Major Spinello Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 I don´t know what your experiences are, but atm it seems that the games where I play the Axis in singleplayer mode are more fun and challenging than playing the Allies. With the Allies, I too often win in 1941 already, while it takes at least until 43 to beat both the Russians and the UK. (Siberian transfers really give you a run for your money sometimes! ) Basically, it seems to me that the Axis AI is acting especially weak with respect to North Africa and the defense of Italy. If you drive them out of Africa before Barbarossa (which is easy), and wait until they start their Russian campaign, you can surprise them by doing a "Husky". And once Rome falls, the Italians in Russia go away and the AI breaks down very rapidly. (As someone wrote recently, the German AI is very weak in retreats.) I do not exactly know what is the cure here, but I think three things are in order to make singleplayer games for Allies more interesting: a) Italy should move capital (instead of giving up) if Rome goes before 43. Italy should already as a neutral do something to bolster Africa. c) Italy (and Germany) should garrison the homeland if North Africa is lost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TaoJah Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 Can you tell me how to do that "husky" and take Rome fast ? Landing a few decoy troops north, so that he can't operate to Rome ? Use a bomber from Malta ? Take that city in the south-east of Italy that he never defends anyway ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoat Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 Operation Husky was the invasion of Sicily. It hardly seems adequate to describe an invasion of Italy with the intent of capturing Rome quickly. Something more along those lines would be Shingle or Avalanche. Even Baytown would be more accurate in that it landed on the Italian mainland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisND Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 Major Spinello, 2 and 3 are in effect in my latest version of the enhanced Axis AI, which will be ready this evening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Spinello Posted June 15, 2006 Author Share Posted June 15, 2006 @Normal Dude: great! @stoat: right, I was using "Husky" in a more liberal way here, not being restricted to Sicily. @TaoJah: of course one needs a city fast to get supply, so (depending on scenario/mod) whatever city South of Rome is a source of supply is the obvious target. I never needed anything so fancy as decoy troops, but of course the Italian navy must be firmly sitting on the bottom of the med by the time the invasion starts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Spinello Posted June 15, 2006 Author Share Posted June 15, 2006 (continuation) ... and once I get that city, I op-move an Airfleet to Italy, but I doubt I really need it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TaoJah Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 I tried an early take of Rome with the UK, but failed MISERABLY, lol. On the attack turn I had - two destroyers next to Rome, attacking it and both backing away. - a third destroyer coming in and attacking it. - three carriers attacking it. - one army landing next to it, attacking it. - two corps next to it, attacking it. But I only got it to level 3. Needless to say, the italians killed me there since I was out of supply. Next time, I'm gonne wait a few more turn and bring in a second and third army instead of the two corps, that should do it, I think... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Spinello Posted June 15, 2006 Author Share Posted June 15, 2006 I always wait until they start Barbarossa. I´m looking forward to see how Normal Dude´s scripts help the Axis to kick my ass next time I´ll try that, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolend Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 I just always take the Southern city first, it is always undefended and being a port makes taking Rome easy. As far as changing capitals if Rome falls I don't like the idea, histroically Italy surrendered long before the fall of Rome, it was up to Germany to either let it go or defend and of course they sent in more troops. Personally I would have Italy surrender at the lose of any of their cities to include Sicily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Spinello Posted June 15, 2006 Author Share Posted June 15, 2006 Rolend, I only want Italy to change capital if Rome is taken early - say before 43. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolend Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 Major I still don't think it should even if early. The people of Italy were not at all in favor of the war, the reason they fought so poorly in all thier battles was the vast majority of them just didn't want in the war in the first place. I still think had Sicily fell even early Itlay would of been out of the war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yogi Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 Maybe the Italy surrender should be triggered with an invasion of the Italian mainland. The Italians are much tougher (at least in their defensive ability) than they actually were. In fact in the game (against AI) I have seen Italy continue the fight even well after the fall of Germany. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolend Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 Yogi yep and I can take N Africa with just Italy troops if I am carefull which to me is VERY unrealistic. The only reason Hitler even sent the AK was to bail out Italy, he really did not want any offensive ops, that was all Romels doing. I will say it again, I think if any city in Italy falls then they should surrender. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Spinello Posted June 15, 2006 Author Share Posted June 15, 2006 Italian surrender already when the mainland is invaded? With no fight? Please, please, please no! Look guys: in one game, I took Rome in 41 and they surrendered even though they had a tankgroup, an army, an AF and a HQ in direct vicinity. They should at least have TRIED to take Rome back! Anyway, even if you may be right regarding lacking motivation on the side of the Italians historically, my view on this issue has rather to do with gameplay. One of the major issues is that if you time your invasion of Italy to be shortly after Barbarossa, you can screw up the AI´s Russian invasion majorly because the Italian troops in Russia (and the AI seems to employ alot of them) just disolve into thin air. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lars Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 Originally posted by TaoJah: I tried an early take of Rome with the UK, but failed MISERABLY, lol. On the attack turn I had - two destroyers next to Rome, attacking it and both backing away. - a third destroyer coming in and attacking it. - three carriers attacking it. - one army landing next to it, attacking it. - two corps next to it, attacking it. But I only got it to level 3. Needless to say, the italians killed me there since I was out of supply. Next time, I'm gonne wait a few more turn and bring in a second and third army instead of the two corps, that should do it, I think... pssst, Heavy Bomber, they rock... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blashy Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 Heavy Bombers kick ass, level 2 or higher they have a HIGH tactical value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fartknock3r Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 Maybe Italy should surrender when you take a city and have 3 or more units on the mainland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lars Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 What the AI does not do, which a human opponent does, is move the initial attacking units out of the way to let the other units in to finish off a defender. Sometimes it won't even grab a empty city. Think it puts too high a value on the entrenchment bonus, Fix that, and I think you've solved 90% of the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KG Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 Originally posted by Lars: What the AI does not do, which a human opponent does, is move the initial attacking units out of the way to let the other units in to finish off a defender. Sometimes it won't even grab a empty city. Think it puts too high a value on the entrenchment bonus, Fix that, and I think you've solved 90% of the problem. Completely agree. Getting the computer to finish off units when it has the chance would help greatly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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