Well, Iain, the AI is much better than some people are giving it credit for.
This was the first time I have actually seen that victory screen, (new patches in beta kept interrupting before I finished a game), and I feel much better qualified to review the AI now.
The AI did respond to Allied offensives. As soon as I invaded the Med coast of France, the AI sent a single Motorised corps to oppose me, and that single unit inflicted 15-18 "steps" of loss on my technologically-inferior ground units, even though I had uncontested air superiority.
As I approached Paris from the south, the AI sent another single Motorised corps to oppose me, and again that single unit cut quite a swath through my units before it died.
Once I crossed the border into Germany, however, the AI stopped sending any units to defend, although existing garrisons remained in place and received replacements. Perhaps most disturbing, units which had been deployed around Berlin were shipped to Russia.
Also worth noting is the fact that the AI sent its entire
Luftwaffe to Russia, allowing the western allies uncontested air superiority over europe. This in spite of the fact that the USSR never had more than the two zero-tech air units it started with.
**edit**
You know, I just now actually
looked at that victory screen for the first time, I mean looked carefully with the trained analytical eye that I'm supposed to posess, as opposed to glancing and going "yeah, buncha GI's damn glad the ****ing war is finally over"
Notice how they are arranged, alternating between helmets and campaign hats. The men in the helmets are clearly American grunts, (snuffies, gun bunnies, line doggies, etc) no mistaking that look, not from a mile away
But note the men in the campaign hats are in a different uniform, with those bloused, baggy pants that look almost like jodhpurs, longer jacket more tightly cinched at the waist, and some have what appear to be medals on their chests.
Are they Russians? They do sort of have that look about them...
