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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> Strategic Command Series >> Strategic Command WWII War in Europe >> Scenario Design and Modding >> AI units

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AI units - 6/30/2019 9:57:42 AM

felixs

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Joined: 3/27/2017
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I would have 2 questions related to this topic:
1) In the unit.txt scripts I see #AI=5 and #AI=6 formulas. What do these mean? The explanatory notes at the beginning only explain them up to #AI=4.
2) What is the logic behind the AI getting such a sizeable portion of their forces for "free"? How does this not make them overpowered in comparison to a situation where the side is being played by a human? Does the AI not purchase units on its own?

< Message edited by felixs -- 6/30/2019 9:58:34 AM >

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RE: AI units - 7/2/2019 3:51:28 PM

Hubert Cater

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1) #AI= 5 is for when the event should fire when the AI is Axis, or when the AI controls Axis units (applicable to this event #COUNTRY_ID) on your turn. #AI= 6 is the same but for the Allied side of things. This just allows us to flag one event to be used for both of these situations without having to write a second identical event etc.

2) The short answer here is that the AI needs help from time to time and from hundreds of playthroughs/tests on our end we've narrowed things down to the added free AI unit events you find in the scripts. Remember many of these are conditional so the AI does not receive all of them in every game, and most if not all are piecemeal just to maintain balance or help the AI through a tough logical situation in game that a human player would find easier to manage.

For example, the Axis AI receives some free Garrison units that it can immediately put to use to Garrison key positions in France after France is conquered, which then frees up its stronger units to continue follow up offensives in Yugoslavia, Greece, and the USSR.

The Allied AI on the Soviet side will receive some bonus units that are triggered either by dates, or by how far the Axis has pushed eastwards simply to keep things interesting to a human player.

These are just some examples and they can all be disabled if preferred in the OPTIONS->ADVANCED->SCRIPTS screen as desired.

Hope this helps,
Hubert

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(in reply to felixs)

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RE: AI units - 7/5/2019 4:11:08 PM

felixs

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Joined: 3/27/2017
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Thank you for the reply Hubert.
It was actually Yugoslavia that raised this question in my mind, because as the axis I often struggle to knock out Yugo and Greece not even before Barabrossa (as historical) but before winter of 41, while the AI always seems to be able to handle it with ease. I was wondering what I was doing wrong and I saw that the AI at that point had some 5-6 extra corps, 1-2 extra armies and 2 tanks as "invasion helpers". AI gets quite a sizeable force as Barbarossa support as well, so I just assumed that it must not be ruthlessly efficient at using all the resources at its disposal.

(in reply to Hubert Cater)

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RE: AI units - 7/5/2019 6:07:36 PM

Hubert Cater

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Yes, a weak Barbarossa, or an AI still fighting in Yugoslavia when Barbarossa starts, and the war could be over several years earlier than it should be, which would not be a good overall experience.

Essentially the idea behind these free AI units is to give it key boosts when needed, and then let the rest of the game play out as it should.

I would also say that when looking at the scripts just to be careful as some are similar and only one will fire depending upon the conditions. For example, for Yugoslavia, the Germans only receive 1 extra Tank even though there are two similar events listed. Same for Barbarossa where they are several similar events but here only 8 extra units are provided and of course not all of these bonus AI units fire as some are difficulty level settings dependent. The Barbarossa helpers are for Intermediate level or above only.

Often what helps the AI the most is the additional Garrison units I provide as this then frees the AI up to use its stronger units elsewhere. So the free Garrison units it receives to guard key French positions after a French surrender could also help the AI in let's say the attack on Yugoslavia in that it ensures those stronger units from the French campaign will be available.

Hope this helps,
Hubert

< Message edited by Hubert Cater -- 7/5/2019 6:09:20 PM >

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RE: AI units - 7/5/2019 6:12:19 PM

Hubert Cater

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I should add that in some cases, these extra units are not necessarily needed, for example the German AI could invade and capture Yugoslavia 7 out of 10 times successfully prior to Barbarossa, but from my end I'd rather have that closer to 100% for game play experience and thus the one extra tank it receives to ensure it does a good job 99% of the time etc. Better safe than sorry sort of thing.

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