Wall breach AI Defender loop
FYI, I'm on DMUC 6.9 RC1 beta.
Darthmod has lessened its severity but the problem is still there. I guess it is something hardcoded but I'd like to know what kind of insight Darth has on it.
This is some pathfinding bug introduced by CA in patch 1.6 when they changed the AI. You probably have seen this if you like to bombard the defenders into oblivion.
Once you make a wall breach,a bunch of AI infantry will make that U shaped formation at the breach. Quite often, they will proceed to loop from 'running->idle->running" and keep screaming those 'affirmative' response continuously.
The problem is this loop will start to eat up CPU cycles so your game will soon slow down, get choppy ,eventually immobilize and CTD. (IIRC, it seems to only overload 1 - 2 threads, further indicating it is the problem of a small number of processes that are not being multi threaded.)
From my experience, it is easier to trigger the loop in Indian (the real ones) forts when the defenders take casualties from my howitzers so that some part of their formation start hugging the wall. The lag is also proportional to the number of regiments looping and duration of the loop.
DM has changed the way the AI position their defenders (mostly further away from the wall) so it is not as severe but it will happen one way or another.
I've got an i7 950 CPU so my computer can actually withstand the assault of this loop for quite a while. The game will be choppy but functional. Giving me enough time to engage the looping regiment(s!) with some cav to break them out of it. You can google 'siege slow down' and find reports of worse lag (as if only ETW got any sieges).
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