Re: Error handling

[Lincoln Peters <peters2000 at mindspring dot com>]

On Sun, 2003-01-05 at 14:12, Hans Ronne wrote:
> I don't think wizard.g ever worked that well. As for your problem, the
> first thing I would do is run xconq in debug mode for the mplayer (command
> line flag -DM). At the beginning of the output file, you will find the unit
> worth calculations. Look for "colonizing worth" and check if it is non-zero
> for your engineers. I suspect the need to develop tech etc. may set it to
> zero in which case the AI doesn't know what to do with them.

One thing I am finding the debug output constantly repeating is:

s2 e 5 (33,8) (mplayer) seeking victim within 4; found nothing
s2 e 5 (33,8) cannot colonize, got passive plan instead


This doesn't make much sense; what does colonizing have to do with
searching for a victim?  Wouldn't that be more appropriate for offensive
or defensive units?  Furthermore, the engineer is a terrible combat
unit; the only combat jobs that it's skilled at are clearing wreckage
and demolishing fortifications.

I also see that the base has an "Exploratory" plan (not a "Colonizing"
plan) when it decides to build engineers.  Interestingly enough, the
engineer has a colonizing worth of 90 (all other are worth 0), and an
exploring worth of 24.  However, the most valuable exploratory unit is
the spy-plane, which has an exploring worth of 144.  And yet I have
*never* seen the AI build a spy plane!

I also see that, for some reason, the base decided to "build engineer as
a base for itself".  What does that mean?  Is it treating engineers like
supply wagons?  It also seems to think that engineers are excellent
offensive units (offensive worth 3075), more even than a helicopter
(offensive worth 1845) or a battleship (offensive worth 1968)!

It also makes no sense to me that an engineer would sit around passively
when its supply runs low.  Should such a condition force the engineer to
re-plan?


-- 
Lincoln Peters <peters2000@mindspring.com>