Brits easier?

[freeboy]

I just ran roughshod over the poor Us dudes as the Brits on normal, won in 79 by taking all the major cities, had a much harder time as Us player and only won by points? Is this the experience most others are having ?

[USS Yorktown]

I barely play the British, did you try the Atlernative campaign? I think it's a mod where Washingon gets some reinforcement early on.

[Pocus]

Brits are easier because they allow a more straightforward, focused, strategy which can be optimized much more than in reality by a player against the AI. You start strong and can clean&secure the states ones by ones, thus reducing to crippling levels the militia levies of the Americans. If you play the Brits, I suggest you give the American AI one level of FOW and one level of advantages, at least (in the Options Menu).

[freeboy]

I pllyed full fow and normal, next I will play on the hardest level

[Jagger2002]

With the updated supply rules in the new patch, the Brits are much more challenging to play.

[Roads]

With all due respect to Pocus, I'm not so sure the Brits really are easier. In my opinion the AI playes the Americans better than it plays the Brits. In any game you will invariably be able to fall on small enemy detachements. For the Americans, losing small detachments is no big deal because they are usually militia and are replaceable in any event. For the British losing enough of these detachments is fatal. If, playing as the British, you fail to have two regions completely under control by the end of 1778 you are in trouble. I find the American AI trickier than the British.

Maybe I just play the Americans better, but I find that I can usually win with the Americans a little sooner than with the Brits. But so far I've always won against the AI in 1779.

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: Jagger2002
With the updated supply rules in the new patch, the Brits are much more challenging to play.

Could you tell us more about these new supply rules. I just started a game under the new patch as the Colonials (alt. scenario) and found that the Brit AI tends to break-off seiges; usu. the AI will get hold of a town like a Brit. bulldog that doesn't let go, even during winter, so I wonder if this change in tactics is due to the new supply rules.

It's also good to see my troops getting trained again!

[Jagger2002]

Actually I shouldn't call it new supply rules. Apparantly the supply rules broke at some point and supply restrictions did not work within your own territory. Now they work. Which means supply plays an important role in where you can base and mass your troops. There are very few locations in the game which will support large massed armies. Thus the Brits are forced to use smaller fomations than previously.

The supply implementation now has a significant impact on game strategy.

Here is a cut and paste on a description of supply from the AGEOD BOA forums:

I did some tests on food/water supply useage after the new supply changes in yesterdays patch.

My tests were on English/German/Loyalists infantry stacks

For every 4 strength points, approximately one supply point is consumed each month. So one average line unit, (with 4 companies of 10 strength each-40 strength points), requires "approximately" 10 food supply points per month.

Both a basic and full supply chit each contains 5 food/water supply points per supply level. So a region with supply level of 2 produces 10 food/water supply points per month.

Which means the above single line unit of 40 strength points will require a minimum supply level of 2 within a region to maintain its food/water requirements without eventually starving.

Is it your intention that a single average infantry unit would require a 2 supply level to meet its minimal food/water needs?

Just wondering as from first glance, it appears a bit high.

As an example, I have a 1 strength commander, a 40 strength English line unit, a 32 strength American loyalist militia unit and a 8 strength wagon train located in Pittsburg. Total strength is 81 strength points. Total supply needs are 20 food supply points per turn.

Pittsburgh is a level two city with a harbor and no fort located in the wilderness. The region has a total supply level of three with the countryside contribution. This region will produce 15 food supply points per turn.

Those units have a total deficit of 5 food/supply points per month. Pittsburgh cannot support these two infantry units and an empty supply wagon as they are now starving.

I don't know how many troops you feel Pittsburgh should be able to support. So I am wondering if the supply system is working as designed or not?

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: Jagger2002

Actually I shouldn't call it new supply rules. Apparantly the supply rules broke at some point and supply restrictions did not work within your own territory. Now they work. Which means supply plays an important role in where you can base and mass your troops. There are very few locations in the game which will support large massed armies. Thus the Brits are forced to use smaller fomations than previously.

The supply implementation now has a significant impact on game strategy.

Perhaps these rules work too well; it's almost impossible to seige Fort Detroit or Quebec -- even if you bring wagons -- because units now go through supplies so fast that they can't stay long enough to break through the defenses and they just melt away. I have lost entire armies in this manner.

I think BoA supply needs to be readdressed, but thanks for explaining it. Now I understand why the few large Brit armies that the AI deployed seemed tojust disintegrate all by themselves. In fact, some of my smaller, damaged armies recovering in forts in areas I controlled never regained their strength/numbers.

[Pocus]

you can always mod youself the values, and then we can debate if they need to be readjusted. Nothing is set in stone.

[decaro]

I will try another game as the Colonials and give the Brit AI more time, but I don't know how or where to change the supply parameters.

[Pocus]

you will need to tweak the text files in the BOA\gamedata\structures directory

[decaro]

I wouldn't know where to begin, or even what to do w/these text files. Is there a Wicki or something online that can take me through this "tweaking" procedure?

In any case, I'm going to try the standard 1775 scenario and see what happens. There are some nice bells and whistles w/the new patch, and it's good that massive armies can't roam the battlefield w/o supply penalties, but in the alt. scenario, these penalties proved "tres cher."

[decaro]

Up to July '77 of the 1775 scenario; game play is good and there's no obvious severe supply penalties, yet.

Brit AI -- at normal with extended time given -- is able to muster a few large armies to take objectives, but they tend to eventually either split-up or bed down in town.

Perhaps the alt. scenario may have to be scrapped under the restored supply restriction system.

[decaro]

December 1780; I control 21 strategic towns -- I only need 20, but no victory -- and 9 out of 10 objectives, but the supply situation in Quebec is so severe that it will apparently never fall.

The reworked supply rules are a great equalizer for the Colonials, but maybe too great; I've never done this well vs. the Brit AI (normal w/extended processing time), and neither did GW!

There are regions of the map that really should support troops, but for some reason don't.

[Pocus]

You find the game easier now you mean? Perhaps the AI has trouble coping with the corrected rule then...

[decaro]

In a word, oui.

With my first game under 1.12 in the alt. '75 scenario, the Brit AI didn't capture any objective city aside from Boston, which they already held in the beginning of the game.

So I gave the (normal setting) AI extended processor time and tried the other '75 scenario; the AI did take Phili and NYC, but aside from the Canadian cities, that was about it for objectives. The Colonials owned the countryside in all but one of the state areas, and never fell behind in points.

Now BoA is too easy, but seiging anything north of Montreal is almost impossible.

No complaints re reinforcements, but when there are so many troops under the new supply restrictions, I spend too much time trying to find a place to put them where they won't attrite to the point all their units are reading red.

[Pocus]

ok, I will investigate that as soon as possible, thanks.