[Freeciv-Dev] Re: old/bad code in autoattack.c (PR#351)

[Tony Stuckey <stuckey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sat, Apr 29, 2000 at 09:39:42PM +0000, Nicolas BRUNEL wrote:
> It's really too crude. I'm afraid the same formula is used when a town is
> defending itself. I saw many warriors wasted in an attemp to destroy a
> phalanx on a mountain. It would be better to build a more powerfull
> attacking unit. One day someone will have to rewrite the code responsible
> for that.

        The autotattack deficiencies were noted before the 1.10.0 release,
but none of JJM, DWP, or myself have done anything about it.  (Who I think
were the participants in the conversation)

        The "Pearl Harbor" scenario rules are also done wrong, and that was
also noted at/before 1.10.0.  For anyone looking for a quick project, this
shouldn't take too long to rewrite better than it is now.

        The AI Diplomat management that I contributed for 1.10.0 also
doesn't do a few things like Poison City.  That should be an exercise in
cut-and-paste programming, with a little bit of logic for appropriateness.
(city size greater than 1 ?  other reasons?)

> Instead of using asses_defense and assess_defense_quadratic, we can calculate
>  the number of turns the town will survive. Now, AI spends too much money
> building units in a hurry to defend itself. Any improvement in this code
> will speed up AI science developpement. 

        It doesn't spend too much money anymore.
        ai_new_spend_gold() was fixed to reserve much more cash a few weeks
ago.  This is a change in CVS that is not in any release version.

> I don't know how AI selects the city to attack. I suggest
>  
>     - (1) Try to destroy enemy capitals.
>     - (2) Try to take usefull wonder. ( A republic without JC cathedral is 
>     less powerfull )
>     - (3) Try to capture cities which produce many shields. They will be
> easier to defend and will produce soon new units.

        The AI doesn't consider any of these.  Adding them is a little bit
non-trivial, especially point 3.  Also remember that Production+Population
is the trigger for Pollution, which the AI does not manage particularly
well.

>     - (4) Try to build easy to defend zone. It's better to take five
> cities on one island than one city on five islands.

        AI does consider this.

>    To sum up, AI can be improved. :-)

        Yes. :)  Production decisions really need to be made at a higher
level than the individual city, for one thing.
-- 
Anthony J. Stuckey                              stuckey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"And they said work hard, and die suddenly, because it's fun."
        -Robyn Hitchcock.