AI IJN Transports West of Java on 1/12/42

[Capt Cliff]

I report in a main forum thread that I saw IJN TF's formed at Victoria Point on the west side of the Malay Peninsula on about 12/15/41, when I still held Singapore. Well I decided to check again on 1/12/42 there are 6 transports west of Jave, some have troops on board, and their path is around the south end of Oz all the way to an eastern Malay peninsula port. They will all be out of fuel way before they get near any Japanese held port. This seems to be a problem with AI scripting.

[JeffroK]

What scenario are youplaying?

Have a look at the editor.

Maybe the track shows the safest way home, running direct they might go through Sunda Straits and be safe.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: JeffK

What scenario are youplaying?

Have a look at the editor.

Maybe the track shows the safest way home, running direct they might go through Sunda Straits and be safe.

Or load up IJ and see if that is the safest way home ... I suspect it is ...

[Capt Cliff]

ORIGINAL: JeffK

What scenario are youplaying?

Have a look at the editor.

Maybe the track shows the safest way home, running direct they might go through Sunda Straits and be safe.

These ships magically appeared, created by the AI, at Point Victoria on the western side of Malay Peninsula. Since I control Singapore still, with air, they are trying to get to Kota Bharu on the eastern side. There path shows they are going around Oz, past Rabaul and up through the Philippines!!?? I don't think the editor will help in this case since they were created on 12/15/41 or so.

The screenie comes from when I did load up the IJN turn. They are all computer controlled. They also have troops on board.

[janh]

Sure they were spawned at Victory Point?  Sounds weird.
Have a look at the Task Force names of these TFs, it will tell you the exact number of the script within your scenario (which are you playing?) that triggered the TF creation. Then you can see in the editor to which overarching task it belongs to, and which offensive and defensive bases were assigned. If Victory point is among the latter, you could remove it and hope it won't recur.

The hardcoded AI, aside from the scripting functions (won't call that AI, although Andy did try to generate some "intelligent" logic there by smart use of triggering scripts with falling bases, such as stepwise withdrawals of the MLR from Rabaul to Numea, or Fidji, or Pago Pago), is actually quite good, but the scripting language that controls most of the TF creation sometimes causes this one: [8|] There is just too like checked by the scripts before acting, and too little to really script in a detailed and smart way. Imagine what headaches Andy could have given us if that language would have been more powerful, like the one in ARMA2 which meanwhile even allows to override hardcoded functionality. They kind of outsourced a lot of AI scripting to nerds and modders with that, but I imagine that the typical G&G titles would benefit a lot from the potential to really modify AI in a detailed way.

There are a few points where I would wish the hardcoded AI to be refined, though, like allowing it to see thru FOW with some probability and check LBA in its path or at its target. Sometimes it is just quite suicidal and sends transport or amphib TFs on without sufficient LBA, CV or AAA cover, despite having been bloodied in the same vicinity already just a few turns before... I think AI would give a better account if it cheated the standards of a human player in that regard...?

[michaelm75au]

I think the problem is that the AI has a hard time trying to route TFs thru the islands of DEI esp with control is still with Allies. My guess is that it is going for the 'safer' route even though it must be outside what the TFs endurance probably is.

I have tried to catch one of these TFs building and being sent around Australia, but something else more important seems to come up and it gets forgetten about it.

I can try again.

[Capt Cliff]

ORIGINAL: janh

Sure they were spawned at Victory Point?  Sounds weird.

Yes, I had the saved game but recently over wrote it. The IJA troops crossed the peninsula and captured it. It's a bad spot for a AI pull of transports.

[Capt Cliff]

Addendum: These IJN TF's are now passing by Perth. I have a surface TF hunting them down, but without too much success.

[latosusi]

Get CV battlegroup there

[Capt Cliff]

ORIGINAL: latosusi

Get CV battlegroup there

Kind of hard to do in January of 42 ... I'll move some Hudson's to Perth to help finish them off. The dam PC escorts are a problem. They may attack all the traffic I have gong to Perth, but most likely they have zero fuel.

[Capt Cliff]

Update on this ability of the AI to draw ships to a location. I started another game and again the AI teleported ships to Victoria Point. It's 1/6/42 so it happened a bit later this time. I assume the AI will again send them around Oz to get home, with troops too!! FYI ...