Variations in The AI (Allies vs Japan)

[chazz]

I've started about 5 games or so (Dec 8/quiet China) and noticed that the Japanese blitz PNG and the Solomons, and of course does the strategic thing vis a vis Java/Borneo/Philliphines yadda yadda...

All well and good. Pretty much as I would expect.

Then in May '42 they sent a three CV TF's down the Coral Sea and raided my supply lines between Australia and PH. I tracked them the whole way, timed it so that I could achieve local superiority and had a 3 CV TF get in between them and their escape route and over the course of the next three days accounted for 5 CV's.

What was really interesting is that the AI sent one CV TF (Akagi (!!) 4 CA's and DD's) seemingly in an attempt to draw me out- because I tracked them for a couple of days as they bombed Brisbane and Sydney (imagine what Australian historians would write about THAT) and sank a few coastal ships and AM's. Then a large CV TF (4 CV's) sailed down the same stretch of water, between Esperitu Santo and Queensland.

The upshot of it was that I sank 5 CV's between Bundaberg and Rossell Island over the space of 3 days, a CA and a couple of DD's with 3 CV's. None of my CV's lost but air groups savaged and it took months to build them back up to strength.

I was pretty impressed with the AI on this- apart from using Akagi as bait. (!!)

Is this "scripted?" if I reload the game from the beginning could I expect the same thing?

Just a general query about how the AI works in single player. Haven't checked out any mods that alter the AI scripting but would consider a mod if anyone has any particular recommendations.

[PaxMondo]

For Scen 1 there are something like 8 or 10 different script sets, with specific probabilities of getting them. So, the answer is "No", you cannot plan on which one you will get and the only way to choose it is by deleting all the others and renaming the one you want to be the aeixxx-01.dat file.

Of course, you also have to be able to figure out which one is the one you want and that ain't easy either. you'll have to query up the procedure that Andy Mac wrote out a few years back .... it isn't hard but it is tedious.

Good Luck.

[BBfanboy]

Further to what Pax said, the difficulty setting seems to affect the choice of scripts by the AI. Some are written to be rather sloppy in organization and objectives while others are written to press you hard and not give too many openings for counterattack. If you found killing the KB in May 42 too easy, try setting the AI difficulty to its highest difficulty.

[Leandros]

ORIGINAL: chazz

I've started about 5 games or so (Dec 8/quiet China) and noticed that the Japanese blitz PNG and the Solomons, and of course does the strategic thing vis a vis Java/Borneo/Philliphines yadda yadda...

All well and good. Pretty much as I would expect.

Then in May '42 they sent a three CV TF's down the Coral Sea and raided my supply lines between Australia and PH. I tracked them the whole way, timed it so that I could achieve local superiority and had a 3 CV TF get in between them and their escape route and over the course of the next three days accounted for 5 CV's.

What was really interesting is that the AI sent one CV TF (Akagi (!!) 4 CA's and DD's) seemingly in an attempt to draw me out- because I tracked them for a couple of days as they bombed Brisbane and Sydney (imagine what Australian historians would write about THAT) and sank a few coastal ships and AM's. Then a large CV TF (4 CV's) sailed down the same stretch of water, between Esperitu Santo and Queensland.

The upshot of it was that I sank 5 CV's between Bundaberg and Rossell Island over the space of 3 days, a CA and a couple of DD's with 3 CV's. None of my CV's lost but air groups savaged and it took months to build them back up to strength.

I was pretty impressed with the AI on this- apart from using Akagi as bait. (!!)

Is this "scripted?" if I reload the game from the beginning could I expect the same thing?

Just a general query about how the AI works in single player. Haven't checked out any mods that alter the AI scripting but would consider a mod if anyone has any particular recommendations.

Hi, Chazz - I experienced exactly the same thing just now. Difference was I didn't have a CV force ready to thwart them, except
one north-east of Darwin. I rushed it south but not farther than PM, my intention was rather to stop any new landings there in
conjunction with land-based air forces and a somewhat reduced CA task force lingering in PM. Reduced because it had already
clashed with enemy heavies escorting an invasion convoy. That invasion was averted.

So, I just had to let the enemy CV TF's run amuck down the Australian east coast, ravaging Brisbane and Sydney, much like you
describe it, rather than risk my one CV in the area.

I suppose you could call this event of yours - The Battle of the Coral Sea....[:)]. Mine haven't really started. I do
have three more CV's coming down from the north after doing some good work in the Moluccans but they are some days off. A
British one, too, but that isn't worth much. Except maybe their torpedo planes. Mine have some depleted air groups, too.

Interesting times.

Fred

[Dragoastro]

I ran into a similar occurrence Kaga in Shikaku attacked Brisbane while four other fleet carriers appeared near shortlands. Scenario 2, May 1942. Humorously army Banshees got the final blow on Kaga. There must have been some bragging in the bars in Brisbane after that.

[Leandros]

ORIGINAL: Dragoastro

I ran into a similar occurrence Kaga in Shikaku attacked Brisbane while four other fleet carriers appeared near shortlands. Scenario 2, May 1942. Humorously army Banshees got the final blow on Kaga. There must have been some bragging in the bars in Brisbane after that.

If they came back....[;)]....

I should think the Banshee pilots had obtained a reasonable proficiency level now, having been so long in Brisbane.

Fred