Matrix Games Forums

I have said before but the developers should have fielded a SC3 WiE and a WitP and had a way to join them into one game with two scales and two timelines and two AIs. The mechanics would for both theatres but the scales and timelines would be better served if they were kept separate. This would have allowed a scale for the West and the East that better approximated the difficulties each theatre had. And a less complicated AI. For a game as ambitious as SC WaW the AI programming is just well too difficult. There are just too many variables.

I have a longer post on how to join.

A joined game would only be played by us die-hard wargamers.

Maybe a project for the future.

Both games are great but we should remember WiE has had years of gamer input and great developer support.

Both games have great support.

Just spitballing ideas here for hopefully discussion to help the developers.

For the US, I would recommend the AI work on systematically taking back islands (including Pearl Harbor if needed)
Taking back Midway if it was lost frees up the attacks on Pearl Harbor supply
Then the Islands in the Gilberts and Marshalls
Wake
Guadalcanal - prevents Australian supply raids
Rabaul
You get the idea. It doesn't have to even be in that order every time.

Instead of a script to say "Do this now" have one that is a logic tree to follow. A series of if this, then do that. Boolean rules for those steps. Something like naval power of X and and special forces Y then attack the target(s)

That way it forces Japan to cover more area. Offers bases for maritime bombers to scout and sink any Japanese counterattack. Actually I would also like these islands to have an area of reveal, based on long range aircraft research, as they used scout planes extensively. Really FOW should be reduced as planes get better range. This reveal range can be reduced by enemy fighters perhaps.

Trying to take the DEI early is destined to fail. Trying to invade Japan is likely suicide if these other areas and the Philippines, Guam, Saipan, etc. are not taken first.

I think Australia should have cities with more supply. Maybe even 8 to help its defense. If Japan takes a city it is reduced to 5.

It's June 43 and I'm disappointed how the German AI has handled the situation arising last turn. They should have realized that they HAVE to counter the Allied invasion of France and should have operated troops from the Eastern front to France. But they didn't even operate one single unit! Also, they did not realize they have to assume defensive positions in Russia. They still in vain attacked against vastly superior forces and weakened themselves to a degree that in the next turn they lost another couple of panzers. In fact, this turn was their demise as next turn they will be overrun on all fronts.

On the other hand (not having played WAW before), I was surprised by the American/British naval operations at Java. I KNEW they were coming, but I thought they'd come with amphib landings. Instead they sent a big fleet of 3 battleships, 2 heavy cruisers, 4 destroyers and 2 carriers. (I spotted them mainly with my subs first and later in battle. There MAY be further naval units hidden behind those I spotted.)

I had one carrier, 1 escort carrier, 1 battleship, 2 heavy cruisers, and 2 subs there - which I thought would suffice. Man, was I wrong.

All ships were at full strenght, execpt my 2 cruisers were at 8. I have naval weaponry 2, advanced fighters 3 and long range aircraft 2. They got the same upgrades except they only have advanced fighters 2.

Using my subs and my carrier, I still could *just* sink one carrier on my turn (I was the one to spot and to strike first). As their other carrier (providing escorts) was down to aircraft strength 5 by then (mine was down to aircraft strength 3), I thought I'd survive next turn easily (even though I was at naval/tactical and could not adjust this to cap for next turn, but my escort carrier was providing full cap).

But then, on their turn, their carier sank mine in two strikes and their 3 battleships and 2 heavy cruisers sunk both my heavy cruisers and damaged my escort carrier badly. Next turn I was not allowed to attack their "hidden" remaining carrier with my subs, even though I knew where it was and inched towards it - when I moved next to it, my strike allowance went down from 1 to 0. I'm in full retreat now (with my battleship and escort carrier) and hastily try to get the bulk of my fleet over from Pearl (though it still has to be replenished).

July 43 and the German AI still doesn't think it necessary to defend France. What is it with them? Is it because it's 43 and they only have scripts regarding D-Day in 44? Or does it somehow have to do with Spain being in the Axis tripping them up? Actually, they DID move one unit to France and that's Spanish HQ Franco - which doesn't seem to lend supply to the lone German corps in Paris, though. Because meeting with no opposition, the Allies have already liberated about half of France since they landed last turn.

In Russia, the German AI seems to act like under a "stand and die" order - they still needlessly throw their strength points away by futile attacks on their turn. They lost a whooping 11 land units this turn, mostly on the Russian front and got their last tanks surrounded.

Meanwhile the Allied navy controls the waves in Indonesia, but don't seem to follow up with amphibs as of yet - except for one single unit they landed in Sumatra last turn already. This COULD be good AI planning - making sure that naval superiority is achieved before following up with an amphibious invasion. Let's see.

In my last posts, I noted that the German AI seems not to be willing to counter the Allied invasion of France. Well, it's now August 43 and they did something. HOWEVER, they immediately transferred troops to the Sigfried line, i.e. preparing to defend Germany instead of France. Which I think is a strange decision as the Allies haven't even taken Paris and it would have been a short and defensible front from their coastal gun at Le Havre over Paris down to the border of Vichy. Hadn't they hesitated this long, they even could have driven the Allies back into the sea.

In Russia, there's still that "stand and die" attitude, they lost another tank and now only have one left.

In the Pacific, nothing changed: Allies took one island (Mataram) unopposed and prowl/control the Javanese sea. But for now there doesn't seem to be a big invasion at hand.

While this is not an AAR: Preparations of my naval counter-offensive take a while because I got too few big harbours for upgrading and replenishing all my ships (plus I just got long range aircraft level 3, so I want my carriers to have that). I set an amphib transport at sea to take back the Marianas as I don't want them to station bombers there.

German AI does a competent job manning the Sigfried line, but a horrible job retreating and forming a cohesive defensive line in Russia.

Allied AI invading France did a strategically sound thing in declaring war on Vichy - which provides them with more room to maneuver (and better access to Axis Spain).

One thing I noticed in this context was that Vichy doesn't have a garrison or corps in its capital, only in the South. This led to immediate surrender because US troops could just move in same turn. Maybe Vichy should get a corps on Vichy itself.

Allied AI in the Pacific finally invaded Java with three units, so PROBABLY they first triedto make sure that they have naval superiority before committing troops (which of course is great). I just wonder why they didn't do the same when trying to reconquer Hawaii (where they sent 4 unescorted amphibs to their doom).

While I still have two carriers upgrading in Japanese harbours, I'm now about to engage the Allied fleet next turn with the bulk of my fleet (which I cruised to somewhere just north of Saigon). I also packed two armies on transports which trail the main fleet. I plan to get them to port in Sumatra (hopefully before the Allies take over).

I haven't played SP since the last big patch so wondering if US naval AI has been improved. I found in 1.02 that the US AI would send out their fleet to the Solomon's and just sit there. It was way too easy to wipe out the CVs. etc. Has this improved in 1.03? Unescorted amphibs is an issue from WiE as well which hopefully devs can address.

I have not enough experience with WAW to say whether Allied naval AI was improved. It seems they try to escort scripted invasions, but not unscripted ones.

On the other hand, I played WIE at release for a time, then departed, and then came back to it recently. I found the AI was noticeably improved overall since release and US/UK escorted and handled their D-Day invasion well enough.

As 1944 rolls around and Germany is losing, it reall shows that the German AI (and by extrapolation the AI in general) needs reworking for when it's on the defensive.

First, it needs to realize when it's time to switch to defending instead of still trying allout attack even though the tides have noticeably turned.

Second, it needs to learn how to fall back in an orderly fashion behind well defendable (and shortened) defensive lines - behind rivers or on mountain ridges.

Thirdly, when the enemy breaks the defensive line, pouring through it in force, the AI needs to try and plug the gap instead of clinging to forward positions and getting surrounded.

Fourthly, the AI needs to pull their aircraft and HQ away from positions where the enemy broke the defensive lines.

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If the AI could be made to learn these things, it would be MUCH improved.

Hi Hartmann

Is that a observation of the tactics of the AI Or AH the Furher [:D]

(Sorry this reply is intended as a joke)

I'm sure Hubert and Bill are working on it as they have on WiE [:)]

ORIGINAL: taffjones

Hi Hartmann

Is that a observation of the tactics of the AI Or AH the Furher [:D]

(Sorry this reply is intended as a joke)

I'm sure Hubert and Bill are working on it as they have on WiE [:)]

The "stand and die" habit the AI showed in Russia seems to point to the Fuhrer as the culprit.

And, yeah, I know that Hubert always worked on further improving the AI since way back when SC1 came out at Battlefront. I just thought it might still be of some help to the team if we report observations. And a game where I play just one country (here: Japan) might be especially apt for such a thing because I can see (with no FOW) what my Axis buddies do all the time.

Something worth noting about the German AI and the defense of Italy:

I reported earlier, that after the (early) fall of Africa, the German AI did a competent job in immediately fortifying a defensive line south of Rome and transferring units there too. They also defeated a half-hearted invasion of Southern Italy later on.

However, after D-Day and the liberation of France, they kept those units there even when there was no more threat of an invasion in Southern Italy. Instead those units would have been desperately needed to bolster the defense of Germany itself AND the defense of NORTHERN Italy where US and British troops poured in via Vichy. The Italian-French border was only defended by two Italian corps and easily overrun so that the German units guarding the fortified line in Italy got cut off from the rear.

Hitler died with 4-5 German units still guarding the "Gustav line" in Italy. Seems the AI has big issues getting their priorities straight.

Btw Hitler also died whole year early - summer 1944. Considering this was AI vs AI, it might seem that the complaints about Germany being OP in this game are somewhat exaggerated. When I'll play the Allies, I think I will play UK only (or Russia only) to keep a modicum of a challenge.