AI is just too aggressive

[JamesM]

As the title states the AI is just too aggressive for it own good. I am playing as the allies, it just keeps sending amphibious task forces with insufficient number of troops to the same base (in my current game the AI is constantly sending amphibious task forces to Port Moresby even though I have almost 10 000 front line troops and plenty of artillery and afvs), just to have these troops continuously wiped out. The same happens with naval forces sailing into bases where I have positioned allot of aircraft and again to keep taking heavy damage.

Also how well does to AI in WitPAE keep carrier forces concentrated. In my games it seems that the AI sends them piecemeal. Has anyone else seen this?

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: jamesm

As the title states the AI is just too aggressive for it own good. I am playing as the allies, it just keeps sending amphibious task forces with insufficient number of troops to the same base (in my current game the AI is constantly sending amphibious task forces to Port Moresby even though I have almost 10 000 front line troops and plenty of artillery and afvs), just to have these troops continuously wiped out. The same happens with naval forces sailing into bases where I have positioned allot of aircraft and again to keep taking heavy damage.

Also how well does to AI in WitPAE keep carrier forces concentrated. In my games it seems that the AI sends them piecemeal. Has anyone else seen this?

Yes. There have been a number of posts about KB being broken up into small packets of 1-2 CVs that can be defeated in detail. A number of posters have also commented on the underescorted or unescorted TF scripts that are produced leading to disaster for the IJ forces.

Andy Mac indicated that a number of these scripts would be corrected under patch I. Have you seen this in your game? Have you 'patched up'?

[JamesM]

I restarted after installing the patch so these comments are based on the the patched game.

[JohnDillworth]

Andy Mac indicated that a number of these scripts would be corrected under patch I. Have you seen this in your game? Have you 'patched up'?

I have not seen much change. I am only on my second grand campaign so different scrips may have been triggered. I have seen 1 or 2 CV tasks forces with a small number of escorts going into bad places in May/June 42 and paying a terrible price. I have also seen a TF with a single BB and CA try and bombard Pearl. That has been noted as a script error.

As for the Port Moresby invasion. Without giving too much away there seems to be an overall strategy to go after PM on or about a certain date with a certain number of troops. They will keep trying with that number of troops until they succeed or fail. Had you not had the foresight to reinforce PM when you did I suspect it would fall. What say you?

[AHFlattop]

I have also seen 2 BBs, 2 CA bombardment runs against Pearl. KB split into 3-4 TFs with CVLs and CVE in tow and had circled Java like Indians against a wagon train from early March to Mid May. I shot down about 250 Kates & Vals. but lost nearly all my Dutch, Brit, Aus, early American fighter strength in doing so. I've destroyed 936 Bettys and 500+ Zeros but the AI squadrons appear to be at full strength. (tho FOW may be exaggerating) As I was reinforcing Java with my US and Brit carriers plus troops and supplies, KB & friends showed off Port Moresby to support a 16,000 troop invasion. I spent March reinforcing Port Moresby with additonal bdes from Austrialia plus US Arty. I must have sunk close to 100 ships making Amphib runs agains bases south of the Neumea - Christmas island line.

[Yamato_Blitzer]

I had the AI attacking PM in the same manner in my game where I had 15,000 troops at PM. Often it would send only a few AK's and DD's in one amphibious TF. Tiny unit fragments to be cut down on the shore line. Losing the ships and the troops in 1-2 days. That was the extent of it's action across the entire map, forcing me to stop playing my game. Doesn't seem fair. I don't have time and i'll be unable to commit consistently to a PBEM.

I also noticed the AI's insane tendancy to march 1 or 2 units over rugged terrain for hundreds of miles, only to be wiped out once it reaches a hex where it's attacking a force that outnumbers it 10-1 or more.

[Swayin]

Does it make some boneheaded moves? Yes. But that's to make you realize that you can't sleep on the AI ther way you used to - its flood of invasion TFs will find homes if you aren't careful...but some fo them are head-scratchers, no doubt. I just had the 21st Div. march all the way to Cox's Bazar by its lonesome. I had 800 points of hungry LCUs waiting for it and a amphib TF with a battalion of Hussars on the way to Aykab once it got to the Bazar ... trapped, eliminated, and done in the course of a fortnight.

[BigJ62]

Found and fixed a bug where ai marches into hex that is too powerful to beat.

[John Lansford]

In my CG, started after Patch #1 was added, the 11th Infantry Division is still stuck at Koumac, and the AI tried landing a battalion of SNLF troops at PM, where I've got two Aussie divisions, several artillery regiments, a CD unit and numerous garrison and base units.  They lasted about a day or so, I think.

I've retaken Canton for the 2nd time but the AI still holds Baker, and it keeps sending forces towards Luganville where I've heavily fortified the base as well.  If the AI would support these landings with some serious firepower (BB's, CVTF's, etc), they'd have a better chance of success, but all the CV's are still roaming around the Java Sea bombing defenseless LCU's.  Two CVL's and their lone escorts did raid down towards Suva, but one was sunk and the other damaged by my surface TF's that ran them down.

It appears the AI really has two problems.  One is the lack of escorts; Ryujo had a TB and a DD for escorts when I caught up to her.  How it has split up the KB into about 4 pieces around Java and still have escorts for them all I have no idea.  The second problem is weighing the risk of a certain landing.  It should realize by now (recon, air attack, bombardment, etc) that Port Moresby is heavily defended, or Noumea, or Suva, or some other base I've held for some time.  Of course Guadalcanal is a prime example of the underestimation of the risk that the Japanese continually made, so perhaps that's the model Andy is using with the AI?

[JamesM]

ORIGINAL: JohnDillworth

Andy Mac indicated that a number of these scripts would be corrected under patch I. Have you seen this in your game? Have you 'patched up'?

I have not seen much change. I am only on my second grand campaign so different scrips may have been triggered. I have seen 1 or 2 CV tasks forces with a small number of escorts going into bad places in May/June 42 and paying a terrible price. I have also seen a TF with a single BB and CA try and bombard Pearl. That has been noted as a script error.

As for the Port Moresby invasion. Without giving too much away there seems to be an overall strategy to go after PM on or about a certain date with a certain number of troops. They will keep trying with that number of troops until they succeed or fail. Had you not had the foresight to reinforce PM when you did I suspect it would fall. What say you?

I noticed this issue in the first campaign and decided to reinforce heavily with Australian Brigades and after I originally defeated the first wave of invasions I shipped the 6th OZ Division and supplies into PM.

I have lost Milne Bay and Horn Island, but the AI has left no Garrison in Horn Island. Also the AI has sent surface task forces near Pearl harbour and it received heavy damage from my aircraft based there.

[Andy Mac]

The PH attacks are a bug a script error that will be fixed for patch 1

[Gary D]

Andy can we adjust the time frames of certain scripts? I like the early offensive AI but by summer of 42 when the Allies have gotten stronger and the AI less organized the Canton, Baker, NZ repeated invasions just end up a drain on the AIs resources. Maybe no NZ invasion after March or something like that?

All the best!

[Rob Brennan UK]

Just FYI , play ironman mod vs japanese AI. the over agression and script issues are massivly helped by the japanese having more 'stuff' to play with. Makes for a better game imo , and i don't do anything that might break the AI if at all possible.