AI Anti-Air Heavy on Air Sorties XXX
 

Noticed in a generated campaign as Izzies vs Sovs that the AI tends to go in for anti-air assets (maybe 10-15% of its forces) even though neither myself nor the AI have bought any air formations this campaign (4 battles so far). While I'd prefer to leave the option for air support open, it would be more challenging if the AI bought infantry or anti-tank assets instead of Strela/Igla dismounts or even more pricey mobile SAM batteries.

Should I buy the AI forces myself or just set sorties to zero (which I'd rather not to keep the air option open)? Thanks.

Re: AI Anti-Air Heavy on Air Sorties XXX
 

If you know YOU aren't going to play with planes (or helos) then try editing the soviet LR-SAM formation (say) to some tanks or something else that suits for the duration of your LC.

Copy the existing formation to an unused slot, then once its done copy back what was there before.

Re: AI Anti-Air Heavy on Air Sorties XXX
 

Sorry to sound dumb, but exactly how do you edit an AI formation? Even though I've set Air Sorties to zero ("0") it still picks lots of AA stuff.

Likewise, in the FAQs there's mention of picking AI forces for a single battle; is there any way to do that for a campaign? Thanks.

Re: AI Anti-Air Heavy on Air Sorties XXX
 

As I said - edit the formations. In other words use Mobhack.

Say you will be playing vs Russia.

1) Navigate to the OOB directory and make a zip file copy of the Russian OOB as a backup. OR learn the use of the custom and default OOBs and use the OOB swapping routines (described in the game guide).

2) Having backed up the OOB, go in and go to the formations page of Mobhack. Lerarn how Mobhack works if you need to as well (Main points - A)once you have made an edit, press the commit button so the record in RAM is updated with your edits. B) on exit, save the file so what is currently in RAM will now be on disk.)

3) Find the AA formations and either copy these in Mobhack and paste elsewhere to move back later, or since its a "hack" OOB that you will overwrite with the one backed up in a zip file later simply proceed to:

4) Edit the existing AAA formations you identified to have something else, to taste, perhaps not too expensive items like grunts. Not indirect arty though, it buys sufficient. Maybe a section of 2 MBT in later years when MBT cost 500-600 points, a platoon early on when these cost 150-250ish a pop.

5) Be honest and when playing, do not buy air assets, since you have nerfed his AA defences.

6) When done with playing the LC, restore the backup.

If you are playing a PBEM in the meantime - then you will need to use the OOB swap method, and remember to move the appropriate OOB in before playing the PBEM and ditto when playing the LC. (You could use zip files or manually move copies to and from a holding folder, but the OOB swapper utility is straightforward to use once you get the hang of it).

NB - in addition - the AI is set up to sometimes replace AAA buys with engineer assets if it detects that the OPFOR has no flights given to them. Its not a 100& swap-out since players may have some helos in the core. (I rarely put any in there, myself).