AI gives up entrenchment.

[stan23]

Open question to all.
I love Panzer Corps, don't get me wrong.
But it bothers me that the AI is constantly and foolishly giving up
deep entrenchment values to move out and attack low priority targets
Is there any way around this?
Game Rules 1.14 vs 1.20 perhaps?
Modifying a .dat file or some other file?
Any ideas?
Thanx and Greetings from Virginia
BTW SeaLion is awesome, London will soon fall

[Emoni]

Wondering about this as well... Seemed always a bit stupid

[captainjack]

I think that this is an AI feature, so can't be edited by modders.

The three scenario editor settings to make units stay in place are:
"hold active" - the AI sits in place until it sees a target but then attacks.
"hold fire" - where it sits tight but attacks you if it sees you and you are in range
"hold passive" where it sits tight and will only fire if attacked.

Your examples are probably Hold Active commands. The AI sees your unit and thinks "Hey let's get these guys" but it doesn't seem to consider entrenchment. As entrenchment rises quite quickly for infantry the attacking unit might well be giving up quite a lot if you come across it five or six turns into the game. But if the unit was already in the open, it might move into cover to attack your unit.

[tenshin111]

Yes, there are two really glaring AI deficiencies in this game:

- leaving advantageous positions just to hit one of your weakest units nearby
- not being able to coordinate group attacks

Of course, you can take advantage of these and:

- bait AI units, i.e. heavy tanks into forests
- force surrender on clustered attacking units

I have also noticed one more stupid behavior - AI will move its mobile AA guns right in front of your units just to get some damage done....only to die quickly in the next turn

[stan23]

Captainjack
Thanx for your reply.
So sometimes this event could be the scenario designers choice?
Can you tell me what the 'default' option means?
Is there a guide out there explaining what these triggers etc are/do?
Maybe it would be desirable to have some sort of entrenchment level check done before some of these options kick in.
For eg 'hold active till entrenchment level 5, then hold passive'
I'm sure that this is not possible on a modders level, but it might be a cool feature for future developers to look at.
I have also noticed the point brought up by tenshin111 regarding SPAA units, but have not idea how to make that more realistic.
Maybe a 'this particular unit has to stay out of the zone of control of enemy units' feature, I don't know?? Anyway....
SeaLion awaits ...London will surely fall!

[tenshin111]

The AI sees your unit and thinks "Hey let's get these guys" but it doesn't seem to consider entrenchment.

I think it's part of a more general issue - AI in this game doesn't seem to be able to think forward and doesn't think about consequences of its present actions other than "hey, there's an opportunity to deal some damage". This is why you see entrenched units abandoning their positions, heavy tanks driving into forest or enemy SPAAs stopping by to say "hello". Air combat works better IMHO - AI escorts its bombers, doesn't attack your fighters if the combat odds are not favorable and picks undefended targets for bombing if such are available. It's totally careless on the ground, though.

We can only hope that PzCorps 2 - if it ever comes - will surprise us with better, more "hollistic" AI

[stan23]

Agreed, you are correct, sir
But wait-did you say PzCorps2
I think I might faint
Good point about the air power though, I hadn't thought about that.
One can only hope!
Greets from Virginia.

[Imarion]

Do not forget that there are different AI levels.
Colonel is the middle level, there is at least one more.

I guess AI behaves a bit more intelligently there.
Also, in GC east, when you encounter russian heavy infantry, you will see that even at colonel level, you will cry when they leave their entrenchment to attack you. Get the best out of it as long as you can.

Imarion

[tenshin111]

Do not forget that there are different AI levels.
Colonel is the middle level, there is at least one more.

I guess AI behaves a bit more intelligently there.

Imarion

I play on General and AI is no smarter there. At least I don't see any significant difference.

[stan23]

Thanx Tenshin, I was thinking the exact same thing and you confirmed it for me.
As far as I can tell the higher difficulty levels just affect prestige and experience gain (more for them, less for me)
and really doesn't affect the skill level of the AI.
That will have to wait for PzCorps 2 :

[slowgtp]

I've been curious about this as well. I'm in the middle of the Kursk campaign and I've noted that Soviet units will venture out of their heavy entrenchments from time to time to make frivolous attacks on me which saves me the trouble of blasting my way through the defensive belts. Always thought that it was a bit odd.

[Razz1]

I don't think it is odd at all as that's what happened in real life. Stalin's hench men would shoot you in the back if you didn't attack, even if you didn't have a gun!

[stan23]

Razz1
Yeah, that is true.
Where are the NKVD units?

[Razz1]

They are in the Total Realism Mod.

[proline]

They are in the Total Realism Mod.

Soviet anti-retreat units (or heroes) would have been a great addition to Soviet Core. They could help make nearby conscript units more useful by making them not retreat or surrender.

[Razz1]

They are in the Total Realism Mod.

Soviet anti-retreat units (or heroes) would have been a great addition to Soviet Core. They could help make nearby conscript units more useful by making them not retreat or surrender.

That is up to scenario design.