Western Allies AI always attacks Portugal.

[Ancient One]

In every single game now where the Western Allies is played by the AI, they always attack Portugal. Has it been hardcoded to do this or what? Maybe Portugal should be given an army, or maybe Spain should activate as well against anyone who attacks Portugal.

[a511]

since i have only played Axis vs AI once, i dont have a meaningful sample size to test on how WA AI behaves.

but in my case, WA AI attacked Spain with a lonely h_bomber from London when my Axis troopers were landed in Scotland two turns ago and were going to wipe out London in the coming turn ... thus WA AI's action only served the purpose of gifting Spain to the Axis camp [X(][:D]

but i think playing AI is just for some basic training to get urself ready for the real thing - pbem!! now i have stopped all vs AI games and concentrated on pbem. so the problem is not my concern anymore.

[Drax Kramer]

Allies always invade Azores in my games, followed by invasion of German controlled Portugal. Frankly, I don't understand why is Portugal deprived of an army when even such military giant as Ireland has two infantry units.

Sometimes "design for effect" approach has odd consequences.


Drax

[Ancient One]

Another problem is that Portugal controls 2 resources, which are easily gathered for the Allies at little cost. So aside from the AI, a human controlled Western Allies player should always attack Portugal as well.

[ravinhood]

but i think playing AI is just for some basic training to get urself ready for the real thing - pbem!!

Oh really? What about the 1000's that play these games that don't even have internet connections? I think people put too much emphasis on online play and PBEM play, the game should fit "everyones type of play" not just those with internet connections. Therefore the AI should be up to snuff for offliners as well.

[5cats]

I think the AI actually puts up a good fight! Dispite my many complaints
I mean, other games just pad the AI with extras. You know, 120% growth, 80% unit costs & etc. So the AI can just jam the field with lots of units. In GGWaW the AI's extra power is up to you. You can give it extra supplies, battle bonuses, or not! Even on a completely even field (except transport abilities, gotta give the AI something!) it does OK. I tend to give the AI opponents about 15 points, and they do pretty good.
So in reality, while the Ai cannot come close to a human, it does far better than many games. In some games the AI is so crappy as to be pathetic! (Witness the computer adaptations of Diplomacy & Third Reich! OMG the Ai is awful!)
I too often play the computer game against the AI, and will usually judge a game on it's solo play-ability. GGWaW comes out really high in my books, for solo fun, re-play and PBEM. Not to mention support! While it isn't "patch-ware" GGWaW has had several problems fixed after 1st shipping, which doesn't help those not on-line much, but it does bode well for the future
Just MHO of course.

[Ancient One]

ORIGINAL: 5cats

(Witness the computer adaptations of Diplomacy & Third Reich! OMG the Ai is awful!)

Well, I played computer Third Reich, and I couldn't beat the AI. [:o]

[lkendter]

In some games the AI is so crappy as to be pathetic! (Witness the computer adaptations of Diplomacy & Third Reich! OMG the Ai is awful!)

I only played a handful of games before I stopped. When the Africa Corp can easy move to the Caucus after the AI let me talk Malta to stop the supply problems...

The games I played as both sides were totally lopsided. The only challenge was the highest levels because you were always broke.

[Joel Billings]

Gary's AI does like to take Portugal. Perhaps it is too aggressive doing this under all conditions when sometimes it shouldn't bother. It does want the Azores however to help fight the sub menace. This was a tough item for us to deal with because historically the Allies were allowed to use the Azores in late 1943, but we had no way to deal with this situation given we don't have a diplomatic model and didn't want to add a special rule for this. I don't know exactly how Gary has the AI coded with regards to Portugal, but I wouldn't doubt it could be improved with added work. The question is really how important is this versus other AI issues that might be worked on in the future. The AI has it's limitations, but we think it stacks up well against other wargame AIs, espcially as you give it bonuses to help it out. I look at it as after every time you play the game as a particular World Power, you need to boost the AI 1 level (or at least 1/2 a level) the next time you play that same World Power. The play value is that we've got 4-5 World Powers to play (China hardly counts), plus you can choose to play more than 1 or deal with having an AI ally.

[James Ward]

Couldn't you just make the Azores a separate country? It could be Portugal light [:D]

[mbMike]

I think it's a good sign that most questions/critisism is at such a fine detailed level.

[Ancient One]

ORIGINAL: Joel Billings

Gary's AI does like to take Portugal. Perhaps it is too aggressive doing this under all conditions when sometimes it shouldn't bother. It does want the Azores however to help fight the sub menace. This was a tough item for us to deal with because historically the Allies were allowed to use the Azores in late 1943, but we had no way to deal with this situation given we don't have a diplomatic model and didn't want to add a special rule for this.

It's not just the AI that is the problem in this case though, Portugal seems to be valuable enough and easily kept (provided the Axis don't invade Spain) that a human controlled Western Allies should always want to take it as soon as possible.

[Drax Kramer]

ORIGINAL: Joel Billings

Gary's AI does like to take Portugal. Perhaps it is too aggressive doing this under all conditions when sometimes it shouldn't bother. It does want the Azores however to help fight the sub menace.

It captures Azores, but I can't remember it ever bases an aircraft there. Anyway, Portuguese did have an army. If Irish could get two infantry, if Vichy forces that surrendered within few days are represented with infantry why didn't Portuguese got something, aynthing?


Drax

[Joel Billings]

We could have given them at most 1 unit, but again, since historically they gave the Allies what they wanted (Azores, although a little late), we decided to give them nothing.

[Ancient One]

ORIGINAL: Joel Billings

We could have given them at most 1 unit, but again, since historically they gave the Allies what they wanted (Azores, although a little late), we decided to give them nothing.

I think they probably deserve more than 1 unit. Portugal had a larger army than the US in 1940, and the US begins with several units. Also, compare Portugal to how generous the game is to Spain.

[Drax Kramer]

ORIGINAL: Joel Billings

We could have given them at most 1 unit, but again, since historically they gave the Allies what they wanted (Azores, although a little late), we decided to give them nothing.

Historically, Vichy French units in Morocco and Algeria put a token resistance to Allied and then switched sides to create XIX corps and a core of Free French mountain corps that fought in Italy and Southern France.

The game gives Germans free units to use in North Africa and Southern France. Hardly a historical feature.


Drax

[a19999577]

Well, actually the Vichy French put up quite a resistance in Syria, didn't they?

[Drax Kramer]

ORIGINAL: a19999577

Well, actually the Vichy French put up quite a resistance in Syria, didn't they?

Yes, they did. In GGWAW, Syria is not a part of Vichy France though.


Drax