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Old 10-14-2016, 08:57 AM   #4
offsides
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Cheltenham, PA
Default Re: Playing the Ogre: Teaching the Computer

Wow, where to begin. Granted, it's been a while since I've played the Ogre too much, but let's see.

I rarely go straight up the middle - I'll usually offset at least a few hexes one way or the other, based on how the defenders are set up and the crater/ridge layout. Howitzers are the #1 factor - I like to stay out of range as best I can until I've thinned the defenders, but occasionally I'll just charge. CP placement is #2 - if it's in the middle, then it doesn't really factor in, but otherwise I'll almost always at least lean to that side, if not going up the edge. Again, defender placement and force makeup will affect things - I'm more inclined to stay near the edge against a lot of GEVs (less room for them to escape), whereas against a force heavy on non-GEVs I like a little more room to maneuver and try and force them to either commit to being in retaliation range or letting me escape their attack zone. I almost never retreat since the longer you take, the easier it is to run out of treads, but occasionally I'll pull back for run sideways for a turn while I'm still at M3 to force a little more separation between some of the units.

I try to keep 1 (Mk III) or 2 (Mk V) missiles in reserve for those HWZ, but when in doubt I'll fire them before they get hammered. HWZ are clearly the #1 priority for missiles, with HVY being #2. I will occasionally burn one on something else if I'm playing a Mk V, but a Mk III just doesn't have the missiles to spare on anything else. Of course, if you get down to use-it-or-lose-it, anything goes, so just pick whatever target most in your way :)

Ramming is something that I'm conservative about to preserve treads, but at the same time if I'm surrounded or blocked from moving where I need to be, someone's getting crushed :) OTOH, overrunning INF is a given, as long as it's in the right direction (or at least not the wrong one) - the automatic reduction is a no-brainer. The other time ramming is critical is when you're down to minimal firepower and still have armor in the way - then the 1 or 2 treads you lose is still less than what they'd kill over 2-3 turns before you can hit them with a gun (assuming you still have any).

Early on, I favor hitting new targets over disabled ones, at least newly disabled ones. Depending on what the situation looks like after the Defender's turn, I may take them out or I may just push on. Early on, when you can move faster, sometimes it's better to just press on and try to leave the disabled units behind. Later, when you've got less movement, taking them out may save you from getting immobilized. It all depends on what the available targets are and what the firepower/odds options yield. A 2-1 or better is usually worth going after a clean unit, since there's a 50% or better chance of a kill, whereas a 1-1 may be worth using on a disabled unit since it's a 67% kill - but again, it all depends on the units. Plus, at M2 or less anything you let get behind you can generally stay out of range while keeping up, so there's that as well.

All of this is based on the original Ogre Map. I've rarely played with an Ogre on GEV maps, so I don't have anywhere near as good a feel for it...
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Joshua Megerman, SJGames MIB #5273 - Ogre AI Testing Division
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