Best Campaign vs Allied AI?

[Gters]

I would like to play a grand campaign against an AI that offers me a bit of a challenge with the last patch. Which scenario should I choose? Or which mod should I download?

Thx for anwers

[Gters]

Can no one give me a good answer?

[btd64]

Tier 3 nasty. I haven't looked at the new update in a while but it's there. But I think it is Japanese AI only....GP

[Kohler]

Assume its version 11.28. Scenario 1 is the base game, so probably not what you're looking for. Scenarios 2, 4, 5 and 6 are increasingly more difficult for the Allied player. There is also of course the difficulty setting, if you're "newish" to AE, then try Scenario 2 with Very Hard setting. If you're looking for a greater challenge, 4, 5 and 6 are what you need.

[RangerJoe]

It depends upon your level of expertise, what you can put into the game, and what you want out of the game. There are mods out there that have different situations and ships, you just have to look for them.

[Gters]

Thanks for the replies. I'm a decent player, many years ago I did a few campaigns with the Japanese but all of them aborted in 43 due to a very non-existent Allied AI.
Now, I would like to try playing it again. I know that Andy has developed various scenarios over the years with more advanced AI. What I don't know, is always this are they compatible with the latest game patch and/or mods.
That's why I'm asking for advice before I start a new campaign with the Japanese, I'd like to make sure I don't make a mistake as I'd like to finish it.

[Sardaukar]

Allied "AI" (aka scripts) are decent in early war when defending.

Unfortunately AI cannot really handle the complex amphibious operations Allied need doing starting from 1943.

Still, you might get decent game until Allied are supposed to go on attack. Make your aim to win by Jan 1943 as Japanese.

Those Ironman scenarios might be your best bet.

[morphin]

Scenario 7 "Beware the Dorniers" ist what are you looking for. Play at least at level Hard

I take this as base scenario for my own mod

[Sardaukar]

Yea, Beware the Dorniers should be sufficiently brutal and challenging.

[Gters]

Scenario 7 "Beware the Dorniers" ist what are you looking for. Play at least at level Hard

I take this as base scenario for my own mod

Thanks for the suggestion, but I'd like to play the entire campaign, not just one scenario

[btd64]

Scenario 7 "Beware the Dorniers" ist what are you looking for. Play at least at level Hard

I take this as base scenario for my own mod

Thanks for the suggestion, but I'd like to play the entire campaign, not just one scenario

It's a full scenario....GP

[Yaab]

I would like to play a grand campaign against an AI that offers me a bit of a challenge with the last patch. Which scenario should I choose? Or which mod should I download?

Thx for anwers

AI (Japanese and Allied) is just a bunch of scripts, no match for a human player. Now, it depends what you understand as a "challenge" - alternative scenarios that add non-historical buffs to AI player or scenarios that are more history-oriented? I can have an entertaing game against Japanese AI on Normal in Scen001 just by adding a few house rules for myself.

[GetAssista]

You can have entertaining campaign trying to conquer the world, incluing US. I did

[Sardaukar]

I play exclusively as Allies vs. Japan, so I am not very much help here.

One thing about this game (and it's predecessor)...it made me buy lots of books about Pacific War. Got bit expensive in long run, when thinking about it.

[PaxMondo]

Beware the Dorniers is the most challenging Allied AI scen out there. Comes in 3 flavors, the one in the game d/l is the "normal" version (Tier 1). If you search the forum back about +8? years you will find the tier 2 and 3. Those are SIGNIFICANTLY more difficult. This is a "fantasy" scenario, meaning that the allied forces have been improved upon from the historical to give a better challenge to the IJ player.

As noted, the AI isn't very good at offense, that's why the IJ AI versions are okay for learning mechanics as an allied player, but you never get a game to last very long and it isn't challenging at all. The AI is much better on defense and so the Allied AI scenarios fair better as long as IJ IS ON THE OFFENSE. Against, the AI, that shouldn't be an issue. Just remember a few things playing the AI:

1. Balanced is on VERY HARD per the dev (ALL HAIL THE ANDY MAC!!!!!!). The bonuses given to the AI (and there are several) cancel out the bonuses that the player can use, but the AI cannot (like command HQ's). So, if you play lower, you are giving yourself an advantage. Remember that.
2. No deep Hail Mary's! Your offense needs to be straight-line towards a goal, no skipping bases in between. EX: Palembang. If you are going west from Manila, you need to take all the bases along the north coast of Borneo/Sarawak and then down the west coast at least as far as Pontiak. Skipping any bases in between can cause the AI to fail, and your game will be over pretty quick.
3. Every once in a while, do a turn H2H. Don't attack on your side, and on the AI side, disperse planes from the pools, upgrade units (LCU's/Aircraft/Ships) as appropriate. Fill out pilots. These are things that the AI cannot do at all, or does very poorly. It will GREATLY improve the quality of your game. Try not to look at enemy positions too much when you do this. How often? That depends. Early in the game more often. As you get into '42, less often. Monthly for sure as the AI cannot remove scheduled units. Ships can be tricky to take of as you need to get them to a national capital before you can move them out and the AI has a tendency to grab them and use them. So, note when they will arrive and try to do your H2H with a day or 2. QE2 is always a pain for me, the AI loves the ship.


Enjoy! I have for a very long time ....

[szmike]

there is also ironman variation, Long Road to Tokyo mod, which is really nice, but only works with 26b patch... kind of... as .exe is independent of scenarios

[PaxMondo]

there is also ironman variation, Long Road to Tokyo mod, which is really nice, but only works with 26b patch... kind of... as .exe is independent of scenarios

Yes, but given that the AI starts out on offense, which is not its best position, the player can pretty quickly take the initiative away. That's the issue with all of the IJ AI scenarios, the AI cannot hold the initiative very long. The allies can create their "Deathstar" once the Hornet arrives and then you either go the Northern route via Hokkaido or the Southern route via the Marshalls. Games rarely last past '43, good players are in Tokyo in '42. (Northern route is much shorter and once you are in Hokkaido, you can knock out the IJ economy and game over).

Beware the Dorniers Tier 3, can easily get to '44. The version I play, which was only on the boards for 3 days, I have gotten to 46 before SF fell.

[szmike]

yeah, well, as an exercise in speedrunning it's true

I prefer roleplaying historical path... or so, script is just so I don't have to click the other side... so it depends on the goal when playing it, I'm more of a journey man than meta-best-result man

did you upload this scenario anywhere?

[PaxMondo]

If you're referring to the Beware the Dorniers Tier 2 and 3, I did not. The original author Andy (ALL HAIL THE ANDY MAC!!!!) did some years ago. You would have to search to find them.

I play a derivative of a special Tier 3 that he posted, and then removed after a few days. Since he removed it, and is the author, I don't feel it should be shared without his permission. The derivative that I created, Hirohito's Honor has never been posted. I am writing an AAR based on it now ...