AI Beta V1.03

[IainMcNeil]

We've made further improvements to the AI and other issues. The beta patch can be download from http://www.slitherine.com/files/cnaw/cnaw_patch1.03.exe

Let us know if you spot any problems. I think we're getting close to a release with this version.

Fixes in 1.03 Beta Patch (2008-11-06)
- Fixed a wagon bug that sometimes prevented wagon movements from/to Russia
- Some tweaks to the 1805 scenario setup
- AI now mass up several transports before doing naval invasion to land stronger instead of piecemeal
- AI now use leaders
- AI recruits more leaders on higher difficulty levels
- AI, Units that cannot reinforce now fall back from the front line to prevent blocking fresh units
- AI, Units assigned for homeland defence now spread out better
- Fixed a nasty installer issue where it did created 2 versions of the install in add/remove programs. This cannot retro fix previous issues but anyone applying 1.03 to 1.00 will not see the issues. It also now clears out the the installed dir when you uninstall and removes the folder cleanly from the start menu.
- Saved games are now in "my documents\Commander Napoleon at War" to make them easier to find. You will not be able to continue any old saved games unfortunately anyway.
- Added in game German language support

Fixes in 1.02 Beta Patch (2008-11-04)
- Fixed a freeze bug that occured sometimes instead of the victory screen
- France is now slightly stronger early on due to the increase from 8% to 12% from the Corps d Arme' tech
- Increased the manpower capacity for France in all scenarios by 15%
- Russia now throw in counter attacks every now and then, more the longer the war goes on eventually driving all the way towards Paris
- Great Britain now do naval invasion into France if later on if the defence is weak
- Great Britain now build slightly less navy and more ground forces
- AI, Changed some thresholds for France when deciding if protecting Austria or defending Paris
- AI, improved some distribution problems so France is now more aggressively focusing on conquests early on
- AI stops buying new units earlier, sparing manpower for repairs
- AI, France get more manpower when playing the upper difficulty levels
- AI, Only infantry units now stay put on resource hexes for defence

Fixes in 1.01 Beta Patch (2008-10-24)
- Sea Port attack penalty now 70% instead of 30%
- Map, Transportation loop removed
- Map, Cairo now set up as Ottoman Secondary Capital
- Scenario 1805, Russia has a slightly weaker set up
- Vassals now need to have at leist 4 units in order to get a chance of revolting
- Major Countries and Vassals now do not surrender as easily as before
- AI, Great Britain now build more ships not just Frigates
- AI, made several improvements to the 1805 reducing the amount of situations where the AI went defensive(=passive)
- AI naval units that are going home for repairs do no longer change their mind
- AI now devote more navy for patrolling the seas in order to maintain naval superiority and win the convoy wars
- AI now build some artillery
- AI, Portugal now set more aggressive in 1814 Scenario

[Panzer]

- Some tweaks to rhw 1805 scenario setup

What does rhw means ?

[IainMcNeil]

No idea - Johan will have to answer that

[Bern]

Just a few turns with the latest beta. I'll be away for a few days - you'll be glad to hear, so no time for any more play.

I didn't play the game properly, just wanted to see the effect of the changes on Vienna and how the AI copes with an early GB invasion.

Overall this is a significant improvement - the additional Fr Leaders help with the impetus of the attack and victorious units now occupy vacated hexes. The Fr still seem fixated on Prague to the detriment of the Vienna attack, but they were able to take this city by Turn 11 - much earlier than before.

Unfortunately they have not been able to capture Vienna as yet, game turn 13 - but they are much closer than in previous games. Even more unfortunately on this turn, Paris fell to GB. The invasion actually was not all that well planned - I did it simply to see how the AI would defend Paris. Even more oddly, the Fr did have naval units which could have done some damage to the invasion forces. However there was only one attack on one GB transport which reduced its strength to 5. The naval defence could have been much better - we still have the frigate unit which sails 2 or 3 hexes around Toulon every turn and nothing else - could not this unit be redeployed to aid the defence of the motherland?

It does seem that the balance of homeland units being sent to Austria etc and those kept for the defence of Paris is about right. Once the GB units got ashore, Fr moved units towards the defence of Paris - however, as battle was about to be joined in which GB would have been overwhelmed, the additional defenders moved away to the east for no apparent reason, leaving the defence of Paris in the hands of two units. I would also have to say that GB was very fortunate in a number of die rolls too. But for this and the eastern movement of additional defenders, I would say that the invasion would have been crushed.

THis is looking very good.

Bern

[IainMcNeil]

Thanks - the AI using its ships more aggressively could easily get it in to trouble so I think teh solution is to make sure it uses its ground forces better.

I could not hold on to Vienna with a small French advantage. I tried all sorts of tricks like bringing garrisons in from Russia to block the enemy, recruiting leaders, nothing in to research and building as much Line Infantry as I could, so I think the AI has got this part sorted.

[firepowerjohan]

Bern, was this on normal difficulty and what year did you launch a naval invasion on France?

[Panzer]

Hello there !

Playing the Grand Campaign with french.
Difficulty settings : Small advantage Coalition (1.03b)

Making some test on the french side, i must admit that this patch is correcting a lot of AI problems.
November 1805 Coalition have build already two Generals, Cavalry and Artillery.
AI is more agressive especially russians and english.

I'm playing it right now, i'll give you more feedback.

[joerock22]

Great job again, folks. I definately see new French horse artillery and generals! It didn't speed up the capture of Vienna, however, as I still lasted until June, 1806. One thing I noticed: say the AI has a unit adjacent to my unit, and another one behind it. Well, a human player might move the first unit, then attack with it, and then bring up the second unit into the hex vacated by the first unit, then attack with the second unit. The AI doesn't do this; it leaves its weak units on the front lines and repairs them instead of replacing them. Since units can move and attack in one turn, the latter strategy would be better. Have no idea how you would implement this, or if it's basically just a "humans only" tactic.
I noticed how you fixed the Russian wagon moves into Austria.

Glitches
1. French frigate at Marseilles still just sails along the coastline until destroyed
2. Coalition still can't focus its infantry tech on "Attack Columns." I find that once I achieve Corps de...something, level 1, I like to switch focus to make the infantry better on offense too, and I can't do it because of this glitch.

Wish I had more time to get deep into a game, but every time I start one a new patch comes out! Not that I'm complaining...I really appreciate how quickly you're making these AI fixes. Thanks.

[firepowerjohan]

Thanks for the feedback guys, this is definately starting to go in the right direction now

[alaric318]

greetings, thanks for the good support on the game, i have a doubt, can we rename units, and if so, how?, i will like to add grenadiers and guards for all nations, anyway is not a high priority as technology level's difference make for reflect overall quality, thanks in advance for any and all advice,

with best regards,

alarick.

[firepowerjohan]

You can rename them , click the unit name in the unit panel.

[Panzer]

Hi again,
a bit more feedback about the grand campaign (small adv coalition).

1) Strange behaviour of the russian AI :
It didn't build any troops, remains with one cavalry near moscow until russia fall. (turn 45)
2) English AI didn't try any coastal invasion of france, or Portugal. (there was only french militia in french cities( english had one cav, 1 horse art., 2 line inf and one heavy cav unit).


i'm trying the campaign with moderate advantage coalition right now.

Greetings

[firepowerjohan]

1) Thanks, the AI apparently has a serious problem with trying to buy cavalry and missing horses. It instead waits for horses instead of buying infantry!

2) AI is set so that it need way bigger forces than that to do a naval invasion. A failed naval invasion will make units out of supply and killed, AI need around 8-10 units before it considers it. If you play on higher difficulty level Great Britain will mass forces much earlier and tencs to invade unless you left a healthy large force protecting France.

[Kipper]

Hi Johan

Will the cavalry build bug be fixed in this AI patch? Are there any other gamebreaker AI issues?

Really thinking about buying but want to wait to see if it can give a decent solataire game.

Kipper

[firepowerjohan]

Hi Johan

Will the cavalry build bug be fixed in this AI patch? Are there any other gamebreaker AI issues?

Really thinking about buying but want to wait to see if it can give a decent solataire game.

Kipper

Teh cavalry bug is fixed already but will in next update. Currently it is 1.03 so the cav thing will be in 1.04.