Author Topic: Mending of units behaviors, based on intel and aggro settings in units_RUL [BAI]  (Read 320 times)

Offline Abyss

  • Colonel
  • ****
  • Posts: 327
    • View Profile
Hello everyone!
Please, consider helping make it clear.

Recently, different player reported an issue with BAI chryssalids not behaving optimally in open terrain melee situations. I suggested tuning the AI options to consider modder-set intelligence and aggressiveness options, which BAI can already do. However, while looking into the units RUL file, I realized that unit intelligence may not be that straightforward. For example, ethereals may have an intelligence level of 3, while snakemen can have 7, some stormtroopers may have 1, while megascorpions may have 2, and chryssalids have 4 etc.

So my question is whether the intelligence and aggressiveness numbers are on a strict scale from 0 to 10, where 0 represents degenerate behavior and 10 represents battlefield genius, or if they are just markings of presets for a behavioral frameworks that doesn't correlate with the actual gradation (bigger number doesn't mean smarter). The same question applies to aggressiveness numbers. Is it possible that the number is just a link to a preset, and actual aggressiveness relies on something else?

Currently, BAI uses intelligence and aggressiveness as markers for how units should behave and how many wrong moves the AI makes. Xilmi has included BAI options that take into account what modders assigned to units in UNITS.RUL in regard to their aggro and intel. However, if the aggressiveness and intel are not straightforward like in BAI, balance could be pretty broken.

Let me explain: right now BAI uses intelligence and aggressiveness as own markers for:
- how units should behave (0 aggro = more cover and ambush, 1 = careful fight, 2 aggro = balanced fight, 3 = careful push, 4 aggro = push no matter what)
- how many wrong moves AI makes (0 intel = can do not-optimal move/shot, or even stay open, to 5 intel = each move/shot is a move towards battle won).
When the combined option is enabled, BAI reduces baseline numbers and pluses portion of the numbers which are set by modders, respectfully. Then, unit with intel 9 (like, ghost) under ruleset will behave as most sentient, and unit with intel 1 (like, magma cosmonaut, obliterator, crocs and other guys) will make far more mistakes.

Thank you for you time!
« Last Edit: December 26, 2023, 11:13:17 pm by Abyss »

Offline Meridian

  • Global Moderator
  • Commander
  • *****
  • Posts: 8631
    • View Profile
So my question is whether the intelligence and aggressiveness numbers are on a strict scale from 0 to 10, where 0 represents degenerate behavior and 10 represents battlefield genius

no

or if they are just markings of presets for a behavioral frameworks that doesn't correlate with the actual gradation (bigger number doesn't mean smarter).

also no

The same question applies to aggressiveness numbers. Is it possible that the number is just a link to a preset, and actual aggressiveness relies on something else?

third time no


PS: Xilmi is more than capable looking it up in the source code, no need to ask here, it's not as easily describable as you'd hope

Offline Abyss

  • Colonel
  • ****
  • Posts: 327
    • View Profile
Nevertheless, thank you for taking a look into that