AI

[Tlaloc]

Units know the entire map however.
...
The AI only stores which cities are scouted, and stores no scouting information on the map itself, so anything that involves units can use the whole map.

To clarify, if the AI is deciding where to send its units, those units know where my cities are and can target them even if the AI hasn't scouted them yet?

[Seravy]

Units know the entire map however.
...
The AI only stores which cities are scouted, and stores no scouting information on the map itself, so anything that involves units can use the whole map.

To clarify, if the AI is deciding where to send its units, those units know where my cities are and can target them even if the AI hasn't scouted them yet?

Yes.

[Tlaloc]

Would it be possible to change the targeting code for AI units to only consider targets that the AI has scouted? Perhaps this could balance out the stronger AI.

[Seravy]

Would it be possible to change the targeting code for AI units to only consider targets that the AI has scouted? Perhaps this could balance out the stronger AI.

Not possible :
-There is no data stored about the area the AI has scouted whatsoever, this is a player only feature.
-If the AI doesn't see a target, it won't send anything there so it won't ever find anything on its own.
-Scouting does not work that way in the first place. Knowing where something is on the map does, but knowing what and how many units, does not. That requires an adjacent unit, or the human player's memory of a previous visit plus common sense. The AI has neither.

[Tlaloc]

Interesting. Do AI units "know" when a node has been conquered by a player (or another wizard) and target it the same way they target cities?

[Seravy]

Interesting. Do AI units "know" when a node has been conquered by a player (or another wizard) and target it the same way they target cities?

Yes.

[Seravy]

I'm going to teach the AI to cast Focus Magic more often whenever it has any of these units without Focus Magic on them : Cockatrice, Efreet, Djinn, Wraith, Death Knight, Demon

Doing so unlocks ranged Stoning Touch -4, Life Steal -4 or -5, or Doom Bolt, Annihilate, Animate Dead, Summoning an extra Demon, Haste, Creature Binding. Other Caster 40 or touch attack units benefit significantly less, so they wont' be included. Caster 20 units are too common to buff them all.

I'm wondering, is there any other specific pairing of an overland buff and unit that is this amazing and should be handled as an exception? I think there isn't anything else like this, but maybe I forgot something.

[zitro1987]

Behemoths have 40 caster. Magicians are better with focus magic than javalineers, hell hounds, orc warrior hero, or other units i've seen them cast the spell towards.

[Seravy]

Behemoths have 40 caster. Magicians are better with focus magic than javalineers, hell hounds, orc warrior hero, or other units i've seen them cast the spell towards.

Having the spell on Behemots only unlocks Entangle (and Earth Elemental). While it's a good spell, making the Behemoth waste 4 turns on shooting a power 3 ranged attack makes it not worth it. For the same reason Archangels are also not included (there are no cost 41-55 Life combat spells anyway)
While working on this I found there was a bug, the AI preferred non-Caster units as targets instead of the intended Caster units. That explains why Magicians weren't targeted most of the time.

[Domon]

Behemoths have 40 caster. Magicians are better with focus magic than javalineers, hell hounds, orc warrior hero, or other units i've seen them cast the spell towards.

Having the spell on Behemots only unlocks Entangle (and Earth Elemental). While it's a good spell, making the Behemoth waste 4 turns on shooting a power 3 ranged attack makes it not worth it. For the same reason Archangels are also not included (there are no cost 41-55 Life combat spells anyway)
While working on this I found there was a bug, the AI preferred non-Caster units as targets instead of the intended Caster units. That explains why Magicians weren't targeted most of the time.

maybe djinn?