mini AAR: Russian production mod

[gwgardner]

This won't be a full AAR. I just wanted to illustrate what has happened in my current AI game, me Axis, USSR AI, with a modded Russian production preferences file. The default Russian AI produces a huge number of air units, to the point that Barbarossa is a cake-walk. Completely ahistorical.

The mod I'm using changes three things:

1) increased movement costs in zones of control;
2) reduced air/air and air/ground combat losses;
3) USSR build preferences changed from emphasis on corps and air units to emphasis on building infantry, mech, and armored divisions, with lesser weight to corps, and much lesser to air units.

With the above preferences, I started in 1939, ran the game forward with the typical German and Italian acquisitions and Axis partners. Then I started Barbarossa on June 22, '41.

I have now played up to Sept 1, '41. The screenshots will be somewhat decieving, because I have fog of war set to 4 hexes, so the full extent of Russian forces is not shown, only what I can see.

Overall shot of north and center shows that the Germans have made some good advances, encirclements, etc. The way forward looks wide open. However, along the way there have been some sharp engagements by the multitudes of Russian units in the way. Every time I have neared a city objective, I have found a new line of enemy units. Not just in a circle around the city, but generally forming a front. Note that I still have not taken Riga, am some distance away from Smolensk.

I'm eager to see if at some point the USSR has enough units to make a continuous front.

[gwgardner]

Here are some snaps of the north and south front lines. It has not been easy taking some cities, and especially safe-guarding the German flanks. The Russian AI has been very aggressive in hitting weaker units where it could. Yes the AI has taken heavy losses, and yes, it allows encirclements too easlily, but I think it is getting better due to the latest patch, and to the increase of available units due to the mod.

[gwgardner]

Here's a shot of a surprise. I didn't expect this British AI expeditionary force in Greece.

[doomtrader]

Keep your VP defended

[gwgardner]

It is now October 1. The Russian situation in the South looks very good. Very impressive for the AI, in my opinion. After all, the offensive has been going since June 22, and I am not yet to Stalino. Stalingrad looks totally out of the question, for '41, whereas in a typical human vs. AI game, it's impossible NOT to get to Stalingrad in '41.

By the way, I cheated for these snapshots and widened the visibility range to 20.

Interesting note on the AI's capabilities: note southwest of Stalino. I had completely cut off those Russian units to the southwest, with an armored unit breakthrough. the AI was 'smart' enough to send forces southwest from Stalino to regain contact with the cutoff forces.

[gwgardner]

The situation on OCT 1 in the center looks much different. Here the Russians have practically nothing. Moscow appears to be ripe for the taking.

[gwgardner]

Much the same in the north. I think I'll be able to get to Leningrad before the winter sets in. The Russian defense of Riga has been furious. Aided by the weakness of my forces there, but nevertheless this is the AI!

I tell you, with some modding, this Barbarossa becomes a nail-biter instead of a mop-up.

[doomtrader]

After next update it will be even harder.
but great AAR

[Chocolino]

Mr. Gardner

First of all thank you (and Mr. Young of course) for the inspiring AAR "Road to Where". I was impressed with both of your play and reading it kept me hooked to the game that I would have otherwise set aside. Looking eagerly forward to the replay.javascript:void(AddText('[\&o]'))

I've made similar experiences with the AI in Russia with "stock" as everybody else and would like to try your suggested settings.

1) increased movement costs in zones of control;
2) reduced air/air and air/ground combat losses;
3) USSR build preferences changed from emphasis on corps and air units to emphasis on building infantry, mech, and armored divisions, with lesser weight to corps, and much lesser to air units.

Being not experienced at all and even less a capable modder, what exactly did you change and which values, parameters did you use. (I found the "ai_data" file in the install directory for 39 scenario) but am not sure what to do with it).

Thank you!

[cpdeyoung]

I think everyone would appreciate a copy of your scenario, Gary.  If you zip it up you can rename the zip file and post it here.  I usually rename the "thing.zip" to "thing.txt".
 
Chocolino, just for the record my last name is actually "de Young".
 
Chuck de Young
 

[gwgardner]

Hi Chocolino,

Attached are the files I changed, zipped (renamed .txt due to the attachment setup). Make a copy of your default 1939 scenario folder. Title the new folder whatever you want. Unzip these files and place them in the new folder. Overwrite the corresponding files that are there.

In the const.csv are the changes for the zones of control and air/air air/ground combat (courtesy of Uxbridge). In the ai_data.csv is the change for USSR production preferences. So if you want only that change, just put that file in the new folder.

Select that modded scenario for your new game.

Go for it.

Gary

[Chocolino]

Thank you very much! It worked and I started a new game as the Axis just now.

My sincere apologies to Mr. de Young. (This is the type of careless oversight that causes also many of my preventable game losses.)

Since I am new here and ask questions, please let me introduce myself. My name is Cornel Mueller, German by birth who after some stays in Canada, SE US and SW US ended up in balmy Detroit. Playing Wargames is an occasional hobby but I can't say I excel at it.

So far I play exclusively AI games (SC1, GoA, HOI2, CEAW, and now RTV) and I enjoy the AI for what it is. Any improvement is obviously welcome. The reason for not PBEM is that I don't want to inconvenience my opponent with infrequent turns.

Thanks again!

[cpdeyoung]

I have played your mod against the Allied AI and it gave me a very good game.  I played the Axis very well, but the Soviets gave me a tough fight.  They built lines very consistently, but still failed to put that single unit in a city where it would have given me fits.  The AI also need to be told to fly their air units away from approaching land units!  Your mod, plus the "new" 1.3 AI plays a tough Soviet.
 
This was the most fun against the AI in awhile, good work!
 
Chuck

[gwgardner]

What do you think about giving the Russkies a +50PP advantage at startup? Might give it just enough to be tougher. Did you go ahead and conquer all of the USSR in '41? If so, you're a better man than me, Gunga Din. take a look below in my game, situation 2/1/'42.

In the North, things look pretty bad for the USSR. Leningrad is going to fall in a siege in a couple of months. However, it is winter, and as you can see, the German lines are very thin, and about half of the German units visible here are 1-5 divisions, level 1. No chance to resume a German offensive until April, and even then, the Germans really need to regroup.

[gwgardner]

Center, 2/1/42

Moscow fell, but again, the German lines are VERY thin. Look at the Russian forces building to the East. Definitely time to regroup for the Germans. No chance of a renewed offensive till mid-Spring at the earliest. The Germans have accumulated 400 pps to upgrade units, but they have to actually take the time to do it.

[gwgardner]

South, 2/1/42

Against the Axis minor forces, the USSR has held it's own. because of thin lines, and being too aggressive, the Germans even allowed a Russian armored unit to drive through the thin lines to relieve Kharkov! [don't you hate it when you have to take the same city twice!?]

The Russian units are not weak either. They have built several armored units, and at least one air unit, in addition to all the infantry shown in these snaps.

The Germans again need to regroup, solidify the front, and prepare for a renewed offensive in '42.

I know I've made a lot of careless mistakes in this game, being a tad bit too aggressive and not looking to contain the odd Russian unit that has caused havoc, but overall, the USSR AI has made it a contest. I still don't have Stalingrad, and indeed I am hundreds of miles from Stalingrad. I do have Moscow, but there are significant Russian units building up to the East.

[cpdeyoung]

19410624 : Here is a sketch of my current position. I attacked early and I was really well set up for PP. The AI really did very well considering how strong the Axis was.

[gwgardner]

Can you go back to a save point, with this mod, and launch Barbarossa on the historical date? Would be interesting to see how your results differ from mine in that instance.

Hey, Chocolino, hope you'll post some pics of your experience with this mod against the USSR too. And anyone else - kind of a playtest.

[Chocolino]

Since I asked for the mod I wanted to give some feedback. I completed my game as Axis and have to say that it is a very noticeable improvement - at least from the viewpoint of a newbie. The step up is at least as much as from V1.2 to V1.3.

Front lines are well maintained given the larger pool of land units available. One has to give the AI apparently a sufficient number of units to work with. The new available units give the AI some more options and it is not quite as predictable (I am talking about small scale operations - I wish for but don't expect from the AI any surprise large scale operations as the scotland landings in your AAR). The AI is tactically very agressive - yes admittedly with the tendency to expose itself for a short term material gain.

Not quite small scale any more, but in my game I got a bit lucky since the Russion AI, somewhat carelessly, was sucked west into a weak axis Rumania (actually not intended by me initially I have to admit but I took the liberty to take advantage of it) and was finally cut off by Germans driving to Odessa while Italians blocked the Balkans. Hungary remained neutral.I didn't expect that to happen and thought the Russian AI not quite up to the task of exploiting the Rumanian weakness. I was quite wrong.

Again, thanks for making the mod available.

[Chocolino]

Our posts overlapped. I will see if I have a suitable save file to post a picture. I'm afraid that I was so engrossed that I didn't save frequently.