Ways to Improve Allied AI ?

[anthonykevinluke]

Hi,

Been playing BTR since its release in Australia in about 2000? I mostly like playing the long campaign as Axis so I can develop new acft before their historical time line, but alas the game rarely goes that long before AI suffers auto defeat. So, how to make it more survivable .... ? I have no idea if these thoughts are doable but here goes:

. If playing Axis vs AI drop the point score to 1 point per month rather than 2.
. Change targeting priority of the Tiffy's, Mossies, 2e Tacs etc to Railroads, ports, and oil storage rather than radars and aflds which are a total waste of time. I can happily let the AI destroy every radar in range with no effect on my game play. If the AI tgts the sites mentioned above (as the human player always does) then it will have far more points to stave off auto loss.
. give the AI another 1,000 B17f at start. I am once again, with the latest patch, at end of Oct 1943 and the AI can barely field a single 50-75 strong B17 raid as I have killed over 1000 B17f/g and several hundred B24. This also includes not even attacking the raids for a week now and trying to let them build up.

Just some thoughts and happy for any comment. Please note that I am eternally grateful for those that have kept working on this gem of a game.

Cheers,

AKL

[simovitch]

Great comments. We are on the brink of submitting the next patch and I have made some tweaks to the Allied AI with it. Most notably the AI was not including close escorts when it built raids, only high escorts. I also slightly pumped up the number of escort groups it uses for each raid so that will help some. Still, it is tough for the AI to get past the Normandy breakout against an experienced Axis player.

I get that radar targeting is a bust in BTR, but airfields too? I suppose both of these target types are sort of all-or-nothing so I'll take a quick look.

[mark dolby]

Be careful with tweaking the radar/airfield missions.
In the first part of the game the Axis player may see these as a folly by the Allied AI but once a breakout has occurred from Normandy and the front line settles again facing the Siegfried line these missions are far more important. The whole axis of attack for the Allies shifts and the 'line' formed by these areas is much weaker and more vulnerable then before June '44.

I am currently mid September on the jet scenario and Allied attacks on radar and airfields are causing major losses and damage when compared to the results by the same missions up to May '44 and are far harder to deal with or ignore.

Perhaps the Allied AI gets a bit too fixated on certain airfields and radar sites? But arguably the longer range Mammut sites are a more important target than the more numerous Freya ones.

Mark.

[anthonykevinluke]

Hi Gentlemen,

Thank you for the feedback and thoughts. In respect to Marks comments about the aflds; yes I suspect that that would be very effective for the AI ( I played the 44 campaign once and even if Feb 44 the afld raids were very damaging) but that is in mid to late 44 and my main point is the AI (43 Long Campaign) doesn't last that long. Even if only the Typhoons and Mosquitos had their targeting priority changed to ports, railroads and perhaps oil storage (lots of points in and near coast) the AI may prove to be far more survivable. The 2E tacs could be left to hammer the aflds and radars (less damage to them from the inevitable radar flak/balloon traps). Anyway, thanks again for keeping this going and I will certainly keep playing as you continually improve this old gem.

Cheers,

AKL