Forcing AI to besiege settlement.

[makanyane]

am attempting to get the ai to invade a settlement that it's not adjacent to

have had it working for one faction (but that one was based on an island not connected to the invasion area, but near that coast)

this one has another faction between it and the invasion area, and whatever I do it seems to insist on walking home instead of continuing the siege - I didn't really want to do 'assault' as if the defending faction is human player I'd like them to have a chance to make a defense.

Code so far;

monitor_event FactionTurnStart FactionType france
	and I_EventCounter france_is_the_ai = 1	
	if I_NumberOfSettlements hre > 5 
		and I_TurnNumber > 1
		and RandomPercent <= 90
		log always too many naugiri
		console_command diplomatic_stance france hre War
		set_event_counter ildiriToMolehale 1
		set_event_counter ildiriToDiluvia 1
		set_event_counter ildiriToGoryanger 1
	end_if
	if I_EventCounter ildiriToMolehale = 1
		and I_SettlementOwner Molehale = hre
		and not I_CharacterExists Invade_Molehale
		and RandomPercent <= 50
		spawn_army 
		faction france
		character Incsiri, named character, age 38, x 313, y 192, direction S, label Invade_Molehale
		unit	Swan Knights		exp 5 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		unit	swan_knightsft 		exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		unit	swan_knightsft 		exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		unit	swan_knightsft		exp 3 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		unit	Falconskts 		exp 4 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		unit	swansbow 		exp 3 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		unit	swansbow 		exp 3 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		unit	Tears of Ithil 		exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		unit	Tears of Ithil 		exp 3 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		end
		set_event_counter ildiriToMolehale 0
	end_if
	if I_SettlementOwner Molehale = hre
		and I_CharacterExists Invade_Molehale
		siege_settlement Invade_Molehale, Molehale, maintain
		log always ildiri in molehale
	end_if
	if I_EventCounter ildiriToDiluvia = 1
		and I_SettlementOwner Diluvia = hre
		and not I_CharacterExists Invade_Diluvia
		and RandomPercent <= 50
		spawn_army 
		faction france
		character Incsiri, named character, age 38, x 286, y 181, direction S, label Invade_Diluvia
		unit	Swan Knights		exp 5 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		unit	swan_knightsft 		exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		unit	swan_knightsft 		exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		unit	swan_knightsft		exp 3 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		unit	Falconskts 		exp 4 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		unit	swansbow 		exp 3 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		unit	swansbow 		exp 3 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		unit	swansbow 		exp 3 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		unit	Tears of Ithil 		exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		unit	Tears of Ithil 		exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		unit	Tears of Ithil 		exp 3 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		end
		siege_settlement Invade_Diluvia, Diluvia, maintain
		log always ildiri in Diluvia
		set_event_counter ildiriToDiluvia 0
	end_if
	if I_EventCounter ildiriToGoryanger = 1
		and I_SettlementOwner Goryanger = hre
		and not I_CharacterExists Invade_Goryanger
		and RandomPercent <= 50
		spawn_army 
		faction france
		character Incsiri, named character, age 38, x 317, y 166, direction S, label Invade_Goryanger
		unit	Swan Knights		exp 5 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		unit	swan_knightsft 		exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		unit	swan_knightsft 		exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		unit	swan_knightsft		exp 3 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		unit	swan_knightsft		exp 3 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		unit	Falconskts 		exp 4 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		unit	Falconskts 		exp 4 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		unit	swansbow 		exp 3 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		unit	swansbow 		exp 3 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		unit	Tears of Ithil 		exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		unit	Tears of Ithil 		exp 3 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
		end
		siege_settlement Invade_Goryanger, Goryanger, maintain
		log always ildiri in Goryanger
		set_event_counter ildiriToGoryanger 0
	end_if
	if I_NumberOfSettlements hre < 4 
		log always less naug
		set_event_counter ildiriToMolehale 0
		set_event_counter ildiriToDiluvia 0
		set_event_counter ildiriToGoryanger 0
	end_if
end_monitor

separating out the

if I_SettlementOwner Molehale = hre
and I_CharacterExists Invade_Molehale
siege_settlement Invade_Molehale, Molehale, maintain
end_if

bit makes the character come back and re-start the siege every alternate turn, but then next turn he walks off again

the other ones just walk off completely


is this at all possible?

[Gigantus]

You need to wrap your additional if sequence into a FactionTurnEnd monitor. And find a suitable condition to later terminate that monitor. Please note that this will most likely result in a siege that gets only terminated by the settlement surrendering or the attacker being killed. Here is the script I used in Last Kingdom, but it has the character spawned right next to the settlement, so the I_SettlementUnderSiege condition will not work properly for you. But you get drift about the FactionTurnEnd importance.

declare_counter siege_Fareyar
; --- the spawn ---
monitor_event FactionTurnStart FactionIsLocal
    and I_TurnNumber = 1
    and not I_SettlementOwner Fareyar = norway
    and not I_SettlementOwner Fareyar = horda
    and not I_SettlementOwner Fareyar = denmark
    and not I_SettlementOwner Fareyar = spain

    spawn_army
        faction spain
        character    Bjalfi, general, age 29, x 89, y 193, label v00, direction W
        unit    Huskarl Swordsmen        exp 4 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
        unit    Leidgangr Spearmen        exp 3 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
        unit    Leidgangr Spearmen        exp 3 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
        unit    Herkledi Spearmen        exp 3 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
        unit    Vikingr Axemen            exp 3 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
        unit    Vikingr Axemen            exp 3 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
        unit    Leidgangr Archers        exp 3 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
    sieging
        siege_settlement v00, Fareyar, maintain
    terminate_monitor
end_monitor

;--- the siege ---
monitor_event FactionTurnEnd FactionType spain
    and I_CharacterExists v00
    and not I_SettlementOwner Fareyar = norway
    and not I_SettlementOwner Fareyar = horda
    and not I_SettlementOwner Fareyar = denmark
    and not I_SettlementOwner Fareyar = spain
    and I_SettlementUnderSiege Fareyar

    if I_CompareCounter siege_Fareyar < 2
            siege_settlement v00, Fareyar, maintain
    end_if
    if I_CompareCounter siege_Fareyar = 2
        siege_settlement v00, Fareyar, attack
    terminate_monitor
    end_if

    inc_counter siege_Fareyar 1
end_monitor

[Withwnar]

this one has another faction between it and the invasion area

I can't tell from your script where they spawn in relation to the cities. If they're not adjacent then siege_settlement won't work. It would be handy if that command meant "walk to the settlement and lay siege" but it doesn't do the walk part so a "move" command is also needed.

Does the spawned army need to walk some distance to reach the settlement? Possibly a journey that takes multiple turns?

Even if it's a short journey that will never take more than one turn it's still tricky because script needs to know for certain that they reached an adjacent tile before calling siege_settlement. The tile he was scripted to walk to might be occupied so he will stop short.

Even spawning him adjacent isn't guaranteed. If you spawn him on the settlement tile itself then he will land on the first free adjacent tile: that's handy. But if the settlement happens to have no free tiles around it - unlikely but possible - then he'll land on a tile one step further out --> no longer adjacent. Spawning him onto an adjacent tile might not work either because if the tile is occupied then he'll land somewhere adjacent to that tile, which may or may not be adjacent to the settlement tile.

Making it foolproof takes some hoop jumping. I do it this way...

Spawn an agent into a faction that doesn't normally have them (e.g. england inquisitor) onto some out of the way tile.
For each tile around the settlement (that can be reached by foot):
- reposition_character him onto that tile
- use I_CharacterTypeNearTile to test that he's on that tile - if not then it must be already occupied
Move him out of the way and kill him.

If I_CharacterTypeNearTile is true then it must mean that the tile is free: use that as the spawn location (after removing the agent).

Unfortunately you'll need to know the agent's name and it must be unique, therefore Unique Name method. Or you could use a spawned named character or general with a label but for named characters you can only use that label once and you can't kill generals: you must destroy his unit type.

None of that solves the walking to the settlement of course. For that you'd need to use something like the above to find which tile is his destination and use that with "move". Then have a way to know for certain that he actually ended up there before calling siege_settlement. The tile's free but we don't know that he can reach it (enemy ZOC, etc.). Personally I don't even attempt to manage this for a multi-turn journey.

This may be of help for the "ended up there" bit: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...1#post12608031

[makanyane]

Thanks Gigantus I'll try that - had tried all the 'starts' but not 'end'...

I can't tell from your script where they spawn in relation to the cities. If they're not adjacent then siege_settlement won't work. It would be handy if that command meant "walk to the settlement and lay siege" but it doesn't do the walk part so a "move" command is also needed.

I'm spawning about 4 tiles away, the targets are settlements at far top right of map and I want it to look like the attackers are appearing from 'off map'. They seem to be doing the walk to the settlement bit fine... haven't tested it with enemy ZOC in the way though, that might break it. But the comedy version where they lay siege for a turn, go away and come back next turn seems to have them reaching the settlement OK.

Will test with obstacles...

[Withwnar]

If they're not adjacent then siege_settlement won't work. It would be handy if that command meant "walk to the settlement and lay siege" but it doesn't do the walk part so a "move" command is also needed.

Holy cow. siege_settlement does walk them to the settlement first! I never knew that. engage_armies doesn't behave that way.

It seems that it doesn't matter if they are allies either. I expected that to fail. It didn't show a "War" message, or any message for that matter, but maybe that's because it was my faction that did the attacking and during my own turn.

Well that simplifies things a lot. Although it would still need to test that an adjacent tile is available and reachable.

[makanyane]

Bad news is that FactionTurnEnd (combined with FactionTurnStart as well) isn't fixing my walking off every alternate turn problem...

[Gigantus]

Just did this test with my Bare Geomod:

1. Give Rufus (england) the label Rufus1
2. Add this script to the campaign script
3. Play as england, remove FoW
4. Rufus will move to (and take) York in the second round, York has no wall.

declare_counter siege_York
; --- the spawn ---
monitor_event FactionTurnStart FactionIsLocal
        siege_settlement Rufus1, York, maintain
    terminate_monitor
end_monitor

;--- the siege ---
monitor_event FactionTurnEnd FactionType england
    and I_CharacterExists Rufus1
    and not I_SettlementOwner York = england
    and I_SettlementUnderSiege York

    if I_CompareCounter siege_York < 2
            siege_settlement Rufus1, York, maintain
    end_if
    if I_CompareCounter siege_York = 2
        siege_settlement Rufus1, York, attack
    terminate_monitor
    end_if

    inc_counter siege_York 1
end_monitor

Second try:
1. as above but turned York into a motte & bailey

settlement castle
{
    level village
    region York_Province

    year_founded 0
    population 800
    plan_set default_set
    faction_creator england
        building
    {
        type core_castle_building motte_and_bailey
    }
}

Result: Rufus sieges motte in second turn, get's killed (army is repelled) in attack in the third round

Note: moving Rufus beyond one turn reach of York initiates a move of Rufus towards York but the AI will take over the next turn. I have tried several initial scripts (sample below) using siege_settlement but have failed to get him to execute an attack\siege on York.

monitor_event FactionTurnStart FactionIsLocal
    and not I_SettlementOwner York = england
    and not I_SettlementUnderSiege York
    siege_settlement Rufus1, York, maintain
    if I_SettlementUnderSiege York
           terminate_monitor
    end_if
end_monitor

I am assuming that moving him into the vicinity of York (less then one turn range) and then calling the above script (IsPositionInRect) will work for multiple turns.

[makanyane]

Yeah but, England AI is probably quite happy to attack York

and my other version of this which has an island nation attacking a mainland area it can't walk home from works fine... with just the code in FactionTurnStart

to try something closer to what I need it would be more like France attacking Poland (Krakow/Halych)

I've just tried it now with the siege/maintain bit all the available Start/End monitors

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

monitor_event FactionTurnEnd TrueCondition
	if I_SettlementOwner Molehale = hre
		and I_CharacterExists Invade_Molehale
		siege_settlement Invade_Molehale, Molehale, maintain
		log always ildiri in molehale FTend
	end_if
	if I_SettlementOwner Diluvia = hre
		and I_CharacterExists Invade_Diluvia
		siege_settlement Invade_Diluvia, Diluvia, maintain
		log always ildiri in Diluvia FTend
	end_if
	if I_SettlementOwner Goryanger = hre
		and I_CharacterExists Invade_Goryanger
		siege_settlement Invade_Goryanger, Goryanger, maintain
		log always ildiri in Goryanger FTend
	end_if
end_monitor

monitor_event FactionTurnStart TrueCondition
	if I_SettlementOwner Molehale = hre
		and I_CharacterExists Invade_Molehale
		siege_settlement Invade_Molehale, Molehale, maintain
		log always ildiri in molehale FTend
	end_if
	if I_SettlementOwner Diluvia = hre
		and I_CharacterExists Invade_Diluvia
		siege_settlement Invade_Diluvia, Diluvia, maintain
		log always ildiri in Diluvia FTend
	end_if
	if I_SettlementOwner Goryanger = hre
		and I_CharacterExists Invade_Goryanger
		siege_settlement Invade_Goryanger, Goryanger, maintain
		log always ildiri in Goryanger FTend
	end_if
end_monitor

monitor_event PreFactionTurnStart TrueCondition
	if I_SettlementOwner Molehale = hre
		and I_CharacterExists Invade_Molehale
		siege_settlement Invade_Molehale, Molehale, maintain
		log always ildiri in molehale prestart
	end_if
	if I_SettlementOwner Diluvia = hre
		and I_CharacterExists Invade_Diluvia
		siege_settlement Invade_Diluvia, Diluvia, maintain
		log always ildiri in Diluvia prestart
	end_if
	if I_SettlementOwner Goryanger = hre
		and I_CharacterExists Invade_Goryanger
		siege_settlement Invade_Goryanger, Goryanger, maintain
		log always ildiri in Goryanger prestart
	end_if
end_monitor

monitor_event CharacterTurnEnd TrueCondition
	if I_SettlementOwner Molehale = hre
		and I_CharacterExists Invade_Molehale
		siege_settlement Invade_Molehale, Molehale, maintain
		log always ildiri in molehale charend
	end_if
	if I_SettlementOwner Diluvia = hre
		and I_CharacterExists Invade_Diluvia
		siege_settlement Invade_Diluvia, Diluvia, maintain
		log always ildiri in Diluvia charend
	end_if
	if I_SettlementOwner Goryanger = hre
		and I_CharacterExists Invade_Goryanger
		siege_settlement Invade_Goryanger, Goryanger, maintain
		log always ildiri in Goryanger charend
	end_if
end_monitor

monitor_event CharacterTurnStart TrueCondition
	if I_SettlementOwner Molehale = hre
		and I_CharacterExists Invade_Molehale
		siege_settlement Invade_Molehale, Molehale, maintain
		log always ildiri in molehale charstart
	end_if
	if I_SettlementOwner Diluvia = hre
		and I_CharacterExists Invade_Diluvia
		siege_settlement Invade_Diluvia, Diluvia, maintain
		log always ildiri in Diluvia charstart
	end_if
	if I_SettlementOwner Goryanger = hre
		and I_CharacterExists Invade_Goryanger
		siege_settlement Invade_Goryanger, Goryanger, maintain
		log always ildiri in Goryanger charstart
	end_if
end_monitor

monitor_event SettlementTurnStart TrueCondition
	if I_SettlementOwner Molehale = hre
		and I_CharacterExists Invade_Molehale
		siege_settlement Invade_Molehale, Molehale, maintain
		log always ildiri in molehale settle
	end_if
	if I_SettlementOwner Diluvia = hre
		and I_CharacterExists Invade_Diluvia
		siege_settlement Invade_Diluvia, Diluvia, maintain
		log always ildiri in Diluvia settle
	end_if
	if I_SettlementOwner Goryanger = hre
		and I_CharacterExists Invade_Goryanger
		siege_settlement Invade_Goryanger, Goryanger, maintain
		log always ildiri in Goryanger settle
	end_if
end_monitor

monitor_event SettlementTurnEnd TrueCondition
	if I_SettlementOwner Molehale = hre
		and I_CharacterExists Invade_Molehale
		siege_settlement Invade_Molehale, Molehale, maintain
		log always ildiri in molehale settleend
	end_if
	if I_SettlementOwner Diluvia = hre
		and I_CharacterExists Invade_Diluvia
		siege_settlement Invade_Diluvia, Diluvia, maintain
		log always ildiri in Diluvia settleend
	end_if
	if I_SettlementOwner Goryanger = hre
		and I_CharacterExists Invade_Goryanger
		siege_settlement Invade_Goryanger, Goryanger, maintain
		log always ildiri in Goryanger settleend
	end_if
end_monitor

they still bog off every other turn

[Gigantus]

Read my edit, re moving and then initiating the siege

[makanyane]

Even if that does work, you're playing as England - and you're presumeably not giving him a command to lift the siege and walk home - which is what the AI is doing to my attacking faction.

So siege_settlement is working, he gets there and lays siege, but at some point AI is deciding to lift siege and walk off, then he gets the script command again and goes back restarts siege etc etc etc

think I'll try removing his movement points when he gets there and see if that helps.

[Withwnar]

Mak, try doing siege_settlement in (only) france's turn end and lock him via a "MovementPoints -100" trait. You can give him that trait during the spawn - it won't kick in until next turn.

That should hold him in place (though not necessarily his units) every turn and the siege_settlement (every turn end) should re-engage the siege in case he broke it during his turn.

Changing your OP's script to FactionTurnEnd - and adding the trait - should do it.

EDIT: ninjad.

[makanyane]

Changing your OP's script to FactionTurnEnd - and adding the trait - should do it.

that does seem to work, Thanks