Enemy Councilor Movement
Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2022 9:18 pm
The movement of AI councilors should be executed before the player confirms the assignment of their own councilors. At least for the AI councilors that are performing missions on specific locations (as opposed to on other councilors).
At it’s best, a game design should try to make sure the data it provides to a player is informing their decisions in an interesting way. Seeing where an AI councilor is spending the next turn can make my decision whether or not to interact with them more meaningful. I might try to investigate or detain them when they are on my turf and I have a control point advantage. I might lay off when they are on their own turf to avoid the risk of my councilor getting detected or detained themself. Knowing where they were last turn doesn’t make the assignment phase more engaging because it has no bearing on the upcoming turn.
I would suggest having all the AI lock in their councilors that are performing missions against locations before the player commits their own councilors, and then let the AI assign uncommitted councilors to missions against other councilors (investigate, detain, assassinate, steal, sabotage) after the player has committed their own councilors.
At it’s best, a game design should try to make sure the data it provides to a player is informing their decisions in an interesting way. Seeing where an AI councilor is spending the next turn can make my decision whether or not to interact with them more meaningful. I might try to investigate or detain them when they are on my turf and I have a control point advantage. I might lay off when they are on their own turf to avoid the risk of my councilor getting detected or detained themself. Knowing where they were last turn doesn’t make the assignment phase more engaging because it has no bearing on the upcoming turn.
I would suggest having all the AI lock in their councilors that are performing missions against locations before the player commits their own councilors, and then let the AI assign uncommitted councilors to missions against other councilors (investigate, detain, assassinate, steal, sabotage) after the player has committed their own councilors.