[AI][SIEGE] Giving basic tactics to raider & attack dog.

[Kegereneku]

The topic started from another one where we try to find a better solution to prevent easy exploit of sieges than adding wall and heavy fortification.
My personal objective being that we reach the point where we have (in tears) to ask Tynan to REDUCE the raiders manpower until it's 1/1 or less. Thereby also reducing items farming and lessening "infinite raider" syndrome.

Why I think the game should be able to handle it :
The game know where it build its sandbag/mortar, the game know at which distance your colonist are from them, and distinguish between Melee/shooter and mortar operator.
The AI "tactic" is only based on distance from Mortar and attack/defense status. Nothing abstract like players' intent or flanking.

Current metagame : Snipe from beyond shooter range while they do nothing .
First solution : Put their shooter/sniper behind the sandbox, this should encourage player to outflank.

Next :
PREVENTING NEW EXPLOIT WITH BEHAVIOR / TACTIC

1) SIEGE PHASE (after installation, when not attack)
Shooter behind sandbox, melee patrolling behind, mortar in use.
Mortar don't shoot at Pawn close to them, only at structure or Pawn far away. (making them more dangerous)

2) PLAYER START SHOOTING (at any raider)
Shooter/sniper stay in position
Mortar stop shooting. Operator are freed to combat, only follow up to a minimal range (roughly shooter range).
Melee fighter goes out, retreat behind if no colonist is within shooter/sniper range (to avoid baiting them from afar).

3) IF PLAYER RETREAT/LOSE (no Colonist alive/conscious closer than X)
Check if a mortar is destroyed.
If not : Raider don't follow, going back to Siege Phase
If destroyed : Raider goes full attack. (only way of baiting them)

ATTACK DOG for Melee Raiders.
Those aren't bound to the "minimal range" described above, this is to allow them to (at least) injure some Pawn.
The idea is to force player to not just have sniper and to move in numbers.
Equivalent to dog can be added for Mechanoid Crashed ship for the same reason.


If the AI is good enough :
ADVANCED IDEAS : (to break monotony and create choice for the player)
1) SPLITTING RAIDERS
- One is the entrenched (but weaker) Mortar team
- One is a mobile (also weaker) force wandering somewhere else. /!\ they don't split further (from my understanding group-movement have been working out by the Devs team when they said raider would protect kidnapper)
If the player attack one, the second force may either regroup (toward the attacked one) or attack the base (kidnapping/thief/pillage), meaning the players also have to choose if he split force.

2) HARASSING TACTIC (can be counted as a new events)
- A mobile force of raiders chose a Colonist/Structure/Items to Kidnap/Attack/steal.
- If there's more Turret/Colonist than Raider in a certain radius : they call off the attack and regroup away, only leaving if out of food or if they go "full raid". (yes, even pacifist colonist count, think of it as a bluff)


Feel free to suggest other tactic ideas, this topic is for everybody.