AI question

[Seasick]

I played the game quite some time ago but nostalgia pulled me back. I seem to remember that there was a way to let the Chinese theater take care of itself (playing as Allies), and perhaps even the British sphere. Does anybody know if this is still possible (if it ever was)?

[pbiggar]

The original WITP had an “automate China” option, but this game does not. This game is a substantial improvement over the original WITP with tons more depth and a very active supportive community. There is a “quiet China” scenario if you want ignore China and focus on the rest of the Pacific.

The game is on sale this week, so if you want to try it out now is the time! I played hundred of hours of the old WITP and this game is much better - although with a much longer learning curve.

[BBfanboy]

Selecting the Quiet China scenario reduces the number of targets the Japanese will try to take, and if you separate the two sides by at least one vacant hex there is no pursuit-to-destroy reaction from the game engine. This is a big gift to the Allied side - the Chinese can gain experience and spend their limited supplies in China building airfields or filling out units instead of using them up in battle. Although I am not a fan of the land war, I found that excluding China changed the strategic calculus for Burma/India/Malaya (no need to fight to get supplies to China). Instead of Burma, the British could take their troops to the DEI, or help the Aussies in New Guinea.

[Yaab]

In WITP-AE you can only automate sub warfare and naval supply convoys. Everything else needs manual input, at least from time to time.

[Sardaukar]

Basically you don't want to automate anything in this game.

Only exception is CS (continuous supply) convoys, but those are set by player from point to point and very useful.

[Panjack]

The creator of the Quiet China scenarios wrote:

The AI for either side is much more limited in the quiet china scenarios.

Basically there is a strategic AI which dictates long range plans which is disabled in the quiet scenario except for the attack on HK by the Japanese.

The tactical AI which basically says attack nearest unit, pursue overrun avenge etc is still active because otherwise it would need a different exe.

The tactical AI runs out of steam after about a month and then China settles down to a nice quiet stalemate.

You can pretty much ignore the whole China theatre - the AI may take a base or two but it will never go all out for Chungking or do anything overly aggressive.

Andy

See: https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... p?t=171082

[btd64]

In WITP-AE you can only automate sub warfare and naval supply convoys. Everything else needs manual input, at least from time to time.

No matter what you do, don't automate your subs....GP

[Seasick]

Thanks everyone for the helpful replies. If I want to get educated on manually using subs is there a good resource that would be recommended?

[Maallon]

Thanks everyone for the helpful replies. If I want to get educated on manually using subs is there a good resource that would be recommended?

see post 3 here:
https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... p?t=351032
(whole thread is worth reading)

A lot of it comes down to experience and analyzing where trade routes and choke points of your opponent may be.
Also on important thing to note is, even if you set up everything perfectly, it could take weeks before you find anything and sometimes subs don't attack even if they find the enemy.
In my opinion subs are more a weapon of slow attrition and not one who decisively win battles, at least most of the time.

[Panjack]

Here are two threads that present selected beliefs about aspects of the use of subs:
https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 3&t=378166
https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... p?t=320009

But much more is sprinkled in the forum.

You'll want to develop skills in searching the forum. Searching the forum is more an art than a science. Actually, much inartful trial-and-error of different sets of search terms is often required to find the information you desire.

Many people use external search engines to search the forum, although with the recent upgrade in the forum some think the embedded search (and advanced search) engine now does the job for them. For searching using two popular search engines see:
https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 3&t=375436
https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 3&t=375640