Can the AI be smarter?

[WEAPON42]

I love the game but Im wondering how come the AI does some really stupid stuff?Im attacking and the allies are in foxholes.Why at the first sign of trouble would they leave there foxholes and advance towards me in the open?Hq units as well?Why would allie AT gun open fire at first sight of enemy activity instead of waiting for tank target?

[Cinnamon J. Scudworth]

'Cause this AI ain't Durandal.

Usually I've found that the AI will do poor to average on defense, and worthless to poor on attack, though sometimes it does surprise me.

-Andrew

[imported_Hiram Sedai]

Originally posted by Mirage2k:

'Cause this AI ain't Durandal.

Usually I've found that the AI will do poor to average on defense, and worthless to poor on attack, though sometimes it does surprise me.

-Andrew

I just had a Marathon flashback. How I hated that computer.

[Puff the Magic Dragon]

Let me add one:

A M10 Tank Destroyer is facing a 'Gun?'

The M10 is out of HE shells since several turns.

The M10 targets the gun anyway, fireing with AP shells.

As always, heroism wasn't rewarded. The gun killed the M10.

Questions:

Why does a tank not retreat, out of HE and targeted by a potential threat?

Why? Why is this world so unfair? Is it me? What have I done to deserve this? Mooooomie...I'm so unlucky.

[WEAPON42]

what is durandal?

[Generale_Pasquini]

Since Russian battle tactics were pretty poor, the AI should be perfect in CMBB. Charges, Bad Tank Moves, wasted arty. Just put Russians + 50% and your set!

[Mr. Johnson--]

I think if your planing on making a scenario using the AI you should consider giving the AI side 3 high ranking Battalion commanders. That should help most of the infantry from getting shocked and panicked so much. And use more flags, add lots of little flags that "lead the way" to a major objective.

[Commissar]

Getting AI right is tough. Mimicking human behavior is not all that easy especially for a dumb computer. Most AI follows a set pattern of actions. Once you figure it out, the AI isn't what you would call challanging. For a $50 software, the AI isn't going to ever be what you would call advanced although some games seem to do ok. If all else fails, you can try acting dumber and give the computer a decent chance of beating you.

Try going against a human player in mp or with a friend. You'll probably be quite surprised at how tactics that work against the computer will not at all work against a player that is actually thinking and learning.

[Boo Radley]

Durandel is the computer in the game Marathon. Now THAT takes me back!

I just had a weird thing happen in a PBEM game. My guys are defending and are in foxholes. The enemy begins to retreat and suddenly, my guys start to advance! I didn't tell them to leave their foxholes and would have preferred it if they hadn't. What's that all about?

[aka_tom_w]

Again for the record I think this game still only costs $45.00 US (that is ALOT of money in Some other countries like Somolia or Canada )

BUT the point is for $45.00 US you get an AI that is pretty advanced and savy for a wargame.

Think of the AI as like Training wheels on a bike, its there so you can learn how to play with the mechanics of the game and test out things like new scenarios and basically practice new skills and tactics. If you don't expect anymore than that out it (remember you only paid $45.00 US for it) you will NEVER be disspointed.

To get a satisfiying result or a real challenge you really must match wits with a human opponent, to expect the AI to give you a game anywhere NEAR a cunning human opponent is simply unrealistic for $45.00 US piece of software. Besides after losing to 3 or 4 humans in a row its nice to play the AI and get some satisfaction out of kicking some AI BUTT.

(Note also that BTS made the AI so it doesn't cheat, it plays by the SAME fair rules with same intel and info that you do. So I don't imagine you want them to make the AI harder to beat by letting it cheat?? )

Anyway the AI is fun, just don't expect it to be a challenge

-tom w

[ February 18, 2002, 05:35 PM: Message edited by: aka_tom_w ]

[Affentitten]

No AI is perfect. Remember what the the "A" stands for.

I think Combat Mission is pretty good as far as AI goes. Look how crap the AI is in games like Close Combat. You have friendly AI troops that come under fire whilst crossing a road and instead of sprinting the 2 meters to safety, they stop, move two meters up the road, two meters to the left, two meters back down and then just keep going in a circle whilst getting cut to pieces in the open. Another problem with CC was that the friendly AI was handicapped as a means of making the game more even against the computer. So your tanks would get a clear rear or side shot at a Tiger, but for some reason the tank commander would insist on firing his main weapon only when it was perfectly aligned with the tracks. So you'd get this seconds long "dance of death" as your tank body swivelled slowly, over-swivelled, began to swivel back.....too late. Dead.

Meanwhile the enemy AI tanks are snapping off shots from three o'clock to 6 o'clock and taking out a vehicle with every single shot. Enemy accuracy and penetration of their ammo was again beefed up in the name of "fairness".

Be grateful for CM.

[Silvio Manuel]

A few things I do to make the AI a more challenging opponent:

I get: Green/Conscript troops and only 75mm & 81mm offmap arty.

AI gets: Reg/Vet or better troops, 105mm+ arty (Greens hate it!), and I buy useful units for the AI. Sometimes I'll give myself "Short-75" and the AI "Panther-76" or better.

I don't generally defend against the AI (unless I'm practicing w/ a unit or tactic) b/c it is so poor at attacking. I like ME's where I give it +50/75%. Giving myself 'dawn/dusk' or wet weather when attacking also makes it harder.

Additionally, giving the AI the large caliber mortars will help it a bit...it doesn't have the required killer instinct w/ arty and will call off a barrage at the worst moment. So giving it the heavy mortars means that more rounds will actually fall for each during each turn. An example is the AI might only use 1 whole turn when firing 155mm arty, since the StratAI will "save some for later" when it should use it to go for the jugular.

One Forum member used to recommend that you set up a battle in the scenario editor, and start the AI out only w/ Infantry, heavy weapons teams, and scout vehicles. Also, you split the AI's inf. squads; the resulting decrease in global morale will make the AI more cautious- not quite its regular foolhardy self.

Several turns later, you give it tanks and Arty spotters as reinforcments- so that it won't lead with its armor and thus squander it. Cheers to whoever concocted that idea. I've never tried it (never been in the 'Editor), but it seems like sound advice.

[ February 18, 2002, 06:44 PM: Message edited by: Silvio Manuel ]