Assassin target order (broken?)

[Playciv2948]

Thorough testing concludes assassin target order is as follows:

Slaves
Workers
Hema
Archmages
Mages
Summoners
Adepts
Disciples
Tier 2 Disciples (Priest, etc.)
Warrior
Hunter
Assassin

I thought Assassins were supposed to target weakest unit first? If someone knows how to protect mages against assassins (poison tech, cheap to build) other than 50 workers, please post.

 

[ydejin]

Dang, I always dragged a few Disciples around and pretended they were "bodyguards". I had no idea Assassins would target Mages before Disciples. If you really want a cheap (and cheesy) way to protect them, put them in a square with a Hawk.

I would like to see some ability to create a bodyguard unit. Maybe a unit with low attack, maybe even low defense, fairly expensive whose only job is to protect high value assassin targets.

 

[Grey Fox]

It's cause it uses the reverse of the function used by normal units. Adepts only got one promotion that makes them less of a target, mages 2, and archmages 3.

 

[Ecofarm]

I believe it was tested in worldbuilder and no units had any promotions. The test was prompted by Hemah dying first, despite being in a stack with axes etc, in MP.

It seems they target arcane units from biggest to smallest, then disiples from smallest to biggest, then the stuff we've been trying to use as defense.

Perhaps someone can look at the code and explain?

One thing is for sure: they don't target the 'weakest' unit. In the testing, an assassin hit undamaged Hemah before it hit a unit at .8 hps.

 

[Grey Fox]

If someone knows how to protect mages against assassins (poison tech, cheap to build) other than 50 workers, please post.

Royal Guards should be pretty good protection, I think.

 

[snarko]

World units are much less likely to defend than other units. Since units with marksman work in reverse (except against units that counter marksman) world units become much more likely to defend against them.

The obvious counter is the hawk. At 0 str it'll defend before pretty much everything else. Hawks are too good imo. Dirt cheap, see invisible and defend against units with marksman. They should be limited to two out of those three.

*edit*
I just realised that Loki can make a decent anti-marksman unit. He'll be the first to get hit (except for 0 str units) but as long as you don't put him in a city he'll survive to fight another day.

 

[Grey Fox]

Using hawks as defense against assassins is an exploit IMO. Not if you just keep one or so around, cause they are useful. I personally think that you should be able to pick target, and for changes so the AI do better I think they should skip workers as target most of the time. Unless all other choices are low odds for a win.

 

[Nikis-Knight]

Well, picking the target would make it much, much harder to defend against.

different thought: If you throw in a unit with guardsman, would it get hit first?

 

[Grey Fox]

Well, picking the target would make it much, much harder to defend against. If you throw in a unit with guardsman, would it get hit first?

Could make it so you only get units with guardsman in the list you pick from if there is any.

 

[kenken244]

or that you will attack the strongest guardsman if there is one in the stack

 

[westamastaflash]

I believe it was tested in worldbuilder and no units had any promotions. The test was prompted by Hemah dying first, despite being in a stack with axes etc, in MP.

I would think that from a flavor perspective, the assassin *should* target mages first. After all, hemah's being assassinated.

 

[Grey Fox]

Exactly, assassins are the mage counter after all.

 

[rusty217]

I would think that from a flavor perspective, the assassin *should* target mages first. After all, hemah's being assassinated.

Wouldn't that be becuase Hemah has the hero promotion and makes him less likely to defend, but with an assasin more likely to defend?

So wouldn't that also mean that a hero could be used to protect mages from assasins becuase they are usually so unlikely to defend???

 

[Grey Fox]

Yeah, thats why I think mages in general gets targeted by assassins, cause they got the channeling promotions, and each channeling promotion got the "Less likely to defend". As archmages have Channeling I, II and III, they got 3 promotions with the "Less likely to defend" attribute, making them earlier targets than mages and adepts. Hemah got those 3 + hero, and heroes are less likely targets by default.

And Assassins target the less likely to defend unit first. Starting at the 0 STR units.

 

[rusty217]

So how about removing the less likely to defend from one of the channeling promotions, maybe the first one?

Then mages would still be the most likely to defend but it would be possible to counter it without a horde of 0 strength units.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

I'm still hoping for the ability to choose which unit to attack (with the AI auto-targetting much like it does now, but ignoring workers, hawks, and obviously equipment (maybe all strength 0 units) to so they don't waste the ability)

 

[Chip56]

I'm still hoping for the ability to choose which unit to attack (with the AI auto-targetting much like it does now, but ignoring workers and hawks to so they don't waste the ability)

And equipment!

 

[Grey Fox]

Maybe units need a new attribute:

<iAssassinTargetLikelyihood></iAssassinTargetLikelyihood>
Having it set at a value of 0 to 100 or so. Meaning that 0 is never a target unless its the only one, and the higher it is, the higher the chance that it will be a target of assassination.


So assassins would use this instead of using the reverse of the best defender code...

 

[xienwolf]

Be nice if somehow they could have it check for the strongest unit which the Assassin is likely to be able to kill via combat odds. It does make sense that an assassin would want to get the most prestigious kill he can manage.

 

[kenken244]

you could make a special unitcombat for units that are exploitable to stop assasins, then use the "will always target *unitcombat* first" attribute (I believe some UU in bts had this). since that would make that targeted first under normal curcumstances, it then makes those not targeted.