[C&C1] Command Research: ATTACK UNITS

[Chimas]

Hi,

I was looking for a desired effect in a SP mission I am seting up. I wanted a third party chopper (orca or apache) to land and just stay there landed but I failed terribly so far.

 

Then I wondered what the ATTACK UNIT parameter stands for.

 

This is the study and the MIX file about it:

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

 

Teamtype command: ATTACK UNITS

 

CONCLUSION:

The parameter number is related to the NUMBER of SHOTS fired in the firing position against primary target

AND

it is also related to the range of the search for a primary target

 

To see this conclusion running

you have to let the game play COMMANDS RESEARCH - ATTACK UNITS III inside the MIX file, included here, in TOP HIGH SPEED

 

Assumptions and Concepts:

- The firing position is a placement after the last waypoint before the ATTACK UNIT command in teamtype instruction;

- In the firing position it will acquire a target and try to eliminate it, if it is in range;

- When moving to the firing position, some units (tanks) will take the opportunity to fire against other enemies in range;

 

Not Tested

- On all units: didn't have time

- Changes in the AI parameter, which is known to change behaviour of units in the teamtype commands

- A more comprehensive map with bases and variations of the terrain

- Higher number parameter (variations was 1 , 3 and 5).

 

To be observed or confirmed in future research:

- The ATTACK UNIT parameter is not related to the number of targets or the time spended on the task as it happens in other commands

 

Things to note:

- To assure at least one shot the parameter must be ATTACK UNITS:2

 

FINAL COMMENT

Don't take this as TOTALLY TRUE: things must be confirmed by others,

because it is common (and sad) in case study research to conclude what you want  to see.

 

In the begining I was seeing "the number of enemies", it changed to "number of shots", then to "shots in the firing position" and finally "shots in the firing position plus range".

It won't be a surprise if another factor arises that I didn't notice.

 

In my "defense": I tried to provide a lot of usefull details for the experienced mapmakers that may want to add some remarks based on their personal experience.

sc-cmd-attunit.MIX

[Nyerguds]

isn't it just related to time? That would pretty much exactly sum up the effects... namely increased search range and attack time.

[Chimas]

isn't it just related to time? That would pretty much exactly sum up the effects... namely increased search range and attack time.

 

Yeah, you're right.

I was anchored with the idea that the Att Un parameter was the number of the enemy units.

I was also concerned with the behaviour among different units with the same parameter. By the time the test model got interesting, I was tired, maybe.

 

The shots are decreasing across distance and, after rescaling the attack units parameters for 1/4/7 in the model, the shots for the closer target for the most "empowered" tank increased to around 12 shots so the attack units number is related to time. The game distributes the time for search and attack.

[Nyerguds]

Not really. It just looks for a target and then attacks it. That's not "distributing", that's just using the time it got; I doubt it goes looking for enemies further away just because you give it more time.

 

It'd be more interesting to research HOW it searches for the enemy, with multiple possible targets... if it takes the closest one, or the most northern one, or some random one.