Military Unit Building Discussion (example: continue knight when rifleman available?)

[Cybah]

We should not compare cavalry to infantry.

We should teach the AI NOT to build macemen anymore when riflemen are available or even grenadiers.

We should teach the AI NOT to build any cavalry anymore when tanks are available.


BUT


If the AI has enough gold to immediately upgrade the new built units of older types (like maceman -> rifleman) the AI may continue building of worse units.


BUT


Then the AI has to check 3 things:

1. Is it possible to upgrade the unit?
2. Do I have enough gold for upgrading?
3. and this is important: What's the "building costs/power" - unit value?

The AI should NEVER build a maceman when a grenadier or rifleman would take the same amount of time to be built in that city (like: 1 round for all units -> always the best unit should be built.)

 

[peter450]

Well if cav could upgrade either to tanks or gunships i think the AI would certainly end up with more tanks, i find the unit upgrade paths have a big impact on the makeup of the AI's army particularly city defender units were they go fro m early game variety to late game sameness

Start of game i notice vast majority of cities have archers/axeman/spearmen, even a swordman defending, so a good defense mix, not every city but a notable number

Second stage and longbows tend to be taking over and unit mix is more samey, mainly longbows but the odd X bow and maceman, musketman for city defense

Next stage and it's nearly all riflemen defending

Next stage and it's nearly all infantry defending

In the early game the city defense mix seems at it's most varied, while later it tends to be the same stuff in every city, i've changed the unit AI on my MG unit to city defense from city special and it's coming up to that time in my game, i'l let you know if city defense is comprised entirely of infantry as i have usually seen in the past or if some MG's are makiing there way into that mix, for a combined inf/MG defense force

AS for building new units, the AI has a limit on how many units it has on the field i think?depending on it's personality and economic situation as sometimes when i have gone to gift a unit it's been refused when the AI had a lot of units already, so if the field is full of units even if better ones are available it's will probably keep the old ones and upgrade in the case of cav having no upgrade means they just mull around till gunships i think this could cause the impression of not building enough modern units when there available?