AI view of map and Units

[3asytarg3t]

This may have been asked and answered previously, I tried to look thru first couple of pages to find an answer and apologize in advance if it was there and I missed it.

I'm working thru a 2x2 campaign (I've got one AI on my side against 2 on their side) and I've got a scout that discovered one of the AI capitals just recently.

I'd like to do some recon in force on the off chance I can catch the AI out not defending with a surgical strike that would remove them from the campaign in one blow.

If I manage to insert a couple armies in will the AI immediately know I'm coming because it's omniscient about where everyone is on the map? In which case this idea of mine would likely not work because they'll see it coming from a mile away and simply intercept it.

 

[The Founder]

I'd like to do some recon in force on the off chance I can catch the AI out not defending with a surgical strike that would remove them from the campaign in one blow.

Major Factions are only defeated if their commander is dead and they have no city. And if they got any other city, taking the Capitol will just move it to that other city.
You should check for that part first.

Surgical Strikes are not really a thing in Planetfall. The garission exist specifically to deter such actions.
The speed across roads during defense and offense is pretty high, and the sightrange is pretty far. So the defender usually has a long warning time or time to counterattack.

Stealth might work, as Cities do not start with True Sight/Detection. So unless you army moves adjacent to any unit or building, the enemy should be surprised. The only ones with a shoot at pullin that off is the Syndicate, as stealth is a thing they do. However, then you still have to hold the city.
I have my doubts that even a stack of Syndicate scouts has a chance of destroying a garission on it's own. You are propably better off just cloaking a stack using the Mirrages army stealth or the Stealth Opeartion.

 

[3asytarg3t]

There's water above where this city is located and nothing much there, which is why I was pondering whether it was possible to attack it w/o alerting the AI to my coming.

And when I'm talking recon in force, I'm thinking of two and possibly three full armies buffed to the max, not a bunch of scouts. So a garrison army being in place isn't the problem I'm worried about, what I'm wondering about is whether the AI can see all units on the map or not.

Thanks btw for the reply and information, all worth pondering.

 

[Heshin]

All of my evidence is anecdotal, but I’m convinced the ai knows where all of your units are all of the time. Having said that, it is still sometimes possible to bait them. For example, if I wanted to attack from behind in a surprise flank like you are talking about, it might be possible to lure away any warring npc armies they have simply by removing my own reinforcements away from a nearby friendly city to entice them to take the offensive.

Two things to watch out for in this case are one, make sure your lure is less valuable than your target and two, the ai will usually only persue a target if it feels safe, and I do not know what parameters are required for that condition, so it could end up a waste of time with units in bad positions.

If you are just trying to surprise the ai with one group of armies, I dont think it will work. However you might be able to coordinate strikes with any allies you have, which I have found can cause a diversion. If they agree and are capable, AI allies will show you where they are going to attack and in how many (5) turns. To do this, go to diplomacy screen and click the enemy you wish to attack. In the list is a dropdown option to “call for assistance” from your allies. Let me know how it goes, please.

 

[Evil_Fishy]

Major Factions are only defeated if their commander is dead and they have no city. And if they got any other city, taking the Capitol will just move it to that other city.

In scenario if you kill the commander and take their capital, all their cities become basically dwellings that you can recruit for maybe 50 influence. Perhaps you played with altered settings or a campaign mission.

I played a game where I went around the map declaring war when I was as close as possible to the enemy capital with a couple of my armies. Usually only took 5-10 turns to catch both them and their capital.

 

[The Founder]

In scenario if you kill the commander and take their capital, all their cities become basically dwellings that you can recruit for maybe 50 influence. Perhaps you played with altered settings or a campaign mission.

I played a game where I went around the map declaring war when I was as close as possible to the enemy capital with a couple of my armies. Usually only took 5-10 turns to catch both them and their capital.

I just played a game with a very different outcome. The game was using the 1.006 Beta.
2nd Vanguard Mission. I defeated the Assembly and choose to Migrate his cities to Vanguard.

I killed him attacking his non-capitol city. Then went for the Capitol and got it.
He was not defeated on the spot.
Indeed the Faction kept around (and thus the cities did not auto-convert to me or free) until I had his last city migrated.
Of course the changes to how tech is unlocked might have changed the game. But this is propably how it will run in the future.

 

[3asytarg3t]

I defeated not one but two AI opponents this afternoon in my random scenario campaign by taking their capital.

 

[Sifer2]

I'm pretty sure the capital acts like a respawner for the Commander. And if you take the Capital while they are dead waiting to respawn then you kill them instantly. Anyway to answer the main question the AI without a doubt has full map vision in this. They know which cities you don't have a garrison in or any defenders. They know where your armies are marching to. So it's most definitely not possible to surprise them though you can out maneuver them.

 

[Ericridge]

And i just realized, there's an strategy operation that is available to both player/AI. Steal intelligence on troops location. This will also give away your stealthed troops I think.

 

[Evil_Fishy]

I just played a game with a very different outcome. The game was using the 1.006 Beta.
2nd Vanguard Mission. I defeated the Assembly and choose to Migrate his cities to Vanguard.

I killed him attacking his non-capitol city. Then went for the Capitol and got it.
He was not defeated on the spot.
Indeed the Faction kept around (and thus the cities did not auto-convert to me or free) until I had his last city migrated.
Of course the changes to how tech is unlocked might have changed the game. But this is propably how it will run in the future.

I don't know anything about a beta, I did this last Friday.

 

[The Founder]

And i just realized, there's an strategy operation that is available to both player/AI. Steal intelligence on troops location. This will also give away your stealthed troops I think.

Fully Stealthed stacks are explicitly not revealed by this. Or at least the text claims that.