Over the last week, we have started to improve the in-game UI to enable new interactions with enemy robots. It will soon be possible to visualize the predicted movement of enemies!
I would like to take this opportunity to provide a brief overview of how the Planning Phase works in Sync Tactics. This phase occurs simultaneously for all players (including the AI), meaning that each participant will plan their robots' actions at the same time as the others.
While planning these actions seems straightforward enough, it is important to remember that, in the next phase (Execution Phase), the robots will attempt to carry out these actions, but not all at once. Each robot will act in accordance with its turn order (the number displayed above each robot's health bar).
In this example, the enemy robot has a turn order '2', while your robot has a turn order '3'. This means that, while you are trying to move closer to the enemy, it is extremely likely that the enemy will move away from that position before your robot can reach it.
What are your options then?
The most basic strategy is to select the enemy directly as the target for your movement action, and then target it also for your melee attack. This way, in the execution phase, your robot will try to reach the enemy, regardless of where it moved, and then attack it.
There are also more advanced techniques involving different equipment. But if this seems confusing, don't worry! We're developing a system that will not only visualize the movement range of the enemies, but also move them to the position you think they are going to go, so that you can more easily visualize what is likely to happen and better plan your moves!