A newbie Axis playthrough: Summary, comments, and questions

[wobbleguts]

ORIGINAL: Illiniwek80

I did, but edited the games build limits as well in case I wanted to play without soft builds in the future. I've heard the AI doesn't handle soft build well so I changed the build limit for all major powers to make a more satisfying game for me if I choose to play it again without soft builds. Probably should have explained it better.

That's ok; thanks! I asked because there's always something I don't know. This has given me inspiration to build a German military consisting exclusively of dozens of paratroops and see what havoc I can wreak.

A little unwise but good luck with it.

[Alcibiades73]

ORIGINAL: Illiniwek80


That's ok; thanks! I asked because there's always something I don't know. This has given me inspiration to build a German military consisting exclusively of dozens of paratroops and see what havoc I can wreak.

Stuff like 3 Maritine Bombers for Germany or "dozens of" Paratroops for Germany may be too extreme in terms of both historical accuracy and balancing.

However, I have increased German Paratroops limit by 1. I like these incremental +1 increases for balance purposes; and historically Germany had more airborne divisions than the United States during World War 2 anyways. So Germany having the same number of paratroops as the U.S. seems noncontroversial.

The only radical change I made in this game was to dramatically reduce the number of capital ships in this game. (I am going to rant about the number of capital ships in this game some day.) The number of capital ships in this game is one of the more egregious historical inaccuracies in this game - as well as one of the more unbalanced elements in this game - so I felt compelled to do something about it immediately.

[Chernobyl]

Does the Axis AI get extra/free units (that a human PBEM opponent would not) even on the "intermediate" level (no bonus)?

I am playing the game for the first time, it's 1942 and I'm wondering if the Russians are getting some extras because they sure have a ton of corps.

[Alcibiades73]

ORIGINAL: Chernobyl

Does the Axis AI get extra/free units (that a human PBEM opponent would not) even on the "intermediate" level (no bonus)?

I am playing the game for the first time, it's 1942 and I'm wondering if the Russians are getting some extras because they sure have a ton of corps.

Yes, tons. This is why the devs should be cautious about buffing the Soviet Union. It would be really discouraging for newer players. You can see the list of scripted AI free units. At Intermediate it's about 50 free units for the Soviet Union?

Edit: I just counted. It's 46 free units for Intermediate AI. It's preposterous, I think, at that difficulty.

[Chernobyl]

ORIGINAL: Alcibiades73
It's 46 free units for Intermediate AI.

Ah, okay good to know. I was thinking I must have played extremely poorly because the Soviets still have so many units left. It's early June 1942 and I've destroyed 88 Soviet land/air units (most of them at supply level less than 5 for a "full kill") and they still have large armies opposing me on three fronts. I thought damn I would totally lose against a human player. Ditto for China, I've destroyed 70 Chinese units and they are basically wiped out at this point but there's no way I think a human player would have surely beaten me if they had that many units

[OldCrowBalthazor]

ORIGINAL: Alcibiades73

Yes, tons. This is why the devs should be cautious about buffing the Soviet Union. It would be really discouraging for newer players. You can see the list of scripted AI free units. At Intermediate it's about 50 free units for the Soviet Union?

Edit: I just counted. It's 46 free units for Intermediate AI. It's preposterous, I think, at that difficulty.

I think 'scorched earth' could be a little stronger as a buff for the Soviets...but the rest I think is fine imo.

[Illiniwek80]

Ditto for China, I've destroyed 70 Chinese units and they are basically wiped out at this point but there's no way I think a human player would have surely beaten me if they had that many units

Well, I can consistently beat the USSR, but the only way I can defeat China is by taking their western cities out with Germany. Last game I tried going 'all in' from the get-go on China, including massive airpower and throwing everything into it just to see what it takes, and still can't quite get there until it 1944 and everything else has fallen apart. I would like to hear if anyone else has done it.

[Alcibiades73]

ORIGINAL: Chernobyl


Ah, okay good to know. I was thinking I must have played extremely poorly because the Soviets still have so many units left. It's early June 1942 and I've destroyed 88 Soviet land/air units (most of them at supply level less than 5 for a "full kill") and they still have large armies opposing me on three fronts. I thought damn I would totally lose against a human player. Ditto for China, I've destroyed 70 Chinese units and they are basically wiped out at this point but there's no way I think a human player would have surely beaten me if they had that many units

Yeah, I destroyed some 110 Soviet units the first time I played, if I recall correctly, by early 1943; and I got stuck at the three main objective cities of Leningrad, Moscow, and Stalingrad. I just quit in frustration.

Did you get past those 3 cities? And when did you start Barbarossa?

ORIGINAL: OldCrowBalthazor


I think 'scorched earth' could be a little stronger as a buff for the Soviets...but the rest I think is fine imo.

You are a veteran though. Most new players will start at Intermediate and vs. the AI; and I can guarantee that the vast majority will feel the free AI units to be overwhelming and maddening. (There are more threads to this effect on the Steam forums - which, unlike this forum, is more populated by newer players.)

ORIGINAL: Illiniwek80

Well, I can consistently beat the USSR, but the only way I can defeat China is by taking their western cities out with Germany. Last game I tried going 'all in' from the get-go on China, including massive airpower and throwing everything into it just to see what it takes, and still can't quite get there until it 1944 and everything else has fallen apart. I would like to hear if anyone else has done it.

Do you have room to focus on China as Japan that late?

[Illiniwek80]

Do you have room to focus on China as Japan that late?

No, that's why everything collapsed. I do have a lone SF unit in Kuwait though. Turned out surprisingly easy to take my spare forces to India and take it out. Didn't bring enough to hold on very long tho. Lesson for the future. I try to go to extremes to see what the possibilities are.

[Platoonist]

ORIGINAL: Alcibiades73



Yeah, I destroyed some 110 Soviet units the first time I played, if I recall correctly, by early 1943; and I got stuck at the three main objective cities of Leningrad, Moscow, and Stalingrad. I just quit in frustration.

Did you get past those 3 cities? And when did you start Barbarossa?

This is the final tally of Soviet units I destroyed in my last game against the Allied AI. I think my invasion started in around April 1941. As per usual, the Soviets didn't quit until Kuibyshev and Perm fell.

[Alcibiades73]

ORIGINAL: Illiniwek80e]

No, that's why everything collapsed. I do have a lone SF unit in Kuwait though. Turned out surprisingly easy to take my spare forces to India and take it out. Didn't bring enough to hold on very long tho. Lesson for the future. I try to go to extremes to see what the possibilities are.

Wait, so you basically destroyed USSR AND China and still lost? I guess USA is that powerful in this game ;(

ORIGINAL: Platoonist


This is the final tally of Soviet units I destroyed in my last game against the Allied AI. I think my invasion started in around April 1941. As per usual, the Soviets didn't quit until Kuibyshev and Perm fell.

So it looks like you destroyed a bit over 200 units? When was this achieved?

[Platoonist]

ORIGINAL: Alcibiades73



So it looks like you destroyed a bit over 200 units? When was this achieved?

Spring of 1944. It was a long road east. [:D]

[Alcibiades73]

ORIGINAL: Platoonist

ORIGINAL: Alcibiades73



So it looks like you destroyed a bit over 200 units? When was this achieved?

Spring of 1944. It was a long road east. [:D]

Ah, so that's what I have to expect - even on an optimistic scenario...

[Hubert Cater]

ORIGINAL: Chernobyl

ORIGINAL: Alcibiades73
It's 46 free units for Intermediate AI.

Ah, okay good to know. I was thinking I must have played extremely poorly because the Soviets still have so many units left. It's early June 1942 and I've destroyed 88 Soviet land/air units (most of them at supply level less than 5 for a "full kill") and they still have large armies opposing me on three fronts. I thought damn I would totally lose against a human player. Ditto for China, I've destroyed 70 Chinese units and they are basically wiped out at this point but there's no way I think a human player would have surely beaten me if they had that many units

Hi Chernobyl,

In practice, it's not necessarily this many units though, it all depends on how you play as not all of those events will fire. For example, It could be that many if you defeat the Soviets completely, but a lot less depending upon how far you progress.

The implementation is a distribution of these AI bonus units over time and triggered by positions and advances or not, and only to help balance out the game (to help the AI) and to limit the snowball effect of once things go bad, they can go bad in a hurry ruining the game.

Your best bet if there is concerns here is to choose an easier level, this way less bonus units will be applied, or to select the default level and simply turn off the bonus unit scripts as desired. This can be done via OPTIONS->ADVANCED->SCRIPTS and then turning off all applicable UNIT events that are labelled as 'ALLIED AI: USSR'

Hope this helps,
Hubert

[Illiniwek80]

I have kind of a related problem for anyone who cares to answer. In my last two games as Japan I noticed that Germany is getting overwhelmed and wiped out by the USSR because it has upgraded all, or nearly all, its army to Mobility 1; therefore, it has insufficient units to fill gaps in its lines and no reserves. Anything I can do about this?

[Alcibiades73]

ORIGINAL: Illiniwek80

I have kind of a related problem for anyone who cares to answer. In my last two games as Japan I noticed that Germany is getting overwhelmed and wiped out by the USSR because it has upgraded all, or nearly all, its army to Mobility 1; therefore, it has insufficient units to fill gaps in its lines and no reserves. Anything I can do about this?

Is AI playing Germany? This is the problem I am afraid of encountering, if I were only to control one nation.

Also, does the AI, too, get free AI units, if the human player is on the same side but only playing one nation?

[Chernobyl]

ORIGINAL: Hubert Cater
Hope this helps,

Ah okay thank you, I was trying to play and get a sense of how much a real opponent might have in terms of units and MPP. The best way to do this would be to play hotseat against myself, but that takes a lot longer

[Platoonist]

ORIGINAL: Alcibiades73



Also, does the AI, too, get free AI units, if the human player is on the same side but only playing one nation?

Yes, I've seen the AI UK using some of those unnumbered ground units in Italy when playing solely as the Soviet Union. At which point they entered the game I couldn't tell you.

As far as I can tell there are no "free" naval units for the AI. At least I haven't seen any yet in my old saved games even with fog of war off to check.

[Alcibiades73]

ORIGINAL: Platoonist


Yes, I've seen the AI UK using some of those unnumbered ground units in Italy when playing solely as the Soviet Union. At which point they entered the game I couldn't tell you.

As far as I can tell there are no "free" naval units for the AI. At least I haven't seen any yet in my old saved games even with fog of war off to check.

Ah, that's interesting. Still, AI vs. AI would favor Allies, since I'd imagine that the AI won't know how to take advantage of the initial military advantage and it is better leveraging superior economy and thus unit spamming?

[Platoonist]

It's always been a basic rule of thumb with AIs that they do better at playing defense than offense. So it follows that effective Axis play would be a challenge for the AI as so much depends on an effective and early offensive strategy for them.