Italian Naval Stratagies for the AI

[Edwin P.]

This post is a collection of ideas for Italian Naval Strategies for the AI based on what we know about SC1 and the new map.

First, the Italian AI should have a general idea of how many Allied warships are in the Eastern Med and the Western Med as they can easily be spotted by spies in Spanish Morocco, Vichy Algeria, Malta and Egypt and the numerous fishing boats that were scattered about the Med. The strategy it selects should be influenced by this.

For example - The AI should know whether there is 1 allied warship in the Western Med (West of Malta) and 10 warships in the Eastern Med (East of Malta).

Second, The AI should have a greater tendency to attack with a consolidated fleet. Too often the Italian Naval AI will attack with half the fleet one turn and then the other half the following turn.

Third, The Italian Naval AI should know how to use the Adriatic as a safe harbor until reinforcements can arrive or be built if they are outgunned in the Med.

Fourth, The Italian AI should have a greater tendency to conquer Greece as it needs the plunder and and production boost. Furthermore, it should do this with a seaborne invasion and avoid fighting through the mountains to the North.

Tactic 1: Italian Corps observes Malta. The corps in Salerno should move to observe what unit is in Malta.

Strategy 1: Malta Target Practice. If there is a land unit in Malta (spotted by the corps in Strategy 1) and three or fewer Allied warships in the Med then the Italian navy gains experience by bombarding Malta while the sub interdicts allied shipping. The goal here is to gain experience before engaging the British Fleet.

Strategy 2: Preserve the Navy. If the Allied Naval forces outnumber the Italian Navy 2:1 then the Italian navy will seek shelter in the Adriatic.

Strategy 3: Head for the Atlantic. Italian Fleet bombards the port at Gibraltar to Zero so it can sail into the Atlantic.

Strategy 4: Blockade the Straits

Strategy 5: Hunt Down Allied Shipping. With this strategy the Italian aggresively hunts down the British Naval Units in the Med with a fleet that assures at least a 5:3 superiority (ie it does not commit one ship at a time to combat).

Strategy 6: Surprise Strategy. The objective of the fleet is to hide from Allied view and allow Axis air units to spot the Allied Ships. Then the Axis Navy pounces.

Strategy 7: MidEast Conquest

Strategy 8: Turkish Surprise. This rarely used strategy involves bombarding the Turkish port to zero so that Italian transports can sail through the straits to the shores of the Caucaus Mountains in Southern Russia. Forces the Russian player to divert forces from his front lines to guard the rear. Requires 2:1 Italian Naval Superiority in the Eastern Med.

Strategy 9: Malta or Bust. The aim here is to conquer Malta.

Strategy 10: Vichy or Bust. Support Axis conquest of Vichy France.

Strategy 11: Madrid or Bust. Support Axis conquest of Spain.

Strategy 12: Defend Italy.

Strategy 13: Strong Naval Defense of Italy.

Strategy 14: Hide and Hunt. The Italian Navy stays close to Italy unless it has naval superiority in the MEd. If it has Naval Superority (ie 3 to 1) then the fleet consolidates to hunt down enemy ships.

[ May 01, 2004, 11:40 AM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

[Night]

I used a lot of those thinks just improvising in my games too.

I dunno about the A.I. doing it though :/