AI should design the low cost ECM and Synth units

[bvanevery]

The Cyborgs for instance start the game with a Laser Squad, which only costs 1 to make. Adding ECM doesn't increase the cost, so that design should automatically be provided.

If the cost of units is actually in flux, then I could see avoiding this until your design choices stabilize. But I've noticed that the ECM Synth Garrison is the "correct" alternative to a mere Scout. Once you have the techs, they cost the same. Similarly, a Trance Scout costs the same as a Scout. Also the ECM Scout Rover.

[tnevolin]

Unit design production and movement are tedious parts of AI tuning. It is not always easy to understand how much exactly these changes make AI stronger. It is easy to get swamped there. I try not to touch anything there unless fixing obvious stupid behavior.

You are welcome to draw and maintain concise AI tuning algorithms. I may do implementation.

[bvanevery]

Actually there are 2 issues: providing them for the AI, or providing them for the human player. It's the latter that bugs me more than anything, as I always have to design those units myself. Can the game at least determine what an optimal Cost 1 unit type is, regardless of whether the AI uses it?

[tnevolin]

What is the problem with providing them to human? Like predefined units, you mean? Other than that human can design whatever the hell they like.

You don't see it does. That means it cannot "determine what an optimal Cost 1 unit type is"! End of story. You are the serious game designer with tons of testing experience. Stop asking such questions. Anything that is not there should be done with our own hands. Every tiny winy piece of anything. SMACX AI programming (including any intelligent helpers like workshop helper) is really archaic. Unfortunately. Get used to it. 😟

[bvanevery]

Please refrain from blowing your stack. The 1st step in even considering to solve any problem, is to state what the problem is, in an Issues Tracker. That's so the problem isn't just forgotten a year down the road, if that's what it comes to. Triage is how professionals deal with things, and turn a pile of overwhelming problems into some tractable problems.

[tnevolin]

I have modified unit design to include ECM and AAA whenever they are available. Meaning AI should design them along with pure units. Please check if they are there. That was in some recent version. Don't remember which. I also made them not to obsolete each other even if they have same price.

[bvanevery]

The issue is early ECM and Synth units, not ECM and AAA over the course of the whole game. For instance I just started a game as the Free Drones. They start with Synth. However, Formers and Colony Pods weren't designed with Synth armor on them, even though it's free. Similarly when I got Doctrine: Flexibility, the Transports were not given Synth armor even though it's free. No Synth put on the various probe team units even though it's free.

I can't remember whether the AI designed the ECM Synth Laser unit or not. I was playing too fast.

[tnevolin]

I have reverted cheap unit experiment back. Now serving tier weapon and armor is back to their 2 cost. It was interesting to check but it messes up the design when a lot of designs cost the same as you correctly noticed. Now we should see less such problems. Still you are right. AI struggle selecting optimal design. Specifically, I didn't add any code to design non combat units. May work on it.

[bvanevery]

As of version 257, with Synth armor now typically costing something, there aren't a lot of obvious cheap unit designs that should be auto-designed anymore. I think an ECM Scout should still be designed, and maybe a few other things here and there, but it's not the scope of problem it previously was.

[tnevolin]

When I test play it now I see some ECM units designed by AI. At least it is in there design slots.