Disappointed with the AI

[Solaristics]

I bought the game today and have played a few battles in the North Africa campaign and I have to say that I find the AI really disappointing so far. For example, in the fortress battle, the AI just seems to charge AT guns and run into point blank range of infantry. There doesn't appear to be any attempt to stand off and suppress the AT positions. Just watching half a dozen armoured cars run into an AT position and get blown up isn't a challenge or fun. I also saw one PzIII come in close, which was pretty well defended against the AT gun with its front armour, charge it and turn side on ... it subsequently got destroyed.

I know this is supposed to be a light wargame, and I'm totally down with that and the comic book graphics, but the AI behaviour is just brain dead at the moment: its making the Steel Panthers' AI look like Deep Blue. I hope the devs have plans to improve this.

Just to anticipate a few responses:
- "It's all about multiplayer! The single player is just for training, dude." Although I'm sure I'll play multiplayer a little at some point, I don't really have much of an interest in it. I bought the game for its single player aspect primarily, and I expect to get some fun out of that.
- "No AI is ever going to be as good as a human." I know that, but some AIs are better than others, and developers decide how much resource gets put into AI as a proportion of their budget, and I'm sure some games get higher percentages than others. Its a matter of priorities. I know these maps are scripted, but surely there must be a way to script in some form of suppressive fire behaviour against high threat targets.

I hope this gets improved, as I'm regretting my purchase at the moment.

[LOGAN5]

I noticed the AI charging positions also, but its actually not as stupid as you would think because after playing this game for a while I come to realize that battling it out with armor against an anti-tank gun even with 10 tanks to 1 gun is pretty much a waste of time you just can't kill it. Seems the only way to kill those guns is to get up close with infantry and lose a few on the way in. This game against the AI is extremely hard so i don't mean to come off as some kind of fanboy but i don't see the AI as completely stupid. I have seen it charge into a village and get blown up by my infantry in 1 hit, and i was thinking to myself "what a stupid thing to do", but what is the alternative? infantry gets caught dead in its tracks trying to run into a village. When you attack you are going to take some losses that is just the way it is. Anti-tank guns will have your entire armor divisions basically pinned, so you might as well rush them with infantry in carriers, losing 1 or 2 trucks full of men is better than being unable to advance for the whole game.

[PoorOldSpike]

I've been playing PC wargames for 25 years and have NEVER found a game with good AI, including BA, it just can't be done.
That's why there are thriving play-by-email and TCP/IP communities out there for all sorts of wargames, and no doubt in time that'll apply to BA too as its fan base grows..
Remember, humans are the most dangerous creatures in the known universe, so if you want a real challenge that's the only route to take..

"There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter" - Ernest Hemingway

[Solaristics]

I've been playing PC wargames for 25 years and have NEVER found a game with good AI, including BA, it just can't be done.
That's why there are thriving play-by-email and TCP/IP communities out there for all sorts of wargames, and no doubt in time that'll apply to BA too as its fan base grows..
Remember, humans are the most dangerous creatures in the known universe, so if you want a real challenge that's the only route to take..

"There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter" - Ernest Hemingway

Sure, I understand that, as I mentioned in the second bullet point of my OP. But some AIs are better than others, and as far as AIs go, my claim here is that BA's one is below par.

[insidius]

Sorry to sort of go off topic, but can mortars or artillery fire smoke rounds in this game at all?

[pipfromslitherine]

Smoke is not modelled in the game currently, although there is nothing preventing someone from adding it if they felt it was compelling in their mission.

The AI can use the location of enemy units to route around them if it can, to come at them from other angles. If they headed straight into the fire then it could be that there were no other routes, they were not able to sight on the target, or they had orders to do so.

Cheers

Pip

[insidius]

Smoke rounds would a whole new tactical layer to the game.

[MrsWargamer]

While I understand about the limitations of AI (I make a habit of slagging AI worth in even the games I like), the AI in this game does occasionally hand you butt in a sling.

Played a battle I KNEW how to play, arrogantly drove my two Matildas up to a couple of junk Italian tin cans figuring what can THEY do to ME. Lost both Matildas in two shots. Boy was I disgusted.

Sometimes they shoot at you and they miss, sometimes they don't.

If you play poorly, you lose. If you get sloppy you lose. If the odds just didn't like you you lose.

I consider winning a technical win ie last man standing, with just one unit left, a technically good reason for not feeling so awesome

[Rosseau]

Yes, I'm dangerously close to being a fanboy on this title, but give it some time, Constans.

It's also relatively easy to go into the Editor and program the AI to do some of the things you are looking for. I'm sure someone will do a bang up job in that area. I'm just learning the ropes myself.

[jomni]

The AI is decent. They even know how to blind fire on troublesome positions.
But they can be fooled.
At least it's better than FOG.

[Llanite]

I've seen the AI continue to fire on positions I've abandoned.

I've also seen it (intelligently) attempt to approach potential trouble spots with infantry and hold off its armor.

In the Desert campaign - the first defensive scenario where you have a small force defending against an Axis offensive - if you drive a vehicle into the first town and occupy the victory point, the AI will be quite cautious on their approach. However, if you leave the VP open, they will roar in with their tracks and unload infantry to assault your gun and the Bren team in the village. The AI's not completely predictable, and does manage a smart move or two.

So far, color me impressed. I'm eager to get into the scripts.

[pomakli]

I would say;

"Play more scenarios!"

AI is not bad!

[cptkremmen]

The AI is decent. They even know how to blind fire on troublesome positions.
But they can be fooled.
At least it's better than FOG.

A LOT better than FoG!!

I haven't bothered to play the latest patch though, I have heard claims the AI has improved?

[Igorputski]

The AI is decent. They even know how to blind fire on troublesome positions.
But they can be fooled.
At least it's better than FOG.

A LOT better than FoG!!

I haven't bothered to play the latest patch though, I have heard claims the AI has improved?

Nah not really the ai still doesn't keep a cohesive line and thus is easy to flank and destroy no matter how strong the troups are. Giving it 2-1 handicap only makes the enevitable take longer. HPS ancient ai is still better than FOG's.

[Rosseau]

If you mean HPS Alexandrian Wars, etc., I have tried to like the series, but it's work and the resolution tends to bore me.

FoG is a bit more exciting, and back to topic, BA is a lot more fun. Maybe that's cause it's WWII.