AI questions

[dwesolick]

I'm at Aug 1943 in my game against the Japanese AI (Ironman, stock). I switched to head to head last night to see if the AI needed any assistance and boy did it. Subs (90% of them) sitting uselessly in ports, most air units had plenty of planes, but almost no pilots, etc. Anyway, I fixed that stuff but the main thing was its supply system was totally screwed up: Truk (which I am not close enough to threaten yet...I try to play historically) with ZERO fuel (but a good amount of supply) bases in New Guinea (even ones I'm not threatening, like Hollandia and Biak) with no supply, almost no supply in the Marshals, etc.

Anyway, I routed a bunch of convoys to the needed areas and set auto-convoys to "yes" for Truk, Hollandia, Eniwetok, etc. My big question is will these changes stay in effect after I switch the AI back on? Do I need to keep it at head to head for a few turns so that they "stick" or is this not necessary?

About six months earlier I helped the AI by transferring some of the (gazillion) air units on Truk to New Guinea, which was almost bare of air cover and that seemed to stick so I'm mainly wondering about the supply.
thanks!

[BBfanboy]

I don't know the answer to your question but you could run an experiment by switching to Computer for Japan for a couple of turns and then check again in H2H mode.

My understanding is that the Computer-run AI will:

1. Attempt to execute scripts for conquests, random raids and defence of key points
2. Try to respond to threats like Allied CVs, amphibious TFs sighted, etc,
3. Respond to base/unit demands for supply and fuel

#3 implies that Truk was not being used as a refuelling base so no fuel was shipped there. Of course if a ship went there and there was no fuel it would not attempt to refuel there either! [8|] It could be that one particular TF drained the fuel and that started this loop of no fuel/no demand.

Were there units at Hollandia or Biak? If the units still had their own supply they may not have been drawing on the base yet.

[dwesolick]

Thanks for the response!
Yes, Truk is being used as a MAJOR naval base (tons of assets there) but no fuel. There are several ground units at Hollandia and Biak (and all the other bases with little or no supply).

The AI also had a powerful CV tf (4 CVs) patrolling the Bismarck Sea but it was low on fuel, pilots and suffering from extreme wear and tear so I sent it back to Truk with auto-disband orders.

I'm actually thinking it might be safer just to keep it h2h for a couple turns then switch back to AI.

[GetAssista]

Is AI on Hard? It is a necessity becaue it is not good at supply management. Wont solve the problems with pilots and non-transported LCUs though. Does it have ships left for transport in Aug 43 ?

[dwesolick]

ORIGINAL: GetAssista

Is AI on Hard? Does it have ships left for transport in Aug 43 ?

No, historical (I'm not a big fan of having my ace Hellcat and Corsair pilots blown out of the sky in droves by crappy Zero pilots)[:-]

The AI has tons of tankers and cargo ships all over the place...some of which were in auto-convoys, mostly bringing resources/oil/fuel to Japan.

Actually, if it would help, I wouldn't mind setting it to hard for a few turns every so often.

[GetAssista]

It is Very hard that gives AI combat advantage, Hard only gives logistical advantages AFAIR

[dwesolick]

Ah, OK. I was probably thinking of the old WiP. Does it (on hard) keep a certain minimal level of supply at all AI bases, I wonder?

[PaxMondo]

Yes.

For Stock scenarios, minimum difficulty to keep the AI working is HARD. Even then, it won't last long. VERY HARD will keep it going for a while longer.

[dwesolick]

Do the mod scenarios (like AndyMac's Ironman stuff) address these kind of AI behaviors (supply and so forth)? Or do they just give the AI a more aggressive script and more "toys"?

[Admiral DadMan]

Don't worry about fuel/supplies. The AI will cheat [:D]

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Admiral DadMan

Don't worry about fuel/supplies. The AI will cheat [:D]

It does this with ship deployments too.

In a Downfall game against the AI, I had the remnants of the IJN all ID'd (by bombing) in the port of Niigata on the north side of Japan. The very next turn CA Ashigara turned up between Singapore and Palembang where I had some convoys and no significant naval forces or anti-ship bombers.

I queried how this could happen and Michael M or one of the other developers confirmed that the AI can just place a ship on the map rather than sailing through a heavy blockade! In my current game against the AI I have had small DD TFs suddenly appear well behind my search and naval patrol lines. Fortunately they wander around aimlessly because they have no D/L on my convoys once I know they are in the area.

[rustysi]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: Admiral DadMan

Don't worry about fuel/supplies. The AI will cheat [:D]

It does this with ship deployments too.

In a Downfall game against the AI, I had the remnants of the IJN all ID'd (by bombing) in the port of Niigata on the north side of Japan. The very next turn CA Ashigara turned up between Singapore and Palembang where I had some convoys and no significant naval forces or anti-ship bombers.

I queried how this could happen and Michael M or one of the other developers confirmed that the AI can just place a ship on the map rather than sailing through a heavy blockade! In my current game against the AI I have had small DD TFs suddenly appear well behind my search and naval patrol lines. Fortunately they wander around aimlessly because they have no D/L on my convoys once I know they are in the area.

While this is true to an extent, it should be said that ships only teleport from naval bases. The AI can't take a ship from just anywhere. If you think about it its just a simple way for the AI to counter an opponents moves without too much involvement from the software. Its also a way for it to carry out its scripted moves without too much prior 'planning'. The latter probably being the more important to the AI. Does it bypass certain dispositions of the opponent, to be sure. Hey, just pretend that they slipped through before you set up your blockade.[:D]

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: dwesolick

Do the mod scenarios (like AndyMac's Ironman stuff) address these kind of AI behaviors (supply and so forth)?

Yes. The Ironman scenario is dialed back to the original intent just before release. The AI works as originally intended. Stock scenarios can never work correctly, just before release there was a debate and a design change. As an AI player you only want to play Ironman scenarios because they actually allow the AI to work.

Then there are 'levels' of Ironman; Normal, Hard, Nasty, and the ultimate Nasty, Nasty. Each level gets more fictional, but it allows the AI to play better; and honestly better recreates the the actual mystery of the war. In '42 Nimitz didn't know what the IJ was going to throw at him, he was always worrying about imperfect intel. The Ironman series brings that back for the player ...

[dwesolick]

Is there an Ironman (GC) scenario that starts in 1942? I saw one in the mods page but it seems to be only for PBEM.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: dwesolick

Is there an Ironman (GC) scenario that starts in 1942? I saw one in the mods page but it seems to be only for PBEM.

Andy started to work on a May?42 scenario, but he hasn't finished it. As I mention above, a lot of work to do one ...

[Yaab]

The devs got one thing right concerning the Jap AI - it surely "knows" how to die for the Emperor.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Yaab

The devs got one thing right concerning the Jap AI - it surely "knows" how to die for the Emperor.

[:D][:D][:D][:D]

[MakeeLearn]

At the strategic level the AI is ignorant of the forces of the other side. All planning decisions are centered around control of the bases. A awareness of opposing forces(type/number) in planning decisions would be a major increase.

Improving the attributes of all AI commanders may increase its prowess and make amends for strategic blunders.

[dwesolick]

For anyone interested, I ran a few turns h2h then turned the AI back on. Went back a few turns later and all the changes I made (convoys, sub patrols, etc) were still in effect, so it works!

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: dwesolick

For anyone interested, I ran a few turns h2h then turned the AI back on. Went back a few turns later and all the changes I made (convoys, sub patrols, etc) were still in effect, so it works!

Yes, but be aware that no also applies.

It depends upon the scripts firing ... generally 2-5 turns H2H will keep the scripts from firing again, but not always. Depends upon so many things ... but what you did is the correct process. I've been able to keep the AI alive until '44 that way.