I sometimes forget that I am a theoretician at heart, and that I made some critical errors at the start of All This, which I now hope we can just pave over, and start afresh, with concrete examples. So let's just leap right back into it:
I began by stating that I believe that we can build an AI which can utilize every existing aspect (factor; check box) of every tile and unit, already at hand - while upping the raw horsepower of the game’s engine somewhere north of 80%.
So let's jump right in: we’re going to begin by adding one very simple Rule to the game. It’s a well tested concept, which has been used, for over a half-century, in old-fashioned, traditional, paper-and-cardboard war games. It's called, "Stacking," and it's just what it sounds like: how many land units are allowed to be in one Tile at the same time (Also, both for our purposes and in many of those traditional games, the stacking limit in a city is unlimited.)
I'm going to make one extraordinarily critical point, right now, and ask you to always keep it in mind. Simply put, anything and everything, involving either a number, or a simple logical decision, can be easily changed, either when the scenario or mod is first made, or dynamically at anytime during a the game either by (for easy examples) Techs or Great Wonders.
- Now, back to Stacking: Let's say that we’re playing on a global map, and it's the time of Alexander the great's glory. The stacking limit is three. His entire army is comprised of two indomitable Phalanx units, and one equally formidable Companion Cavalry unit.
Now (to better explain). Let's skip ahead to some hypothetical, 18th century battle. Our stacking limit is "5." Keeping things easy, were going to have two stacks, each of five units. Will call the one advancing the,"Attacker," and the other one the,"Defender."
The Attacker’s Stack consists of the following units:
The Defender’s Stack is s as follows:
... And now it’s time for game/mod designer’s choice!
Easily set for logic for how this battle ends under our own “Scenario 1" rules could be:
• That’s the end of the turn.
• The battle is fought to the death.
• A certain ratio of lost (AF x HP) for the Attacker to lost (DF x HP) for the Defender could allow the Attacker’s Cavalry to do - well, anything insidious yo ight think of, from one last targeted to (frankly, “pulling one out of the air’) having a pre-set Rule - perhaps called, “Disaster” - wherein an army might at this pointbe allowed to retreat, with each retreating unit suffering a 1 HP loss without going below I HP, i.e., being fully eliminated) - Unless a Cavalry action, of some sort, prevents this.
- One last thing: Consider our 5 unit, 18th Century stack: 3 Infantry; 1 Cavalry, 1 Artillery. What if it was possible to define” - in this, or any other case - an “ideal” “Army Template per Civ / Tech / etc.? If our “Ideal18th Century Army Template” consisted of 3 Infantry; 1 Cavalry, and 1 Artillery - and every victory of such a specific type of units satisfied all game conditions for a Victorious Army.
As I suggested, the individual puzzle pieces are small, simple, and combinable for implementation in any number of combinations and configurations -
- No “Rabbit Holes” required!
I began by stating that I believe that we can build an AI which can utilize every existing aspect (factor; check box) of every tile and unit, already at hand - while upping the raw horsepower of the game’s engine somewhere north of 80%.
So let's jump right in: we’re going to begin by adding one very simple Rule to the game. It’s a well tested concept, which has been used, for over a half-century, in old-fashioned, traditional, paper-and-cardboard war games. It's called, "Stacking," and it's just what it sounds like: how many land units are allowed to be in one Tile at the same time (Also, both for our purposes and in many of those traditional games, the stacking limit in a city is unlimited.)
I'm going to make one extraordinarily critical point, right now, and ask you to always keep it in mind. Simply put, anything and everything, involving either a number, or a simple logical decision, can be easily changed, either when the scenario or mod is first made, or dynamically at anytime during a the game either by (for easy examples) Techs or Great Wonders.
- Now, back to Stacking: Let's say that we’re playing on a global map, and it's the time of Alexander the great's glory. The stacking limit is three. His entire army is comprised of two indomitable Phalanx units, and one equally formidable Companion Cavalry unit.
Now (to better explain). Let's skip ahead to some hypothetical, 18th century battle. Our stacking limit is "5." Keeping things easy, were going to have two stacks, each of five units. Will call the one advancing the,"Attacker," and the other one the,"Defender."
The Attacker’s Stack consists of the following units:
- One Heavy Cavalry Unit, a Hussar with an AF of 3, a DF of 2, and an "MF," of 2. It has 3 Hit Points.
- Next, three are 3 Line Infantry units, all flagged, "A/D." Each has an AF and DF of 5, and an MF of 1. Each also has 3 hit points.
- Lastly, we have a Field Artillery unit, with an AF of 0, a DF of 1, and an MF of 1. It has a Bombardment Factor of 4, with a Rate Of Fire of 1, a Range of 1, and has 2 Hit Points.
The Defender’s Stack is s as follows:
- One Light Cavalry Unit, Lancers, with an AF of 2, a DF of 2, and an MF likewise of 2. And it also has Three Hit Points.
- Next is a Grenadier Guards Infantry unit, flagged, "A," with an A F of 6, a DF of 5, an MF of 1 - and 4 Hit Points.
- Next, three are 2 Line Infantry units, equal, in all respects, to the Attacker’s: all are flagged, "A/D;" have an AF and DF of 5, and an MF of 1. Each also has 3 hit points.
- Lastly, this "Army's" own Field Artillery unit is Elite. It's A F, D, S, and M F are equal to the attacker’s Field Artillery, except that it has a Bombardment Factor of 4, a Rate Of Fire of 1, a Range of 1, and has 3 Hit Points.
- The combat begins with the Defending artillery firing. It is “tasked” with attacking the Attacking unit with the highest (AF x HP.) In this case, the games’s “RNG’ (“Random Number Generator”) randomly picks one of the undamaged Line Infantry units; it loses 2 HPs, knocking it down to 1. (*Note: in this pre-defined, “Scenario 1 Combat Style,” it is assumed hat the strongest unit is first in line, bayonet leveled, and walking ahead of all other friendly troops ,,, AND, also, under these, “Scenario 1 Rules,” the number of rounds of combat are determined by the number of infantry units present.)
- Next, the Defending Infantry unit with the highest AF - the Grenadier Guards - fire. Because two of the Attacker’s Infantry have identical stats, the games’s “RNG (“Random Number Generator”) randomly picks one of the undamaged Line Infantry units, which now also suffers a 2 HP loss,
- Finally, the Attack itself begins: the Attacking Artillery (having had time to position itself, and unlimber) now fires, (randomly) hitting the Lancer, and inflicting 1 HP of damage, knocking it down to 2 HP.
- Secondly, for the Attacker, the Attacking unit with the highest AF value unit firing at the Defender’s unit, aiming at whichever was the last one, itself, to have fired in land combat. As Line Infantry’s AF and DF are equal, this means that the one remaining, undamaged Line Infantry unit now fires at the Grenadier Guards unit - and misses, entirely.
- Now it is the Defender’s second round. This time, the Defending Infantry unit with the highest (DF x HP) will fire. (It will be the next, in line, to be attacked.) Once again, this unit remains the still undamaged Grenadier Guards. They again fire at the same Defending Line Infantry, inflicting a 2 HP loss. All attacking Infantry units are now down to 1 HP!
- In the next 2 rounds of combat, one of the Attacker’s Line Infantry units is eliminated, and the Defender’s Grenadier Guards unit loses one more HP ...
... And now it’s time for game/mod designer’s choice!
Easily set for logic for how this battle ends under our own “Scenario 1" rules could be:
• That’s the end of the turn.
• The battle is fought to the death.
• A certain ratio of lost (AF x HP) for the Attacker to lost (DF x HP) for the Defender could allow the Attacker’s Cavalry to do - well, anything insidious yo ight think of, from one last targeted to (frankly, “pulling one out of the air’) having a pre-set Rule - perhaps called, “Disaster” - wherein an army might at this pointbe allowed to retreat, with each retreating unit suffering a 1 HP loss without going below I HP, i.e., being fully eliminated) - Unless a Cavalry action, of some sort, prevents this.
- One last thing: Consider our 5 unit, 18th Century stack: 3 Infantry; 1 Cavalry, 1 Artillery. What if it was possible to define” - in this, or any other case - an “ideal” “Army Template per Civ / Tech / etc.? If our “Ideal18th Century Army Template” consisted of 3 Infantry; 1 Cavalry, and 1 Artillery - and every victory of such a specific type of units satisfied all game conditions for a Victorious Army.
As I suggested, the individual puzzle pieces are small, simple, and combinable for implementation in any number of combinations and configurations -
- No “Rabbit Holes” required!
