AI in detailed battles
Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 1:06 pm
A few comments on the AI in detailed battles:
(I play as the Union with medium starting distances)
Offensive AI:
Definitely better. The AI will try to outflank me and sometimes pulls it's units out of hopeless situations to "regroup" on my flank.
This new behaviour is downright annoying at times (in the good sense) and has caught me off-guard on more than one occation.
But sometimes the AI will also display suicidal behaviour and just throw a single, unsupported unit in column formation against a line of my units (in line formation) leaving it's flanks completely open to attack when my turn comes around.
In fact, the AI's sense of cohesion is often not much better than mine...! [X(]
I know it must be hard to achieve the right balance between aggressive/creative moves that could throw the player off-balance and a more conservative style that favors cohesion and massed attacks. As it is now, the AI throws away at least a handful of brigades in each battle in hazardous solo-strikes into my (more or less solid) battleline.
I definitely think these things should happen from time to time, and sometimes there is a clear point to the AI's reckless behaviour (like charging an exposed flank of a brigade in column formation), but it's happening a bit too often and often leaves the brigade flanked on several sides, ripe for the picking for my Gatling guns... [:D]
Defensive AI:
Well, the AI is very aggressive now and I've yet to experience true defensive behaviour from it.
Often when I attack (and mostly it's me on the attack) the AI will lash out against me instead of waiting for me in defensive positions. I guess it's nice that you don't know quite what to expect (in contrast to before the patch where the AI would always just sit and wait for you behind it's automaticly generated entrenchments) but often the AI abandons really good defensive terrain to engage me in a "battle of the flanks" in clear terrain. And when it meets me it's often "in drops" of one brigade/division at a time instead of as a solid battleline - which would pose a much bigger problem for me as the attacker.
Instead of forcing me to break it's defensive line (and hurt myself doing it) the AI slices it up for me itself.
I think a little more restraint and (again) cohesion and better use of terrain would benefit the AI enormously when on the defensive and give me a much harder run for my money.
One thing that would really help the AI, both on the offensive and the defensive, would be a more consistent use of the line formation. The AI often initiates firefights with my brigades without going into line formation first, although there seems to be plenty of time (i.e. movement points) to do so.
Using the line formation more would benefit the AI a lot, I think, and make the consequences of some of those risky moves it performs a little less catastrophic.
But again, I know it must be a difficult balance to strike between giving the AI manoeuverability (column formation) to encourage flanking moves and keeping cohesion by relying on line formation.
Right now though, I think the AI relies on the column formation too much, which gives me a definite edge in the battles.
So, overall the patch is an improvement of the battle AI which is giving me a harder (and better) time than before the patch. But obviously there's still a long way to go to reach the "perfect" formula. But you're on the right track and seem dedicated to the task and I'll keep downloading your patches and buying your games as long as you keep marching...! [:)]
Regards,
Norman
(I play as the Union with medium starting distances)
Offensive AI:
Definitely better. The AI will try to outflank me and sometimes pulls it's units out of hopeless situations to "regroup" on my flank.
This new behaviour is downright annoying at times (in the good sense) and has caught me off-guard on more than one occation.
But sometimes the AI will also display suicidal behaviour and just throw a single, unsupported unit in column formation against a line of my units (in line formation) leaving it's flanks completely open to attack when my turn comes around.
In fact, the AI's sense of cohesion is often not much better than mine...! [X(]
I know it must be hard to achieve the right balance between aggressive/creative moves that could throw the player off-balance and a more conservative style that favors cohesion and massed attacks. As it is now, the AI throws away at least a handful of brigades in each battle in hazardous solo-strikes into my (more or less solid) battleline.
I definitely think these things should happen from time to time, and sometimes there is a clear point to the AI's reckless behaviour (like charging an exposed flank of a brigade in column formation), but it's happening a bit too often and often leaves the brigade flanked on several sides, ripe for the picking for my Gatling guns... [:D]
Defensive AI:
Well, the AI is very aggressive now and I've yet to experience true defensive behaviour from it.
Often when I attack (and mostly it's me on the attack) the AI will lash out against me instead of waiting for me in defensive positions. I guess it's nice that you don't know quite what to expect (in contrast to before the patch where the AI would always just sit and wait for you behind it's automaticly generated entrenchments) but often the AI abandons really good defensive terrain to engage me in a "battle of the flanks" in clear terrain. And when it meets me it's often "in drops" of one brigade/division at a time instead of as a solid battleline - which would pose a much bigger problem for me as the attacker.
Instead of forcing me to break it's defensive line (and hurt myself doing it) the AI slices it up for me itself.
I think a little more restraint and (again) cohesion and better use of terrain would benefit the AI enormously when on the defensive and give me a much harder run for my money.
One thing that would really help the AI, both on the offensive and the defensive, would be a more consistent use of the line formation. The AI often initiates firefights with my brigades without going into line formation first, although there seems to be plenty of time (i.e. movement points) to do so.
Using the line formation more would benefit the AI a lot, I think, and make the consequences of some of those risky moves it performs a little less catastrophic.
But again, I know it must be a difficult balance to strike between giving the AI manoeuverability (column formation) to encourage flanking moves and keeping cohesion by relying on line formation.
Right now though, I think the AI relies on the column formation too much, which gives me a definite edge in the battles.
So, overall the patch is an improvement of the battle AI which is giving me a harder (and better) time than before the patch. But obviously there's still a long way to go to reach the "perfect" formula. But you're on the right track and seem dedicated to the task and I'll keep downloading your patches and buying your games as long as you keep marching...! [:)]
Regards,
Norman