Awesome flanking for your BAI made simple

[Taiji]

Hiya, I've been getting some shockingly good flanking action using certain simple settings in config_ai_battle.xml, I'm not sure which bit exactly is causing what but the part in bold is essential.

I'm assuming that in order to outflank a unit often needs to retreat so I include the retreat settings out of pure assumption.

The outflanking section is the same, I've only a suspicion that I am seeing the results I am seeing in part because of those settings so I included them.

Well whatever, I've never seen AI do as good a job of flanking as they do with my stuff so I thought I'd better try to share it.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

<retreat-analyser>
<retreat-counter>
<easy>100</easy>
<medium>100</medium>
<hard>100</hard>
<very_hard>100</very_hard>
</retreat-counter>
<retreat-point>
<default>
<distance>40</distance>
</default>
<cavalry>
<multiplier>3</multiplier>
</cavalry>
</retreat-point>
</retreat-analyser>

<outflank-analyser>
<unit-priority>
<vs-phalanx>200</vs-phalanx>
<vs-spearmen>200</vs-spearmen>
<vs-routers>0.25</vs-routers>
<vs-missile>0.25</vs-missile>
<behind-stakes>200.0</behind-stakes>
</unit-priority>
</outflank-analyser>

<outflanking>
<strength-ratio>0.5</strength-ratio>
<double-envelopment>
<!-- minimum number of cavalry units required for double envelopment -->
<min-units>1</min-units>
</double-envelopment>
</outflanking>

If you want to try these settings just open your config_ai_battle.xml and find the relevant sections and change the values to match mine.

If you have any problems or questions please ask

[SigniferOne]

Very cool, I'll send Xeryx over here.

I'm sure those ETW guys are eating their hearts out about AI moddability right about now...

[Taiji]

Very cool, I'll send Xeryx over here.

I've been looking a lot at XBAI but I've been unable to get any decent results from it with regard to flanking but this may be down to my not knowing precisely how to set it up. It seems to resort to a default setting in terms of army behaviour when trying to add melee vs specific unit type priorities, the flanking behaviour disappears for me and the attack priority is ignored.

[Hister]

I'm sure those ETW guys are eating their hearts out about AI moddability right about now...

Why, isn't it moddable as M2TW's?

[GrnEyedDvl]

Why, isn't it moddable as M2TW's?

Not yet, it depends on what CA decides to release as tools probably. But the scripting language has promise, they have moved to Lua it seems.

[SigniferOne]

no!

[xeryx]

Hello Tajij, it is good to see you are playing around with the BAI!

I've been looking a lot at XBAI but I've been unable to get any decent results from it with regard to flanking but this may be down to my not knowing precisely how to set it up. It seems to resort to a default setting in terms of army behaviour when trying to add melee vs specific unit type priorities, the flanking behaviour disappears for me and the attack priority is ignored.

XBAI, is pretty complex in it's behaviors, it is also intentially set up not to use such extreme ranges of numbers. Remember Flanking should Primarily for horsed units.

@ Signifier One...ETW isn't modable in the AI??? Ohhh the heartbreak!! I wonder why they did that??? I wonder?

[xeryx]

Lovely!! I hope that I can learn that one as well..building up the old resume! Thanks GED

back to BAI, Flanking must be considered to be a primary action for horsed units and a secondary for all others. As a secondary it should have a very small chance of happening.

Remember, public release of XAI code in part or whole for any mod must have permission from me.

[Taiji]

Xeryx, I have removed all XAI stuff from my work, I'm very sorry for using it without your permission.

I'm very keen to make DLV's AI the best it can be, does anyone have any suggestions of AI work that I should look at?

[xeryx]

Sure thing, and I apologize if I seemed harsh, my beef is not with you.

The people at XAI have put in SIZABLE time in testing and coding. The time spent in in the thousands of hours. Quality Assurance Checks must be ensured to keep the integrity of XAI bug free.

Everything does work, and the game is capable of using different tags. I have a thread in the XAI forums you might look at. It is the School of minds discussion.

Have, you noticed units that have "impetuous" traits do not flank well? Units with high moral and better training also perform better?