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

• Reload and fire any ranged weapons normally
• Reload its weapon if empty, but spare clip(s) are available (possibly by cheating)
• If its current weapon is empty and no more clips are available: Switch to another loaded weapon, or to an unloaded weapon that has available ammo, or to a grenade. (possibly by cheating)
  • Observed switching: Pistol, Laser Pistol, Laser Rifle, Auto Cannon, Heavy Cannon, Rocket Launcher - probably all.
  • Observed reloading: Auto Cannon, Heavy Cannon, Rocket Launcher - probably all.
• Prime and throw any standard grenades such as grenades and High Explosives, but not smoke grenades or proximity mines.
• Use items that are placed in regular inventory slots, not its "magic pocket" (see next section) by first moving the item into the hand.
• Use soldiers' Psi-Amps when controlling MCd soldiers whose psi skill is greater than 0.
• Reaction fire with any currently armed ranged weapon. This is a hard-coded reaction for any unit that's not currently taking its turn rather than an action that the AI can choose to take, as it will even work on civilians despite them not having any code that lets them fire their weapons (if they somehow manage to get one) deliberately.

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? - May be that Alien TUs break badly if Weight carried exceeds Strength. More investigation needed.
• Are TUs expended when reloading? (probably)
  • Are TUs spent when moving items around?
  • When, if ever, does the AI move items around (regardless whether cheating or paying TUs).
• Unloading a weapon
  • To select a different ammo type
  • To remove a dud round
• 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?
• Walk up a ramp? (Zombie has seen Chryssalids walking up the steps in a Lightning, so this is probably true for all transports).
• Ignoring the research status of alien weapons when using mind controlled soldiers carrying said weapons.