How do I get the AI to build more diverse units?

[Skulb]

I have a bit of a problem and I'm not sure how to solve it.
I'm building a TOT game and I'm sort of at an impasse with the units section. Its an almost 100% ground units game with a mostly unique set of units for each empire. So I have a few questions that I'ld appreciate anyones imput on.

Is there any way to be sure that the AI will do much more than build tons of the best attack unit and the cheapest defense unit?

Does anyone know how the AI "decides" what to build?
If I have one defense, one attack, and one attack unit with the artillery flag will the AI build more than a hand full of artillery? Does the AI build a certain amount based on the paradrop flag or the amphibious flag, etc.

I've read in some of Kobyashi's notes for his dominion war senario that he assigned the fighter flag for "smaller" units to get the AI to build them and that the AI treats it like a sort of scout.

If the AI has a powerful but expensive attack unit and a weaker but much cheaper attack unit, what will it favor? Will it build only one kind?

From what I've observed about the AI's building practices, it tends to build the best attack and the cheapest defense, but I could be wrong about that.

My goal is to get the AI to keep two different attack units in the field at the same time and to use them in roughly the same fashion. And possibly to get it to keep producing an older unit when a new more powerful (and expensive) unit is discovered.

Does anyone have any facts or experiences that can help me?

[Cyrion]

Re: How do I get the AI to build more diverse units?

Originally posted by Skulb
Is there any way to be sure that the AI will do much more than build tons of the best attack unit and the cheapest defense unit?

Yes: give different "roles" to your units, and the AI will build them!

[Jerec]

Re: How do I get the AI to build more diverse units?

Originally posted by Skulb
Is there any way to be sure that the AI will do much more than build tons of the best attack unit and the cheapest defense unit?

What Cyrion said.

Does anyone know how the AI "decides" what to build?
If I have one defense, one attack, and one attack unit with the artillery flag will the AI build more than a hand full of artillery? Does the AI build a certain amount based on the paradrop flag or the amphibious flag, etc.

The AI ignores flags when it "decides" what to build.

I've read in some of Kobyashi's notes for his dominion war senario that he assigned the fighter flag for "smaller" units to get the AI to build them and that the AI treats it like a sort of scout.

Techumseh gave the legion unit in his Roman Civil Wars the air superiority role and got interesting results. If on the fighter flag, the legion would be built in medium-small numbers and be used for attack and defense.

If the AI has a powerful but expensive attack unit and a weaker but much cheaper attack unit, what will it favor? Will it build only one kind?

When "deciding" on what to build, the AI will only look at three things: role, attack, and defense. It ignores flags, H/P, cost, and Firepower. In a nutshell, it will only build the more expensive, powerful unit and ignore the weaker one.

[QUOTE]
From what I've observed about the AI's building practices, it tends to build the best attack and the cheapest defense, but I could be wrong about that.
[QUOTE]

Best attack and best defense, forget about the cost. IIRC, that is.

My goal is to get the AI to keep two different attack units in the field at the same time and to use them in roughly the same fashion. And possibly to get it to keep producing an older unit when a new more powerful (and expensive) unit is discovered.

To keep 2 units in the field, do what Cyrion said. Use different roles (attack, air superiority). You might even want to play around with the sea superiority role. Using different roles would be the only way to make the AI produce varied units, in my experience.

[curtsibling]

Had the same trouble recently - AI build bug!

The solution? Right here!

http://sleague.apolyton.net/Guides/sldt_useunits.shtml

Make sure units have stats that vary, but add up.

For instance, the AI will build a unit that has 10Att/5Def/2Mov,but not a unit that has 9Att/5Def2Mov.

But it will build a unit that has 9Att/6/Def/2Mov...Because it's stats equal 10Att/5Def/2Mov!

What I do is make a baseline stat for units and vary them in this way, and also use Ht/Fp settings to fine tune.

Hope this helps - And check the link, it is good!

[AGRICOLA]

How many units do the various AI civs have at the beginning of the scen? The number is critical, because above some threshold, the AI will switch to city improvements and possibly freights. The threshold does not appear to be very high.

For example, I checked my saves of the first two turns in Red October. The Central Powers have 169 units at the start and every city but one is building a unit (all cities have 0 shields in the shield box at the start). By the next turn all are building city improvements or freights.

I was curious if giving each production box a few shields as "seed' might improve things. Not at all, all cities immediately switched to improvements or freights.

This reluctance of the AI to build units is a pain in the neck if the human civ has gained the upper hand and is capturing AI cities. The AI does not respond by building units until its total is down to ~100 or less.

[Jerec]

Originally posted by AGRICOLA
This reluctance of the AI to build units is a pain in the neck if the human civ has gained the upper hand and is capturing AI cities. The AI does not respond by building units until its total is down to ~100 or less.

I made sure the AI in Caesar's Gallic War would make units by letting them make only 2 basic improvements-walls and aqueducts (I reduced the shield cost too)- and 3 units: one attack unit, one air superiority unit, and one defend unit. I didn't even let the Gaulish civs have the ability to make caravans.

@Gauls

@Skulb

If you want enemy civs that are JUST supposed to be impediments to conquering, cut out the ability to make improvements/capitalization and maybe wonders, forcing unit-only production.

[Skulb]

Thanks

Brilliant advice. I think I might finally be able to get the units set up now. And check out the sweet new avatar.

[kobayashi]

Originally posted by curtsibling

Make sure units have stats that vary, but add up.

For instance, the AI will build a unit that has 10Att/5Def/2Mov,but not a unit that has 9Att/5Def2Mov.

But it will build a unit that has 9Att/6/Def/2Mov...Because it's stats equal 10Att/5Def/2Mov!

Not exactly true.

Its been a while but if I recall correctly, you have 4 sets of regular ground units

Move =1 attack units
Move=1 defend units
Move >1 attack units
Move>1 defend units


For the units having an attack role and move 2, the AI will build 10A 5D 2M and 8A 6D 2M even though 10+5 > 8 +6. As long as a unit has a higher A or higher D than any other unit of the same role and move, the AI is supposed to build it.

Extending the logic, if there is defend role unit, lets say 4A 4D 2M, the AI would build that too even though there is a 10A 5D 2M attack unit.

Then there is the knight and musketeer slots which cause auto obsolescence, just make sure you put ships or air units in these two slots and you needn't worry about them.

[Elok]

I assume that move zero units are considered move one by the AI when it's deciding? Or does the AI refuse to build move zeros?

I seem to recall reading somewhere that duplicate units encourage the AI to build more of a certain type, i.e. if you have three legions and one phalanx, and it considers both worth building, it will build more of the former because it considers them three different units despite identical stats and names. Is that at all accurate?

[kobayashi]

Originally posted by Elok
I assume that move zero units are considered move one by the AI when it's deciding? Or does the AI refuse to build move zeros?

IIRC, AI will build zero move units.

Originally posted by Elok
I seem to recall reading somewhere that duplicate units encourage the AI to build more of a certain type, i.e. if you have three legions and one phalanx, and it considers both worth building, it will build more of the former because it considers them three different units despite identical stats and names. Is that at all accurate?

If units have the same stats (same name or otherwise) the AI will build them both but I think it often decides whether it wants to spam defend or attack units so this might not work unless you are using other roles such as air superiority for those ground units.