Slitherine

I was reluctant to post this message as I do not want people to think this is about me bragging, but ultimately I have decided to. I was a Kickstarter backer of this project and have waited with eager anticipation for this bespoke iPad wargame; thanks go to Shenandoah for their regular updates, I really enjoyed them.

My first look around the game was one of wonder - this is how iPad games can look if the entire community doesn't insist on everything being $0.99 !!!

My first few games were the Race for the Meuse scenario; Axis then Allies - I lost both times. I then fully read the rules played the same scenarios ... and again lost both times, but this time as well as learning the game I was watching the AI's tactics and making notes. I then played a further four times, once against each AI and won on each occasion.

Right I thought to myself this seems about right, a few plays and a full read of the rules and I've got the basic scenario licked. I then moved onto the main game; The Battle of the Bulge. I played the Axis first (what can I say; I like their armour!) against Monty. I managed to win an auto victory by storming into Liege on 19th and secured 45VPs. Okay I thought to myself, beginners luck; let's give it another try, this time as the Allies against von Rundstedt. Once again I have won, this time with 8VPs: ‘AXIS Repulsed with Heavy Losses’.

Now maybe I've been lucky again and I'll play many more games and lose plenty of them, but I hadn't counted on winning my first few. Whilst I am seriously looking forward to playing this game against human opponents I do like the idea of sitting down for an hour and bashing through a game against quality AI, as games against other people are generally going to stretch to many days (at least for me).

Has anybody else experienced this issue? I am going to try and play a few more games over the next few days and maybe I'll be able to report back here a happy man that Patton has kicked my ass, but who knows.

We share the same experience, except that I never lost a game to the AI (though I guess with enough bad luck it is possible).

I'm finding the AI to be roughly as good as most humans I've played. (So far I've played 6 games against other people, not counting the ones where my opponents conceded on the first turn, apparently because they didn't like the side the matchmaker had given them. I won 5 of those games and got a draw on the 6th. All but one were the Race to the Meuse -- I've started playing the full-length scenario now whenever possible, because I find it has more depth.)

Without the experience of playing against other people I'd probably think the AI was poor. But it appears to use similar strategies to those my human opponents have used. So I find it to be good for practice, for working out my own theories of effective unit movement. It could be better, but it is not noticeably worse than my human opponents have been so far.

I think the "AI" makes mistakes, I am not sure if it is random or deliberate, or just.... In a game of full BotB, the "Monty AI" was hammering my 3 panzer divisions just before Meuses. But suddenly, the unit was pulled and formed a 3-unit spear head nearby thus allowing my panzer division to cross the river and enter the exit zone! I win the full BotB on this very first try.

Yes, the AI sometimes makes egregious mistakes. But so have some of my human opponents.

I do think the AI should be improved in the coming days, if possible.

currymutton wrote:I think the "AI" makes mistakes, I am not sure if it is random or deliberate

There are a few AI bugs that we’re stomping, but a major goal was to make interesting and different moves, something like a person would do. And it does make a decision from the several moves it thinks have the best overall outcome. (This is obviously a bit more constrained on the first few moves of the game.)

Well I've played a half a dozen more times and lost only once (and that was as the Axis where I was trying to wrap the whole game up on the 18th). Frankly I have the measure of the AI and now feel that if I play sensibly I will always win (barring totally dreadful dice!).

That said I am playing some humans and that is far more challenging! So this will probably be my main outlet unless Shenandoah seriously up the AI.

What I really like is the different personalities, it's a shame there isn't a difficulty setting as well.

I have had the same problem dealing with the AI. I can't seem to get past the 23rd of December without getting an automatic victory (both as Axis and Allies).

I think the devs should add some really tough AI profiles. I started playing the game a few days ago and I cant seem to lose for the AI, even when I make silly mistakes. Also, either with Axis or Allies, the AI seems to pass a LOT.

Well I had a different experience my first game. I had not taken the time to read victory conditions and played along blindly, thinking I was pretty awesome. Germans never got near the Meuse and I had a large chunk of their armour cut off, but they had Bastogne, and they had it from the near the beginning. Got to the 22nd or 23rd and was just about to launch my huge counter offensive when the game told me the Germans won. Then I read about the victory points and key locations. Then I won.

I'm finding that the AI is especially weak when it comes to maintaining supply lines. In just about every game now vs. AI (either side), I'm able to cut off sizable groups of forces for the win -- in situations that even mediocre players would often be able to prevent.

The AI is awful, but it should only be used as a means to learn the game mechanics, and if anything players should ignore AI strategy since it will only teach you bad lessons. I don't consider this a problem since the game is really meant be be played against other players.