SC2 - Tricks for the AI

[Edwin P.]

I am writing this thread to collect tricks/stragems that could be incorporated into the AI for the upcoming SC2. Of course, this assumes that the new SC2 is an improved version of SC and the AI has to know when to consider using each strategem.

Ideally the AI in the new SC2 will access an increasing number of strategems at higher levels of play (Novice - Beginner - Intermediate - Expert) to make each war against the AI unpredicatable.

1. Keep an Allied unit on the border of Vichy Syria. When Axis attacks Vichy France move this unit to occupy Beruit if it has not been taken by the Axis. Then station air units around Beruit to sink any transports coming within range. If the Allies have LR2 this is an effective way to guard the eastern flank of Cairo while avoiding intercepting attacking German air fleets.

2. Move the French Air Fleet to north of Manchester. After France surrenders disband the fleet so the MPPs go to the UK.

3. Move a UK corps off the coast of Bergan prepared to take the city if Norway falls to the Axis and move a ship into the port to protect it from German air attacks. If seriously damaged or threatened evacuate both units to safety or sacrifice the Corps and move only the Naval unit to safety.

4. After Italy enters the war send the Gibraltor corps to Egypt via the transit hex to help guard Cairo and move the French unit in Algiers to Gibraltor. At the same time move the French unit in Beruit to Egypt.

5. Build French Units to send to Egypt before Italy enters the war. With luck the Allied player will have 5 or 6 units in Egypt when Paris falls (1 UK corps Gibraltor, 1 UK Corps Egypt, 1 French Corps Beruit, 2 to 3 French units from France). Such a Force can seriously derail any Axis plans to conquer Iraq, especially if reinforced by UK AirPower around Beruit.

6. Clear a path of controlled hexes from Egypt to the Russian border and operate UK air units to Russia.

7. Allied AI takes Norway before the Axis if Denmark has not fallen to the Axis and Allied ship can block the straits of Denmark.

8. Axis takes Gibraltor and sends a massive Italian Fleet into the Atlantic. The fleet is continually reinforced by new Italian subs and Italy invests at least 1 chit in Gun Laying Radar or Submarine Techs.

9. Axis sneaks a corps transport past the Allies to the Western North Atlantic (Path 1 - to south atlantic then west then north past canada). At the opportune time it invades Canada.

10. Axis AI launches a same turn invasion of Vichy France and Vichy Algeria.

11. If the north german fleet has been destroyed or is sighted south of England the Allies send 4 transports and two battle ships through the Danish straits to take Finland before Germany DOW Russia. (I did this once against a Human and it allowed me to build a strong UK airbase in Finland. The HQ I sent to support them arrived with a strength of 2 after running a gauntlet of German air fleets.)

12. Allies prepare to conquer Sicily on the turn that Italy enters the war. Supported by a HQ and several UK air units and carriers a UK army unit can usually defend this one hex front leading to the Italian boot.

13. When launching invasion of France the UK reclaims all tech chits to maintain air units at maximum strength during the invasion.

14. AI stations airfleets along the English Channel to allow it to safely produce subs that it sends into the Bay of Biscay off the Western coast of France.

15. Allied AI conquers Spain prior to fall of France.

[ October 21, 2003, 05:51 PM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

[Dragonheart]

You can´t make the AI to a human. If you want all this points then i would suggest to play other human players.

The AI in SC is one of the best i have ever encounterd in any wargame. In all other games the AI really sucks.

But one have to understand that is a programming issue and you can never give the AI a tricky human brain.

[Edwin P.]

The AI used in chess programs usually starts with a library of moves that the AI can use as a starting point for evaluating its next move.

In war planning many operational plans are developed which are modified for the actual situation.

To a large extent any AI has to be aware of a potential strategy/method for achieving a goal. Then such a routine can be incorporated into its logic - be it a structured routine or fuzzy logic.

For example: The strategy of moving the French Air Fleet to the UK and disbanding it after France Surrenders to give the UK a MPP bonus.

If the AI is fearful of a Sea Lion (based on prior history with that player stored in a file) it may decide to maximize its UK MPP balance by moving the UK Air Fleet to northern UK and disband it after France falls. A pre-written routine covers this and simplifies the thinking process for the AI.

Simplified Example:

Saved Opponent File:

Axis Human launches Sea Lion 25%(Ie in prior games against the AI the Axis Human player tried a Sea Lion Invasion 25% of the time, this fact is saved in a file much like a human player stores a record of his opponents strategies)

AI:

IF Prior Game Human Strategy includes Sea Lion >= 20% then AI Accesses Sea Lion Defense Stategy 30%, Full Sea Lion Defense 10%

IF Prior Game Human Strategy includes Sea Lion >50% then AI access Sea Lion Defense Strategy 30%, Full Sea Lion Defense 30%.

As part of the Sea Lion Defense strategy you might have a routine that tells the AI to consider moving French Air Fleet to Northern UK and disbanding it after France Falls.

One thing that I would like to see the AI do is maintain a Prior Game Human Strategy File so it can better counter moves made by the Human player.

Example: If the Allied Human player usually tries the LC gambit then the AI knows this and can prepare for it. If not then the Axis AI follows it normal war plan.

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PS: I just played a game against the Axis AI at Expert Level 2, Experience Level 2

The AI took Warsaw but totally igored the 3 surviving polish units in Eastern Poland. Poland never surrendered until Russian Prepared for War. At that time the Axis consisted of just 3 countries - Germany, Italy and France. It never attacked the Low Countries or Denmark.

An improved AI would have at least 2 Axis units hunt down the surviving Polish units until Poland Surrendered.

Example: If Axis Control Warsaw and Poland has not surrendered and Polish surviving units greater than 1 (based on total of units destroyed) then Seek Out and Destroy Polish units in Polish controlled hexes with 2 units per Polish surviving unit above 1.

In the same game the Maginot line held for a long time (even though the AI had experience +2) as the AI did not concentrate its air attacks on a single Maginot hex. Merely moving a naval unit in range of the coast or an infantry unit into a clear hex behind the front line would draw the fire of the AI's Air Units. I would have liked to see the AI concentrate its fire on a unit that could be destroyed instead of attacking units it could only damage.

Also the advancing Russian army was able to isolate 3 Axis HQs - 2 German and 1 Italian next to Albania where they were supporting 1 italian unit and 4 minor power units. There were no HQs in France to support the defense of France nor any in Germany.

[ October 22, 2003, 06:59 PM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]