AI drafting units

[Nanuk]

How does the AI handle multiple choice draft options? Does it always/mostly go for the strongest unit? For example, if I had a standard infantry unit, tank, fighter jet, and mechanized infantry unit, all with different stats and abilities, which one would it draft? What does the AI look for in a draft?

Off topic, post thread creation thought:

What does the AI look for in stealth attack selection? Weakest unit? Strongest? Random?

 

[Bluemofia]

For your stealth attack question, they tend to go for the weakest unit. If they have the option of targeting units with no defense (ex: workers, artillery), they will prioritize those. Since they hit weakest units, if they do any damage to military units, they tend to focus those down because they are now weaker than others.

 

[Jorsalfare]

As for what AI drafts out of multiple available units, I would think it picks the one with highest defensive strength. I haven't really investigated this - it's just my assumption. In case you haven't already found it: A lengthy thread concerning which units AI prefers to build most often (not draft) is here. There are many interesting observations there from several experienced players/modders. When it comes to building units - in my experience, AI just loves invisible units with hidden nationality (even though they are very weak compared to other units available - 1 in attack and defense). In my mod such units gets available early, and AI constantly try to capture my workers with these guys. I have never had the invisible HN-units available for draft, but it's not unlikely that AI would choose them when drafting. However, AI shows no interest whatsoever in invisible HN units that have 1 in defense strength, but zero attack strength.

Regarding the stealth question: What Bluemofia says is exactly what I have experienced too. In addition, it seems that AI will try to target any empty armies - which will crash the game to desktop (at least it crashed my mod). I had to excempt all armies from the list over possible stealth-attack targets in the stealth-units settings to avoid these crashes.

 

[nick0515]

From memory, it drafts only the strongest defender available with the defensive flag.

 

[timerover51]

I will toss is some contrary observations, admittedly based on the Japanese in the Conquest World War 2 scenario. The Japanese Combat Engineer Unit in an unmodified game has the highest attack factor for any infantry unit, and that is what it builds and appears to draft. As for ships, it looks like the high preference is for battleships.

I have never experienced a stealth attack from the AI, and I have never really used the Stealth attack feature in any game. If you ask the reason for this, I will admit to not having any answer. I just have not. Generally by then, I am concentrating on building Space Ship parts.

 

[Jorsalfare]

That's interesting, timerover. I just checked the biq for WWII in the Pacific-scenario, and the combat engineer didn't have the draft-flag enabled. Are you sure that it was drafted, or could it be that AI is just outright cheating? In debug-mode I have seen AI adding units (both troops and settlers) without actually building or drafting them. Or maybe AI isn't restricted to use only "draft-able" units when drafting?