Modifying Objectives

ladner · Post by **ladner** » Mon Aug 27, 2001 4:04 am

Is it possible to modify the value of the victory hexes, or more importantly to make Sevastopol one? I pose this question for I downloaded Yogi's map and would like to entice the AI into defending the Krim pennisula. I have noticed that the AI will aggressively defend victory hexes while using AI vs. AI to play balance a scenario that I am working on. Thanks in advance.

Greg

Mist · Post by **Mist** » Mon Aug 27, 2001 9:13 pm

Originally posted by Greg Fish:
Is it possible to modify the value of the victory hexes, or more importantly to make Sevastopol one? I pose this question for I downloaded Yogi's map and would like to entice the AI into defending the Krim pennisula. I have noticed that the AI will aggressively defend victory hexes while using AI vs. AI to play balance a scenario that I am working on. Thanks in advance.

Greg

Greg, it is possible to set and edit objectives. You can use ingame editor(util menu). Only cities can be objectives. Their value can be set in 1-4 range and there can not be more than 9(10) objectives for each side.
AI realy tends to defend certan locations with much more efforts than others. But if I understood Arnaud right, AI uses hardcoded x,y coordinates instead of victory points to decide where to concentrate troops. But may be it does both and giving VPs to Sevastopol can change its behaviour. I'd be glad if you 'll post your results here in this thread or forum.

JustAGame · Post by **JustAGame** » Tue Aug 28, 2001 12:51 am

Originally posted by Mist:

...
AI realy tends to defend certan locations with much more efforts than others. But if I understood Arnaud right, AI uses hardcoded x,y coordinates instead of victory points to decide where to concentrate troops. But may be it does both and giving VPs to Sevastopol can change its behaviour...

I haven't examined WiR files enough to see if it is true for this game too, but Grigsby's PacWar actually assigned AI objectives as lists for each HQ. Risking the delimna of "assumption", I would bet it is likely that each HQ has a list of objectives (or multiple lists to emulate different strategies).

ladner · Post by **ladner** » Tue Aug 28, 2001 3:59 am

Originally posted by Mist:

Greg, it is possible to set and edit objectives. You can use ingame editor(util menu). Only cities can be objectives. Their value can be set in 1-4 range and there can not be more than 9(10) objectives for each side.
AI realy tends to defend certan locations with much more efforts than others. But if I understood Arnaud right, AI uses hardcoded x,y coordinates instead of victory points to decide where to concentrate troops. But may be it does both and giving VPs to Sevastopol can change its behaviour. I'd be glad if you 'll post your results here in this thread or forum.

Mist-have yet to extensively test but the preliminary results are good thus far. For current run Axis AI detached one small infantry korp to Sevastopol in late fall 1941. Soviet AI defence is weak; however I think this primarily due to supply restrictions. Only solution to having Armee vs. Front confrontation in Krim pennisula would be to modify rail net further by having continuous rail from Sevastopol to Kuban. I am not certain how to edit the map, and I am currently using the map modified by Yogi. I recall from reading some of your post that you have modified the map. Do you have a map with rail from Sevastopol to Kuban?

Greg <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0">

ladner · Post by **ladner** » Tue Aug 28, 2001 5:59 am

Originally posted by JustAGame:

I haven't examined WiR files enough to see if it is true for this game too, but Grigsby's PacWar actually assigned AI objectives as lists for each HQ. Risking the delimna of "assumption", I would bet it is likely that each HQ has a list of objectives (or multiple lists to emulate different strategies).

Have tested your assumption by viewing the objectives set by AI during AI vs AI game. Throughout 1941-1942 11th Army Objective was Sevastopol. Even when in 1942 AI transferred 11th Army to Army Group Center objective was still Sevastopol. Oddly for a long time frame 11th Army did not have any Korps. However, no Soviet Fronts had Sevastopol for objective, only objectives assigned to Soviet Fronts in Southern Theatre were hexes 49,31 and 52,40 only common feature, both are rail junctions. I have to tip my hat to Gary Grigsby though for all Armies/Fronts were kept in historical/geographical locations. For example 4th Pz Armee was transferred to AG Center for Typhoon then AG South for Blau. Also during Blizzard of 1941 Soviet Fronts: NW Front Orel Front given objectives which would have resultd in double envelopement of Army Group Center, again keeping with historical events.

On a side note I gave Axis AI maximum support to allow for "historical" advance, for typically Axis AI does not fair well against Soviet AI. I removed maximum support in Feb. of 1942. Consequently in summer of 1942 Axis conqured both Leningrad and Moscow all that remained was newly assigned objective Sevastopol. Soviet AI had left objective empty until Axis AI brought 11th Army into Krim pennisula then Soviet Army appeared. Do not recall if Axis AI launched any attacks. In summer of 1943, again only Sevastopol needed, yet Axis AI fails to launch major attack. Noticed placement of 17th Army in Krim Peninsula by AI keeping with "historical" events.

Sorry for being long winded <img src="wink.gif" border="0">

Conclusions

Due to historical movement of Armies/Fronts there must be "hard coded" behavior for AI and your assumption is highly plausible.

Greg

Ed Cogburn · Post by **Ed Cogburn** » Tue Aug 28, 2001 10:07 am

Originally posted by Greg Fish:
I have to tip my hat to Gary Grigsby though for all Armies/Fronts were kept in historical/geographical locations.

Wait until you attack the Finnish HQ as the Soviets in '44 and discover the AI has put half of Germany's panzer divisions in it. So much for historical placement! <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0">