Slitherine

There are two features that I think could be beneficial so I thought to present them to the developers. Maybe they already exist or maybe there are good reasons for excluding them, but otherwise:

1. The option to have both sides played by the AI in a scenario. Previous games of this type usually allow the player to choose one of the two sides or both. I think the ability to set the AI for all sides (by a click-able option or even typed command) and then just watch how the scenario unfolds would be very nice especially from a scenario design perspective as it allows a fast and easy way to test its action.

2. The option to have some units on one side be controlled by the player and the rest by the AI. This is to simulate situations where there are more than two sides in a battle. For example a scenario where the Japanese and Germans met in Asia against the British (like it happened in PacGen if I remember correctly) could be set for the player to control the Germans or Japanese and have the other controlled by the AI. Sorta similar to the Polish September 1939 campaign where you have the third faction (USSR) intervene during the scenario. Could be also useful in larger scenarios where you don`t want the player to control the entire army, but just a section of it. I`m not asking you to design the scenarios like this, but just for the possibility to exist for anyone who wants to edit a scenario or make a new one.

1. The option to have both sides played by the AI in a scenario. Previous games of this type usually allow the player to choose one of the two sides or both. I think the ability to set the AI for all sides (by a click-able option or even typed command) and then just watch how the scenario unfolds would be very nice especially from a scenario design perspective as it allows a fast and easy way to test its action.

This is not really possible. Most scenarios rely heavily on scripted triggers to make them more interesting and historical. For a basic example: Ai launches counter attack when city X is taken. So that approach requires a fixed AI-human setup.

We are planning to include a "skirmish mode" later on where the AI basically plays like a human opponent without restrictions, but this will require specially designed scenarios where the forces are perfectly balanced (generally not the case in historical battles).

The option to have some units on one side be controlled by the player and the rest by the AI.

This is present in the game, albeit fixed per scenario (you can't "assign" an AI as player). For example in some scenarios you will have to escort/protect AI controlled convoys. I don't think we'll have scenarios where an allied AI controls a significant force, but technically that is entirely possible. It has to make sense from a design/gameplay POV. In your Russia & Germany VS Poland scenario it would be interesting to have AI controlled Russians and have the German player compete with his "ally" in an attempt to take as much as possible of Poland for himself.

This is not really possible. Most scenarios rely heavily on scripted triggers to make them more interesting and historical. For a basic example: Ai launches counter attack when city X is taken. So that approach requires a fixed AI-human setup.

I was thinking more in terms of its application for potential/future user made scenarios, not necessarily those that come with the game. There are other games (pretty different from this one though) where you can run a test campaign with all factions controlled by the AI so that you can see how they expand over time without the need to actually sit and play the game yourself.

This is present in the game, albeit fixed per scenario (you can't "assign" an AI as player). For example in some scenarios you will have to escort/protect AI controlled convoys. I don't think we'll have scenarios where an allied AI controls a significant force, but technically that is entirely possible. It has to make sense from a design/gameplay POV. In your Russia & Germany VS Poland scenario it would be interesting to have AI controlled Russians and have the German player compete with his "ally" in an attempt to take as much as possible of Poland for himself.

Yes, that was pretty much the idea. "Technically possible" is exactly what I was hoping for. Good to know the option is in the engine and nice to hear about the uses you`re trying to give it in OoB:P.

Removed duplicate entry

Erik