Rabelesius Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 One last question, I hope: The AI difficulty setting affects certain calculations (but not combats I read). How about scripting of purchasing/popping up of units? I noticed that in my games against the AI, the AI seems to have much more troops than expectec. Hubert, can you elaborate a bit on what exactly is changed for the AI? Free corps/detachements? Thanks for your patience with my many questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubert Cater Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 The AI does receive some free units via UNIT scripts, some at the default level and some at the higher difficulty levels but it may also have more units available at the higher difficulty levels as the higher difficulty levels provide the AI with extra MPP per turn so it is then able to purchase more units. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrier Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 Hello Hubert, I think Rabelesius is on to something here. I just shut down a game (playing Entente at 2nd difficulty level in Call to Arms) and was quickly in very very deep trouble. In late 1914, in Serbia, the Austrians suddenly produced 2 more corps and two more cavalry - half of which I despatched, but here's the kicker - the next turn they showed up again, brought friends with them, and five more Austrian corps showed up with... 11 German corps in an offensive towards Warsaw. This is all additional to the normal complement in the area. I was impressed, and worried. Now, this could have been explained by a German focus on the Eastern front, right? Except that the French were getting hammered by over 40 corps - which were constantly replaced. Remember, this is between late 1914 and early 1915. If you're still thinking I'm out to lunch, the kicker is the Ottomans - by their third turn at war they had 16 corps in the field. That's impressive, and quite unbalanced. Not bad for the sick man of Europe. I'd review the effect of the funds increase as it's unbalancing the game. A modest uptick would be challenging, but this is well beyond that. Also - another question for you: What triggers the mobilization of the Bulgarians? Ostensibly it's supposed to be Austrian progress in Serbia (is it not?), but how are you measuring that? I've had the Bulgarians enter the war as early as end of January 1915 (ten months earlier than real time), without the Austrians having made ANY progress - not even taken Belgrade. If war entry is based on a formula of Serbian unit losses, that's not helping - particularly if the Russian focus is on grinding the Austrians to a halt in Serbia (and paying big money to do it). Conversely - the Romanians never seem to join in on my side when I play Entente, but do come in if I play Centrals. Same gripe with Diplomacy - invested 3 chits in Norway - with not 1 hit in 3 years. Not a big loss of cash, but this result is not wildly atypical. You'll also like this: I love the unit swap, it's actually extensible. First attacker gets swapped out with 2nd tier line. Third tier (or adjacent unit) then picks a swap with an unmoved neighbour..... then moves cursor over the first line unit that already moved... and swaps the first liner all the way to the back. Using this trick I move a unit multiple times. Now, it's not an unrealistic feat to move a unit to the rear - particularly not in the time frame represented by a turn - I just thought others might want to know this was possible as it does help keep your fit units to the front. Thanks for putting together a great update, look forward to the next patch and evolution of this winner. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrat618 Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 i dunno. im far from and expert in this game, but i find it pretty easy to wipe the floor with the AI even with it set to the hardest level. especially when i play allied. i have to bump up the AI expericence to make it any kind of a challenge. i still haven't figured out how to work unit swap. maybe someone could enlighten me to how exactly it works? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyazinth von Strachwitz Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 @ Terrier: believe me one thing: it takes a long times to fully understand SC. Most of us play it since years, and esp. when playing against the AI, there are ways to outmaneuver it. I hope you are not loosing fun to continue playing, because the longer you play, the easier it will get. If you want, a lot of people here in this forum will give you a helping hand.. just open a thread and post a few screen shots, and we will give you detailed advice. @ Patrat: Click on one unit. Press shift. Now an Icon appears. If you move this icon over an adjacent unit and press the mouse button, the swap will occur. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrat618 Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 thanks Hyazinth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabelesius Posted August 30, 2011 Author Share Posted August 30, 2011 Thanks for the swapping tip as well. It's not documented in the manual? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill101 Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 We only introduced it with the first patch whereas the manual was written just prior to release, so although we have made a few corrections to the manual since then, the new features like unit swapping and forced march won't be in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill101 Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 Also - another question for you: What triggers the mobilization of the Bulgarians? Ostensibly it's supposed to be Austrian progress in Serbia (is it not?), but how are you measuring that? I've had the Bulgarians enter the war as early as end of January 1915 (ten months earlier than real time), without the Austrians having made ANY progress - not even taken Belgrade. If war entry is based on a formula of Serbian unit losses, that's not helping - particularly if the Russian focus is on grinding the Austrians to a halt in Serbia (and paying big money to do it). Conversely - the Romanians never seem to join in on my side when I play Entente, but do come in if I play Centrals. Same gripe with Diplomacy - invested 3 chits in Norway - with not 1 hit in 3 years. Not a big loss of cash, but this result is not wildly atypical. Hi Terrier The Bulgarians do veer towards joining the war based on the capture of Belgrade and Nish in Serbia, but given their lack of success here the Central Powers could be investing in diplomacy as an alternative route to bringing them on board. The Romanians will consider entering the war in 1916 if the Russians have units at Klausenberg, Przemysl or Rovno. This can lead to quite sizeable leaps in Romanian mobilization, and coupled with some diplomacy should see them entering the war sometime in 1916. Hopefully not, as in one of my games recently, just after the Russians took a hammering! Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubert Cater Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Thanks Terrier, we've had similar feedback in the past that the extra MPP may be a bit too much at the higher levels so perhaps we'll tone it down a bit. I'll have another look at the formulas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabelesius Posted September 1, 2011 Author Share Posted September 1, 2011 Excellent, thanks. The AI gave me a good thumping in my latest game where I tried to simultaneously kick out Russia in 1916 and take Paris as well. Now, the AI is at the Rhine and Russia has not yet collapsed...if it will, it's all for nothing, as I will have lost the war as the Germans anyway... Kudos for the quality of the AI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aesopo Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 The tougher levels are meant to be tough. The AI recklessly exposes units for destruction - at highest level the AI would lose a combined 250 or so units versus my 20-30 lost. Lately, I am even down to 5-10 losses. Even at higher MPP, the AI can still be licked at the highest level. Just set up your killing zones, invest in tech, upgrade, and use concentration of force to attack strong points. Support of hq, supply, experience and morale are important. I hope the higher levels are even made insanely crazy that only yoda masters can beat. Artillery is your best friend. I want to be beaten down by a capable AI. The challenge is the rationale for difficulty levels. No disrespect meant. Until the AI is made more intelligent, it is very beatable even with insane MPPs as it throws units away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syagrius Posted September 6, 2011 Share Posted September 6, 2011 The tougher levels are meant to be tough. The AI recklessly exposes units for destruction - at highest level the AI would lose a combined 250 or so units versus my 20-30 lost. Lately, I am even down to 5-10 losses. Even at higher MPP, the AI can still be licked at the highest level. Just set up your killing zones, invest in tech, upgrade, and use concentration of force to attack strong points. Support of hq, supply, experience and morale are important. I hope the higher levels are even made insanely crazy that only yoda masters can beat. Artillery is your best friend. I want to be beaten down by a capable AI. The challenge is the rationale for difficulty levels. No disrespect meant. Until the AI is made more intelligent, it is very beatable even with insane MPPs as it throws units away. I also did notice that, and especially on the Western Front, the AI is expose his units in the "no man's land" to effective counter-attacks alot. If it was a general attack that wouldnt be so bad but its like 2-3 corps at a time so its easy to destroy them with nearby healty units. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabelesius Posted September 7, 2011 Author Share Posted September 7, 2011 Yes, that is a problematic issue for the AI. They tend to advance too often into enemy trenches. Maybe there should be an AI script/provision that makes advance possible only when there is a general breakthrough in the West (like in 1918) or not at all until the combined strength of Germany around the point of breakthrough is weak enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syagrius Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 Yes, that is a problematic issue for the AI. They tend to advance too often into enemy trenches. Maybe there should be an AI script/provision that makes advance possible only when there is a general breakthrough in the West (like in 1918) or not at all until the combined strength of Germany around the point of breakthrough is weak enough. It isn't a problem in SC Global because entrenchment is not as much poweful than in SC WW 1 (and it is righly so). In WW 1 The AI should be more cautious I guess and wait for proper artillery or tank support. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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