AI behavior and OOBs

[hveldenz]

How does the AI "buy" in a campaign? Is it fairly predictable given a battle date, nationality and inf vs armor heavy toggle? Can it vary from game to game if the prior variables are the same?

My current campgainI am in a 7/41 meeting engagement vs. russians. I had planned a core and used my auxillary points expecting T-34's ( I like to not use obsolete stuff). My foe has more T-26 tankettes (1926,'31,and '33 variants) than I could count if I used all mine and my families fingers and toes. I also see some BT-2s, and a few T-35s. I also see calvary and the expected hordes of infantry and artillery. While I cannot go back to try to 'redo' the battle of this campaign, (and do not want to), are there observations on 'typical' AI OOB qualities?

This one seems to be a quantity - 'weenie' rush mix, where as I think my force would still struggle vs. T-34s and KV-1s.

[DRG]

Generally the AI "buys" in a campaign the same way it "buys" in a normal battle and all you have to do to see that is set up the number of points you want to use then set the Human side to computer buy and deploy but set up the AI side to Computer purchase and Human deploy then take a look at what was bought then go back, change the "AI tank heavy" to the opposite of what it was then try again then try a few more times with each because there are variations built into the code so the same things are not bought every time

You don't tell me now many points you used or how big a map you were trying to fight on.

The T-34 is "rare" in 7/41 in the game as it was in reality. If we set up the picklist to send hordes of T-34's in mid 1941 we'd get more complaints

Don

[hveldenz]

Don,

Thanks. I saw that answer earlier in past threads. I am glad to hear there is some variability. I also was not aware of the rarity of the T34 in early 41.

I am playing this campaign on a 80x80 with about 2900 currently in my force

[serg3d]

Actually they weren't so rare in the first month of the Barbarossa. SU had around 1800 of T-34 and KV before the war (and 23 thousands of other tanks, in the different degree of repair) against 3300 of all German East front tanks. But most of them were burned in the fierce battles of the first weeks of the war, due to poor coordination and general lack of infantry in Red Army. Yes, it was a paradox - Red Army had a lot of tanks and not enough infantry in the first months of the war, and exactly opposite later. And of cause poorly trained crews and inexperienced generals and officers against battle-hardened Germans.

[DRG]

"Rare" becasue the ones that did exist were destroyed piecemeal in the early fighting still adds up to "rare" and why you won't see fleets of T-34's showing up on the AI's side in the game in 1941.

Don

[serg3d]

Hmm, in no way were they destroyed piecemeal. Attacks of heavy tank regiments were not exceptional. The problem was they attacked without infantry and artillery support, and without paying attention to their supply lines. I think it would be good idea to give German player the feeling of mass of KV-1 and KV-2 spearheading against his T-III and 88mm Flaks. Just for the first battle. That was how it happen in reality.