AI stance trigger

[Major Heinz]

I have a question for players about the ai stance trigger. In my new campaign this trigger could be useful, e.g. from the capture of a certain victory hex, units could try to escape encirclement and would no longer act defensively, but offensively. Now my question for the players? If you knew there is this trigger in a hex, would you play as planned by me and occupy the hex, or would you cheat and take the hex at the very end to make it easier?

[Parabellum]

I think this question is answered differently.

As far as I can remember, I have only seen this event once or twice in the campaigns I have played.
Yes or no will depend on the specific game situation in which the player is currently. If the situation is uncomfortable, for example because your own units are in an unfavorable position or have run out of ammunition, he will try to postpone the event to a later point in time. If he's not under pressure, he doesn't care and he continues to play as planned.

However, you can influence the player's decision. For example: This trigger is an SH for the AI. Give the AI ​​enough prestige at this point so that it would (theoretically) be able to constantly deploy cheap replacement units there. That will annoy the player (maybe even worse than switching from defensive to aggressive) and he will take the trigger in the next turn at the latest.

But you can also bypass the player's decision and simply determine that the AI ​​changes its behavior in turn XY.

[lvjtn]

as a player, i think all triggers should be hidden, this feature (as i see) represents the random factor in the game. as a designer, i used stance changer trigger for a few times, and i always put this trigger on a vh what a player had to take in time before the bv limit if s/he wanted to win, and it represented the launch or halt of ai's counterattack.

otoh, nowadays the battlegroups and especially the mid-scenario reinfs can have their own stances, so it's possible to make a scenario having very different styles at the same time in the different locations of the battlefield, so i think this specific trigger is not so important anymore, but it still works perfectly, and can be used for making the scenario more interesting, and imo players like the more interesting scenarios, so i encourage you to use this trigger

[Ale]

i designed mostly for testing (though have only old 15 scen unfinished blitz campaign without any text, for AK like "biggest work")) but can confirm that using aggressive AI parts of army in otherwise for Ai defensive set scen should be working as said by Csaba... one of the things that greately improved game options, but i am mostly interested in various supply systems, as i talked before. btw, sometimes people and game series fans say "supply system is against the spirit of original PG legend" and I say "yes but I'm using PG's parent game and influence Daisenryaku ww2 from 91 as model" and so on.... (it was console game btw and responsible for many PG mechanics)

as player - a bit unusual question, but i'm unusual player and not as enthusiastic and dedicated as few of you, of course - i agree you should leave it out of player choice and use design to force it on him, if you really need scen playing out that way. when you put question like that hard to expect precise and concrete answer ....just for "answer" as i was quiet long have fun with works. can only hope for you productive guys you get more answers and interests from even newer game fans

[mythos]

The Stance Trigger is very useful for "Default AI", IMO, but can still be useful with AI 2.0 and AI 3.0

As for the initial question:
If i knew there is a Stance Trigger, and if the AI was set to Defensive (can be seen in the AAR), chances are very big that i would Trigger it anyway. The AI is both a) much less effective than a human player and b) much more fun to play against when it is Aggressive.
And the other way round, if i knew about the Trigger and if the AI was set to Aggressive, it is also very possible that i would Trigger it anyway - probably because i was in a tight spot and "removing some steam" from the neck of my units could save them.

Finally, some (if not most or at least many) maps/scenarios can be designed in a way, that players have to Trigger it anyway. Maybe because by map size, the player can not leave a VH behind or undefended (because of enemy numbers). North Africa is a good example, with most roads along the coast - and potential counter attacks from the desert.

[lvjtn]

And the other way round, if i knew about the Trigger and if the AI was set to Aggressive, it is also very possible that i would Trigger it anyway - probably because i was in a tight spot and "removing some steam" from the neck of my units could save them.

yep, beating an aggressive ai during the last few turns can be too easy, and a changed stance can make the scenario a little bit more challenging (which is equivalent to enjoyable for me)