Matrix Games Forums

Ok two things keep me away from this game.

1. Ive heard that the detailed battle AI isnt the best in the world and is very easy to beat which to me is a game killer. Whats the point if everytime you fight you win. However I then think to myself well fair enough I would forego the detailed battle and use the qucik battle, however.........

2. Ive read on the forum that the quick battle results just dont make sense and you nearly always win or the result just doesnt make sense........

So have things changed where this isnt the case anymore?

Im not to bothered about the detailed battles ( I was when I first heard about the game but since then I decided I'd prob not play the detailed battles all the time anyway) but if the quick batles are just as bad then it really does stop me from buying the game.

Can anyone enlighten me?

Thanks

My interest is the tactics and battles - not any grand strategy.

I am waiting for comments on the patch now in Beta.

If I get the game I am keen to PBEM. I use the AI only for testing.

I think that the tactical AI is acceptable. I have noticed that the AI tends to look for my flank in an effort to hit me from behind, while at the same time it tries to fix me in position with a frontal attack.

Overall, I think that the tactical AI does well enough to make the game interesting.

Is it possible to have quick battles without going through the strategy part?


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no, so far just having battles is impossible. I, for one, do NOT think the tactical AI is acceptable. I think its horrible! I haven't lost a tactical battle to the AI in ages. The quick battle feature works, but then you can't be playing on any high difficulty setting, because the AI gets amazing bonuses on any high difficulties, making winning for you very difficult.

The one thing the tactical AI is very good at is charging a vulnerable gun or wagon. If you make a mistake in that department the AI can and will exploit it ruthlessly.

Thats why I am still kinda bemoaning the new "supply wagon placement to the rear" change in the latest patches; it used to be a bad random set up could give the AI a fighting chance, and provide the player with a challenge...forced you to rush deploy into a less-than-ideal battle line to protect inconveniently placed wagons, or risk losing them. Now, with safe supply and ample time to deploy in a solid line of battle taking full advantage of terrain (which the AI is REALLY sucky at) you can now win just about every time, even at long odds...and thus battles are real yawners now IMO.

greetings, already some good post on this thread, i think criticism about detailed battles can be over any and every strategy turn based computer game, i usually win the computer oponent, so, my point of view is to stablish a balance in the form of computer bonus between to be always beaten by the bonus or not have enough opponent, this balance changes from game to game, and too a facet about how to stablish it is the human player proficiency, that obviously is different, so, i want to say it's much difficult to stablish a good artifial inteligence or computer opponent that works for all players, but again, this can be applied maybe to 80/90 % of computer strategy turn based games,

with my best regards,

Murat30.

I believe part of the hassle with the AI, is really hassles with in hassle, the players complained about this, Eric changed it, the players complained about that, Eric changed

so now, over all, the AI is looking for a hole in your line, while you are formed and firing at anything that gets too close

the hassle part is the player will upgrade, and upgrade, and build to get what he needs, the AI will not, the AI may spend 24 months to build a gun (which the players thought the forts were too strong, so guns are all but worthless now) then once built, will spend 20 months building a road, and then spend 30 months building a gun

in that same time, you have moved half of your build points into delevopment, and built 4 levels of Barracks a level or two of courts and a factory or two, your one province has giving you one or two upgrades to your troops by itself, besides the fact that it now build much better troops

Last game I just won, in my fights with Turkey, I took over most (well, all) of his main lands, most didn't even have any of the buildings built that Turkey needed to stand any kind of chance in the game

to be able to get any kind of game from the AI, we need it to build with it's provinces what it needs to build and stay away from things like guns and roads

The AI for detailed battle generates more fun than either yardwork or television. [:'(] The AI is always ready to play for as long as you want to play. The AI could be better; I've played live opponents that could be better too.

Here's a couple of ways to think about the AI:

(1) Once you have cranked the difficulty of the game up to the maximum, whatever shortcomings you may observe in the AI you can challenge yourself by reducing the number of troops you take into battle until they become truly desparate affairs.
(2) You are a military genius, a veritable "first soldier of your era" and are fated to win all or almost all your battles and/or campaigns. The period includes generals with this experience: Napoleon, Wellington, Charles, Blucher, Davout, and Kutusov come to mind.

Joe 98,

From what Ive seen this games focus is grand strategy. So I think its the wrong game totally if you dont want that sort of thing.

Your best waiting for Black Powder Wars or one of the Battleground series.

Not sure I will buy this if AI is just a walkthrough in this game. Played too many games that first looked good but then you beat the AI in the first game and discard the game in frustration.

If its possible to do detailed battles in pbem multiplayer...well perhaps that might just give enough reason to buy the game. Online is just out of question. I will never play grand strategy games online, never.

L'emperor an old KOEI game similar to crown of glory does has a tough AI and the tactical battle is "hex" based too. Same with their other similar game "liberty or death" (american rebellion 1770 somthing) Perhaps developers simply do not put much time on AI nowadays when internet offers such an easy access to multiplayer.

Allthough if you are offering only multiplayer then you should offer a REAL multiplayer like say 11-player pbem game VGA planets style.

Powerful Artificial Intelligence. The artifical intelligence (the AI) used for the computer controlled units is finely tuned to use all of the options available to it. The AI maximizes along both local and global parameters so that AI controlled units not only seek to find the best target but also coordinate with units around them to attempt to break and rout enemy units as quickly as possible.

[:-]

well meet, i want to make a question here...

L'emperor an old KOEI game similar to crown of glory does has a tough AI and the tactical battle is "hex" based too

yes, i do know these games, but can you save game in both strategic and tactical environment?... if answer is "yes" then, well, all games from these old koei, as genghis khan, and these you named, from then to today, must better all old games on all interface and support gaming parameters, please do not find in any way forced to answer question, is only an given option to do, thanks in advance,

with my best regards, and farewell,

Murat30.

All I care is if the game is good and challenging. Rest it just "extra". If i have a choice between save game in tactical mode or good AI I will always choose the latter. Also last I heard CoG interface isnt all that great either.

ORIGINAL: BossGnome

no, so far just having battles is impossible. I, for one, do NOT think the tactical AI is acceptable. I think its horrible! I haven't lost a tactical battle to the AI in ages. The quick battle feature works, but then you can't be playing on any high difficulty setting, because the AI gets amazing bonuses on any high difficulties, making winning for you very difficult.

To clarify the question of AI bonus in quick combat: In quick combat the AI difficulty settings determine the chance that the AI will get a 10% bonus with each attack. At the hardest level, the AI always gets a 10% bonus; at the lowest levels, it never gets the bonus.

Here's the relevant section of code:

// modify by game difficulty level
// for attacker AI
if (PTGame->GetPlayer(pAtt->GetPlayerId())->IsComputer() &&
!PTGame->GetPlayer(pDef->GetPlayerId())->IsComputer())
{
if (percent%10 < PTGame->DifficultyLevel-2)
attRoll = sandwich(1, attRoll+1, 10);
}
// for defender AI
if (PTGame->GetPlayer(pDef->GetPlayerId())->IsComputer() &&
!PTGame->GetPlayer(pAtt->GetPlayerId())->IsComputer())
{
if (percent%10 < PTGame->DifficultyLevel)
defRoll = sandwich(1, defRoll+1, 10);
}