Maximum AI Competitiveness

[Dion]

I play almost entirely random battles vs. the AI. Any pointers on how to make the AI more competitive?

I'm thinking of using the classic "3 multiple hex objective areas" instead of the "shotgun" cluster map configuration. I'm thinking it will keep the AI from automatically spreading his forces out to thin, so he maintains a decent firepower level. Any thoughts? Recommendations?

[Mobhack]

Give the AI a points advantage, try a 100% one and see if you prefer that. It's on page 2(?) of the preferences in the game launcher programme.

Additionally you can try making it harder for yourself by deliberately handicapping yourself, don't use the latest and greatest MBT, use say leopoard 1 or M48 if West Germans trying to stave off the Soviet steamroller in say the 70s/80s, not the Leo 2s. Dont use any air support, etc.

If you prefer Eastern Bloc, use the East Germans or maybe Romanians (other Warpact forces are available) with a T-55 tank basis in that era and see if that makes things moderately harder for you in installing proper scientific socialism to the Western capitalist running dogs.

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

Andy definitely gave some good advice in his last like you I've been using/playing against the AI from the very beginning and watching it get better over the years as it gets "tweaked" every so often.

I ensure the AI is on par with my player set-up throughout as in some cases it broadens out the options in equipment etc. for it.

Timed objectives were a great addition to the game that the AI can take advantage of as well.

I agree with Andy in also "shaking things up a bit" they've offered so many countries you can play against, and equipment sets you could never play them all.

East Germany as pointed out did you know the East German Army was considered by NATO during and after the Cold War the best trained, disciplined and lead of all the Warsaw Pact countries?
Also, it was one of three Warsaw Pact countries outside of Russia the Soviets operated the T-80 tanks?

The Soviets thought the East Germans to be the most motivated to fight as they felt unification would come from them in a war against the West.

Bottomline though is to maintain parity between you and the AI, to have anything less would create a "false narrative" to the facts especially during the Cold War Era when the Soviets had such a huge advantage in equipment.
https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs...20and%20Poland.

You'll find several posts in this thread dealing with the AI starting with the next two pages. There was a long one in here I believe from about three to five years ago that had a lot of good advice in it.

Regards,
Pat

[Mobhack]

Oh - another thing you can do is respin the objectives at game setup, in order to place them where its better for the AI and make your getting to them more difficult. Or manually move them using the edit map functions.

Especially with timed objectives, putting them nearer to the AI side will make it get them and the timed points early. Thus making you have to be more agressive perhaps than you wanted to be and have to take the battle to him rather than sit back and snipe at him?.

[Dion]

Interesting comments and I thank you all. From my experience, the AI plays good, in fact quite good at times, but it's so easy to predict, it's just a machine. Maybe I should look into playing by email instead, then I'll get some real competition, against real people! I've played so many games against the AI, I probably picked up all sorts of bad habits. A human player will probably kill me.

I never played with timed objectives. That sounds interesting.

[Dion]

I have a few questions concerning about what I can do to make the AI more competitive. I have absolutely no experience using timed objectives, I understand there's a few different types, which ones should I use and how should I use them? What can I do to make the AI not so aggressive like not moving in open ground under fire? Or the opposite, like sitting in an exposed position in a tank and thinking it's impervious to attack? These last two points are particularly important because the AI will do those things over and over again, never learning not to do those things. I bet if it wasn't so numbskulled, it would win practically every game, it's so easy to predict what it's going to do in almost every situation.

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

Why? I don't know.

With "Timed Objectives" all you're really doing is deciding how many turns after you capture an objective/flag etc. you have to hold before you start getting points.

To the end of your post. seems to me what your describing is the AI having units acting as an "overwatch" to engage any enemy units trying to interfere with its units advancing on an objective.

That is something many of us "lowly" humans wished we had not forgotten to do ourselves a "time or two".

Just me being well, me this would probably be a good time to recommend to you that the game manual might be useful to clear up some of these questions and I would "blend" that in with a good measure of just playing the game at your local "school of hard knocks" best part there is no tuition involved since admission is free!

Regards,
Pat

[Aeraaa]

The main differences I've seen between AI and human players are the following:

1. AI does not use smoke skillfully, and Z fire is unheard of. Because of that it is relatively easy to creep forward to a defensive position held by AI, to disengage from a bad firefight and to make an elastic defense. The main soluition to that is IMHO to pick factions that have little to no TI for yourself and give a lot of TI to AI. This will nullify some of the AI smoke deficiency. Of course, that means you have to pick sides from late 70ies onwards.

2. AI does not use artillery skillfully. No creeping barrages, no blocking barrages etc. Solution: give AI MASSIVE artillery advantage. Quantidy vs. quality.

3. AI is too aggressive in times when it shouldn't. Most players know when the game seems like it would be a draw and pushing too hard might result in defeat and tend to be more cautious then. Ai when it loses a couple of flags does a major counterattack that results in massive losses to it when the player expects it. Solution: tough one, maybe play scenarios where a good portion of AI units are static (ie give longer than scenario reaction time), although a good players should be able to overcome them with suppression and small assaults.

4. AI cannot do the game's version of fire and maneuver ie. have a number of units fire at the enemy, draw OP fire and allow the rest to move closer and blast the enemy at close range. Solution: more points to the AI so it has the numbers that this trick does not apply easily.

5. AI suffers from helicopters (I mean, humans do too). Solution: dont buy helos, period.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Aeraaa

1. AI does not use smoke skillfully, and Z fire is unheard of. Because of that it is relatively easy to creep forward to a defensive position held by AI, to disengage from a bad firefight and to make an elastic defense. The main soluition to that is IMHO to pick factions that have little to no TI for yourself and give a lot of TI to AI. This will nullify some of the AI smoke deficiency. Of course, that means you have to pick sides from late 70ies onwards.

What's TI?

[EJ]

@Dion,
T.I. Stands for Thermal Imaging. It's an optical technology that allows you to see in adverse weather conditions & see thru smoke.