see it that don't come here.

louiem@militarygameronline.com

bwilder@bellsouth.net

Thanks

WB

richmonder · Post by **richmonder** » Sat Dec 29, 2001 6:23 am

Ummm....

I think we gotta hold on a bit here.

I spent the entire day fooling with this concept. The whole day.

It's now midnight and I am checking out. Made a lot of progress in tracking the AI's 'logic' (if I can call it that - I can't), but have alot more verifying to do. Sadly, it probably will have some glitches and limitations as to what we can do, but I'll see what I can uncover.

[ December 28, 2001: Message edited by: richmonder ]

[ December 29, 2001: Message edited by: richmonder ]</p>