Unit Build Lists

[nick666]

Need some assistance/clarification on Unit build lists.

I've worked out/experimented to find out that that each queue effectively returns only one unit, selected from the bottom up, and that seems to work ok. Similiarly, the category doesn't appear to have any effect on placement in a queue, ie you can put a FLANKER unit into the SPECIAL queue and it builds.

The AI seems to build extra defensive units, which appear to be from the "garrison" line in the buildlist sequences file, so I can explain that, but there are still a couple of issues.

When/how does it decide to build its special units and settles ?

I can find references to a Transport % of production, and values for the total of special units & settlers to create, but is there anything to set for settlers, and is it hard-coded to always use the LAND/SEA SETTLER build queue ?

Final query. The AIR_LIST build queue doesn't sem to be triggered very often, even if the percentage air units is large ( or 1.0 ! ). Does it check for a something else like an advance or must the units be category AERIAL ( unlikely as I've tried that ). Must work, as I've seen the Cradle lists use this queue unless it does something SLIC-wise ?

Thanks

[Martin Gühmann]

Originally posted by nick666
Final query. The AIR_LIST build queue doesn't sem to be triggered very often, even if the percentage air units is large ( or 1.0 ! ). Does it check for a something else like an advance or must the units be category AERIAL ( unlikely as I've tried that ). Must work, as I've seen the Cradle lists use this queue unless it does something SLIC-wise ?

It would be interested which mod do you use, if I look into the according build list of GoodMod then I know why it does not build many air units. It contains some non air units, so even if you set the air units percentage to 1.0 the AI will also build non air units.

Originally posted by nick666
I can find references to a Transport % of production, and values for the total of special units & settlers to create, but is there anything to set for settlers, and is it hard-coded to always use the LAND/SEA SETTLER build queue ?

That is not hard encoded that the game uses always LAND/SEA SETTLER build queue, there is a line in the strategies.txt like:

SettlerUnitList UNIT_BUILD_LIST_LAND_SETTLER

Actual I think the sea list isn't mentioned in that file and therefore never used but you can put there any other build queue, like a nuke list and then the AI will always build nukes if it want to build settlers, presumed the list contains also nukes.

-Martin

[nick666]

After more experimentation, I'm convinced that the AIR_LIST is somehow special , as per the description in the Activision strategy explanation page.

I suspect that this is triggered by something to do with AIR advances or events, as almost no matter what I do it rarely builds anything.

As for mods, I'm using the base CTP2, plus NewDiplomod and a couple of other small slics ( including 'Forts for AIs' ! ).

I've found that changing the Settler % and using the LAND_SETTLER Q for units that could have been on the AIR Q gives a fair result, though its a shame to 'lose' a Q.

I'd be interested to know if the SEA_SETTLER Q is only triggered when the sea settler advances are available.