AI still prefers Paras over Tanks!!?! Madness!

[SpencerH]

Certainly landing on an unguarded oil would be an effective use of paras, but since my cities are usually 3-4 squares from my cultural boundary what's the range that I can drop with an un-moded para compared to a tank/mech inf's movement? Even with a 8 range its not really worth the cost to build em.

[=DrJambo=]

Cyclonic,

will you let me know how returning the para's stats back to their original affects the AI's build choice between them and tanks? It may be that the only way the AI will prefer tanks over paras is when their original stats are used (6,8,1 and a range of 6?).

Trip,

with a good cultural border around cities with airports tanks or mech infantry will be equally good at reaching the paras airdrop range of 6 unless a stretch of water is involved. Furthermore the helicopter can easily fulfill this task and doesn't require an airport to be present.

[player1]

ARGH!

I have same problem with my 8/10/1, cost 100 (op. range 8) Paratroopers!
(and I though that my MOD was immune on that)


Maybe making them defensive would be a temporary solution.

Although, in that case, we should see will AI build Mech. Inf. when it becomes available (big probelm if it doesn't happen), and whould AI prefer paras aginst ordinary Infantry (not a realy big problem in any case).

[player1]

I sent a mail to Speed Bump (Barry Caudill) about this, and here is response:

Me:

Barry,
This time I'm not mailing because of the new update.

It's just about one little "AI problem"

AI is just building Paratroopers instead of Tanks (in this MOD).

When AI gets needed tech, it builds them instead of Tanks.
(paras have 8/10/1 stats)

Is there are way to prevent that AI suicidal behavior?
Is the same thing happening with original Civ3 paratroopers?
(6/8/1)
Is that a BUG?

P.S.
Luckly this behavoir stops after AI gets Modern Armor.

The way it is now, I have no idea what to do.

Thanks,
Andrej Damjanovic (aka player1)
Free MOD developer

Speed Bump:

See Soren's answer below. We just made a change to the AI for PTW that
should fix this problem. The AI will no longer put such an emphasis on
operational range. Thanks for the update.

Sincerely,

Barry Caudill
QA Manager
Firaxis Games

From: Soren Johnson

It is almost certainly the increase in operational range... although the
stat changes might make a difference too. I would suggest increasing the
cost, or decreasing the range and/or the ADM. You could probably get
away with just decreasing the range.

For now, I think i'll reduce operation range back to 6 for paratroopers.
(and do same to Helicopters in order to make them balanced "one to another")

[Nor Me]

Try Giving Tanks an Op range of 8 but no Airdrop order.

I modded Marines to be the same as Warriors and started a few games to see what the governor would suggest building first.

If they the same, it would suggest them about 50-50.
If one had an op range it would normally build that.
If both had an identical op range but only one could airdrop, it would build them randomly again.

It also didn't matter if one required literature but it could tell if one were amphibious.

Some other units may be picking up op ranges shortly...

[=DrJambo=]

I thought so!!

Thanks for the update Player1, i knew there was something afoot. I hate to say it but i'm actually glad you found the same problem with them as i did. At least i understand why mine didn't work.

I just ended up removing them completely as using their animation for a modern infantry unit. The helicopter more than helps to compensate for no paratroopers.

Oh, by the way, how will your Mod do under PTW? Will you have to completely re-do it, or will it be transferable?

[player1]

We'll see...

Maybe just one import function will do all the work?

By the way, version 1.33 or 1.34 will be included in "Best of Net" section in PtW.
(although newest version of MOD is now 1.36)