Artillery & Blitz

[wolf_brother]

What kind of escorts do they use? Fast? Slow? Attackers? Defenders? Both? Does the 'requires escort' tag affect it in any way?

Basic Defenders.

Understand that we've been trying to eliminate all other variables, so all tests have been done with simple units - Warriors, Archers, Spearmen, and Catapults. Only the Catapults have had their stats changed. So the AI will move a catapult into place, than move a Spearman to defend it, than bombard. In a 1:1 ratio - one defender for every one active, aggressive, artillery.

 

[Takhisis]

I'd suggest that you place multiple defenders (spearmen, hoplites, mercenaries) and some artillery, and see which ones go to defend your arty and which ones defend your cities.

What happens if a unit has combat stats and is also used as artillery?

Eventually, though, I'd like to see what happens when both king units and blitz artillery are on the game. Which ones would be defended?

Later on... (if someone wants to take up the idea, it'd be appreciated, as I can't do it myself right now) I want to test what happens with offensive king units...

 

[tom2050]

I remember now, requires escort is for naval only, has no effect on land units, I have tested this back in the day to be sure.

Tom

 

[Takhisis]

Ah...
Now, is there any way that these artillery units would only be used against cities?

 

[Ozymandias]

I remember now, requires escort is for naval only, has no effect on land units, I have tested this back in the day to be sure.

Tom

Sadly, absolutely correct.

-Oz

 

[jewmpaloompa]

What happens if a unit has combat stats and is also used as artillery?

Eventually, though, I'd like to see what happens when both king units and blitz artillery are on the game. Which ones would be defended?

Later on... (if someone wants to take up the idea, it'd be appreciated, as I can't do it myself right now) I want to test what happens with offensive king units...

Well, I did test with my catapults having a defensive stat and saw no difference (note: The AI seems to use units based entirely on their strategy flag... so even with a defense if the AI is programed to protect artillery that is what they will do)

Also, The offensive king has been used in several scenarios/mods...

 

[Takhisis]

Well, I did test with my catapults having a defensive stat and saw no difference (note: The AI seems to use units based entirely on their strategy flag... so even with a defense if the AI is programed to protect artillery that is what they will do)

Yes, a curious ramification of this is that this could actually prod the AI into invading with several defenders and the battle swould be a little more complicated than the usual 'first one to attack wins'.

Also, The offensive king has been used in several scenarios/mods...

I meant what happens when both kings and catapults are on the rampage.

 

[Ozymandias]

Well, I did test with my catapults having a defensive stat and saw no difference (note: The AI seems to use units based entirely on their strategy flag... so even with a defense if the AI is programed to protect artillery that is what they will do)

Also, The offensive king has been used in several scenarios/mods...

Not quite correct. Irrespective of strategy flag, the AI is (believe it or not) "smart" enough ( :suicide: ) to use its strongest DF units for DF, especially if the DF is relatively high and the AF low. Also, the AI will usually accompany an "offensive" stack with some DF units.

Best,

Oz

 

[tom2050]

the AI is (believe it or not) "smart" enough

Just say it , the AI is an intellectual scholarly mastermind of epic proportions!

The AI will also use Offense units to protect cities, and guard Radar Towers if it has nothing else. I think this means the AI is capable of changing it's AI strategy flag (even if not checked), but that is my own assumption.

I wonder if there is anyway to really see if a unit does change it's strategy? If, e.g., it has both Offense and Defense checked. I can think of a few ways (well, 1 way) of perhaps seeing if this is true or not.

If it does, it would be a good thing IMHO.

Tom

 

[Takhisis]

AI= Artificial Idiot.

 

[WildWeazel]

Astoundingly Incompetent.

If a unit has multiple strategies, doesn't it appear as multiple options in the AI's build queue? So its strategy is pre-determined when the unit is built, whatever that means.

 

[Ozymandias]

Astoundingly Incompetent.

If a unit has multiple strategies, doesn't it appear as multiple options in the AI's build queue? So its strategy is pre-determined when the unit is built, whatever that means.

AFAIK yes.

-Oz

 

[Takhisis]

It means that if you have a 4/4 unit with both defense and offense strategies (i.e. Legions in Fall of Rome), the AI will build them and use them exclusively as defenders or attackers, so it won't send 4/4 'defenders' attacking your 2/1 weaklings.

 

[tom2050]

It means that if you have a 4/4 unit with both defense and offense strategies (i.e. Legions in Fall of Rome), the AI will build them and use them exclusively as defenders or attackers, so it won't send 4/4 'defenders' attacking your 2/1 weaklings.

If the 2/1 weakling has only 1 hitpoint left, the AI will/may attack it with a defender only unit though. I have witnessed this phenomenon before.

Tom

 

[Vuldacon]

The AI will use Bombardment Units with Blitz and tends to accompany them with Defenders even if the Bombardment Unit has a High Attack and Defense.

If a Unit has Attack/Defense and Bombardment settings the AI uses each setting but generally the Units keep the setting they were first built for. In game tests there have been many indications that the AI can change what setting it wants per turn when the Units are inside a City. IF the AI has units with A/D and Bombardment settings in a City and I surround that city for an attack, the AI uses those units to Bombard my attacking Units.
...Out on the Game Map, the Units stay with the AI strategy it built them for...Defense, Attack or Bombardment and does not change them.

As for King Units... simply Un-Flag "King" under AI Strategies and only Highlight King Unit under Unit Abilities. The AI will then use the King Unit as if it is not a King. This is certain

 

[Takhisis]

Yeah, may. But I send my spearmen out to kill, usually. And in PTW when French Musketeers were 3/4... ooh yeah!

 

[Aethelend]

A wonderful find. Anything that makes the AI less stupid is good with me!

And look- didn't Imperator1961 recently make some units that would be perfect for this discovery? Horse-drawn Napoleonic artillery seems like just the fast-moving long-ranged weapon we're talking about here.

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=352102

 

[wolf_brother]

It was my understanding for units Flagged with more than one strategy than the AI randomly assigns one of them to it, and it never changes from said strategy. Par example an Attacker/Defender is either one or the either - not both. In the same vein an Attack/Defender/Terraform is one of the three, but not all three - one unit of this type would do worker jobs, one would protect cities, and one would go on the offensive.

Please, correct me if I'm wrong, but AFAIK this is how the game works.

 

[WildWeazel]

That seems to be the case, but I don't think it's actually "random"- the AI will see it (in this case) as 3 potential units, and build one of them according to its production rules. But once built, each individual unit will be used according to its designated strategy.

 

[Takhisis]

So if the aforementioned 4/4 unit was both its highest defender and attacker, then it'd build separate stacks of it. Oh, what an Artificial Idiot.