Back to Basics v2.0 AI Changelog

* Finally bridged the gap between AI and ScAR.
  We're extremely happy and excited about this, as this particular thing allows custom control of any unit we want. This used to cause sync errors in multiplayer, but now it works. As far as our knowledge goes, Back to Basics is the only mod at the moment which is doing this. The only problem with adding new units to control is that it takes a lot of effort to properly program their behavior. Currently, there are two types of branches this script has for controlling two different types of units:
- British HQ trucks. Vanilla HQs weren't very smart at all and could break AI’s behavior completely. This frustrating aspect of AI which left us out of modding British AI out of utter frustration with it is now finally fixed. And it's fixed pretty well - HQs will move away if they're under threat and they will setup on high income points properly.
- Units which are meant to engage at range (and setup the weapon). Weapons like HMGs, mortars and tanks like marders won't suicide nearly as much anymore and setup in position properly, retreat from threats.
* We've modified all of 1v1, 2v2 and 3v3 maps to make AI much smarter on them.
  We've added around 60-90 markers per map which allows AI to properly evaluate the situation and even set up defenses there (as opposed to only being able to setup defenses near strategic points).
* Drastically improved the targets.ai file.
  This file is responsible for how AI chooses all kinds of its targets - what it attacks, captures and defends. Changes include:
- Much earlier pushes in the beginning of the game.
- AI will try to secure the middle of the map properly.
- Almost never will you see random stray units behind your lines anymore, especially not running into your base MGs.
- Not nearly as many suicides for defensive units like nebelwerfers and other mobile artillery (this however still remains to be fixed by the ScAR script which I've talked about above as it's impossible to fully control it otherwise).
- AI will capture strategic points under fire much less frequently.
- AI capture patterns are drastically improved.
* Drastically improved the attack percentage evaluation.
  This is also highly connected such calculations with targets.ai file. AI will become much more cautious in certain situations and generally feel more like a human player.
- It will stop being crazily aggressive if it knows it has less units than the player.
- It will become slightly less aggressive as it captures more territory. This fixes problems of it losing too many units before being able to kill the player (It will wait for bigger amounts of units to break the opponents while still constantly bombarding the positions and securing the territory around the enemy positions).
- Early in the game this metric is modified to make AI attack more than it usually would, thus being more aggressive towards creating its initial front line.
* A lot of ability usage fixes.
  AI will use abilities like grenades, marksman shot, assault, and satchel charges much better and target them on things that the abilities are most effective against.
* Fixed a bug where AI would keep spamming artillery on strategic points.
  Apparently Relic thought that strategic points are tp_infantry so AI thought that strategic points were in fact infantry who stood still all game long, thus are best for bombarding.
* Balanced munitions usage properly.
  AI will rarely float a lot of munitions, however it will still save some for player abilities (off-map artillery) when it needs to.
* Balanced fuel/manpower unit purchases properly
  The economy of AI is dependant on the actual fuel/manpower ratio, preventing the floating of these resources. It's not directly influenced by this, however - other rules are more important and this is only a wildcard which fixes the inaccuracies.
* Fixed unit reinforcing bug where AI would have a lot of units waiting to be reinforced at home.
  This bug was caused by a different number of reasons - from being popcapped to waiting for a more expensive unit to buy.
* Drastically improved unit retreat.
  Relic's retreat rules were ridiculously simple. We had to come up with a bit of a tricky fix for this and added much more rules for retreating.
* Fixed lieutenant, sergeant, medic and other leader AI.
  These units will no longer sit in buildings all game long, suicide by trying to follow a unit which is all the way across the map or simply not retreating when close to enemy (this is still not 100% fixed but works much better).
* Completely fixed unit call-ins.
  They were already mostly fixed in 1.2. However we used a special script to control that. For some reason tank call-ins still used to bug out and AI would simply keep calling them in endlessly as soon as it got the resources which made it spam units like Geschutzwagen horribly. Now we're not using the script anymore, we found another way to fix it and now it works properly in all cases and this also slightly improved game performance. Added and improved the rules and priorities for all the call-ins.
* AI will use cover better
  Slightly improved the cover search tactic function.
* AI will stay in buildings longer and more properly, enter them much more often.
  Heavily improved building entering priority evaluation tactic rules.