Matrix Games Forums

Hi, noticed two separate difficulty settings in a screenshot, one for the game and one for battles. I wonder if choosing the hardest option in anyone of these would mean the computer opponents will 'cheat' (like having extra bonuses, or one-sided removal of FoW) or would it just let the opponents to play more 'rational'?

I do believe the AI is fundamentally the same regardless of difficulty though Eric would have to give more specifics.

in HW, the AI will get more combat bonuses, which can be VERY HARD to overcome in battle

over all, in HW, I do not think that AI plays a bad game, it will do alot of things the way I would of done it (I think Eric has done a great job teaching the AI how to play, plus, we got some pretty good players, doing the teaching, but... it is a AI, I can beat it, I can trick it, some of the best battles I have fought, ended up being slaughters, but, they were not the AI's fault, it put up a good fight, it did what it should of done, but I did better)

(I think Joram, and others could tell you the times I have jumped into the forum, to bragg about what the AI did in one of my battles, but a good player, will know when he can win a battle, and when he shouldn't stand and fight, and pull out and hope for the best in not losing too much, so most times, the player is not going to take the losses that the AI will)

on medium levels, the AI will put up a good fight, on the upper levels, the player is going to have to be on his toes, the combat bonuses and other stuff is going to give him a HARD time

outside of HW, the levels will effect other things, the higher you go, the higher the march attriction will be, you or big old fancy army is going to be worthless after a couple of long force marches, add in a battle or two, and you will have to wait for replacements to build up

the Ecc is easier on the AI as you get higher up

I think the *cheat* aspect of the AI should be auto-scalable. So if the AI is heavily outnumbered it gets great combat bonuses. But if battles are relatively even, the bonuses should be considerably less, as very large combat bonuses are almost impossible to overcome in even up matches.

Also the AI should get some of its combat losses refunded as part of the cheat, to help mitigate the fact it doesn’t know when to give up and run to save its forces. So say 50% of destroyed/captured units appear at the capital as new units or something.

Jim

well for the 2nd part at least, I think that is covered in the replacement rates

also, on the higher levels, the Starting Russian Armies are real beasts, I had a very good small Corps ripped apart in a battle I thought I had a good postion in

thanks for the answers. I am in the queue and waiting for the release...

Izmir ? are you from there or are you stationed there ?

I was there a very long time ago, and was impressed and liked it

(I remember walking up one of the hills around the port, very pretty, but once we stopped at cafe for a drink, the owner of the place, when he seen I didn't speak or understand Turkish, went out of his way, to make sure I understood, how much I was paying for something, and what I should get back in change once I bought it, and he really went out of the way, to be sure I understood, later in the day, the lessons came in handy, when some one else thought we wouldn't understand what the change should be, to be honest, it would only of been a couple of dollars, but we didn't have much, and his kindness really made a impression on me, and I have always remembered it)

that is a classic. They are either too kind to the tourists, or the opposite... [:D]

Anyway I am glad you liked izmir that time, now it is much bigger, and more beatiful. I am from there, and trying to go there in my holidays. And in the last decade, a number of fantastic beaches were popularised as well... [8D]