Self-Rule / Assign friendly AI

[Lucifer]

In huge maps, It's really exhausting to command each unit to move & attack & my spare workers to build towers etc. & that too each turn for 50-60 turns.
So, If we can group select some troops / town etc. & Assign them "Self-Rule" i.e.
they would be controlled by an AI that is our Ally.
So I don't have to Individually move those 50 Swordsman to attack.
This would make large battles more fast-paced & enjoyable.

[Lawrence]

I love the idea!

[Stratego (dev)]

excellent idea!

however i would not make it as a new "player", but simply extending the "auto build" and "auto shoot" with normal actions considering units/buikdings that are set to this "AI state".
i mean i could introduce a unit state, that can be set like
- normal
- auto (this would be the AI that attacks enemy, and builds units against the enemy, also check waypoint too, if set it will move there and attack from that location)
- auto rage (auto, but without retreating if getting injured)
- auto attack (auto but you can set a "waypoint" not to reach it but to attack at location, meaning it will not go/trin anywhere else that you desire, if there is no enemy around turns to "auto")

or something i thought.... any other ideas/concepts?

[Lucifer]

Yeah, you're right. No new 'player', just add the following options on Multiselect-
Offensive- Attack. No retreat. Workers build catapults and wagons.
Defensive- Attack bit retreat if heavily injured. Workers build Walls and fortresses.
Both can be controlled by waypoints, and of course, the 'Normal' option(player controlled).

[Puss_in_Boots]

Defensive- Attack bit retreat if heavily injured. Workers build Walls and fortresses.
Both can be controlled by waypoints, and of course, the 'Normal' option(player controlled).

Not possible with current program, but it would make things simpler to complete a campaign map where the enemy has 0 chance.

[Lucifer]

Reviving this from the dead

[b2198]

Reviving this from the dead

Nice revival. I also like this idea a lot.

- normal
- auto (this would be the AI that attacks enemy, and builds units against the enemy, also check waypoint too, if set it will move there and attack from that location)
- auto rage (auto, but without retreating if getting injured)
- auto attack (auto but you can set a "waypoint" not to reach it but to attack at location, meaning it will not go/trin anywhere else that you desire, if there is no enemy around turns to "auto")

I'd also add "hit and run": moves toward enemy if not in range, attacks when in range, and then moves as far away as possible, and repeat. That would be great for archers, light cavalry and attack ships.

Yeah, you're right. No new 'player', just add the following options on Multiselect-
Offensive- Attack. No retreat. Workers build catapults and wagons.
Defensive- Attack bit retreat if heavily injured. Workers build Walls and fortresses.
Both can be controlled by waypoints, and of course, the 'Normal' option(player controlled).

I don't think automating worker actions should be the focus for now, because that's a lot more complex to do, so we should first start with the simpler stuff.

Maybe also add a more defensive state, in which units will only attack if the enemy approaches, and afterwards will go back to where it was?

And also one for

They could also maybe be named:

• manual
• auto - balanced (the default one)
• auto - attack on sight (the one you called "auto attack")
• auto - all in (the one you called "auto rage"
• auto - hit and run (the one I described above)
• auto - defend position (also described above)
  (and maybe we could integrate some other "states" that we already have into this system and add \/)
• auto - do nothing (similar to "end the turn for this unit (and stand ground)" command, but the unit keeps doing nothing in the following turns until changed to another state, unlike currently, and could probably replace the current command... And for when you just want to not move \/)
• auto - hold ground (don't move, but still do automatic stuff like firing and attacking)

Ofc we should start with just some of these, and add the others over time if they're working well and people agree on the others.

Oh, and the unit's state should probably only be seen by the player that unit belongs to, otherwise it might be too easy for the opponent to read your plans.


Also also also, a future thing that could be made (somewhat) easier by this is improving (or adding new) AI, by making it also use this system and just have to decide which state to put its units into, based on circumstances.