Current Game

[AlanBernardo]

Thought I'd post here a little game with the AI I'm having. It's on a small map with one AI at normal level.

My forces are at a distinct disadvantage. I've got three production centers: the AI has six. Right now I'm holding on to one of my cities on the front line.

The AI is forever trying to leak small divisions through my lines. As such, I've had to post divisions here and there to prevent this leakage. Again, as I've seen countless times in games with the AI, this swaying back and forth in vain attempts to outflank my forces has become rather commonplace.

Further, because my Army has only a small area to work with, RAW has become a pressing problem. I've moved a division of Dive-bombers into my forward city where I can easily knock out enemy armor. After some initial success, the AI is stalled in the middle. Why it forever attempts to leak a division of militia, which is left in the open and has no chance of survival, I'm really not sure.

Here's the deal after about six or seven rounds:







Alan

[Ande]

Do you mind posting the savefile? It looks like an interesting situation to handle.

[Josh]

"...The AI is forever trying to leak small divisions through my lines. As such, I've had to post divisions here and there to prevent this leakage. Again, as I've seen countless times in games with the AI, this swaying back and forth in vain attempts to outflank my forces has become rather commonplace..."
 
Yes well, they may be in vain... but I also have experienced that because the AI outproduces you, precisely that outflanking is causing me major headaches... early in the game. The moment I barely have managed to form some sort of frontline that cursed AI is outflanking me. I know this is bound to happen, but still... I then create some tiny units, say 20-30 Inf with some AT guns (*if* I'm lucky enough to have them!) at strategic places to stop the AI forces. It sometimes really is a nailbiter.
Yes the AI does stupid things sometimes, like leaving a vulnerable Inf out in the open, that's Russian tactics in my book. [:)]
In my recent game against the AI I spent three game years to  breakthrough a woodarea about the size of your gamemap, three long years, had to fight over each hex! Oil was scarce, Ore was scarce, situation hopeless, lots of fun hehe.

[AlanBernardo]

Yes, the AI seems to just sway back in forth. When one flank is closed, it goes the other way. And it will go back and forth, until both flanks are closed and you've formed some pockets.

That is what I am now in the process of doing. How things look a few turns later:





I've got three cities-- circled, and two or three RAW hexes. In the north the plan is to secure, seal, and then create a pocket. In the center, after slowly building up forces, I will plow through to the north and northeast.

Attached is the save-game file. As this forum only supports certain extensions (apparently), rename the file with an *.at2.


Alan

[AlanBernardo]

Turn 21.

I lost my city in the center for one turn but then regained it, pushing forward a hex or two. I think the city is safe right now.

I haven't much oil or production capacity so I'm producing Ranger IIs, Cavalry IIs, and a few (but not many)Tanks.

I'm securing my left and right flanks. The whole front is pretty narrow, so this isn't much of a problem. It seems that if you seal off the flanks, the AI will not make much of an attempt to break through, but will keep reinforcing its center. One AI Division has 95 Militia, which Armor and some Rangers can mow down in an instant.





Right now I'm simply producing units and then building divisions near my two HQs, allowing these divisions to gain some experience points, and then moving them in. I'm using, as I mentioned, a lot of Ranger IIs; Cavalry IIs I'm moving to the flanks.

My airforce consists of only one division of three Levelbombers. I moved that division way east when my central city was in danger. Now that the city is safe and once the mud clears, I'll move that division back east. Levelbombers do an excellent job of knocking out enemy armor. So far, I haven't seen any enemy air. If the AI brought in some fighters, I would be in a serious predicament. Production capacity is so low that to add fighters to the need list would further stretch things.


Alan

[AlanBernardo]

I'm now at the beginning of round 26. An additional problem has come about, as my Divebombers were intercepted on a raid by a dozen or more enemy fighters. I lost five.

So now it's more reaction to what the enemy is doing. After first producing RAW to keep up and then oil 'cause my tanks couldn't move, I'm now in a desperate way to start producing some fighters.

Still, especially up north, I'm pushing through, trying to circle around the enemy from the northwest. I've got a number of Medium Tanks in my HQs, they being useless unless I keep the oil flowing.

At the start of the turn, here's the situation:





Down in the southwest the AI had a distinct advantage, bringing as it did a some fairly good-sized Armor Divisions. But somehow it gave up the fight, and is now swinging back to the northeast, apparently.

I suppose it realizes that it doesn't have much up north, my divisions pushing hard, attempting to circle back. In the center I'm bearing down to the southwest.

But oil is a seriously problem. This is all a very tight balancing act.


Alan

[british exil]

ORIGINAL: AlanBernardo

Turn 21.

Alan

Nice touches to your screenshot.

You are right with the way the AI plays, piling up on the flanks forcing you to react esp so early in the game.
I like the way after being bombed for a few rounds the Ai has an airforce up and again forces you react, having to build fighters.
Exactly at the moment where you want to concentrae on conserving oil and raw for the armoured units.
Keep the posts coming. I am enjoying the reading also learning different tactics and styles of play.

Mat

[AlanBernardo]

I'm now on round 28. The enemy has again pushed at my central city, and I'm trying to bulk up in the area. I can't afford to lose that city.





I've purchased about six or eight fighters, and put them on intercept alert. For the time being, however, I cannot move them into the central city's airbase. I don't want to risk losing them. (Question though-- do Fighters still have intercept and other abilities while in a HQ, even though the HQ is not located on an airfield? I thought I used them under such circumstances.)

As I said, the central portion of the front is getting a lot of action.

In the north I've cleared most of the resistance.

My southern flank is also pretty clear. I'll need to do a little reconnaissance to see what the enemy is up to in its rear. A lot of units have disappeared.


Alan

[AlanBernardo]

It's round 29 and the situation in the middle is perilous. It's only a matter of time before I lose one of my three cities, which will mean less production:







Oil is almost non-existent, with not enough to get my armor into place. I've transferred units-- AT and some Tank and Flak-- into the center, but they are green and hardly will stand the onslaught of the enemy.

Because of this and the imminent fall of one of my cities, to the north I'm rushing in with some Cavalry and Armor units, with some Rangers mixed in, to try and draw off some enemy divisions from the center. The enemy AI is no longer fooling with the flanks, but bulking up in the center.

The best thing to do here is to fall and leave a token force in the threatened city, and attempt some sort of defensive stand, until my army can gain some experience to even have a chance. Once the central city is gone I have to more, but both are 15 or so hexes away.

I'll try also to conserve oil and RAW. The only RAW hex near is in the north, but that doesn't appear to be threatened at the moment.

Swinging around from the north to cut supply is about all I can hope to do, though it seems unlikely that enemy divisions won't be waiting.


Alan

[Josh]

Perilous indeed, if you lose one of your cities you're doomed I fear.
By the way, if the AI uses planes, but you have no oil to take them head on, I'd go for producing Flak (on foot, or horses.... "Flak on foot"... LOL)
 
"...Question though-- do Fighters still have intercept and other abilities while in a HQ, even though the HQ is not located on an airfield?..."
No don't think so.

[AlanBernardo]

Turn 33:






The enemy has decided to abandon the center, where I still hold one of my two cities, and try to out-run my army, heading north of my main forces and swinging to the southeast.

While this is not great news, it's better than losing one of my remaining two cities. I'll need to try to put a hold to this push and at the same time protect my supply lines.

It still looks pretty bad.


Alan

[AlanBernardo]

Quick update on turn 33.

The enemy has apparently panicked and chased my few token troops up north, thinking maybe I had a large force there and was ready to swoop down on them.

There is no enemy trying an encirclement. Looks as though now the enemy is going to come back to the center:





I've produced some Engineers and now need probably two turns worth of EPs to have enough to build an air base or factory. I have a number of Fighters ready to go, parked in two of my HQs, one near and one far.

The fact of the enemy falling for my little feint up north has bought me some valuable time. I have also enough Flak, I believe, to take care of any enemy aircraft.


Alan

[Josh]

You do realize that fighters/bombers can be placed in cities as well, even when they are still in a HQ. So no need to build an airbase on a small map, an airfactory maybe, but as planes tend to use up large amounts of oil I'd go for the "Flak-only" option. Maybe a few (level-) bombers when enemy Flak has been neutralized. Those suburban areas are great lines of defense, put some Inf with Mg's and AT guns in it and you will have a decent line of defense. Only heavy bombardment will get them out of there.

[AlanBernardo]

ORIGINAL: Josh

You do realize that fighters/bombers can be placed in cities as well, even when they are still in a HQ. So no need to build an airbase on a small map, an airfactory maybe, but as planes tend to use up large amounts of oil I'd go for the "Flak-only" option. Maybe a few (level-) bombers when enemy Flak has been neutralized. Those suburban areas are great lines of defense, put some Inf with Mg's and AT guns in it and you will have a decent line of defense. Only heavy bombardment will get them out of there.

I only have two cities left, and both are not within distance. I realize the oil. I've got a good ten Flak units right now. But the enemy air arm is pretty huge.

Again, not much for suburban areas, except very close to the front. The others are 15 hexes east. There is some forest east, three hexes or so from the front. I will probably try to hold the line there.

But I fear this is a lost cause. I simply do not have the firepower, and once I lose my forward city, things are going to get very tight.

Of course I could just run a few single-unit divisions way ahead and to the north. The AI chased the few units I had up there as if it were some major offensive. Now all these units are coming back. Seems to be an exploit. I will try it again-- to bide some time-- and if the AI does the same again, then it just wouldn't be right to keep doing the same thing over and over.

I've got a number of AT units and Flak all about my central city, and more coming. Not sure how long these divisions can hold out, however. I do need some air, especially Divebombers, to hit enemy armor. Fighters I'll also need for cover.

It's a tight situation.


Alan

[AlanBernardo]

Turn 38 and I fear the end is near. I'm losing in the center, and the enemy is tightening its grip:





Been trying to produce oil as a last resort. And there in the south I'm going to attempt a rush west, with my two Armor Divisions, to see if that will gain me some time. I don't have the forces, and what I do have are pretty green.

Retreating and trying to develop some defensive line simply will not work. Eventually the enemy's forces, overwhelming as they are, will crush my forces.

The next few turns will tell whether a surrender is in order.


Alan

[Josh]

Uh oh...  

[AlanBernardo]

It's over. Nothing left, hardly.





As is seen by the kills and losses of the enemy, I didn't have much to work with. With better skill, I might have won, very possibly. I made only one upgrade, and lost a number of Rangers, Bazookas, and Cavalry. I also lost 39 air units, and was only able to knock out eight opponent air. The Dragoon Empire lost a whopping 1294 Infantry types, to my 823.


Alan

[british exil]

Alan
it's hard to win against the AI when you have to react against his moves, plus the benefits the AI gets against a human are no small matter.

But The game is still fun.

Mat