Very hard difficulty A.I.

[Arkham]

Ok, but that didn't answer my question Can the AI 'just move' supply to areas that are theoretically isolated negating the island hopping strategy?

[Platoonist]

If the AI can just move supply without TFs being created, does that invalidate the 'wither on the vine' strategy of island hopping?

Can the AI can 'just move' supplies to Rabaul, even if I've established myself north of there and have the ocean locked down where realistically no supply convoy would be able to get through? Would that mean that the AI can keep replacing aircraft from supply that somehow appears?

Bases do still get cut off. I've had an AI Japanese garrison on the Shortlands isolated for months. They're pretty much eating grass at his point. Their remaining planes aren't flying nor are they getting replacements.

Shortlands.jpg (66.27 KiB) Viewed 1416 times

[Arkham]

Interesting. So I guess it would be important to figure out how the AI transfers supply without convoys. Logistics and logistic interdiction are a huge part of the war, so if the AI had a 'cheat' that cuts back on the players strategy.

Maybe it has the invisible convoys if it can trace through waters that haven't had enemy action in a certain period of time?

[Platoonist]

Interesting. So I guess it would be important to figure out how the AI transfers supply without convoys. Logistics and logistic interdiction are a huge part of the war, so if the AI had a 'cheat' that cuts back on the players strategy.

Maybe it has the invisible convoys if it can trace through waters that haven't had enemy action in a certain period of time?

I've noticed the AI will still on occasion try to sneak a rice-laden merchant or two into the Shortlands escorted by a gunboat. Marine dive bombers on Torokina escort them to the bottom every time.

[RangerJoe]

Ok, but that didn't answer my question Can the AI 'just move' supply to areas that are theoretically isolated negating the island hopping strategy?

Actually, I did answer the question. I stated that "No, it does not" invalidate the strategy. Then I informed you how to proceed. If you don't like my ideas on how to proceed, then don't do them.

[Chris21wen]

Just want to throw in this. Playing 26b as Japan on very hard. Here's the US and Phillipine fighter pools on Jan 23, a month and a half after the start. Please discuss.
Capture.JPG

The P-40B is a better defense fighter than the P-40E although with no drop tanks. Use some of the lower quality fighters as trainers, there was no need to swap them out for P-39s and/or P-40Es. The P-39 can be more effective that the P-40E if properly used. The P-38E should have been left in the training units, there is a way to get them out of those units without exchanging them.

I think you missed the point. Look at the aircraft numbers.

[Yaab]

It seems the Allied AI had about 350 Warhawks in the starting pool.

[RangerJoe]

Just want to throw in this. Playing 26b as Japan on very hard. Here's the US and Phillipine fighter pools on Jan 23, a month and a half after the start. Please discuss.
Capture.JPG

The P-40B is a better defense fighter than the P-40E although with no drop tanks. Use some of the lower quality fighters as trainers, there was no need to swap them out for P-39s and/or P-40Es. The P-39 can be more effective that the P-40E if properly used. The P-38E should have been left in the training units, there is a way to get them out of those units without exchanging them.

I think you missed the point. Look at the aircraft numbers.

My error, I misread what you posted. I thought that your were the Allies since that was the recent discussion.

[Yaab]

So the Allied AI on Hard starts with more Airacobras/Warhawks in their pools? Is that it?
I ask because I only play against Jap AI on Normal.

[Kull]

So the Allied AI on Hard starts with more Airacobras/Warhawks in their pools? Is that it?
I ask because I only play against Jap AI on Normal.

Difficulty levels can be altered at any time during a game, so there can't be a link to force pools. That's the sort of thing that is changed at the scenario level.

[Yaab]

Thanks. My inexperience with non-Normal settings is showing.

[BBfanboy]

Interesting. So I guess it would be important to figure out how the AI transfers supply without convoys. Logistics and logistic interdiction are a huge part of the war, so if the AI had a 'cheat' that cuts back on the players strategy.

Maybe it has the invisible convoys if it can trace through waters that haven't had enemy action in a certain period of time?

Your question seems to be about the additional supply the Japanese can get when the Very Hard difficulty level is selected. Don't waste time searching for sneaky ships or subs providing the extra supply - it is an abstraction to give you the harder game you selected. Think of it as seafood bought from the local natives or harvested by hand grenade fishing. Or weaving a new pair of trousers from local coconut fibers, etc. Living off the land and sea. And as Platoonist posted, the RL Japanese used all manner of native craft to bring stuff between islands - small craft not reflected in the game design which are therefore unsinkable.

[Chris21wen]

The P-40B is a better defense fighter than the P-40E although with no drop tanks. Use some of the lower quality fighters as trainers, there was no need to swap them out for P-39s and/or P-40Es. The P-39 can be more effective that the P-40E if properly used. The P-38E should have been left in the training units, there is a way to get them out of those units without exchanging them.

I think you missed the point. Look at the aircraft numbers.

My error, I misread what you posted. I thought that your were the Allies since that was the recent discussion.

I posted this because the AI advantage is not just about supply.

[Chris21wen]

So the Allied AI on Hard starts with more Airacobras/Warhawks in their pools? Is that it?
I ask because I only play against Jap AI on Normal.

Difficulty levels can be altered at any time during a game, so there can't be a link to force pools. That's the sort of thing that is changed at the scenario level.

You can but you need to do it through 'Prefereneces and Options' P key and not as I tried to do, before a scenario starts. Preferences etc are saved.

[Kull]

You can but you need to do it through 'Prefereneces and Options' P key and not as I tried to do, before a scenario starts. Preferences etc are saved.

Are you saying that changing difficulty levels using the "P" key will change force pool levels? Even in the middle of an ongoing game?

[Arkham]

You can but you need to do it through 'Prefereneces and Options' P key and not as I tried to do, before a scenario starts. Preferences etc are saved.

Are you saying that changing difficulty levels using the "P" key will change force pool levels? Even in the middle of an ongoing game?

Test it? Run a turn, then switch to Japan and check the pool levels. Then revert to the old save, bump up the difficulty and rerun the turn, then switch to Japan again and check the pool levels again?

[Yaab]

Arkham, I found this post in my WITP:AE reference stash (sadly, no link to the thread)

(START QUOTE)
"If you are playing on "hard" difficulty, every squadron that can upgrade to the P-40E, which is every P-40B squadron and many others, will receive free P-40Es as upgrades. These upgrades are free, and the AI does not have to use planes from his pool to receive these upgrades. The same for the Catalinas. Whether auto-upgrade squadrons is on or off does not matter to the AI on "hard" difficulty. It will automatically upgrade its squadrons to the best available model, and it does not need any planes in the pool. These free upgrades are a little random, however, so some time may pass before a squadron receives its free upgrades. This is part of the "logistical" advantages that the AI receives on hard difficulty.

The 500 P-40Es that you are seeing include the planes that the AI received for free as upgrades to its squadrons.

< Message edited by Aurorus -- 5/16/2017 4:51:13 AM >"
(END QUOTE)

[Kull]

The manual does say "logistical advantages" not "supply advantages", so I totally agree that game start difficulty levels could have that effect. What I can't imagine is a mechanism by which pools would somehow fluctuate during a game, depending on the current difficulty settings.

[Chris21wen]

You can but you need to do it through 'Prefereneces and Options' P key and not as I tried to do, before a scenario starts. Preferences etc are saved.

Are you saying that changing difficulty levels using the "P" key will change force pool levels? Even in the middle of an ongoing game?

As far as I can see, yes.

[PaxMondo]

You can but you need to do it through 'Prefereneces and Options' P key and not as I tried to do, before a scenario starts. Preferences etc are saved.

Are you saying that changing difficulty levels using the "P" key will change force pool levels? Even in the middle of an ongoing game?

As far as I can see, yes.

Well, I don't know what scen 26b is, so I have no idea what the starting pools are. But I'm not aware that the AI level has any impact upon pools outside of normal production and upgrade paths. I can also state that I have never seen the AI magically create any devices that are not already in the game.

So, what you need to do is in 26b, take a look at the TOTAL devices (like P-40b) that start in game. That means you have to tally all units in all air groups in addition to the pool. Then do the same on your date in Jan 42. I've never seen them not tie out (well, within 1 or 2). Remember that the AI can, and does, perfom upgrades based upon the progression provided by the scen developer. The catch is that it won't always do them when it should.

PS: tracker is a great help with this as you can create CSV files for Jan 42 to compare to the starting Dec 41 CSV files.

Post your findings here. very interested to see them.