AI problem

[Gopblin]

This has been probably brought up already...

I was playing the "Danube Blues" as Germans with +25% Allied and +1 AI experience. Due to my mistakes with asessing the effects of weather and the density of enemy armor I almost lost (10 German AFV's destroyed by turn 15 while killing 4 T-34/85s).

However, in the scouting/flanking move at the start of the battle, one of my armoured cars captured the Russian "start flag" (a small flag, probably representing the road to other Russian troops). I noticed that some enemy infantry was heading there and managed to get an AA halftrack there too (triple machinegun worked very nicely on infantry in the open).

This turned into a massive assault with at least two platoons of infantry and several T-34s coming in couple of turns (my last mobile Tiger creeping on T-34s from behind met a column of five tanks head on - they were heading back; that looked painful).

Obviously, my two light AFV's were burning very quickly, but the time that was needed to pull back Soviet infantry and T-34s and then start the attack rolling again let me regroup and hold almost the whole city, turning probable "TOTAL DEFEAT" into a "DRAW".

As far as I understand, AI somehow confused that little flag with the main objective and turned its Juggernauts around.

Questions are:

Does this always happen, meaning I shouldn't touch the start flag when against the AI?

Is there any way to fix this?

Anybody willing to play? (err... that's probaly for the "opponents needed" forums). I played against AI a lot, but almost no human.

CMBB, any conditions, below 2000 pts.

PS. That is also a "hello guys" post, so..

A bit of info about myself: I've been playing a lot, period, almost anything you can think of. That includes many different wargames, both tabletop and computer.

I also studied WWII quite a lot since:

1) That's where grandma's brothers died (I'm Russian)

2) I had nothing to do in the summers anyway

This led to me playing CMBB from time to time for a couple of years now, and that's why I'm here.

Thank you for your time in reading and replying to this.

Best wishes,

Daniel.

[imported_no_one]

Hello Gopblin,welcome to the forum

Yes,the AI pretty much lives by the philosophy of "All the pretty flags are belong to us".The only thing the AI likes better than a victory flag is one that is in your possession.It will march,like zombies to the slaughter,until it is all used up.

It doesnt always work like this though,depends on how the scenario was setup by the designer and such.Sometimes the scenario doesnt get enough testing or what have you.Most are of top notch quality though.Speaking of scenarios and designers,any time you talk in detail about a scenario,you should always start off your post with something like this:

****SPOILERS about X scenario*****

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Just so that you dont potentially ruin a scenario for someone that hasnt played it yet.No biggie though.

I am glad to see that you are wanting to start playing against people.That is where you will find the most challenge,as well as fun,IMHO.Send me a email and we can discuss something to play.

[ December 04, 2004, 12:02 PM: Message edited by: no_one ]

[Gopblin]

Good time of day!

1) That's what I thought. Actually, AI doesn't go completely zombie since, for example, those

T-34s didn't go into a possible ambush even though it was on the way to the flag. They flanked it.

2) I'll try not to spoil scenarios for anyone. Thanks for telling me.

3) Ok, I emailed you.

Best wishes,

Daniel.

[MikeyD]

After playing CM its awfully hard to go back to those 'scripted' games where seven Germans always run out of that doorway at exactly that moment every time you play. Sometimes the CM AI does really stupid stuff, occassionally it knocks you on your butt. Half of the fun is not knowing. Just last night I was playing a little defensive game as the Germans and despite getting off to a good start I wound up with ALL my units captured or killed before time was up! Absolutely no men left on the board, not even paniced stragglers. No complaints about the AI on that game!

[alexoscar]

Well, i solved this question a lot of time ago. My scenarios are edited with only one big flag. I allocate it at the end of the defender terrain. If AI gets this flag is because all the defensive system is defeated.

The resident problem is that with only one flag, you can predict very much better the way used by AI to arrive to the objective.

AI in CM isnt perfect, although is the best AI i have ever known in PC wargames.

Alex.

[Joachim]

********************* SPOILER about AI tactics *****************

The AI usually attacks the nearest flag to its setup zone. The standard (QB) setup allows easy prediction of the attack. Less easy if the AI has a setup zone on two siedes of the board. But that might result in the AI combining its forces and then attacking - ultimatively leading to a long delay before the attack.

Something that works for me is setting up several flags in one line - it is hard to outguess which one the AI will attack. I use as many flags as possible and put them 2-3 locations to add value to the flags - otherwise I might give up the flag and just try to kill a portion of the AI forces. If it is near impossible for the AI to capture all flags, I either add lots of turns or give a negative bonus for the human player enforcing him to hold all flags.

Another trick mentioned on the board is to use AI reinforcements. Each reinforcement might attack on a separate route (but you can't predict the AI... it might combine forces).

Gruß

Joachim