Axis AI in europe

[chopper66]

Hi,

I've been tinkering with things a bit, e.g. adding more planes and ships at the start, tweaking ZOCs, mud effect and 'motorising' costs as well as opening access to light tanks, recon and field artillery. One other change is how quickly Italy joins, i.e. later, which seemed a small change. All the above worked well playing Axis and things are far from easy, with Russia falling in early 44.

So, I started as allied only to find that Germany sat back in Europe until Italy joined.

Does that ring true as in the German AI will delay until Italy joins?

Thanks

[Hubert Cater]

Hi Chopper66,

No that doesn't sound right at all and sounds like the Axis AI, and possibly the Allied AI lost its planning from perhaps your tinkering. To make sure please open the campaign again, and go to Campaign -> Edit AI Scripts and then 'Update All'.

I would do the same for EVENT scripts as well and then save and see it that makes a difference.

Hubert

[chopper66]

Thanks for the reply. I wasn't clear enough in that things are fine until Holland, Belgium and Lux fall. The AI then sits along the border with France and pokes at and next to Lille, but that's normal before any tinkering. This relative passiveness changes when Italy joins before and after my tinkering. I delayed the Italian entry in the hope that this would keep its fleet safe until France is pacified - the AI simply throws its ships away against the French. I understand the general mechanics behind this broad type of AI, without boring you with the why, and was hoping to make it play a little less mini-max.

[Hubert Cater]

Hi Chopper66,

Thanks for the extra info and I can't speak for your mod, but for the default game I just ran another test and I don't really see the AI delaying and waiting for Italy to join. At least in my test game, an AI vs AI test game, it took the Low Countries by May 10th, it did a half pause as it reinforced and upgraded some units (some available units still pressed the attack on this turn), but then continued in earnest on the next turn. The following turn Italy joined which was June 7th.

For me this felt/looked normal and as expected as Paris was then taken in early July.

Perhaps your mod has significant ZoC changes limiting Axis movement on the narrow front after the Low Countries? Without having a full understanding of your changes I can only guess.

Also, when you say delay, how many turns are we talking here exactly?

For the Italian Navy throwing itself against the French naval units, are you possibly playing with FoW off?

Hubert

[chopper66]

Thanks again for the reply, which is appreciated.

The ZoC point is interesting. I've made corps equivalent to armies in terms of ZoC, but my playstyle is to load up the border to the north with armies because of Lille being attractive so that may easily slow things down.

I originally posted after November arrived without a breakthrough, despite Germany having a lot more firepower available to it.

I very much like the game, which is easily the best computerised WW2 turn based strategy game ever - I am a 53 year old grognard so have played a lot of games.

I play with FoW. I was hoping to try and arrive at a more conservative Italian AI that looked to keep its navy out of the way until France had surrendered, but am not making much headway. My favourite box game of the same type is Flames of War, where a strategy of avoiding combat with French ships is a good idea. I can keep the French out of the way to make it more interesting later, but wanted to try and make that unnecessary.

The mod I've evolved plays well, it seems to me, when I play as axis, but not so much when I play as allies.

Solo play is fun though.

I'll keep tinkering. I'll share it if I ever get to a point where it might be of interest.