Matrix Games Forums

New enhanced AI for both sides and significant rework of scenario would appreciate testing either PBEM or v AI either works just need feedback on how balanced the scenario is

Updated to fix 5th Marines and remove extra ship

Update to AI to fix Prof Chaos issues - need to remove aei04-1 -2 -3 and -4 files please to ensure you use latest AI

Please note v AI this scenario will struggle as AI doesnt from TF's without DDs and AI is critically short of Japanese DD's

Thanks

US TF140 has British CV Robin? Error from "Beware" I guess.

5th Marine @ Luganville has no devices - WAD?

Yup seems to have gotten Scen 4 and 20 mixed up

5th Marines are just partially loaded on a TF so thats ok

Both fixed above thanks Professor Chaos

ORIGINAL: Professor Chaos

US TF140 has British CV Robin? Error from "Beware" I guess.

5th Marine @ Luganville has no devices - WAD?

At the very least it should have been named "Sir Robin" for his bravery. [;)]

Hi Andy - played through August 10th as Allied vs Japanese AI.

AI created a whole lot of barges that were wiped out at Tulagi.

Main IJN naval assets sat immobile at Rabaul and Kavieng and didn't seem to react to the Allied landings. Japanese AI formed two SAG each consisting of one DD and one E to attack landings.

Betties and Zeroes at Rabaul moved to Kavieng to sit and do nothing. Rabaul seems to be lacking aviation support.

Japanese shock-attacked Australian 30th brigade on Kokoda trail and wiped it out in a surrender.

Updated hard to get Jap AI competitive as it lacks DD's in historic scenarios

I have played through the first several days on this scenario as Allies, and noticed very little Japanese activity. I then loaded as Japan and noted some of the same issues mentioned above. Rabaul has no Aviation Support, so the Betties get moved back to Kavieng, removing the air threat after the first turn. And as mentioned, with no DDs the CAs all sit in port at Rabaul and Kavieng (several 2-ship PB and PC TFs head down the slot). Lots of barges created at Rabaul, but they don't load or go anywhere. I did see some more sub activity (including a mini-sub sinking one of my APs) at Lunga.

Looking back at the original scenario, the 11th Air Fleet used to start in Rabaul, moving it to Truk took all the AvSpt. The base force at Rabaul has NavSpt but no AvSpt, maybe give it 30 or 60 AvSpt to keep Rabaul functional? As for the DDs, the only option I can see would be to pull some of the DDs scheduled to arrive as reinforcements forward and start them at Rabaul and Kavieng. There are 3 DD's scheduled to arrive on the 7th, they could start (maybe 2 at Rabaul and 1 at Kavieng) to allow the AI to form basic TFs for the CAs. Then you could pull 3 DDs from the big fleet arrival on the 18th to the 7th so Chitose still gets its escorts at Truk.

I tried editing the scenario, to see if some minor adjustments would help the AI. I moved the 11th Air Fleet back to Rabaul (so it had plenty of AvSpt), and placed 6 DDs from the 8/18 reinforcement group on map at start (2 in Truk, 2 in Kavieng, 2 in Rabaul). The Betties still pulled back to Kavieng and did not fly any missions, so it's not merely the AvSpt issue, not sure what causes that. The Betties did not fly any missions after the first turn (played thru the 10th).

Japan did use one of the DDs at Rabaul to form a SCTF with a CL and CL, they sailed south (round about route, west of Rennell) but were headed to Lunga as of the 10th. The 4 CAs and 2 new DDs at Kavieng didn't move. At least one of the DDs at Truk was used to escort a transport.

The mini-subs at Lunga/Tulagi got a couple hits in, but once again the AI created a dozen LBs at Tulagi which get eliminated by the first SCTF to arrive, and a couple more LB TFs created at Rabaul for no purpose I can see. It might be worth taking the LBs out of the pool, at least initially (maybe add them after the first week or something) so they don't get wasted when the initial invasion arrives.