the AI

[paulo]

I've noticed a wide variance in the way the AI fights- I've seen aggressive and tough to beat and also incredibly weak, poor judgement. Is there any reason for this? It doesn't seem to depend on the nationality, troop strength or the time period. Thanks for your continued work on this good game though.

[Mustang]

I think you're gonna have to give more details Paulo. The AI seems to follow Soviet military doctrine. Which is, throw everything at the enemy and hope they don't have enough ammo. The one brilliant thing it does do is randomly place reinforcements on the mapedge to shock you into turning your assault into a hasty defense from time to time.

[gila]

Originally Posted by paulo

I've noticed a wide variance in the way the AI fights- I've seen aggressive and tough to beat and also incredibly weak, poor judgement. Is there any reason for this? It doesn't seem to depend on the nationality, troop strength or the time period. Thanks for your continued work on this good game though.

Here's an important clue.

The AI is focused primarly on capturing high value VH's wherever they are.
Location of them makes each battle different.
You can modify reckless AI behaviour by setting the Vhex's yourself, and setting on important objectives to more realistic,like hills bridges villages ect.. that makes more sense.

Consider changing the values of VH's to appropiate values
ie,an VH worth up to 245 pts in open with clear FoF for you,
will likely be a turkey shoot,and not alot challenge.

But if you strategicaly place them and modify values
"fairly" then you'll might get something totally differnt and more of challenge.
The map situation and objectives make the battle

[Suhiir]

A lot has to do with the way the AI places it's units before the battle actually starts.

I believe Don said it's basically random placement of formations.

If they're spread fairly evenly across the map it's a general assult.
If many formations on one side of the map it's a attempt to flank you.
Etc.

This is (of course) modified by to location of the V-Hex's as Gila noted.

Also any "recon" type units the AI has will bee-line for the nearest V-Hex, if they spot one of your units then the Ai now "knows" where you are any may convirge.

All this said ... yeah it's fairly predictable ... but on occasion it tosses a monkey wrench or does something brilliant. Goes back to the old saying that if you give a monkey a typewriter and enough time it will eventually write Shakesphere.

[paulo]

Thanks for your answers- especially the tips from Gila- I've been using mostly the 3X7 setup which is why the AI has been erratic, Thanks

[Imp]

It seems to me the AI plays about 1 out of 3 battles far better than normal for no reason I have discerned. If it plays well it will continue to do so for the duration of the game when you load to continue it.
Plots arty well, keeps troops together better, ducks attack helos out from behind hills, surprises you with flanking attempts etc, (Not talking about the map edge runs its way to fond of at times)

Good positioning of V hexes can help but may not, the AI generally advances more cautiously, unloads infantry etc within about 10 hexes of them.
It can choose to largely ignore heading for V hexes sometimes till the later half of the game.

Playing with high tech vehicles (as in accurate) on fairly open ground is a Turkey shoot especially if you choose to sit & wait in a meeting engagement. Give the AI the better side otherwise lots of burning APCs with squads destroyed on board will be the result.

My view the later the era the more you have to help the AI by doing things like buying tanks that need to get close to kill while its dont need to. This is due to the incresaed speed accuracy & lethality of units meaning a mistake is more costly & the AI doesnt plan like you do.

[Miketee10022]

The type of battle is a factor too. I find that if I am assaulting the AI, and I give it a lot of mines, booby traps, spider holes, etc., then it's less of a walkover. These kinds of defences give the AI a kind of 'base' to work from. Even after most mobile units are destroyed (by you) you still have to thread the needle, so to speak, when dealing with these kinds of defenses.