Sc1 AI 1942 Scenario and Suggestions for SC2

[Edwin P.]

In 1942 Scenario I noticed several things about the AI.

1. North African Front

a. Axis HQ jumps back and forth between the two Italian cities in Libya when Allies advance and retreat towards Tobruk. As a human player I would have transported it to Italy and used it in Europe, and never operated it to an isolated city without a port.

b. Even though I reduced my garrison in Egypt to just 1 corps holding Cairo the AI was never able to take Cairo as it never sent a corps to Flank the City, even when there were no allied fleets in the Area.

c. When the entire UK and American Fleet entered the Western Med after helping to liberate France the AI did not withdraw units from North Africa to protect Italy, instead it reinforced Italy with another Italian air unit, a step that it should have taken long ago if it wanted to take Cairo and it should not have taken late in the game.

d. The AI seeing that it could not take Cairo should have withdrawn units from Libya to Europe, the main front of the war and left only, at most, 2 units guarding Tobruk. The German and Italian HQ units, the German Armor unit and the Italian Air Unit would have been more effectively used in Europe.

e. Why did 2 battleships from the Italian Navy attack a battleship instead of attacking a weakened Str 6 Carrier? Why did the Italian air unit attack a corps instead of the UK Carrier fleet?

f. Even though I played with FOW off I was able to land Allied corps unsupported by naval units to take the 2 cities in Southern Italy unopposed.

g. Even with FOW off 2 Italian Battleships did not move to engage UK carrier moving alone and unsupported towards Italy.

2. Northern Front.

a. Why did the AI station 3 air units in Norway, far from the battle for Germany?

b. Why did the AI allow 2 HQ units to be cut off adjacent to Riga instead of operating them or transporting them to Germany?

c. Why were there no HQ units in Germany to protect the home country? They were in Yugoslavia or cut off and isolated in Riga and Sevastapool and none were used to help defend France. The Axis AI had three Level 12 Armor units in France without HQ support and supported by only Level 11 Air unit. If the AI had moved 1 or 2 HQ units to France and focused all of their experienced air units on the Battle for France they could have decimated the Allied invasion force, and destroyed several allied air units (since I moved all the Allied air into France), and then redeployed to the east to roll back the Soviet advance.

[ April 06, 2005, 12:59 PM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

[Retributar]

YES Edwin P. ... computer Artificial Intelligence has a long way to go yet!... just as you have so aptly illustrated!.

When this aspect or dimension can be improved enough to bring realism (Human Style Game-Play) into the act...then, Strategy Wargames such as SC1 & SC2 and other's will forever be changed!... .

It may even result in drawing in a larger following of players who will no longer see the Computer Opposition as an unworthy idiotic foe, or a waste of their precious time to play the game or situational event!.

[Edwin P.]

Very true, and I think that the AI in SC2 will be much improved over that in Sc1.

Perhaps the one item that annoys me the most, is that the AI in the 1942 Scenario (or any other scenario for that matter) never invades the UK, even when I left it totally empty of Allied units!

Now, I am not saying that the AI should invade the UK every time when there are no Allied units present but the threat should be there.

And to continue with my list:

North African Front

h. AI sent one battleship to attack one UK battleship in the Western Med, when 2 allied warships were a few hexes behind the first. The AI ship attacked, did some damage and was damaged in return, the Allied ships countered attack and sunk the Italian ship. No Allied Loses. In the meantime it left one Italian ship alone off the coast of Africa and antoher in Athens. Naturally my 2 UK battleships and carrier moved in to sink the isolated Battleship.

Edwin's Naval Rules

Move Naval Fleets to attack in groups of three or more. Three fleets will sink one enemy fleet. Sending one ship out alone is suicide.

[ April 06, 2005, 08:55 PM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

[Edwin P.]

Just a side note,

I think that overall it would be easier to improve the Naval AI. Why? Fewer units, easier coordination and you don't have to worry about terrain factors.

One way to do this is to give the AI access to a few scripted routines.

Take the subs in the 1942 scenario. They always go in the same direction.

[ April 06, 2005, 08:56 PM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

[Edwin P.]

A few notes on AI:

From the GALCIV.com web site:

The other way intelligence matters is that it determines whether the AI is going to

a) Do a thorough analysis on what players are doing

Which AI scripts are available to use, and

c) Determines whether the AI is going to do anything about it.

In SC1 Terms you could apply this to the Italian Defense of Sicily.

At Novice Level the AI has an Intelligence of 30 for certain scripts.

A transport moves next to an Italian city, at Novice AI the AI would see this only 30% of the time and take action - ie move a corps to the city.

At Intermediate level (intelligence 90) the AI would see this 90% of the time and take action.

Simiarly, in Sc2 terms at Beginner Level the AI would never consider invading England. At Expert level the devilish AI would have the access to a script where 2 amphibious transports could move in capture London and Edinbourgh if they are not guarded and England lacks defending units.

[santabear]

It seems that AI could ALWAYS know where every opposing unit was, as that information must be stored somewhere. It that information were made available to AI, FOW would never be on for him.

That might compensate for some of the weaknesses that have been noted.

AI will never be as creative as a human (or will only be as creative as the human who programs it), but it's very methodical and patient.

Unimaginative, methodical generalship is not unknown in real wars.