Wall Breacher/Sapper/Miner/Combat Engineer AI issues

[Zakal]

Hi, so I had a quick look and I couldn't see a thread about this, which concerns me a bit since I had ignored the problem for quite a few months now hoping it would get fixed in any of the last couple of updates, but it hasn't.

I use Engineers a fair bit, and they always used to be relatively predictable. You would drop them in front of a section of wall, and they would blow up the section of wall closest to them.

NOW however, they only do that sometimes. Other times, they will randomly target a wall that is miles away, and then die in the process. Or they will go target that other walls, you'll deploy all your other troops together with them...who will try and make their own hole in the wall...the idiot Engineer will blow a hole too far away to be of any assistance, and everyone dies before the wall is breached (against higher bases at least).

To illustrate my point:


====■============================================= ====X=========

= is the wall
■ is nearest segment to where I deploy the Engineer
X is where the Engineer actually went.

And the worst part is, it is entirely unpredictable. I thought perhaps some stupid new piece of AI had been implemented so that my full upgraded Engineer targeted the lowest level "nearby" wall segment (as though that would make any difference given how much damage they do)....but no, adopting the above example, X is sometimes a higher level wall than ■, and often several anti-tank guns lie in between.


Can this either be fixed or explained please? Because it makes it very difficult to use the Unit if its going to be this unpredictable.

EDIT: One quick thing I forgot is that previously, you used to be able to deploy 2+ engineers in the same spot near a series of walls, and the first one would blow a hole in the first would (quite sensibly) go through the breach and blow up the next wall behind it. Now, they idiots blow up different segments of the same wall. Diagram below:


Old way
======3======

======2======

======1======

Crazy new way

============

============

==1===2====3=

Where 1,2,3 denotes the detonation location of each engineer.

 

[Kaiser Shag]

I totally agree, the only way to use them is to rally on the wall you want to breach, else they are too stupid ..

 

[LordStark263AC]

Valid point.

 

[Manifesto]

If you use engineers I say serves you right.
They're always making holes in my walls for raiders to steal my oil.

 

[Zakal]

So what happens with these threads? Is something being done about it? If it is, it hasn't been deployed yet because they are still completely mindless.

 

[LordStark263AC]

We just had an update, another 2 months of waiting at least.

 

[BeerMan]

I agree that the engineers can be frustrating, but I don't think the AI is entirely unpredictable. If you deploy them where there is no clear path (buildings in the way), they will navigate around the buildings and end up elsewhere. Also, if you deploy them too far away from walls, they will target anything, including buildings. As I continue to face tougher and tougher opponents, I've come to realize that engineers are among the most important units in the game. When/how to use them takes a lot of practice and skill to get the timing just right.

 

[sileepuppee]

I guess it depends on if you're atomic and higher and use them but the tactical helis are a decent strat to somewhat combat they a.i. problems and I see more people using them (At least for war I can't speak of MP). Since it does allow you to deploy them in the radius, people are dropping them right in front of the wall they want to break so they have no choice but to hit the correct spots. Of course that requires you to sacrifice space to have a tac heli and a lot of people can't use them but there's not going to be a fix for the a.i.

It's really just the further they have to go to break a wall, the greater the chance they will not go where you think they will. And you have to stay away from open gaps. 3-4 spaces seems to work for me but I also now take at least 2-3 because I can't leave it to chance now especially in war attacks.