Q&A: Wall Breaker AI and how it works

[Shenlong]

A Wall Breaker’s ultimate goal in life is to liberate buildings that are trapped by walls

How does the Wall Breaker choose its target? Steps 1, 2, 3
1. It will look for the nearest building/turret that is trapped by walls
2. It will choose the shortest path towards that building and blow up walls that are in its way
3. After the wall is blown up, it will choose the next building that is still trapped by walls, run straight towards it, and blow up walls that are in its way

This explains why the funneling maze I designed for wall breakers failed as they just went straight towards the centre haha. In general I find these new wallbreakers overpowered (there is only so many segments a TH 7 can make right?)

However I did notice one odd behaviour with them that your points didn't cover. Sorry no picture as it was a raid on my end, but consider a simple rectangular base with sides ABCD. I used barbs and archers surrounding sides A and B clearing out the outside buildings. Then I wanted to breach both sides for less splash damage. I dropped 2 wallbreakers on side A and they made an opening thus liberating all buildings. I then dropped 2 wallbreakers on side B but instead of creating a new opening on side B they ran over to side A and targeted the two adjacent walls of the opening.

So what happens when there are no trapped buildings; what will it target? Would it have been different if I attacked from sides A and C opposite ends) or is this some form of hysteresis? When I used them on goblin missions (where most buildings are technically already free), the breakers simply destroys the nearest wall when there are no "boxes" in play. Why the anomaly?

[ericxd]

The new WB AI is to pretty much clear out all the buildings in the first row behind the walls before using another wallbreaker or it'll keep breaking the first layer of walls.

Here's a thought Supercell, f the new Q&A and change the WB AI to the original.

Let's be real, all you doing right now is make looting harder. Majority doesn't like the idea so change it back so don't give us 'Chief this, Chief that' ♥♥ on fb. Honestly read user's feedback and cater to it, aren't we the ones making you guys money. What is your reason to changing something that isn't broken. My theory is that you make loots harder so people will actually find buying gold and elixir with GEMS acceptable again, if so greedier by the update.

Change it back or release an official statement of why the wallbreaker needed to be change, why change what isn't broken. Please, I'm all ears.

[RagEho]

Given what we know about the new AI, it makes sense that they didn't go to 'pppp' since that's not on an enclosed wall, but based on what Marika said, they should've gone around the loop for 'ccccc' ... or failing that, gone all the way around the outside for the x's surrounding the cannon up top. Perhaps it's as Junliang said, that that's too much to expect outta the WB AI.

Hi Trout,
I respectfully disagree - Based on Marika's comment below

How does the Wall Breaker choose its target? Steps 1, 2, 3
1. It will look for the nearest building/turret that is trapped by walls
2. It will choose the shortest path towards that building and blow up walls that are in its way

1. The nearest building/turret trapped is cannon2
2. The shortest distance is THROUGH 'pppppp' to get to 'ccccccc'

Of course, that is my opinion. WB AI clearly thought useless kamikaze was much better idea.

Hmm.. but you know, the fact still remains, that there is no building/turrets behind the "cccccccc" walls.
So technically, they do not have a reason to blast "ccccc"

And I would assume the distance between "cccccc" and "pppppp" is atleast 3 space long(for a building to fit in).

As of now, I do not have an answer to that then haha.

Regarding old WB, they will not hit "cccccc" either.

If you check out the old WB discussion thread: http://forum.supercell.net/showthrea...n-Thread/page9

We sorta agree that 9 spaces was the limit for the old wall breaker.

The Old wall breaker will follow the Red arrow and tunnel through 3 layers, before following the blue arrow and anyhow suicide.

Hi Junliang

Kindly see my comments to Trout as they apply here as well. They explain why I think 'pppppp' should have been blasted... and then 'ccccccc'. There is a turret behind 'cccccccc'.
Although, I think circling all the way around to get to 'ccccccc' would be epic, but probably not plausible...


hmmm - However... You might be onto something regarding old WB AI - once I think about it some more...
I will coincide you are probably right.

[Hannibal]

This explains why the funneling maze I designed for wall breakers failed as they just went straight towards the centre haha. In general I find these new wallbreakers overpowered (there is only so many segments a TH 7 can make right?)

Yeah it's interesting. There must be a length at which the AI decides that a funnel plan represents too long a path. Or something along the lines of: if it can't find a path to a boxed building within "X" squares it blows a hole to get there. I think we've all seen the videos of wallbreakers running around long projections to get at bases, but it must only work within a relatively short optimal path length, say under 15 squares or something. A friend who ran the "floating maze" plan I was playing with last night says that wallbreakers definitely blew a hole in the corner when he was attacked.

So...

Egg Crate Designs: Dead
Funnel/Maze Designs: Dead
Strip/Spike Designs: Dead
Grid Designs: We have a winner!

[MINTFLEX]

Yeah it's interesting. There must be a length at which the AI decides that a funnel plan represents too long a path. Or something along the lines of: if it can't find a path to a boxed building within "X" squares it blows a hole to get there. I think we've all seen the videos of wallbreakers running around long projections to get at bases, but it must only work within a relatively short optimal path length, say under 15 squares or something. A friend who ran the "floating maze" plan I was playing with last night says that wallbreakers definitely blew a hole in the corner when he was attacked.

So...

Egg Crate Designs: Dead
Funnel/Maze Designs: Dead
Strip/Spike Designs: Dead
Grid Designs: We have a winner!

grid designs as in each building has a box around it? segmented, bulkheads etc?

[Trout]

Hi Trout,
I respectfully disagree - Based on Marika's comment below

1. The nearest building/turret trapped is cannon2
2. The shortest distance is THROUGH 'pppppp' to get to 'ccccccc'

Of course, that is my opinion. WB AI clearly thought useless kamikaze was much better idea.

I just started playing CoC a week ago, and only joined the boards today, but I must say I'm impressed with the level of discourse so far. I mean, sure there are always trolls, but it's nice not having to swim through an ocean of drivel to find the quality. I'm certainly glad I came here yesterday to find out when maintenance would be over. I had no idea such a change was in the offing.

I stand corrected that they should've gone through P to get to C, if we go on what Marika described, but the fact they didn't just further demonstrates what Jin's been saying about a max distance the WBs will use in their calculations. I suspect had you deployed WBs at 12 o'clock, they'd have blown up the box around Cannon2.

[Wanted31]

New Wall Breakers SUCK!

[OjesYobe]

I suspect had you deployed WBs at 12 o'clock, they'd have blown up the box around Cannon2.

Probably true, but a hole into Cannon2 from the outside does little good when your troops are deployed on the inside of the base...

WB AI 3.0 should really try to take the positions of already deployed troops into account when pathing

[MrAwesomeBunny]

New wall breakers suck. At least bring back the old ones too. The new ones never go to the second level. They are a waste

[Junliang]

New wall breakers suck. At least bring back the old ones too. The new ones never go to the second level. They are a waste

New Wall Breakers SUCK!

Lol.. I love reading such comments.. so well thought out