Coincidense or AI Sense of Humour
Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2003 2:58 pm
I have just completed my first full game (scenario 17) against the AI and I really enjoy this game, particularly its randomness, and at times, its unpredictability. Case in point:
The turn after I captured Efate Port Vila with an AI loss of 300+ a/c (I had captured Luganville the previous turn) two strange events occurred. The AI bombed Woodlark with 18 Marauders and 12 Fortresses and the combat report showed 11 M2s shot down, plus 3 M3s, 3 Bettys, 2 Mavis and an Irving destroyed on the ground against a single Marauder damaged. The intelligence screen showed only a slight difference in ground losses, but only 2 M2s were shot down against 6 bombers lost. OK, fog of war, you say. Add the following, however.
On the same turn, the AI got to RADM S. Kimura and VADM T. Takagi and convinced them to defect in Luganville. They formed two unescorted TFs with 6 APs each and headed for Brisbane (which they now called home base). I was playing 2-day turns and so I didn't notice this traitorous act until the TFs were off of the northeast coast of New Caladonia. Fortunately the TFs were not attacked by LBA even though they were well within medium bomber range and these bombers had been active against Efate earlier. Was this part of the AIs's plan? Coincidentally, part of the reason the AI lost Luganville and Efate was a lack of transport ships to ferry in reinforcements. Numerous C-47s were intercepted and lost during the invasion and there was one fast transport TF that did get through. I guess the AI wanted to be sure this problem didn't happen again.
So the question is, were these acts just a wild coincidence (occurring on the same turn, immediately after a major defeat) or has the AI got a sense of humour?
The turn after I captured Efate Port Vila with an AI loss of 300+ a/c (I had captured Luganville the previous turn) two strange events occurred. The AI bombed Woodlark with 18 Marauders and 12 Fortresses and the combat report showed 11 M2s shot down, plus 3 M3s, 3 Bettys, 2 Mavis and an Irving destroyed on the ground against a single Marauder damaged. The intelligence screen showed only a slight difference in ground losses, but only 2 M2s were shot down against 6 bombers lost. OK, fog of war, you say. Add the following, however.
On the same turn, the AI got to RADM S. Kimura and VADM T. Takagi and convinced them to defect in Luganville. They formed two unescorted TFs with 6 APs each and headed for Brisbane (which they now called home base). I was playing 2-day turns and so I didn't notice this traitorous act until the TFs were off of the northeast coast of New Caladonia. Fortunately the TFs were not attacked by LBA even though they were well within medium bomber range and these bombers had been active against Efate earlier. Was this part of the AIs's plan? Coincidentally, part of the reason the AI lost Luganville and Efate was a lack of transport ships to ferry in reinforcements. Numerous C-47s were intercepted and lost during the invasion and there was one fast transport TF that did get through. I guess the AI wanted to be sure this problem didn't happen again.
So the question is, were these acts just a wild coincidence (occurring on the same turn, immediately after a major defeat) or has the AI got a sense of humour?
