Alien Inventory Use

Well I've searched all over but I can't find which page (if any) specifically discusses the Alien AI and how it handles inventory. There are fragments of comments but no central source. So let me put down some observations.

Normal Things Alien AI Cannot Do

• Pick up anything
• Use any melee weapon (eg Stun with a Stun Rod, attack with a Vibroblade)
• Prime/use Smoke Grenade. (The Proxy may fall into this category as well as the Flare).
• Use Mind Probe.
• Use Motion Scanner/Medi-Kit.
• Drop anything voluntarily (except when panicking)

Normal Things Alien AI Can Do Normally

• Autofire human weapons
• Reload its weapon if empty (but possibly by cheating)
• Switch to another loaded weapon or grenade, if it has no more clips (but again, possibly by cheating)
• Fire loaded human weapons placed on any inventory slot - first moving them into a hand.
  • Observed: Laser Pistol, Laser Rifle, Heavy Cannon, Rocket Launcher - probably all.
• Load unloaded human weapons, provided it has suitable ammo in some inventory slot.
  • Observed: Heavy Cannon, Rocket Launcher
• Prime and throw any standard grenades such as grenades and High Explosives. Proximity mines and smoke grenades yet to be determined.
• Use items that are placed in regular inventory slots, not its "magic pocket" (see next section".
• Use Psi-Amp on MCd soldiers whose psi skill is greater than 0.

Things The Alien AI Does Abnormally

• Ignores Inventory Placement rules, by initially stacking all its items in a "magic pocket" on its right leg. And using them from that location (not in the hand).
  • Consequently, the weapon currently in use by the Alien is not shown on its battlescape graphic (?, often observed after throwing a grenade)
• Fires weapons using clips that are in its possession, but which (initially at least) are not loaded into the weapon, but are in its "magic pocket".

Alien AI Abilities To Be Determined

• Does Encumbrance apply?
• Are TUs expended when reloading? (probably)
  • Are TUs spent when moving items around?
• Unloading a weapon
• Selecting to use, from inventory, a different (eg more powerful) weapon than what is currently held. (Alien AI does this when mind controlling humans. What are the rules?)
• Changing ammo type on a weapon (eg to a more powerful type)
  • If so, what happens to partly spent clips if changed?
• Throw an HE Pack - very likely

• Walk up a Skyranger ramp? (Zombie has seen Chryssalids walking up the steps in a Lightning, so this is probably true for all transports).