altipueri Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 I'm down in my seaside retreat in Devon* (where the sun actually shone today) and I have only an old XP laptop and a dodgy internet connection. So I played a CMBO scenario called Schwarxwald Bridge (should be a sed where the x is but the laptop key doesn't work anymore!). Anyway, it was short (13 turns) and intended for H2H but the scenario designer said if playing against the AI give it two turns without doing anything. So I did. With predictable consequences. But in CMBN I can't give the AI a chancewithout getting blasted. So how many of you can give the AI a few free turns? * For US people this is where many US troops massed before D-Day. (And my little mum, then 18, was a warrant officer in charge of a 3.7" anti-aircraft gun - later in action near Brussels in December 1944). 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wodin Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Wouldn't dream of it in a scenario made for AI play..CMx2 is a different beast altogether.. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chudacabra Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 I think that the AI in CMx2 is the game's biggest weak point. I feel it is consistently extremely poor and only challenging when static in a strong defensive position. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJR144 Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 I only play blind against the AI, otherwise it's no challenge. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 I usually wait a turn to see where the AI is going to drop its opening barrage before I plot any moves. I got burned really badly in a game in BN shortly after it came out by having a platoon severely mauled on the first turn by marching right into a targeted zone. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 I only play blind against the AI, otherwise it's no challenge. What, you play with a hood over your head? I will assume you don't poke your eyes out with a salad fork or something similar. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZPB II Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 If it's a scenario, usually any extra handicaps aren't necessary... If it's a QB, the fresher the map the more refined AI setup zones and plans usually are...I got burned many times in the vanilla CMBN QB maps but since I've been mostly playing on CW QB maps or MG maps and they seem have less "AI clustered into a single action spot in the far corner" type of setups... I also buy the AI Crack or Elite troops with high motivation to make it more challenging... (maintaining FoW is troublesome but you can buy troops for the AI while drunk or high or concussed or whatever a night before) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wodin Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 I think that the AI in CMx2 is the game's biggest weak point. I feel it is consistently extremely poor and only challenging when static in a strong defensive position. I expect your talking about QB's rather than a well made scenario..big difference. If not I bow to your tactical genius.. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyD Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 I suspect a lot of players don't even realize when they do it. They perhaps play ten minutes into a scenario then abandon it for 'movie night', only to come back again 'for the first time' a month later. Or they quit after getting so decimated in an ambush that further play is pointless - but next attempt they'll know where that anti-tank gun was and will plan accordingly. Basically everybody is George Patton by the 3rd run-through. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
altipueri Posted October 17, 2013 Author Share Posted October 17, 2013 That's why I like wargames that have a good random scenario generator - each game is different. With a wargame that has a limited number of scenarios no matter how much you try not to cheat youself "black intelligence" tells you that anti-tank gun is at the end of the road on the right. That was why for me the CMx1 random scenario generator was (is) so good. The scenario I played mentioned in the original post - now if I go back and play it again this evening I know roughly what the enemy had and where it emerged from - so sure I can do better. Fortunately of course it's only myself I'm fooling, which doesn't matter. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wodin Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 We aren't short of scenarios or campaigns though are we;) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlowMotion Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 I think that the AI in CMx2 is the game's biggest weak point. I feel it is consistently extremely poor and only challenging when static in a strong defensive position. I think tactical AI is pretty good, but the fact that AI plans are totally fixed to predefined timing, that is the weak point. If we had triggers and things could advance based on what is happening on the map, scenario designers could create extremely interesting things. Just like now there can be several AI plans and one of them is randomly selected, there could be several such alternative AI plans for how things should progress for different AI groups (think how the next battle of campaigns is now decided, but in AI plans there could be more branching from which to select). 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fizou Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Maybe triggers will be added in 3.0? That would be great news. I usualy only play h2h but with a more "advanced" AI Id play more solo. What strikes me yet again is the beauty of BFs new system with the cmx2 engine and how it evolvs and "old" families being able to be brought up to the same standard as new ones for a modest amount. I love that. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
altipueri Posted October 17, 2013 Author Share Posted October 17, 2013 Just checked number of scenarios and operations/campaigns on my PC CMBO 92 11 CMBB 60 10 CMAK 61 7 CMBN 20 5 The CMx1 was the CDV 3 pack version 1.12E CMBN is 1.11 For reasons too ancient and complicated to remember or explain I have 3 copies of CMBO and two each of CMBB and CMAK and I recall the single pack games had fewer scenarios, although one of the CMBO came in a large box with printed manual and a second CD with additional scenarios. Needless to say I haven't played them all,, but I've got to save some for my retirement. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLSTK Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 AI has enough (golf) handicaps as it is without me giving it a free pass. Not the least of which is the ability to maintain a "poker face" throughout the entire encounter. I have yet to see it blink. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
altipueri Posted October 17, 2013 Author Share Posted October 17, 2013 True enough. I've never known the AI do a "rage quit" as I do when my favourite tank gets blown up. What the hell; it's only a game. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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