Matrix Games Forums

OK I have been for long time been wanting to go back and revisit scenario 1.

I think everyone knows the history but just in case the main criticism of the AI in WITP is that it was to boring so when we launched the Admiral's Edition I took
some of the best of what I had seen in PBEM and put those additional strategies into the Ai

Now for about 3 months after release all was well everyone was surprised at how aggressive the AI was and it caught a few folks out - BUT its a scripted AI and lets face it
Vets quickly adapted and we ended up with an AI that was probably too aggressive and wasted a lot of assets

So I started adding in Ironman variants and we went down that route to keep the AI challenging but that took the game further and further away from History into fantasy war in the
pacific mcphie style.

What I am now trying to do is recognising time has moved and players don't want an AI that suicides on Sydney harbour any more I am trying to re write the AI for scen 1 to be more stable
and give a better game - its still not ever going to be as good as a human player but trying to make it a little better.

So this is where I am up to so far

SCEN 1 NORMAL MAP (NOT EXTENDED)
No Ahistoric forces
Everything I have been able to fix in the database I have
Only 1 AI script at present trying to get that one right before looking at Variants
In addition to changes to the AI script for both sides the following additional Scenario Adjustments have been made

Bases

1. Many additional bases added in Burma and Malaya to help the AI manage continental warfare a little better
2. Supply caps added to a large proportion of bases to make it more difficult for large stacks to operate
3. I recommend using the stacking limits map - its not essential but is recommended

LCU's
No major changes I am aware of a couple of renames is all eg Dutch Marine Bde renamed
22th EA Bde delayed a further year

Devices
Per the last update except for reduction in number of Brit 43 and 44 squads with a small change to one of the convoys to give a one off injection to allow upgrades - British Units will need to be cannibalised at some stage or kept away from
combat
Observor corps load cost reduced from 20 to 2 to allow air transport

Aircraft
All FAA Aircraft are now CW nationality
Small number of Fairey battle's added as they were a common training type in Australia/NZ and Canada - fair warning they are crap but if you need a bomber...
A couple of FB's (Two of the Beaufighter marks) have been changed from FB to Attack Bomber as I believe that's a better reflection in the code of how they actually operated

Anyway what I need is a few testers I think I have picked up most AI issues including the PH bug and eliminated it but you simply never know if you have caught everything - I hope I have but who knows until its tested

Andy

V3 now posted

Just so everyone is clear this is SCEN 1 HISTORIC with no additional bells and whistles so its just a small modification to the standard Scen 1 its what I would have put out as my next iteration of a standard Scen 1 if I had been able to patch and convinced the old air and naval leads of my relatively small change list above

Great!

The focus has been on the AI script and trying to make it slightly more sensible and not waste assets the way it used to.

That means there will be some things that differ from the current AI and some of the more risky attacks wont happen

.

Should work for both more testing on the Japanese side but should be ok

Its beta at present I still want to go through and fix some more things but this should work for both

.

One question does anyone actually play PDU off now ??

The AI is always disadvantaged as it has to in effect play PDU - Off

So I could go through and make the upgrade paths more sensible i.e. more akin to what a PDU = on game would look like but it would destroy it for anyone that does still play PDU = off ??

So does anyone still play PDU = Off even v the AI ??

I've always played PDU on, but you could either make separate scenarios for PDU off and on, or Michael could probably add some detection of the PDU setting available to the AI.

Bill

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac


Bases

1. Many additional bases added in Burma and Malaya to help the AI manage continental warfare a little better
2. Supply caps added to a large proportion of bases to make it more difficult for large stacks to operate
3. I recommend using the stacking limits map - its not essential but is recommended

Sorry if I misread some threads wayback, but does the AI act in accordance with the stacking limits map? I seem to recall some claiming that the AI would pile LCUs into a hex, regardless of the stacking limits, thereby suffering major supply penalties. Or will your new scenario resolve this possible issue?

I will need to ch3eck with Michael on that ppoint

Missed a PH bugger will need to keep looking

I had forgotten how hard this was 1st time around trying to achieve good results without artificially boosting the AI with additional forces = hard

The most difficult thing is trying to reduce the AI's transport losses in Ironman variants I did it by adding addiontal light escorts and making the Armed Merchant Cruisers scary - trying to do it without the benefit of additional toys is proving a challenge !!!

I'll give it a bash.

FIRST TURN, HISTORICAL

Pearl Harbor, 5 USN BB's, CL Phoenix & 5 DD's

Malaya, BC Repulse & 2 DD's

Did the IJN get Weeties for breakie!

Lots of little dots to fight for in Burma.

Thanks

yes the dots are designed to help the AI by allowing it to be better directed and by putting a large barrier right across burma with low supply thresholds making it harder to supply big stacks in upper burma

I would also like to add a few more to Australia especially small coastal dots on the Kalgoorlie to Adeilade line and maybe a few more in North Australia before I finalise the AI but not sure of which ones to add as my Australian maps are all modern ones.

By adding more dots I can make supply harder to transport and give more options for base building

Andy

While I am still rebuilding the AI now is the time I want to add an other bases to the list so I am looking at India/Australia a SE Asia to try and check if I need more bases

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac
While I am still rebuilding the AI now is the time I want to add an other bases to the list so I am looking at India/Australia a SE Asia to try and check if I need more bases

Hello,
John added many new bases to Australia and New Zealand for the small map scenarios. If you go here, https://sites.google.com/site/dababeswi ... eration-sf grab the preview, and look at the locations file, most of the new things start at 1600. They include the 10 NW India bases that Andrew added, but which can be omitted. Might be worth a look.
Matt

Thanks Matt will take a look I dont want to get too deep into the AI re write before I finish adding the new bases I need as its a PITA to go back and add after you have the AI working