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1st Time Player - Some Questions

 
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1st Time Player - Some Questions - 6/8/2016 3:13:49 AM   
Gene Gerwin

 

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Joined: 6/8/2016
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Skip down to questions to save time...

ATG. All latest patches.

Random game. Large Map. Single town start, stone age, high-cost production, expensive research, AI treasure boxes, shroud -The AI always seems to get a huge lead in resources (raw/oil) and political points, that's why I set the conditions as such to try to put a break on this.

I started out on a smallish island. The AI got to start on a huge continent (lol). Pretty soon the AI had a massive lead on all metrics. Fortunately, I found some mercenary bases which kept me from being defenseless.

I kept waiting for an invasion, but none came. After building up sufficient military strength, I used cargo ships to land some units on the main continents.

Because I was hopelessly behind in research on tanks, bombers, artillery and such, I focused on advancing levels for my Flak, Bazooka, and mortar units. My unit formation were 100 Mercenaries, 10 Bazooka, 10 Mortar, 5 Machine Gun, 10 Flak. Total strength for the units exceeded 200 points once they gained experience.

I was able to quickly seize some towns and build up defensive positions at forest edges. I used my engineers to build fortifications. The AI responded by creating an offensive line along my defensive lines. It probed a couple of time with relatively weak tank units-trying to pass through gaps in my defensive lines. Each time I destroyed the AI units.

Then the AI started to shell my positions with heavy artillery. But the artillery made no impact. None whatsoever. So much for investing in leveled up heavy artillery.

All the AI units along the war fronts had weak numbers. I figured these were probing units and and the AI was trying to lure me. The AI started building factories right along the skirmish line (WTF?) and pumping out tanks and artillery.

Oh... when my units were unprotected by Flak and in open space territory, the AI did have a few devastating air strikes on my exposed units. But, the towns were relatively unprotected and easy to take. Each time I took a town, I destroyed hundreds and hundreds of AI aircraft. Why didn't the AI protect the towns? Why didn't the AI protect it's air force? Why did the AI invest so massively in an air force that was having a limited impact?

I eventually was able to launch a two-front attack on the AI army. Turns out my Bazookas were able to destroy all AI units with relative ease. I think perhaps I managed to cut the AI's supply lines, which might have reduced the AI unit readiness levels.

In any case, I'm about to take the rest of the map. I hope the AI's play gets better. The statistics page still says the AI has roughly a 100-1 force advantage.

=============My questions:

1. Does the AI respond to what it learns about your force composition? Or does it just build units blindly. So far, it seems it just blindly advances tech levels for all units and just builds all and everything it can. I guess usually it can do this because it has huge resource advantages.

2. Does the AI take terrain in to consideration? For example, why was it sending tank units in to the forest infested with enemy Bazooka units?

3. What use is artillery? My dug in units experienced maybe a single loss every now and then despite being barraged by artillery, heavy artillery, and level bombers.

4. Does the AI secure/protect its supply lines? I managed to cut off a huge AI army and quickly devastate it.

5. Does the AI try to establish defensive lines along choke points on the map or around key towns? So far, it doesn't seem like the AI tries to take advantage of map features to create strong points.

6.Is this really an AI? Or just a lot of if->then code? How awesome would a true AI be in a game like this! Does anything like that exist?

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RE: 1st Time Player - Some Questions - 6/8/2016 4:22:00 AM   
FieldOfGlory


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From: Utah USA
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Well you certainly pointed out many of AI's weaknesses. The AI is horrible at Naval warfare and it is best to avoid island hopping scenarios if your looking for a good fight. The AI also notoriously bad at handling its air forces.

This is my experience with the AI.
1. The Ai will to a very limited degree make adjustments to your playstyle like build Flak if you bomb its cities with strategic bombers.
2. Not so much
3. I have found Artillery to be 1 of the most effective weapons in the game. Terrain like forest will reduce its effectiveness though.
4. The AI will make a limited attempt to keep its rear secure but it is very susceptible to being surrounded and cut off.
5. No. I have never seen this behavior from the AI in any noticeable way.
6. ATG's AI isn't the worst I have seen for this type of game. AI's are notoriously difficult to program for hex type strategy games. The level of complexity in a large ATG scenario makes Chess look like a game for preschoolers and that's saying something.

< Message edited by FieldOfGlory -- 6/8/2016 4:24:29 AM >

(in reply to Gene Gerwin)
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RE: 1st Time Player - Some Questions - 6/8/2016 7:15:06 AM   
Gene Gerwin

 

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Hi, thanks for your detailed reply.

By "AI" I was wondering if there's a learning neural network involved?

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RE: 1st Time Player - Some Questions - 6/8/2016 8:54:38 PM   
bobarossa

 

Posts: 262
Joined: 6/11/2002
From: Columbus, Ohio USA
Status: offline
Several comments:
1. The AI gets a free factory every once in a while. This may make it seem like it is getting a lot of extra PP's. Of course it could be getting extra PP's too.
2. The AI builds way more units than it can supply by the mid/late game. The artillery you were experiencing may have been at 10 or 20 readiness which greatly affects its effectiveness.
3. I did a test recently where I turned off the ability to build factories (actually it was an option in the Four Seasons Mod). This reduced the AI's overbuilding but didn't eliminate it.
4. Never use the 'no/limited roads' option against the AI as it doesn't know how to connect its cities. The AI will build roads to support an advance.

(in reply to Gene Gerwin)
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RE: 1st Time Player - Some Questions - 6/18/2016 8:57:51 PM   
davebob

 

Posts: 63
Joined: 9/9/2014
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Learning the editor will vastly improve your enjoyment of ATG. I give each ai opponent one of each factory, then prohibit their construction, for them. when learning the editor, learn how the "masterfile" functions first, it will make everything else a little simpler.

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Having said that,that being said,that having been said,saying that,that having been said,having said all that,that said.....

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