Both of whcih are already possible using sub-unit behaviours and tactics.
Set a construction unit to build defences but with repeat orders turned on. If one of the structures is blown up, it rebuilds them. Works for any cosntruction be it a set of units, missile towers, geothermals factories dragonteeth etc....
Tell your factories to make units they build patrol on these areas. When you need to send otu units take them from areas on patrol, and they'll be replenished by the factories, and if you are busy with toher things your patrols will get bigger and bigger as big roving defences ready to attack when you get back to them.
All done without any GroupAI's at all.
What you want can be done already either with sub unit AI's, the repeat command, or the construction AI. Set a mass of con units under this AI then place a mex on all the spots quickly, the con AI will sort out whcih goes where and does what for you.
I guess I'd like to see an AI that adds radar and/or jamming wherever you have gaps. Well, maybe not a whole lot, but someone else might.
This is a vital part of gameplay, one that a good player will use to there advantage, it isnt always just about filling gaps. Besides an AI would always end up building them in a predictable place and it'd be a lot easier to get rid of the enemies radar coverage if they used this or even to capture cons by sending capture units to places waiting for the lone con to walk out under AI control, even tho the player is totally oblivious 'because the AI is taking care of it'.
When that con is captured/destroyed they blame the AI rather than realize it was their own foolish mistake, and demeaning tot hem to expect the AI to be capable of greater abstract reasoning than them even though they know it cannot be done.
Totally invisible bases are already possible in sprign and have been in OTA since it was first brought out in 1997, the only difference is that modders know that if a player can cloak there base to make it totally invisible they will do so and games will never be won. Any cloaked unit under jammer radius is totally invisible to the enemy untill one or the other is removed.
*and I did see that sarcasm but I felt it wasnt enough to quash the idea*
A GroupAI should automatically make units run away if fired upon. A GroupAI should not automatically make units determine if they should stand their ground, counterattack, or retreat if fired upon.
That is not somethign groupAI should be dealign with, that is either micromanagement, or a sub-ai behaviour that needs changing. I'm more inclined to the latter.
A GroupAI should keep your units in their formation and synchronize their move speeds to the slowest mover (as Simple Formation doesn't do). A GroupAI should not automatically take a group of units and raid with it.
This is a good suggestion and would take a minute to implement.
I'd love an econ-building AI, but that's mostly because I can't effectively balance my attention between econ building and the rest of the game :)
If you cant handle your economy, then an AI is only going to make you worse when you rely on it. Balancing your economy is itnegral to how you handle your forces. If you make an AI run your economy for you then you have to follow a certain strategy to win the game that follows what your AI partner is doing. How you attack and defend directs your economy and vice versa, you cannot seperate them and expect better results even if you're not good at doing one of them anyway.
The worst thing you could do at that point is rely on an economy groupAI.
People like storm and so on didnt realize a simple truth that we did, but they feared this but for different reasons, reasons whcih while valid are not the most probable outcome.
I see if these uber AI's are made and released people will rely ont hema nd the game will become a 3 tier class community.
The n00bs who rely on groupAI's rather than learn how to handle their game correctly, who end up putting more effort itno managing to work with the AI than would ebr equired to learn tit hemselves and get better results.
The newcomers who come from other games and are willing to learn but face problems that there is a choice between climbing the hill to beat the n00bs then being propelled quickly into the 3rd class I'll mention shortly, or joinign the n00bs using groupAI's.
And thirdly the pros, the people who refuse to use them, or simply find them innefficient. They'll amssacre the first group easily through superior skill and a better grasp of the game. Some may even know how to elverage a groupAI to their advantage in a way that doesnt mean they rely totally on them, jsut as a passing tactic, but mostly they'll be the sort who are at the top of the community int erms of ability.
GroupAI supporters are sometimes suggesting groupAI's just for the sake of it, or dont realize that it's alreayd possible using a few clicks using engine features and a bit of skill, withotu requiring masses of micromanagement at all. Some of you haven't even looked at all the buttons in the side panel.
GroupAI's are there to bring new features to the game, or to automate tasks that are totally annoying such as keepign things in formation, or turnign metal makers on and off, things that a human can do but just barely and not very well. Not automating things a human can do, be it with relatvie ease or with skill, such as placing mexes or dealign with patrols.
Besides the things you suggest are reliant on things that humans excel at and are not numerical in nature. For example how does the AI know when tor eplenish a patrol? Yah you've taken 50% out but what was the figure you anted in the first palce? Maybe when you asigned it it had 50 in patrol, but where those 50 a full patrol or did you assign it because you saw that you'd taken a load and 50 units where left? What units should it replace them with? Was there a specific ratio of types? And what should it do with the factory when it's replenished the patrol? Should it build cons or attack units if so which ones and how does it know what you want? More to the point when should it change the patrols? Or realize that it has to give up as there's now say it can replenish and if so how does it tellt eh user?.
Sorry for the huge post but this whole thing is getting annoying now, and very n00bish, and it's icnreasingly hard to keep in the middle of both sides of for and against.