Assaults

Charles22 · #1 March 26th, 2008, 11:06 AM

I don't think I have ever seen this question asked, but here goes. I'm currently playing my first, almost totally core, long campaign. In the current battle, though I could peek, but would rather not at this time, I am suspecting the AI Poles have not bought a single form of defend support in the mines/dragonsteeth category. There are two roads, one paved and one dirt. I have ran into Polish infantry along the paved road, but no sign of mines. From what I have seen both through play and through hitting the auto-deploy on my own side, I can see the paved roads are always mined, with at least a mine or two along the first hexes of contact, but this being my first almost totally core long campaign assault mission, I am seeing none of that. Across the whole Polish front (around hexes 70-75) the only thing I see that indicates that indeed I have an assault mission is that the Polish infantry are dug in.

So my basic question is, if I literally pick no support points for myself, though I actually picked a very small amount, will the AI on defend missions be close to incapable of buying anything from the mines category? I am generally trying to pick a somewhat larger core than I usually play with, but with little or no support.

Thanks.

Mobhack · #2 March 26th, 2008, 03:18 PM

1) AI buy of mines is not guaranteed - each loop through the purchase loop will have a chance to buy a dose of mines - if it fails that throw, it won't buy that dose
2) If it does not have the 20 points remaining to buy them at that point - it won't.

So if you have a small core doing an assault, the AI will have 1/4 your wee core's points, which it will probably spend on basic rifle company, ATG etc e.g a 500 point core with no support added -> AI a mere 125 defender points, which will be soaked up in troop (and the HQ!) buys, with probably little chance to trip the mine buy test.

I have added a compulsory mine buy to the code now - if it has 100 points left over just after the HQ purchase, and before buying other troops, it'll buy a guaranteed dose of mines. So any engineer points will not be wasted, now.

Andy

Charles22 · #3 March 26th, 2008, 03:48 PM

Very interesting mobhack. Yes, I thought this was unusual. My core isn't wee, as I have 3750 core points. So from the sounds of it, the AI can purchase mines very early on, as opposed to the case with my own long campaign force, which can buy them only in support. I was thinking there was an outside chance the AI could only purchase them based on how many support points I had used.

Also, are you sure the assaults are 4X the defender force? I think it used to be that way. I'm thinking now that it is 3X, while the advance mission is only 2X. In ant event he got at least 900pts to use. I guess what your last statement means, is that as of v2.5 this mine code isn't in the game.

Obviously I could drop the curtain and see the AI mines, or lack thereof anytime I wanted, it's just that I don't want to spoil the surprize.

BTW, when earlier I said I picked only a very small amount, I wasn't referring to the core, but to my support force amount.

Mobhack · #4 March 26th, 2008, 07:43 PM

Looks like the same bug we had already fixed for the mines (bought but not deployed) in the long campaign in MBT (and WW2) was not fixed for the WW2LC, since that has a separate code loop which was not updated when we fixed that one!

. I of course, took the regular campaign to test mine buy from..

Now fixed, and will be in the next patch. Plus the compulsory mine buy as well - baring very tiny AI defence forces, the AI defender will always have some mines.

Andy

Charles22 · #5 March 26th, 2008, 10:07 PM

Thanks again. Good thing to have caught that.

PanzerBob · #6 March 27th, 2008, 01:00 AM

Interesting question and good behind the scenes info. As a veteran of many campaigns, there will come a time you will curse the EN's minefields.

I find no matter what, buy as much engineering support you can on an assault. If there is little or no mines, Engineers still make excellent Infantry. I try where possible, attach Engineers that also have good infantry weapons, this allows for them to be more useful. Flamethrowers and Charges are fine maybe in one platoon or squad depending on your core size for bunkers etc. Also mineclearing armour is nice but require more thought in their use as they are bullet magnets. I prefer a Company of Engineers over 2 mineclearing tanks. This again depends on your core and supports points. Assaults as in real life take more careful planning and use up men and equipment quickly. Enjoy your campaign.