Follow and Cover

[Hambil]

Set a combat unit to automatically follow the nearest non-combat unit, and provide cover for it when it stops. Handy for helping protect workers from barbarians.

It doesn't use scouts, only non-scouting combat units. To stop the automated action just move the combat unit manually, or perform some other action on it.

Due to game mechanics (pathing issues) your civilians will always have some vulnerability to capture while moving. But the two units will move together on the same turn if possible, so the civilian is always covered if there are no pathing issues.

Make sure you finish any current games before updating from an older version of Follow and Cover, or your saved games may not load.

This mod changes UnitPanel.lua and will conflict with any mods that change that file.

Beta release.

 

[Hambil]

Hmmm, without UI I think I'll take this in a different direction. What I *can* do is attach it to a specific unit, so that unit will always behave as a 'guard' to nearby civilians. So, using Whowards Longboat as a guide I think I can get a new guard unit out given a little time.

 

[Hambil]

Okay, now I've decided to go ahead with the UI part myself. I actually built a simple unit, and that worked, but... it's just not what I want. I want the ability to be available for all existing combat units like in days of old. So, I am now learning how to add buttons and listen for button clicks and fire custom events weeeeee!

I know, I'm like a dog with a bone, and probably just talking to myself here. But, I'm having fun so I'm kind of okay with that

 

[whoward69]

Okay, now I've decided to go ahead with the UI part myself.

Just checking that's you've actually spent those 5 minutes and found this - http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=461552

 

[Hambil]

Not only did I spend the 5 minutes, I've already downloaded all the code from your site and am working through it I learned my tutorial lesson the last time And of course, as always, thanks for leading the way.

 

[whoward69]

Okay, now I've decided to go ahead with the UI part myself. I actually built a simple unit, and that worked, but... it's just not what I want. I want the ability to be available for all existing combat units like in days of old. So, I am now learning how to add buttons and listen for button clicks and fire custom events weeeeee!

I know, I'm like a dog with a bone, and probably just talking to myself here. But, I'm having fun so I'm kind of okay with that

If you're trying to do that directly in UnitPanel.lua/xml you're playing with fire IMHO as just about every button in there is added as a consequence of a unit being able to handle a command, perform an action, or build something so the entire display is highly dynamic. Also, there are are two versions of the xml, it being one of the few UI contexts that have a _small variant.

 

[Hambil]

Great. Just what I needed Well, nothing that's worth doing is easy, or so they say. I really don't care what interface to the user I end up with, as long as it's elegant. So if this way won't work I'll find another

 

[Hambil]

Okay I think this works well enough for an alpha. But, I'd like (gentle request, I know everyone is busy) some other eyes on it before I upload it to thousands of Steam users. I figure I'll add more configurability in version 2.

In play testing so far I've run into only a few small issues, but obviously more play testing is needed. This can be moved to the Mod forum if you'd like since it's going to be an active mod soon, or is now.

 

[Genghis.Khan]

Can you upload the Alpha 2.0?

 

[Hambil]

I will upload all the alphas you want I'll have a 2.0 later today with some fixes/tweaks.

 

[Hambil]

There is a flaw, but I think I can live with it. The flaw is as follows:
1. DoTurn is called.
2. Escorting unit see it's sitting on a civilian and fortifies.
3. DoTurn ends and the automated worker moves.
4. Next turn the escorting unit moves to cover again, but the civilian has been left exposed for a turn.

I don't think I can work around it, it's just hard coded game machanics. But, the workers still get a lot more cover than without the mod (or without manually covering them). So I still think it's worthwhile. Especially the cover they get while building improvements.

 

[whoward69]

DoTurn ends and the automated worker moves.

Which is a variation of what I was trying to get at in post #7 here - http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=493078

And if the worker is moving many tiles away from its last working plot it will be unescorted for the whole journey - only actually being escorted in the players turn and not in the AI/CS/Barbs turns

 

[Hambil]

Which is a variation of what I was trying to get at in post #7 here - http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=493078

Yes, expect since civilian units (to my knowledge) can't get terrain movement bonuses (without another mod interferring) then the combat unit should always have enough moves to catch up and cover. But there is certainly a window for capture in there. Mostly I added the 'always move to cover' flag so that things around a city with multiple workers and escorters, work smoother. With always move to cover set off, they don't swaps workers around. In fact, now that I know I can't work around the queue order issue, I think I'll remove the flag and just have them always stick to their civilian.

 

[Hambil]

For clarity, I think I might change the name of the mod to 'Follow and Cover'.

 

[whoward69]

My worker if off to the gold fields. Unfortunately it's going to take their Spearmen guards 9 turns and a battle to get there!



By which time they'll be working the iron to the west of the horses

 

[Hambil]

Won't automation on both be broken when they approach the barbarian camp? I don't mind if the mod doesn't account for everything as long as it returns manual control when things like this happen. Honestly, it's not even my bug. If Faraxis is pathing that way, with a visible barbarian camp in the path, they are seriously messing up pathing. I guess they don't really have a 'give up' option though. The silly worker will try anyway.

 

[Hambil]

Discovered and added Domains, so that it won't chase after workboats anymore There are several other fixes too. I'll probably upload in an hour or so.

 

[Hambil]

By which time they'll be working the iron to the west of the horses

I know you think this is a lost cause (this mod) but it's become a labor of love lol

 

[whoward69]

Won't automation on both be broken when they approach the barbarian camp? I don't mind if the mod doesn't account for everything as long as it returns manual control when things like this happen. Honestly, it's not even my bug. If Faraxis is pathing that way, with a visible barbarian camp in the path, they are seriously messing up pathing. I guess they don't really have a 'give up' option though. The silly worker will try anyway.

The worker routes correctly through the city, but the escort can't (due to the catapult) so takes the next shortest route available (around the mountains), because the camp is not within illuminated territory, it may or may not still be there (Schrodinger's Barbarians???), so the path finder makes no account for it until the Spearmen get it within sight. Whether it's there or not, the spearmen are not escorting the worker.

Don't think it's a lost cause, just think there are a number of common use-cases that haven't been allowed for.

 

[Hambil]

Ah, I see, the unit in the city blocks the path of the escort but not the civilian. Interesting. And tricky. I'll have to think about this one.

Edit: As I think it over I want to say the behavor above 'works as expected'. Meaning, the escort will end up under manual control by the barbarian camp. It's going to be complex and inperfect (hence why I say I hate pathing code - for example, embark changes the above issue) but as long as when we fail we do so 'gracefully' and the player is returned control, it's probably okay? I can even send a 'Worker unprotected!' notification, complete with map centering.