Bad choice of default unit AI for some sea units

[Koshling]

@DH (mostly I think):

UNITAI_ASSAULT_SEA is the AI that is mostly concerned with making assaults across water (with land units), and belongs on units that have cargo capacity. It's not actively harmful on other units, but it is unexpected (for the AI) and leads to it wasting a fair bit of time running transport AI on cargo capacity-less units. Units with no cargo capacity probably shouldn't list it as an available UNITAI, and certainly should not have it as their default AI.

There are several offenders I think, but the one I noticed was the Outrigger.

 

[Dancing Hoskuld]

@DH (mostly I think):

UNITAI_ASSAULT_SEA is the AI that is mostly concerned with making assaults across water (with land units), and belongs on units that have cargo capacity. It's not actively harmful on other units, but it is unexpected (for the AI) and leads to it wasting a fair bit of time running transport AI on cargo capacity-less units. Units with no cargo capacity probably shouldn't list it as an available UNITAI, and certainly should not have it as their default AI.

There are several offenders I think, but the one I noticed was the Outrigger.

So what should we be using? I think it is probably supposed to be the one to attack anything that moves.

 

[Koshling]

So what should we be using? I think it is probably supposed to be the one to attack anything that moves.

UNITAI_ATTACK_SEA then

 

[Dancing Hoskuld]

I've done the ones in my areas. There are some to do in the leaderheads and ls's unit area.

 

[Dancing Hoskuld]

I am assuming that it is OK to have UNITAI_ASSAULT_SEA as the non-default AI as support craft for the transports. Is this correct?

I am going through everyone else's units now.

 

[Koshling]

I am assuming that it is OK to have UNITAI_ASSAULT_SEA as the non-default AI as support craft for the transports. Is this correct?

I am going through everyone else's units now.

Depends what you man by 'support craft'. It's not technically HARMFUL on anything (just causes them to waste some processing time and not do terribly much), but I'd say the rule of thumb should be:

1) If it' basically a transport unit then this is the right default AI

2) If it has cargo capacity but is not primarily a transport then this should be an allowable AI but probably not the default

3) If it never has cargo capacity at the time it is built it probably shouldn't allow this AI.

Units that can get cargo capacity through promotions, but never have any at the time they are built are a bit problematic (I don't think the AI will ever use them right really). Ideally I'd say that those promotions (ones that increase cargo capacity) should really only be available to units that have at least 1 capacity in the base unit definition (so it can only increase an existing capacity, not provide one where there previously was none)

 

[Dancing Hoskuld]

I thought support craft would defend the transports but I suppose "we" have changed the AI to better handle that situation. I was only getting rid of UNITAI_ASSAULT_SEA from the default AI. Should I be removing it from all?

As to the promotions they are only assigned by combat class. I don't think we have a transport combat class but if we did would we need a UNITAI_ASSAULT_SEA?

 

[Koshling]

I thought support craft would defend the transports but I suppose "we" have changed the AI to better handle that situation. I was only getting rid of UNITAI_ASSAULT_SEA from the default AI. Should I be removing it from all?

As to the promotions they are only assigned by combat class. I don't think we have a transport combat class but if we did would we need a UNITAI_ASSAULT_SEA?

Attack and reserve (and carrier and a few others) AIs shadow and support units of AI type UNITAI_ASSAULT_SEA. That isn't the AI that does the supporting, its the AI that gets supported.

As to the promotions, I would say don't worry too much, but in general lean towards not putting UNITAI_ASSAULT_SEA on units that cannot carry cargo without promotions, otherwise the AI is likely to build them when it wants transport type units (if it doesn't see better choices) and then wonder what to do with them until it happens to get the right promotions.

 

[Dancing Hoskuld]

I have done the lot. All ships without a cargo capacity are now ATTACK rather than ASSAULT as there default AI.