AI not aggressive in Offensive?

[GrdAdmiral]

I’ve only been playing co-op so far with my friend. On Defensive, the AI has been some what challenging, but the placement of artillery and anti-tank guns in the rear and not being used is abnormal. They position with no fire arcs and are often in places that have no real value to the fight. The player has to hunt them down.

But the AI seems to completely stall on offense. No armor/vehicle assaults supported by infantry or artillery. They do launch artillery/mortar special attacks, but mostly against allied vehicles locations? No smoke with assaults and if they do assault, its one or two units at a time.

When you hit the AI hard enough, the units all fall back, but when pushed into a corner they just stop and stand there running in circles it seems. They don’t regroup and counter attack.

Right now I’m playing on normal. Will raising the difficulty of the AI in the settings make them be more aggressive?

[SteveMcClaire]

The AI aggressiveness is based primarily on how strong it thinks it is versus the player force(s). Attacking at it's most aggressive it should push forward toward multiple VLs at once. Attacking at its least aggressive it should move up until it makes contact and then try to take out your units unit it has an advantage. If the AI is falling back it has decided its outnumbered and is either fighting a delaying action or preparing to lose the map.

Difficulty settings change how many and what type of units you receive -- putting the AI on Green and yourself on Elite will make the AI forces significantly stronger, which will in turn make it generally more aggressive.

[wolf14455]

I encountered AI using tanks in close prox. of my ground troops without own infantry support. Not so smart as I knocked out 2 pzIIIs and one half track in Tunisia, not in same battle thou.

[SteveMcClaire]

Separating enemy tanks from their infantry support does help. The AI does try to keep groups of units together but in some cases may send recon vehicles (like half tracks or light tanks) forward, and tanks may forge ahead if their infantry can't keep up in the attack.

[Werewolf13]

ORIGINAL: Steve McClaire


Difficulty settings change how many and what type of units you receive -- putting the AI on Green and yourself on Elite will make the AI forces significantly stronger, which will in turn make it generally more aggressive.

Emphasis mine...

Uhhhh... I'm sorry but green AI makes them stronger? Morale (a significant part of any CC game) of GREEN units is in real life historically high until they start getting killed and then they break like a glass rod and run like poop out of a goose. Green troops not supported by regulars or veterans are almost as useless as conscripts.

I'm not getting how setting the AI to green and the player to elite would make the AI more aggressive.

[SteveMcClaire]

I'm talking about the game difficulty level settings.

Green difficulty level means 'The player for this side is 'Green' and would like some advantages (like extra men/units) while they learn the game.'

Elite difficulty means 'The player on this side is an expert and wants the most challenging mode.'

[Werewolf13]

ORIGINAL: Steve McClaire

Green difficulty level means 'The player for this side is 'Green' and would like some advantages (like extra men/units) while they learn the game.'

Elite difficulty means 'The player on this side is an expert and wants the most challenging mode.'

WHOAH!
I've been playing CC games since the very first one that ATomic Games published way way back in the 90's (got 'em all, somewhere) and I never knew that. I always assumed that Elite meant better troops, higher morale etc. And green meant brand new untested, easily routed - especially since the impact of morale was always hyped and emphasized. So if, for example, I set the AI to elite and myself to Veteran then the AI is the one getting fewer of everything than me? Damn! I've been doin' it backwards for the better part of 25 years.

I try to learn something new every day. I guess this is my something new for today.

[SteveMcClaire]

The lowest difficulty is actually 'Recruit' (not Green) and the hardest 'Elite.' But yes how it has been since this scale was introduced (CC4 I think?)

[headcount_slith]

The AI aggressiveness is based primarily on how strong it thinks it is versus the player force(s). Attacking at it's most aggressive it should push forward toward multiple VLs at once.

Any idea what's going on in the test scenario pictured below (inset shows situation at start)? It's an AI-controlled US attack and the Americans basically do almost nothing for the entire 30 minutes except scout one VL with one unit (they were on the verge of taking another VL with the same scouts when the scenario ends)

Surely, with such a huge numbers advantage (see minimaps) they should have pushed hard for all three VLs?

I can send you the scenario if you'd like to try it for yourself.

[wodin]

Personally I think it's doing an OK job. Remember battles on a map in CC can go on for abit as the attacker slowly takes the ground. In my games if the AI went all out attack they'd be wiped out. So slowly does it is probably the key.

It's the useless AFV and AT Guns that are a big issue.

[SteveMcClaire]

It sounds like a custom scenario? These are also influenced by the 'Attacker' setting you choose. But please send me the scenario and I'll look at it. Thanks.

[headcount_slith]

The scenario file is attached. It's a US attack.

The gap in the US deployment zone is there to prevent the Americans deploying on the bridges (if they do this they end up hovering in the sky when the game starts).

Other issues revealed by this and the other AI test scenarios I've been running:

- AI always deploys in identical fashion whenever scenario is run
- AI 'attacks' in identical fashion whenever scenario is run
- AI ignores nearby 'primary' VL and heads for distant 'minor' one instead
- Main bulk of AI force waiting while scouts scout instead of following at sensible distance (This means AI sometimes doesn't have time to mount proper attack when intel is gathered)

For the record, I love the fact that the AI scouts in CCTBF, I just wish it would do it with a bit more urgency/support when - as you've previously stated - it's aware potential resistance is light.

[headcount_slith]

Here's another example of an improbably halfhearted AI attack. I've just played Kasserine Pass as the US at the highest difficulty setting (Elite vs Recruit). The Germans failed to gain any of my VLs despite sitting right next to an unnoccupied one for around ten minutes. Most of my VLs were never attacked (the Germans unsuccessfully assaulted the compound in the NW with infantry). Most of my units never fired a shot.

I may have got lucky with my initial bombardment (1 tank destroyed and one, possibly two HTs tracked) but I know for a fact the enemy still had mobile, dangerous AFVs and an on-map mortar after the barrage, because I observed them/felt their wrath before withdrawing from the ridge under fire.

Here's the results screen:

[headcount_slith]

State of play/map at the end:

[headcount_slith]

Situation post-barrage:

[SteveMcClaire]

ORIGINAL: headcount_slith
The scenario file is attached. It's a US attack.

Took a quick look -- The Panther has a high enough rating to prevent a 2:1 threshold, so the US is making a probing attack. Units will move forward cautiously until they make contact. They never make contact since you're in the corner.

If you run it without just a few German infantry teams instead you should get a more aggressive US attack.

Steve

[GrdAdmiral]

Thank you for the info. I will try placing the difficulty of the AI on green.

Is there a chart or explanation that outlines what each AI setting does and how it works?

Is it possible to change the difficulty of a saved campaign without having to start over from scratch?

[headcount_slith]

Thanks for taking a look. I'm amazed the game doesn't interpret that situation as a 2: 1 advantage to the US. The Germans are fielding 1 x Panther and a 4-man command team. The US a Sherman and 67 men. If that imbalance doesn't encourage boldness from an AI attacker then it's little wonder the AI can seem reluctant to advance at times in CCTBF.

[STIENER]

wow..i would tend to agree headcount slith....sounds like the Ai still needs work....sigh

[SteveMcClaire]

GrdAdmiral,

The details on the difficulty settings are covered in the game manual. Basically the difficulty will modify the number of units you can field, whether you get some low-quantity support units at all -- the Germans won't usually get a Tiger on Elite for example, and how many replacements you get to fill out losses.

Steve