Drafted Auto-Combat

Adds drafted auto-combat feature for any draftable player-controlled pawn.

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Features

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Colonists will engage enemies reasonably nearby that they can see.

They will somewhat try to use cover when choosing how to approach.

Abilities on auto-cast will automatically be used (including self-buffs) in combat, and the AI will try to avoid friendly fire.

Pawns can be toggle to automatically seek cover. When active pawns will actively seek out cover against their target, including finding new cover if their previous cover becomes sub-optimal.

When "Long-charge" is disabled melee pawns will only engage visible foes within a short distance. This helps avoid them "running off" when threatened by a distant foe

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Design Goal

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The goal of the mod was to create a sort of "reactive" drafted mode where colonists don't run off to the other side of the map (like search and destroy) or relentlessly chase distant foes... but also don't stand around being shot in the face if enemies are out of range or you forget about them for 10 seconds.

I also wanted to get them to utilize abilities automatically since with large colonies this can become a bit of a hassle.

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Instructions

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When drafted colonists will have a new "Auto-Combat" button, this enables the auto-combat.

To let them use abilities, either right-click the ability to toggle auto-use, or right click auto-combat to toggle auto-use of all abilities.

Abilities without AI parameters

The mod does let you toggle abilities from other mods not set for AI use, but if they have no AI targeting logic the use may be...unpredictable.

Generally ranged attacks will be fine, but self-cast AoEs and such might just get mindlessly spammed if there is no targeting data.

The mass-toggle won't touch such abilities, so this is an easy way to identify abilities that may lack the required data for intelligent use.

UI & Settings

You can disable various buttons or change what they do in the settings menu.

If you have Big & Small Framework (as above) it will instead be a tab there.

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Compatibility

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It should work with almost any ability, "verb" or weapon approved for AI-use. This includes Vanilla Expanded's custom ability class.

Search & Destroy

Reportedly works well together.

If combined with S&D I expect this mod will take over once the pawns spot the foes, which should make them try to take position to shoot, use abilities, or go into melee.

Big and Small Framework

This also exists built into Big and Small Framework as an optional setting (Mod Option Menu). If both are used it will simply force-enable the auto-combat in B&S Framework instead and otherwise load no extra code.

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For modders

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The AI can use almost any "AI Can Use" ability that can target foes or themselves.

It relies on Ludeon's "AICanTargetNow" method on abilities for avoiding friendly-fire, so if you find that abilities are often used in a way that harms friends you need to update that method to check so no friends are in the radius.

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Mod Discord

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