SVF 2.0

[Chilperic]

And I'm studying them [8D]. The current version delivers a stronger AI in Kentucky.

Most CSA players are very aggressive at start and will not forfeit one inch of ground. However, the Union AI will eventually be stronger each new month, to a level South can't reach due to limited ressources. CSA will have sooner or later to choose indeed a priority. In a certain way, beyond all the current sholar discussion about the Western theater importance and its rile in Confederate defeat, I just feel, without having planned it in writing SVF, CSA hadn't really the choice: Virginia had to be defended as its loss would have hampered the Southern War effort, when, for all its value, West was the area where it was possible to trade space for time...The interest of wargaming as simulation and not only as game: evaluating possible what ifs [:)][:)] ( if not you may decide Finland will...[:D] )

[Chilperic]

I've begun preliminary observatons about Union AI and coastal operation. It's trying to plan one somewhere ( I will not say you where). But as itt plans it very poorly, conditions aren't made for launch. It should target fort first, whereas it tries to go beyond the fort belt, before cancelling the move because f the risk created by the fort...Vicious circle.

Another point is certainly tied to AI interest for Canada and ...Amsterdam. That will be solved in the new games with the next version, as I've stripped all these regions of objectives, cities and harbors. AI has never been at ease with blocked regions as it plans moves into even if impossible.

I've at last to review my own events. There's certainly a new design needed for these ones.

[berto]

I have nearly vetted agelint (the binary executable) against all AGElint supported games (ACW, AJE, NCP, ROP, RUS & WIA). Then I need to vet chkaliases.pl, chklocals.pl, and all the other Perl scripts (including the new chkareas.pl & chkregions.pl) in the AGElint toolkit. I foresee issuing a new AGElint release soon, possibly by this weekend, certainly by next week.

After that's out of the way, I want to turn my near full attention (when I'm not playtesting SVF and providing you with data points) to a study of the SVF AI files. I will ignore the FY AI files for now, as I am much more familiar with the American Civil War. (I know little about the Russian Civil War. I've just read several books on the RCW, while I've read easily 50+ books about the ACW over the course of my lifetime. Played tons of ACW board and computer games too. [8D])

AI modding, here I come! You take the lead, of course. [&o]

[berto]

ORIGINAL: Chliperic

Most CSA players are very aggressive at start and will not forfeit one inch of ground.

No doubt about that. We want to feel in control; we want to Do Something. It's human nature. And it's our undoing.

Let it be, let it be.

[berto]

SVF 2.0 public beta test 20121009. Early June 1862. Union AI, Confederate Human.

A.S. Johnston Retakes Charlottesville.

Heintzelman receives his due. Let's hope the Union offensive in central Virginia fizzles out.



J. Johnston is not my best general on the attack, but his was the only corps in the vicinity. It worked out for the best, luckily.

The Battle of Charlottesville was another one-day battle, but given the forces involved -- about the same size as the Real War Cedar Mountain, another one-day battle (and in the same general locale) -- that seems right.

Little to report in KY/TN.

In the west, small-scale battles at Jefferson City MO and Van Buren AR. The South is retreating from Missouri, abandoning the state to the North. Let's see how the Union AI capitalizes on that.

Aggressive Union moves in Texas and the southwest. Curtis is besieging Galveston TX!

Union Morale 100, VPs 1267, Combat Losses 38390

Confederate Morale 126, VPs 1381, Combat Losses 37830

Saves, Logs, Scripts available here.

[berto]

SVF 2.0 public beta test 20121009. Late July 1862. Union AI, Confederate Human.

Something's Afoot in the East.

After months of quiet, the Union AOP is on the move. Yet another battle around Manassas seems imminent. Union AI moves in the Shenandoah too.



In the east, Lee has assumed command of the Southern AOP. I am sending Beauregard west.

In the center, Grant (with a smallish force) is marching back and forth and around and around, east, west & south of Cairo (Alexander IL). Looking for a fight? In marathon training? Lost? [;)]

Again, little to report in KY/TN. A bit boring, actually.

In the west, more hurrying and scurrying. Our retreat from Missouri continues, but we're holding back the tide elsewhere.

I see lots of Union fleets all over the eastern seaboard. (Too bad fleets don't show in the mini-map.) Is one or more Union coastal operation to be expected?

Union Morale 91, VPs 1405, Combat Losses 39580

Confederate Morale 125, VPs 1525, Combat Losses 38780

Saves, Logs, Scripts available here.

Finally, you will note the localization bug ("evt_nam_CSA_HoodB") showing in the message box.

[berto]

SVF 2.0 public beta test 20121012. Early August 1862. Union AI, Confederate Human.

Lee's First Victory.

And a glorious victory it was!

But maybe not quite plausible? For one thing, a 180,000+ Union AoP? When the largest Real War Union army (Hooker, at Chancellorsville) was 140K. For another, the lopsided casualties, ~9:1. No Real War major engagement was nearly that lopsided. Thirdly, yet another one-day battle. For forces involved being so great, this is not right. (What can you do?)



Offsetting the victory at Manassas, we lost Charlottesville to Heintzelman yet again. He's becoming Real Annoying!



In early August 1862, the situation in the east:



In the Far west, a major engagement -- yet stalemate -- at Fayetteville AR:



The situation in the far west. Note Grant in northern Missouri. What in heck is he doing now? Why can't probably the best Union general get into the game?

Note the 80 WSU. Luxurious. Time again to initiate some Southern industrialization maybe.

Note also another localization bug ("evt_nam_CSA_mid1862Generals") showing in the message box.



The center, and along the coasts: still no action.

Below, note the huge jump in Confederate NM, from the victory at Manassas.

Union Morale 81, VPs 1454, Combat Losses 57929

Confederate Morale 135, VPs 1642, Combat Losses 44715

Saves, Logs, Scripts available here.

[Chilperic]

Army size and battle duration are under scrutiny.

Battle results: once again, you have't fought against Banks, only against one Union Corps. Look at the battle results panel: there's no Union 3 stars General, only a 2 stars one. So the uNion corps was heavily hammered by your more larger Confederate Army, explaining both battle duration and loopsided losses.

About Grant, only new games with the latest version will fix this. On this point, your current game results are more and more below the current Union AI strength.

[Chilperic]

FYI, here the Union AI reaction you will get the turn after Confederate decision to invade Kentucky with a new game under the latest version

[berto]

ORIGINAL: Chliperic

Army size and battle duration are under scrutiny.

Good. Probably don't matter to many players, but certainly irk ACW grognards like me.

Battle results: once again, you have't fought against Banks, only against one Union Corps. Look at the battle results panel: there's no Union 3 stars General, only a 2 stars one. So the uNion corps was heavily hammered by your more larger Confederate Army, explaining both battle duration and loopsided losses.

Right. I had forgotten that. Confusing nonetheless.

About Grant, only new games with the latest version will fix this. On this point, your current game results are more and more below the current Union AI strength.

I failed to mention: I see much Union activity at sea, and many fleets sailing up and down the Atlantic coast. But nothing beyond that yet.

At what point would I best abandon this game, and start over? Or is this still giving useful feedback?

[berto]

ORIGINAL: Chliperic

Battle results: once again, you have't fought against Banks, only against one Union Corps.

Another interesting point to ponder: If the Union AoP outnumbered its Confederate counterpart by ~190,000 to ~80,000 in the region, why did it commit to battle just a single corps? Yes, as a commander, Banks falls far short of Lee. But Banks had the numbers.

No doubt it's an engine thing, and likely not something that you as a modder can control.

[berto]

SVF 2.0 public beta test 20121012. Late August 1862. Union AI, Confederate Human.

Lee's First Defeat.

In order to retake Charlottesville VA, Lee gambled by sending Jackson south. Banks seized the opportunity to again attack Lee at Manassas. The outnumbered Lee was bested:



Things have suddenly gotten more complicated in the east:



With the seemingly permanent threat to our western Virginian flank, I'm thinking it's maybe time to abandon Manassas and withdraw to the Rappahannock, thereby shortening our lines. Too soon for that?

In KY/TN, it's near total Fog of War. Where did the Union forces go off hiding to?

Union Morale 88, VPs 1506, Combat Losses 61789

Confederate Morale 133, VPs 1689, Combat Losses 52505

Saves, Logs, Scripts available here.

[berto]

ORIGINAL: Chliperic

Army size and battle duration are under scrutiny.

Perhaps the best and natural solution to the army size problem is to draw forces away from the eastern theater to augment the central theater and coastal areas. Without coastal ops, and with just half-hearted efforts in the center, in the Real War I imagine that the Union, too, might have been able to field 180,000-man armies in the east.

[Chilperic]

ORIGINAL: berto

ORIGINAL: Chliperic

Army size and battle duration are under scrutiny.

Perhaps the best and natural solution to the army size problem is to draw forces away from the eastern theater to augment the central theater and coastal areas. Without coastal ops, and with just half-hearted efforts in the center, in the Real War I imagine that the Union, too, might have been able to field 180,000-man armies in the east.

Sure, even if the most plausible cause could be a slightly exxagerated rate of unit building for Union AI. Trial and testing process . Nothing impossible to tweak

[Chilperic]

ORIGINAL: berto

ORIGINAL: Chliperic

Battle results: once again, you have't fought against Banks, only against one Union Corps.

Another interesting point to ponder: If the Union AoP outnumbered its Confederate counterpart by ~190,000 to ~80,000 in the region, why did it commit to battle just a single corps? Yes, as a commander, Banks falls far short of Lee. But Banks had the numbers.

No doubt it's an engine thing, and likely not something that you as a modder can control.

Think about afew battles where some corps were fighting alone when the rest of the Army a few kilometers away wasn't even aware of the fight. Or Chancellorville, where a large part of Union forces remained idle when a part of the Army was attacked...

[Chilperic]

ORIGINAL: berto

ORIGINAL: Chliperic

Army size and battle duration are under scrutiny.

Good. Probably don't matter to many players, but certainly irk ACW grognards like me.

Battle results: once again, you have't fought against Banks, only against one Union Corps. Look at the battle results panel: there's no Union 3 stars General, only a 2 stars one. So the uNion corps was heavily hammered by your more larger Confederate Army, explaining both battle duration and loopsided losses.

Right. I had forgotten that. Confusing nonetheless.

About Grant, only new games with the latest version will fix this. On this point, your current game results are more and more below the current Union AI strength.

I failed to mention: I see much Union activity at sea, and many fleets sailing up and down the Atlantic coast. But nothing beyond that yet.

At what point would I best abandon this game, and start over? Or is this still giving useful feedback?

IMO, it would be now better to start a fresh game. In my own current new test game, the Union AI has disembarked an infantry brigade and a cavalry regiment in Florida in September 61. After having captured a coastal city, the target is Ft Marion. However, there's yet no naval bombardment of the fort. I'm going to wait a few more months in the game to chack why.

On the contrary, UnioN AI is very present in Kentucky; your own test has showed Missouri Arkansas and Eastern Virginia were rightly handed by Union AI after the first months phase, whith right paths of offensive and without catastrophic failures due to a cut of Union supply lines, that is satisfactory. Union AI may go deep but there's no madness in the moves.

[Chilperic]

I've found a bug allowing Union AI to build too many units. Next version will be released today.

[berto]

ORIGINAL: Chliperic

ORIGINAL: berto

ORIGINAL: Chliperic

Battle results: once again, you have't fought against Banks, only against one Union Corps.

Another interesting point to ponder: If the Union AoP outnumbered its Confederate counterpart by ~190,000 to ~80,000 in the region, why did it commit to battle just a single corps? Yes, as a commander, Banks falls far short of Lee. But Banks had the numbers.

No doubt it's an engine thing, and likely not something that you as a modder can control.

Think about afew battles where some corps were fighting alone when the rest of the Army a few kilometers away wasn't even aware of the fight. Or Chancellorville, where a large part of Union forces remained idle when a part of the Army was attacked...

Perryville being another example.

[berto]

ORIGINAL: Chliperic

IMO, it would be now better to start a fresh game.

Okay. But I may not be able to do that until Wednesday. Nothing to report for the next couple of days.

[Chilperic]

My own test game with the latest version has been noticeable by the AI union blitz in MO and Arkansas, as they have captured Springfield, Fayetteville, Ft Smith and come to the gates of Little Rocks. In the East, A 20,000 strong column led by Burnside is sieging Petersburg, when in the same time my main force is facing McClellan main Army at Manassas. In the Shenadoah, Johnston is trying to smash first small Union stacks coming from WV before attacking Mansfield occupying Harper's Ferry...The Kentucky has just been invaded by Morth, the very first turn after I decided to neter the State.

Conclusion: to the exception of coastal ops, the Union AI has performed as intended during these first months ( October 1861).