Wanting to create a decent "Search and destroy" AI

[Boar]

How would one go about doing this?

 

[Daffa]

What do you mean by Search and Destroy? Search enemy then kill it to death?

 

[RontoKing]

What do you mean by Search and Destroy? Search enemy then kill it to death?

If you kill it once it's already dead... ulness there's a paladin or necromancer nearby

On topic: Could you give more detail?

 

[Boar]

Right, so I've got this map where demons periodically spawn randomly on the map.

And I just want something a little bit more advanced then "Pick random unit on map, attack move towards it"

 

[Boar]

I would still love some help / ideas on how to do this

 

[RontoKing]

Is the map made of 1 or more islands or continents? Would those demons need ships to get to somewhere? If not I guess you could make them attack their nearest enemy. Not sure how to do that though. Will check.

 

[deathismyfriend]

to attack the nearest enemy u use a unit group and detect how far the unit is from the nearest unit with a real distance check.
^ i wouldnt do it that way tho.

instead pick a random point in the map and order the unit to attack move there. every couple seconds check if the unit has an order equal to stop.
if the unit is equal to stop order it to attack move to a new point.

i believe u can also use the wander ability and just give it to the unit and he will wander around the map until he finds something to attack

 

[Nichilus]

Wander is not good idea imo - I think it just forces you to move randomly even when you are in combat

 

[Xonok]

Wander is not good idea imo - I think it just forces you to move randomly even when you are in combat

Not really. Although you do have to make sure "Can flee" is toggled off.

 

[Nichilus]

Actually it is as I wrote (tested it just now).
If you have unit with Wander ability and that unit has "can flee" set to true, he will flee every time he takes (like a creep that has no attack)
If "can flee" is set to false, he won't flee after each attack, however he will periodically still stop attacking to move somewhere because of Wander ability.

To conclude:
Wander still forces the unit to move periodically, even if that unit is currently engaged in combat and has Can Flee either True or False.

A unit with Wander ability and "Stats - Can Flee: True" will flee when it takes damage; if "can Flee" is false, it won't flee after taking damage.

 

[sniper_zero]

I did something similar like this. I added the players to a group then I made a loop and for each loop I set a variable as a player's starting position. Then I make the units and order them to attack move to a random starting position.

trigger

• Player Group - Pick every player in TheAlliance and do (Actions)
  • Loop - Actions
    • Set Base_Loc[(Player number of (Picked player))] = ((Picked player) start location)
• For each (Integer UnitInteger) from 1 to 5, do (Actions)
  • Loop - Actions
    • Set RPos = (Random point in Spawn Point <gen>)
    • Unit - Create 1 Ghoul for Player 11 (Dark Green) at RPos facing Default building facing degrees
    • Unit - Order (Last created unit) to Attack-Move To Base_Loc[(Random integer number between 4 and 6)]
    • Special Effect - Create a special effect attached to the origin of (Last created unit) using Abilities\Spells\Undead\AnimateDead\AnimateDeadTarget.mdl
    • Special Effect - Destroy (Last created special effect)
    • Custom script: call RemoveLocation (udg_RPos)

EDIT:

And I just want something a little bit more advanced then "Pick random unit on map, attack move towards it"

I misread this. Please disregard my post. Oh, I might be wrong on this one but instead of checking if it has issued order stopped every few seconds, wouldn't making it patrol to a random point in the map every few seconds be better, if only because that would require less triggers?

 

[deathismyfriend]

yes patrol would be ok but it would only move between 2 points.

with the random point way u only need 3 triggers.
one trigger for adding units to group when the unit enters the map area.
one for removing the dead units from the group when they die or are removed from the map.
and one to loop through the group and check if they are already issued an order.

 

[Tonex]

The way the AI system in maddeem's MineralZ is that:
1. He creates the creeps
2. He orders 1/3 of the creeps to attack random enemy units
2 a. If a unit gets attacked, it is added to an "attackable" unit group
2 b. If the creep is unable to attack the target unit in some duration, it is order to target a different random unit
3. He orders the remaining 2/3 of the creeps to attack the units in the "attackable" unit group

Not sure if this is applicable to your map

 

[deathismyfriend]

the only thing i dont like about that is that it will always attack something rather than moving to a point since the AI shouldnt know were ever unit on the map is. attack move to a point is better IMO. Also like i said its only 3 triggers the way i do it.

 

[Tonex]

However, mine makes sure the unit can get attacked, so the units don't get stuck anywhere.

 

[sniper_zero]

@deathismyfriend when you say check if the order is stop do you mean

• (Current Order of Picked unit) equal to order(stop) true?

I just remembered trying that once. Nothing happened when I used that condition so I always thought that AI controlled units have a different order than stop when they're not moving.

 

[deathismyfriend]

that is the right one. that works only when using pick all units in unit group. The way i said it that would work.

 

[Boar]

Hrmm, thanks for the ideas so far guys. Tonex, how are you checking to see if "The unit hasn't attacked it's target in some time"?

Using hashtables or indexed arrays

 

[Tonex]

I don't remember, PM maddeem

 

[RontoKing]

@deathismyfriend when you say check if the order is stop do you mean

• (Current Order of Picked unit) equal to order(stop) true?

I just remembered trying that once. Nothing happened when I used that condition so I always thought that AI controlled units have a different order than stop when they're not moving.

That is correct. When testing if the AI is not doing anything never use stop. Instead use none. That means that they have no order at all. I know, it's weird but it's true. Try it out!

 

[Xonok]

When a unit has just been created, then the order is nonexistant.
When a unit has finished an order, then it's usually "stop".