Edwin P.

The site below offers a guide to modifying the AI in Hearts of Iron; http://editing.hearts-of-iron.com/ and may offer ideas that Hubert can ponder during his contemplations about the direction of SC2.

I have been quite pleased with SC, but as I only play Single Player the AI has become too predictable. For SC2 I would like to see the AI include user modifiable AI like that included in Hearts of Iron (HOI). Ideally, players could even share their routines, so a player who does not go on-line could face an AI based on Terif's or Rambo's tactics. These tactics coulds even be posted on a forum for downloading by players. Execution of this idea would require one or more sets of user modifiable text files; 1. General Strategy AI At the simplest level the general strategy AI would tell the AI what countries to attack and in what order. Poland > Demark > Norway > Belgium > France or Poland > Belgium > France > Denmark > Yugoslavia. It could also tell the AI what types of units to buy in what order and when. For example after taking Poland buy 1 Air or buy 1 Tank. At a more advanced level it would include a branching tree structure that responds to the situation on the battle field. Telling the AI not to invade France unless xxxxx and then to use tactic 1 or tactic 2. Or if Moscow is threated and Stalingrad has fallen to use the defend Moscow routine (ie cash in all research investments to buy more units) 2. Operational Tactics AI Would allow for the design of optimal battle tactics. For example - If Strategic AI for Italy decides to take Greece then AI would accces the Greece Invasion Routine where instructions on how to execute an invasion (to take Greece in 1 turn)are included. 3. Research AI The Research AI routine would allow for research focus to be modified (ie 1st point in Jets, 2nd Point in AntiTank) and adjusted based on intellgence(ie If Germany has Level 3 Jets and UK has Level 0 Jets, Next UK Research Point Goes to Jets or If Germany has Level 3 Subs and More than 5 subs then Next UK Research Point goes into Anti-Sub Research.

Why not take Constantinople? Then you can launch an invasion fleet through the straits and land on the shores of south eastern Russai or launch an overland assualt on the Turkish capital. Once the Turkish capital falls, operate forces to the eastern turkish city to invade Russia or attack Iraq. How to take Constantinople? Option 1: Have Italy take Greece in one turn (with a seaborne invasion supported by an air unit in Albania). This gives Italy and extra 200+ MP's. Then launch an assault on the land units guarding Constantinople using 3 Itallian units (army or armor supported by an HQ unit) and 1 or 2 Itallian Air and destroy 1 unit each turn. Then assault the city using Naval, Air and Land units. This city will usually fall in one turn. When doing this it is advisable to land an Italian corp on the eastern side of the straits. Then it can move to seize the straits and box in the Russisan fleet that imediately moves down to the Constantinople port hex.

As for weird tactics; 1. If UK abandons Gibraltor late in the game Italy will not send a corps to take it, although Germany sometimes sends a corps unit from the west coast of France and the Italian navy keeps one or two naval units next to the empty Gibraltor port. 2. If the Axis takes Spain and Portugal, I have never seen the Allied player make a D Day invasion here, even if the Axis player withdraws all units from this area. Nor has the AI ever threatened invasion on two fronts at once. Thus allowing the Axis player to concentrate his anti-invasion forces. 3. As stated in earlier posts the AI seems to take the long way to do things. Example: it never takes Greece in one turn via a seaborne invasion, and rarely takes Belgium in one turn, as most human players do. If another patch or an upgraded version (IE SC 1.5) is ever released for this game I would like to see it focused on improving the AI, making it more aggressive and unpredicatable. How? Incude several routines for invading certain countries, deciding on a strategic focus, and iclude some of the tactics used by human opponenents during the on-line matches. Example 1> Thus the AI might use tactic 1 to take Belgium 50% of the time and tactics 2 the other 50% of the time. Currently the Axis AI always goes after the infantry unit in Northeastern Belgium, whereas most players seem to favoir an initial assualt on the Capital supported by air power(and Belgium falls in 1 turn). Example 2> After destroying the UK fleet in the mediterrean Italy should decide if it will Attack Greece (35%). 1> If Italy decide to attack Greece before Russia enters the war then use the one turn seaborne invasion tactic (80%)or attack over the mountains (20%). If the UK has a large fleet in the eastern mediterrean then reverse these percentages. If Italy takes Greece then it should make a strategic decision as to whether it will try to seize constantinople (35%) or take Vichy Lebanon (25%) so it can then move on the Iraqi oil fields and the port of Suez. If it takes Constantinople it should make a strategic decision on launching a seaborne invasion of resource rich southeastern russia (40%) or moving on the Turkish Capital(40%) or doing both (20%). Currently the Italy AI (and all the other AI's) always follow the same basic strategy, although it will sometimes attack Greece (but only through the mountains) and will never invade Cairo, even if the UK withdraws all units from Egypt and never even considers using a corps to take the udefended port of Suez.

Great thread, I would like to see, as mentioned by others earlier; 1> Fog of War Option set by player - so the AI (or the other human player) could see all and the opponent (Human) operates under fog of war. 2> Non-Historical Option for the player to pick the starting Technology Bonus, instead of having it preset for the UK and Germany. 3> The value of all US resource hexes increase by 1 every six months after they enter the war to reflect the increasing US military capacity. This might be a more resonable solution that giving the US a large MP bonus. 4> More aggressive and unpredictable Axis & Allied AI that incorporates the strategies used by players - ie take Greece in one turn, an occasional Operation Sealion, Allies invade Iraq and send Air Support to Russia, Dutch Gambit, Axis invasion of Norway, and a concentrated Axis attack in Russia (perhaps 30% Southern Thrust, 30% Northern Thrust, 40% Attack along the whole front), along with the AI not ignoring cities that are left ungarrisoned - ie Brits leave Egypt and AI does not respond, or Russions leave eastern Finnish border ungarrisoned and Finns ignore Moscow. 5> In fact, in SC2 I would really like the option for players to develop their own AI formulas/subroutines and exchange them with other players. 6> Ability for the Russion play to break down armies into corps for say a cost of 50MMP. 7> Ability to spend MMP to fortify a hex above its normal rating. Say 100 points to add +2 to a clear terrain hex. This would allow the Axis to create a fortress along the Rhine in the east and the Russions to fortify their cities.

I agree that the AI is weak in a strategic sense. a. It always concentrates its Western front invasion on France, even if France is heavily defended and the low countries and northwestern Germany are left unguarded. And if I withdraw my infantry from the Nordic countries late in the game it ignores these countries and their MPPs. b. If I blockade the Atlantic with subs the US does not build Aircraft or Navy units to attack the blockading units. It just keeps producing land units. c. Futhermore, if the Northern Atlantic is blockaded the AI for the US does not attempt to launch an invasion of Sicily/Italy or North Africa, and never considers an invasion of Southern/Vichy France. d. In any revision of the game I would also suggest that the allies have the option to move one unit into the mediterrean from the Suez canal per turn (after say a 4-6 turn transit time from the UK). This would mean that the Italian Naval units can't just blockade the straits of Gibralter. They now have an incentive to take Egypt or face an allied attack from a different front. It would also give the allies a unit or two with which to liberate an ungarded Albania, Greece, or Yugoslavie. Thus reflecting the need of the Axis to guard its conquests against allied liberation.