Semi-automatic AI control

[Lincoln Peters]

I recently looked at the "Third Age Middle Earth" period, and realized
that games such as this one (not just "Space Civilization") could
seriously benefit from semi-automatic AI control, if it could strike the
right balance between AI and human control (or better yet, make the
balance adjustable).  Such games can grow so big so quickly that it
becomes tedious (if not outright boring) to control absolutely
everything all the time.

One thing that I think would make semi-automatic AI control easier to
use is if the frame with the "Plan" information was re-written to use
interactive controls so that a player can choose a plan, "build" a goal,
and then have the AI take it from there.  For example:

1. The default plan is shown in a drop-down menu, and, as always,
defaults to "Passive".  Nothing else is displayed on the first line, and
most likely nothing is on the second line either.
2. The player changes the plan to "Defensive".  A second drop-down menu
appears that allows the player to choose a goal, such as "Hold position"
or "Occupy".
3. The player chooses "Hold position" as the goal.  A few controls
appear that allow the player to choose the position to hold. (had the
player chosen "Occupy", it would have displayed a control that would
allow the player to select a unit to occupy)
4. Once all of the necessary information has been entered, the player
clicks "OK".  The AI then determines what tasks are needed to meet the
goal, and these tasks appear on the second line (task list).

The second line, as usual, would show the current task (possibly
followed by the next task).  In this case, it might read "Move to 20,40;
then Sentry 15 turns".


I've attached a picture of what I'd imagine that such a set of AI
controls would look like.  In this case, it's set up with sample data
that indicates that the town is building infantry that will proceed to
explore the surrounding land within a 5-cell radius (if I understand the
workings of the AI correctly).
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