I just played the game as Allies on the hardest difficult level. With no oil consumption or fog of war. (Patch 1.04)
Germany had a great production boost and was crushing the Russians. (To be expected).
At the end of 1943 Russia surrendered to the Germans. So guess I got crushed?
Well not quite... the turn after I captured Berlin! Capturing Rome after that was obviously very easy.
The problem was that Germany had more than 150 units, but hardly any units actually defending France and Germany. So with a tiny force (less than 10 tanks) the UK invaded france and just moved east to capture Berlin. The AI seemed to randomly shuffle around 95% his units on the far east of the map while I took Berlin. Guess its programmed to move all his units east until the Russian is totally captured?
Except for that 'bug' I really enjoy the game. (Even though the AI could be improved in several other ways.)
Hope this can be fixed.
AI Problems for Axis
Moderators: firepowerjohan, Happycat, rkr1958, Slitherine Core
I fully agree!
I am just a few turns behind Marand in that it is summer 1943 the AI Axis is soon outside Perm. I play the sceond highest difficulty with advantage for Axis. The Axis tanks in Russia is now impossible to stop with 17 upgrades against my russians at 9 upgrades (though I´ve invested as much as I could in armour). Axis will surely soon win.
However, since summer of 1942 I´ve begun an invasion in France. I´ve met no resistance except for the fortified coast and inner cities. And though the AI did buy one or two units around his threatened cities he never did try to go to the offensice and throw me out. Now I could easily let my /airbattleships/aircraft carriers bombard the coast cities and my invasion army take them one-by-one. Paris has fallen and my advacne continues into western germany and benelux. So far the AI has done nothing! to try to stop me. Last turn he did though send ONE tank against me from Berlin. And though I had to retreat since the tank is superior I don´t really think the AI knows that
So the Axis should try to 1) Repell an invasion and 2) Begin to defend Berlin much earlier and 3) Stop sending all troops to Russia when allies is attacking in the west.
I´ve also noticed the AI doesn´t care about being surrounded or flanked. He just moves forward. If he do surround you it is by random. Often it is my human cautiousness that prevent me from daring to try to surround him since the AI:s reinforcements in Russian just moves east and could cut you from your own supply. But that feels totally "random" just because his units want to travel east.
I am just a few turns behind Marand in that it is summer 1943 the AI Axis is soon outside Perm. I play the sceond highest difficulty with advantage for Axis. The Axis tanks in Russia is now impossible to stop with 17 upgrades against my russians at 9 upgrades (though I´ve invested as much as I could in armour). Axis will surely soon win.
However, since summer of 1942 I´ve begun an invasion in France. I´ve met no resistance except for the fortified coast and inner cities. And though the AI did buy one or two units around his threatened cities he never did try to go to the offensice and throw me out. Now I could easily let my /airbattleships/aircraft carriers bombard the coast cities and my invasion army take them one-by-one. Paris has fallen and my advacne continues into western germany and benelux. So far the AI has done nothing! to try to stop me. Last turn he did though send ONE tank against me from Berlin. And though I had to retreat since the tank is superior I don´t really think the AI knows that
So the Axis should try to 1) Repell an invasion and 2) Begin to defend Berlin much earlier and 3) Stop sending all troops to Russia when allies is attacking in the west.
I´ve also noticed the AI doesn´t care about being surrounded or flanked. He just moves forward. If he do surround you it is by random. Often it is my human cautiousness that prevent me from daring to try to surround him since the AI:s reinforcements in Russian just moves east and could cut you from your own supply. But that feels totally "random" just because his units want to travel east.
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mrdozer2379
- Senior Corporal - Ju 87G
- Posts: 95
- Joined: Sat Dec 30, 2006 6:06 am
Thats very true, they need at a certain date to actually start getting troops in position in the west and set up a small defence. I remember seeing a defence in clash of steel in the west that made me not want to land (first time playing a hex ww2 game, which was only a few years ago.)
Also the german troops attack moscow and perm, they dont spread enough accross the east until its to late.
Also the german troops attack moscow and perm, they dont spread enough accross the east until its to late.
Most of all the AI needs to be more "reactive" to what happens as well as being proactive and have some sort of defence in the west even if nothing happens there. Ok, he do fortify the coast cities but do not react when I invade. He just stands and wait. Not until I am into Germany a few troops occur.
The AI should not so much be scripted to do certain things at specific dates, as instead improve so that it reacts to new and unexpected threats wherever they do occur. If I decide to invade Germany from Denmark or Poland the AI must try to handle that.
The AI should not so much be scripted to do certain things at specific dates, as instead improve so that it reacts to new and unexpected threats wherever they do occur. If I decide to invade Germany from Denmark or Poland the AI must try to handle that.
Leaving Berlin Open
Just tried a game on moderate as Allies and my strategy was to defend France with everything I got. The AI never even managed to take Paris, but thats not the biggest problem. It used all its units on the west attacking France. (Well shuffling them around since it had more units than the width of the battlefield. But it left the east completely open. So when Russia joined it just took a few turns to take Berlin. (March 1942)
I guess this is just another problem where the AI does not put his units in the correct part of the map.
As a side note: I tried the same strategy with the Allies against a good human player and I managed to loose UK in 1941
I guess this is just another problem where the AI does not put his units in the correct part of the map.
As a side note: I tried the same strategy with the Allies against a good human player and I managed to loose UK in 1941
Some kind of fix
Prior to a France invasion i started bombing all German cities from England and i also found no opposition at all. Axis should leave some fighter units defending Germany too. Some event script should be implemented so in case X number of allied units unload on the continent the AI should consider it an invasion and strat building units and transfering from the East.
The problem with France invasion (apart from the above comments) are:
a) There are no amphibious assaults. A unit it´s either unloaded on a vacant hex or it is not so it´s really easy to invade the continent.
Suggestion: If a unit tries to unload on a hex that is on the ZOC of another enemy unit then it is forced first to resolve a combat (with a -50% or even -75% penalty) as if it were attacking the enemy controlled hex. If the enemy unit is not destroyed or forced to pull back then the unit could not unload. It may keep trying on subsecuent turns.
With this mechanism the amphibious assaults are a dificult task (as expected). You also don´t need a lot of units to defend the coast as they have an "extended" ZOC. In effect, a single unit could defend 3 hexes instead of one.
b) Germany didn´t leave a huge army defending France but instead they built the "Atlantic Wall" which littered the coast with bunkers and fortifications.
Suggestion: Once France surrenders Germany starts to build fortifications with garrisons in the coast (from Normandy to Denmark). Exactly like the maginot line that is on France now. They could build one each 2 or 3 turns so, after a few months, invading France or Germany should not be an easy task.
Same for the Sigfried & Gothic line. If the AI doesn´t react, at least they had an (somehow) effective defence.
The problem with France invasion (apart from the above comments) are:
a) There are no amphibious assaults. A unit it´s either unloaded on a vacant hex or it is not so it´s really easy to invade the continent.
Suggestion: If a unit tries to unload on a hex that is on the ZOC of another enemy unit then it is forced first to resolve a combat (with a -50% or even -75% penalty) as if it were attacking the enemy controlled hex. If the enemy unit is not destroyed or forced to pull back then the unit could not unload. It may keep trying on subsecuent turns.
With this mechanism the amphibious assaults are a dificult task (as expected). You also don´t need a lot of units to defend the coast as they have an "extended" ZOC. In effect, a single unit could defend 3 hexes instead of one.
b) Germany didn´t leave a huge army defending France but instead they built the "Atlantic Wall" which littered the coast with bunkers and fortifications.
Suggestion: Once France surrenders Germany starts to build fortifications with garrisons in the coast (from Normandy to Denmark). Exactly like the maginot line that is on France now. They could build one each 2 or 3 turns so, after a few months, invading France or Germany should not be an easy task.
Same for the Sigfried & Gothic line. If the AI doesn´t react, at least they had an (somehow) effective defence.