AITL;DR:- AI needs to be tweaked for different attacks.
- You can indirectly control units
- AI is split between behaviours and tasks.
- Tasks are what you tell a unit to do.
- Behaviours are how a unit does something.
- Squads are a group of units lead by a general.
- Tasks are assigned by squads.
- The player is the "commander".
- You can directly control the commander.
- If the commander dies, units panic and run around like retarded chickens*.
Full version:The original Guardian had some flaws in the AI system. For example, the usage of special attacks was poor. Assassins with their blades would only ever switch to their crossbow during the middle of a fight. You can see why that would fail.
So the first fix I need is different AI behaviours for using special attacks.
Secondly, in Guardian (I), control over the units was not there. Allies would start running back to the tower to put their gold in the chest, but then run back to defend their post. In the end, you needed to push back the enemies long enough for the guard to put their gold away.
So, I need a way to control the units. I am thinking of combining this game with a sort of RTS. In a weak way. I want the player to be able to tell the unit where to go, but I also want the player to be a part of the fight as well.
The AI will be split between two groups: Tasks, and Behaviours.
A task is something you tell a character to do, like charge into the battle, or retreat etc.
A behaviour is HOW the character does such a task. eg: An archer when told to defend a point, may run back further and find a good place to shoot from. Meanwhile, a warrior would block the path of enemies until death (or a new command).
I will also introduce squads. A squad will contain a general, and other members. Tasks will be assigned by squad.
Squads can be assigned both passive and active tasks. Passive tasks are done when nothing else is needed. Active tasks are done ASAP.
Finally, the player will be able to control 1 unit by themselves. This unit will become the commander. The commander must be alive for the player to be able to give out orders. If the commander dies, all (or most) units will enter "panic mode" and run around aimlessly. The same happens to a squad if their general dies.
There may be a way to have second-in-command to stop units panicking until a new commander is appointed. I will also allow the player to give command to another character (probably the second in command) (in case the commander is critically injured, or an unwanted class).
Hopefully this will create interesting gameplay without removing the player from the action.
(*Retarded chickens may feature in the game. It would make an interesting unit.
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