Anyone else noticing a weakened path-finder with 1.29?

RedBird · July 26, 2002, 22:53

Edit: I believe the behavior of the path-finder as shown in the image below is explained by Jaybe's post below. I was able to find a save made just before I moved the workers in question, and in fact one of them had already expended a third of a move. Thus it could only move two road sqares thus the path-finder chose the more direct route (though it was still a poor route since it limited future options). I'm not completely positive this 2/3 movement unit was the one, but it seems plausible and in fact likely.

Original post: I have played four or five CivIII games now, and prior to the 1.29 patch I never had a failure of the path-finder. When I'd hit G or J the route that CivIII would pick was always an optimal one. Since the 1.29 patch I've seen three occasions where the path finder failed. The first two I was routinely doing a G goto move, and happened to notice the "2" sitting under my mouse cursor for what I knew was a "1" turn route. I cancelled the goto, and did it manually (actually used goto for part of the way, manually for part), and sure enough I got to my target destination in the current turn (and I'm sure I didn't pass any ZoC units along the way).

I chalked the first two errors up to a fluke, but this third and last occasion was too weird to ignore. I was using J on a stack of three workers. I was sending them to undeveloped terrain to build a road (destination is the square with the green outline). I hit J, move the mouse, click on my target, and the units move. The units are following the rail line coming in on the right side of the image. The first worker (I've labeled "A" in the image) takes the wrong path. Rather than getting off on the road, and following the red line, he moves into the square with no road as a step to get to the destination square. Since there's no road in this intermediate square he stops. His move will take two turns. But this is a J move, and the next two workers (labeled with "B" [I later moved a third worker into the square to complete the 1-turn road building trio]) come along. The next two workers in the same J move take the correct path. They follow the road, and get to the destination in one move.

What happened here? Did the first worker yell back, and say "go the other way"?

I'll admit my sample size before the 1.29 patch is very small (I could have just been lucky in not finding errors), so I was wondering if anyone else has noticed anything similar (either before or after 1.29).

PS: How do I put this image in the middle of my post?

King of Rasslin · July 26, 2002, 23:45

That's disturbing. We need a good pathfinder because the "J" key will be used a lot in multiplayer. This can't go on in future patches.

Jaybe · July 26, 2002, 23:58

Theory: The worker who wanted to go to 'A' had only 2/3 MP remaining, so it could not get to 'B' in one turn. It therefore took the 'direct' route, which is no less valid than the road (until you change your mind as to where you want it to go).

This kind of 'auto' movement happens all the time, and is something I got used to long ago. When you tell me that you are sure that the indicated worker had a FULL one MP, then I will yell at you "I Don't Believe You!"

Inverse Icarus · July 27, 2002, 01:33

Quote:

Originally posted by Jaybe
Theory: The worker who wanted to go to 'A' had only 2/3 MP remaining, so it could not get to 'B' in one turn. It therefore took the 'direct' route, which is no less valid than the road (until you change your mind as to where you want it to go).

This kind of 'auto' movement happens all the time, and is something I got used to long ago. When you tell me that you are sure that the indicated worker had a FULL one MP, then I will yell at you "I Don't Believe You!"

is it quite possible and ive seen it happen before.

RedBird · July 27, 2002, 02:47

Quote:

Originally posted by Jaybe
Theory: The worker who wanted to go to 'A' had only 2/3 MP remaining, so it could not get to 'B' in one turn. It therefore took the 'direct' route, which is no less valid than the road (until you change your mind as to where you want it to go).

This kind of 'auto' movement happens all the time, and is something I got used to long ago. When you tell me that you are sure that the indicated worker had a FULL one MP, then I will yell at you "I Don't Believe You!"

Hmmmm. I don't remember, but, it's possible that this was the case. I guess I won't call it a bug then (unless someone else reports the same thing).

Ah, but in the case of the first two errors that I'd noted I was able to right click and cancel before committing the Goto. In both of those cases I manually moved moved the units successfully. (and I'm completely certain that the path-finder was giving me a "2").

Good point though Jaybe. We'll see if anyone else has had path-finder problems.

For the record I've been generally amazed at the path finder. Civ2's gave me so many incorrect moves that I never used it. In Civ3 it's almost the only way I move units.

RedBird · July 27, 2002, 03:31

Quote:

Originally posted by Jaybe
Theory: The worker who wanted to go to 'A' had only 2/3 MP remaining

Jaybe, I now think this is what happened. See the edit to my original post.

Capt Dizle · July 27, 2002, 03:36

Well, thank god. An error in the Civ3 pathfinding would be worse than Earth getting hit by that asteroid.

Whew, close shave.

alva · July 27, 2002, 20:01

Quote:

Originally posted by jimmytrick
Well, thank god. An error in the Civ3 pathfinding would be worse than Earth getting hit by that asteroid.

Whew, close shave.

What's happening here, first Coracle and now you too???

MOHonor · July 27, 2002, 21:51

Quote:

Originally posted by jimmytrick
Well, thank god. An error in the Civ3 pathfinding would be worse than Earth getting hit by that asteroid.

Whew, close shave.

n00bie @1ert! For first time Apolyton visitors only:

jimmytrick doesn't like Civ3. His mission in life is to let you know that. He said he was going away because he didn't like the "censorship" on this forum but basically he lied. Many find this an appropriate time to learn about the Apolyton Ignore Feature. Simply click in the little profile filecard above one of his or coracle's posts then click "add 'spammer's name' to my ignore list". I'd like to personally thank the sponsors of this fine website for making it so easy to gag spammers.

Thanks for listening.

jackshot · July 28, 2002, 15:53

you can gag fanboys, too - but then you'll have nothing to read.